[498]. (b.) Stems of one syllable in -r- for -s- usually retain -s in the nominative: as, flōr- for flōs-, M., flower, N. flōs; iūr- for iūs-, Ne., right, N. iūs. Some of more than one syllable also retain -s: see [491]; but in others -s is changed to -r, and in masculines a preceding ō is shortened: as, odōs, smell, odor. lepōs, grace, retains -ōs.
[499]. (c.) Four stems in -er- for -is- have the nominative singular in -is: cinis, ashes, cineris; cucumis, cucumber, cucumeris or cucumis; pulvī̆s, dust, pulveris; and vōmis, oftener vōmer, ploughshare, vōmeris.
[500]. The following have the nominative singular formed from a different stem from that of the other cases ([401]):
iter, journey, itineris, stems iter-, itiner-; Iuppiter ([389]) Iovis; supellēx, furniture, supellēctilis ([545]); senex, old man, man of forty or more, senis, stems senec-, sen-. For sēdēs, seat, see [476]; vātēs, bard, [478]. canis, dog, N. also canēs (Plaut. Enn., Lucil.), iuvenis, young or middle-aged person ([486]), volucris, bird ([490]), and mēnsis, month ([492]), have their nominatives formed like those of -i- stems.
[501]. An old dative in -ē is sometimes retained in set phrases ([507]): as, aerē, money; iūrē, right. See [98].
[502]. Substantives have rarely an ablative in -ī or -ei like -i- stems: as, capitī (Catull.), head, for capite; dōtei (Plaut.), dowry, for dōte. Substantives used as adjectives have sometimes -ī: as artificī manū, with artist hand; but often -e: as, ālite lāpsū, with winged glide. For -ē in old Latin there is no certain evidence.
[503]. Adjectives in the comparative degree have sometimes an ablative in -ī: as, meliōrī, better, for meliōre. Adjectives ‘of one ending’ with consonant stems ([624]) have always -e, except vetus, old, which has sometimes veterī.
[504]. Town names and a few appellatives have a locative case in -ī: as, Karthāginī, at Carthage; rūrī, a-field, in the country.
PLURAL CASES.
[505]. The nominative and accusative plural masculine and feminine have rarely -īs, like stems in -i-: as sacerdōtīs, priests; meliōrīs, better. For -ā in neuters in old Latin, see [130], 2.