(3.) The variety and overlapping of suffixes may also be paralleled by case-endings; for example, in both the first and second declensions the same form serves for the dative and ablative plural, while there is another form for the other declensions. The genitive singular, and nominative and accusative plural of the fourth declension are alike in form. In the historical language, the genitive singular, dative singular, and nominative plural of the first declension have become identical in form. Other similar comparisons might be drawn to illustrate the similarity in meaning of forms with different endings, and from the verb as well as the noun. The very fact that we have five declensions and four conjugations, with many variations inside the system and irregularities outside, goes to show that it is not real system that we have here, but the survival of an original mass of undifferentiated forms, which through a long period of development have acquired their present inflectional meaning. The parallel suggested here is put forth merely as a suggestion; all we can say is, that it is possible that inflectional forms did get their meaning in some such way as the nouns treated in this paper got theirs. More evidence will be necessary for establishing this theory, if it can be established at all. INDEX OF WORDS acetabulum, 26 additamentum, 18, 32 adiumentum, 18, 45 adminiculum, 27 alimentum, 13, 47 allevamentum, 20, 47 ammentum, 13 antepagmentum, 16 argumentum, 20, 36 armamentum, 13 armentum, 14, 49 atramentum, 18 auctoramentum, 20 baculum, 27 blandimentum, 21, 45 caementum, 11, 49 calceamentum, 14, 47 cenaculum, 29, 50 coagmentum, 16 cognomentum, 23 complementum, 21 conciliabulum, 25, 39 condimentum, 16 conventiculum, 29, 40 cruciamentum, 18, 47 cubiculum, 29 cunabulum, 26 curriculum, 30, 50 dehonestamentum, 19, 33 delectamentum, 11, 33 delenimentum, 18 deliramentum, 19 dentifrangibulum, 25 deridiculum, 30, 33 desidiabulum, 26 detrimentum, 19 deverticulum, 29, 50 documentum, 21, 33, 36, 46 emolumentum, 19 everriculum, 27, 33 exorabulum, 25 experimentum, 23, 36, 45 explementum, 21 ferculum, 27, 51 ferramentum, 17 firmamentum, 22, 36, 46 formamentum, 20, 46 fragmentum, 11, 33 frumentum, 15 fundamentum, 16, 33, 46 gubernaculum, 27 hibernaculum, 29 hortamentum, 22, 33, 47 hostimentum, 21 ientaculum, 30 impedimentum, 16 inanimentum, 19 incerniculum, 27, 51 incitamentum, 21, 33, 34 incunabulum, 26 infundibulum, 24 instrumentum, 14, 37 integumentum, 14, 33, 35 intertrimentum, 19 invitamentum, 21, 34, 47 irritamentum, 21, 34, 44 iugumentum, 15 iumentum, 15 latibulum, 25, 39, 49 laxamentum, 19 levamentum, 22, 45 libamentum, 15 libramentum, 22 lineamentum, 23 lomentum, 15 lutamentum, 12 medicamentum, 13, 45