[SC] How Do You Decline Sandus (in Latin)?

Several years ago, I published an article on how to properly decline Sandus in Latin, that is, to inflect the syntactic endings of “Sandus” into oblique cases. The result was… strange, and the rationale for a unique declension of Sandus was both an innovation and a peculiarity to reflect an eclectic (yet also gender-conscious) country. But as time has gone on (it has been almost six years now), the peculiarities of declining Sandus in Latin have made using the language here difficult and, among other Latinophones, laughable and derisive. Latin has a prominent place in Sandus as our third official language that is recognised for its cultural importance in our micronation. It is also the third most understood language in Sandus after English and German, according to the 2020 census.

The time has come, I think, to regularise our country’s and its demonym’s declension in Latin. And, since defining how to decline Sandus was a “sagamorial consideration” avant la lettre, I think it is clear whose responsibility it must be to put reason into our language.

Let’s start with the name for the country. The declension of Sandus should be fourth declension, except for the genitive singular which can be both -ūs and -ē. This is an irregularity, but the irregular use of Sandē for the genitive singular has become ubiquitous throughout Sandus over its soon-to-be 12 years of existence.

The gender of Sandus in Latin can be masculine, feminine, or neuter, such as with the noun specus (cave).

	Singular	Plural*
Nominative	Sandus	Sandūs
Genitive	Sandūs, Sandē	Sanduum
Dative	Sanduī	Sandubus (Sandebus, Sandibus)
Accusative	Sandum	Sandūs
Ablative	Sandū	Sandubus (Sandebus, Sandibus)
Vocative	Sandus	Sandūs
Locative	Sanduī, Sandē*	Sandubus (Sandebus, Sandibus)

In the past, “Sandus” in its irregular declension has also been used for adjectives and the demonym of Sandus. I think it is now appropriate to allow citizens to use Sandus as an adjective in the first and second declensions based on the gender that they wish to use. This would mean that the adjectival or demonymic use of Sandus would be:

Singular

	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	Sandus	Sanda	Sandum
Genitive	Sandī	Sandae	Sandī
Dative	Sandō	Sandae	Sandō
Accusative	Sandum	Sandam	Sandum
Ablative	Sandō	Sandā	Sandō
Vocative	Sande	Sanda	Sande

Plural

	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	Sandī	Sandae	Sanda
Genitive	Sandōrum	Sandārum	Sandōrum
Dative	Sandīs	Sandīs	Sandīs
Accusative	Sandōs	Sandās	Sanda
Ablative	Sandīs	Sandīs	Sandīs
Vocative	Sandī	Sandae	Sanda

Believe it or not, this is an innovation, but a necessary one. In the past, when I have had to decline “Sandus,” I have frequently had to refer to the older article that is now outdated. I think it is safer to assume that Latin speakers in Sandus will be much happier knowing the easier principles now for how to decline Sandus. When in doubt,

Country forth, People first.

A mnemonic to remember which declensions to use to decline Sandus.

The name of the country is always fourth declension, the people and the adjective are always first and second declensions.