Classical Latin and vulgar Latin: Cases and Prepositions

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In vulgar Latin AD + accusative replaced the dative:

MITTERE  → AD + accusative

SCRIBERE → AD + accusative

DARE          → AD + accusative

DICERE     → AD + accusative

Dative case functions have nonetheless survived in Roumanian, and first declension singular forms also survive; even the vocative is retained.

In the West, the accusative/oblique case has dominated in the singular, whereas in the plural, nominative forms have survived.

When final S fell in Proto-Romance, a yod was sometimes left behind

e.g. CASAS > [kasaj] > [casej] > case

      AMICOS > amici

GAUL:

Until the end of the twelfth century, Old French and Old Provençal observed both nominative and accusative cases:

MURUS, MURUM (sing.)

MURI, MUROS (plural)

Final M was lost, followed by the remaining final vowels. Only in the thirteenth century did 's' become settled as a plural maker in Gaul.

FRENCH, SPANISH, PORTUGUESE:

In French...

CÁNTOR > chántre

CANTÓREM > chantéur

Pairs of words survive. c.f. also pâtre, pasteur.

In Spanish...

MAESTRE < MAGÍSTER → 'master of' (mediaeval orders of chivalry)
MAESTRO < MAGISTRUM

Spanish nouns are usually derived from the accusative (or sometimes the genitive) case. The Latin nominative case is found, however, in occupations and names.

e.g. Dios < DEUS

The accusative form, Dio was used by the Jews because they did not accept the Holy Trinity. Occupations frequently appear in legal documents, which goes some way towards explaining the retention of the nominative:

preste < PRESBYTER

sastre < (sartre) < SARTOR

juez < JUDEX

The second s in sastre is the result of assimilation.

Forenames often figure in both legal and ecclesiastical documents:

MARCOS < MARCUS

PABLOS (mediaeval or dialectal)

MATÍAS
CARLOS ( KARL is germano-gallic, but final S is retained in the English and French CHARLES.)

DOMINICUS: We have Dominic in English, Domingo in Spanish and Domingos in Portuguese.

Finally, the Latin nominative survives frequently in learned forms:

Júpiter

cráter

crisis

pendicitis

tórax

prefacio (Latin: PREFATIO)