For example, in English, the word "cat" is uninflected. It does not change its form to indicate whether it is singular or plural, or whether it is the subject or object of a sentence.
In contrast, some languages, such as Latin, have inflected words. These words change their form to indicate different grammatical roles.
The Latin word "catulus," for example, has the following forms:
- Nominative singular: catulus ("a puppy")
- Genitive singular: catuli ("of a puppy")
- Dative singular: catulo ("to a puppy")
- Accusative singular: catulum ("a puppy")
- Vocative singular: catule ("O puppy")
As you can see, the form of the word changes depending on its grammatical role in the sentence.
Uninflected words are more common in languages with simple grammar structures, such as English. Inflected words are more common in languages with complex grammar structures, such as Latin.