Final answer:
The third declension is known as the Consonant declension due to all stems ending in a consonant. Examples include the formation of words like 'sorcer' and 'sorceress', demonstrating the addition of suffixes such as '-er' and '-ess' to the consonant stem.
Step-by-step explanation:
The third declension in Latin is also referred to as the Consonant declension because all of its stems end in a consonant. This declension includes a diverse group of words with different endings and is known for its lack of a common thematic vowel which is present in the first and second declensions. Examples include the masculine noun ‘sorcer’ with the stem ‘sorcer-’ plus ‘-er’ and the corresponding female noun formed by adding ‘-ess’ to the stem, resulting in ‘sorceress’.
In analysis of stem and suffixes, we can see patterns like ‘foreign’ plus ‘-ness’, showing the addition of suffixes to the original stem to create new words with related meanings.