declension
noun
[ dɪˈklɛnʃ(ə)n ]
• (in the grammar of Latin, Greek, and certain other languages) the variation of the form of a noun, pronoun, or adjective, by which its grammatical case, number, and gender are identified.
• a condition of decline or moral deterioration.
• "the declension of the new generation"
Origin:
late Middle English declinson, from Old French declinaison, from decliner ‘to decline’. The change in the ending was probably due to association with words such as ascension .
