Why are quoted words masculine?

[Gregorius Textor]

Why are words (as words) treated as masculine, even though they are things, and most of the words I can think of for 'word' (vocābulum, nōmen, verbum) are neuter?

Familia Rōmāna iii 95: 'Iūlia, Aemilia' nōminātīvus est. 'Iūliam, Aemiliam' accūsātīvus est.

and many other places in that book.

I.e., why not 'nōminātīvum' and 'accūsātīvum'?

And incidentally, why singular, even though he is quoting two words at once?

 

[Pacifica]

Nominativus and accusativus are being used as nouns, substantivized after an ellipsis of the noun casus.

You could also say nominativa sunt: nominativa would then be an adjective taking the gender of nomina, which Iulia etc. are.

 

[Dantius]

In general quotations are treated as neuter, like "illud 'te amo' apud me nihil valet".

 

[Gregorius Textor]

substantivized after an ellipsis of the noun casus

Casus---that explains a lot!