10.03.24: More practice with prepositions [1]: ablative with ā (ab), ex (ē), in, cum

Read the text for understanding and note the prepositions all of which are followed by the ablative case.

• ā / ab: (away) from
• ē / ex: out of
• in: in; on
• cum: (together) with

[The Road to Latin (Chesnutt) 1932]

Laeca Poēta I

Laeca poēta vīllam pulchram in Italiā habet. In vīllā Laeca cūm fīliā Iūliā habitat. Aqua est proxima vīllae. In aquā poēta nāviculam rubram habet. Poēta ex vīllā saepe properat. Nunc in nāviculā est. Tum ab ōrā poēta nāvigat. Silvae quoque sunt proximae vīllae. In silvīs Laeca saepe ambulat. Poētae silvās et aquam maximē amant quod in silvīs et in aquā multās et pulchrās pictūrās poētae vident. Poētae ā silvīs et ab aquā properant et fābulās nārrant. Iūlia in vīlla labōrat. Fēminae et puellae Rōmānae in vīllīs saepe labōrant. Noctū Iūlia ex vīllā properat. Tum Iūlia cum Laecā in silvīs ambulat. Interdum poēta et fīlia ex silvīs properant et in ōrā stant. Laeca et Iūlia stēllās et lūnam spectant. Tandem Laeca et Iūlia ab ōrā ambulant et in vīllā iterum sunt.

Servae Claudiae

Claudia est domina multārum servārum. Servae Claudiae in terrā et in vīllā cotīdiē labōrant. Claudia servīs cāra est quod est domina benigna. Servae cēnam parant et vīllam ōrnant. Sed servae Claudiae nōn semper labōrant. Noctū servae ē casīs properant et in ōrā et in silvīs ambulant. Lūna clāra et stēllae pulchrae servīs dēfessīs sunt grātae. Tandem Claudia servās vocat. Tum ex silvīs et ab ōrā servae properant.

Vocabulary

• interdum: meanwhile
• iterum: again, a second time
• tandem finally, at length

Notes

In general, many prepositions can refer to [i] a physical location (spatial) or [ii] an abstract (non-spatial) concept, for example:

The book is on the table (spatial) i.e. it describes where the book is physically located.

I'm going on Tuesday (non-spatial; temporal i.e. used in expressions of time). There is no physical location being described here and yet the same preposition is used.

Latin functions in a similar way. It can use prepositions in both a spatial and non-spatial sense, and it sometimes uses no preposition at all to convey an idea in English which does require a preposition.

There is no purpose in producing an extensive 'one-off' list (there are plenty of those online elsewhere), but the aim is to focus on the main meanings and usages; in the text the prepositions all refer to physical location. Where other uses occur, they will be referred to.

ē / ex refers to movement physically out of a place i.e. from somewhere inside to somewhere else:

• Interdum poēta et fīlia ex silvīs properant. Meanwhile the poet and the daughter hurry out of the forests.

ā / ab refers to movement physically away from a place with no suggestion that the movement began inside anywhere: think of a train departing from a platform:

• Tandem Laeca et Iūlia ab ōrā ambulant. Laeca and Julia finally walk (away) from the seashore.

Here are three other prepositions that are followed by the ablative case :

dē: down / away from, but it also conveys a useful non-spatial meaning of 'about; concerning':

• Dē quō ¦ cōgitās? About what are you thinking? = What are you thinking about?

sine: without; a fun way of remembering it is this one line from a Mediaeval drinking song:

• Bibunt omnēs ¦ sine mētā. They all drink without a limit.

sub: under

• sub umbrā castaneae: under the shade of a chestnut tree

Some prepositions can take more than one case, but don't run before you can walk; familiarise yourself with the basic meanings of the prepositions.