Saturday, November 16, 2024

11.02.25: Level 2; the passive voice [33]: the perfect passive [14]; the perfect passive participle as adjective [2]: declined forms

Because the participles are now acting purely as adjectives, they decline not only in gender and number, but also in case because they are agreeing with whatever case the noun is in:

[i] rēx necātus est = perfect passive sentence = the king was killed

[ii] rēgem necātum vīdimus = participle as adjective = Literally: we saw the killed king.

As mentioned in the previous post English cannot always be so concise, the literal translation sounding odd or clumsy. Therefore, English may need to rework it: “We saw the king who had been killed.”

Agrī vastātī saepe iterum colī nōn possunt. │ Destroyed fields [= fields that have been destroyed] often cannot be cultivated again.

mīlitem vulnerātum cūrāvimus │ we cared for the wounded soldier [= the soldier who had been wounded = the soldier after he had been wounded]

Urbem dēlētam hostēs incendērunt │ the soldiers set fire to the destroyed city [= the city which had been destroyed]

Tum Pompēius ¦ pīrātās captōs ¦ in urbibus et agrīs procul ā marī collocāvit. │ Pompey then located the captured pirates in towns and fields far from the sea.

dēserō, dēserere, dēseruī, dēsertus [3]: leave; abandon; desert

in lītore dēsertō stābāmus │ we were standing on the deserted shore

The table shows the declension of the participle captus (captured; taken). It is only there for quick reference since the participles decline in exactly the same way as any other 1st / 2nd declension adjective.

Exercise.

Choose the appropriate participle. This time, the translations are less literal and some alternatives are given to show that the Latin participle can be conveyed in several ways. If the Latin cannot be translated by a neat, single equivalent in English, then the aim is to retain the idea that something had / has already happened to the person / thing.

[1]

Vōcem sorōris __________ audīvit. │ He heard the voice of (his) frightened sister.

Vōcem frātris __________ audīvit. │ He heard the voice of (his) brother who had been frightened.

Reliquī Rōmānī cīvēs __________ per viās currentēs occīdērunt. │ The remaining Romans killed the terrified citizens as they were running through the streets.

Clāmōrēs cīvium __________ audiēbantur. │ The cries of the terrified citizens could be heard.

[2]

Vōcēs puerōrum __________ audīvimus. │ We heard the voices of the captured boys.

Vōcēs fēminārum __________ audīvimus. │ We heard the voices of the captured women.

Urbem __________ incendērunt. │ They set fire to the city which had been captured.

[3]

Cēnam __________ sōlus ēdit. │ He ate the prepared dinner alone [very literal: how about ‘he was / sat alone eating the dinner that had been prepared’  or ‘the dinner had been prepared and he ate it alone’; the last version is possible i.e. you can break the sentence into two separate clauses provided it is clear that one event was done before the other happened]

Sociī nāvēs __________ ad Menelāum mīsērunt. │ The allies sent to Menelaus ships which they had prepared.

[4]

Pecūniam __________ reddam. │ I’ll return the money that has been found.

Librum __________ reddam. │ I’ll return the book that has been found.

[5]

Mihi epistulam __________ dedit. │ He gave me the letter which had been read [= which he had read = after he’d read it]

Librōs __________ tibi dabō. │ I’ll give you the books that have been read.

[6]

Librum __________ invēnī. │ I’ve found the lost book.

Pecūniam __________ invēnī. │ I’ve found the money that was lost.

[7]

Uxōrēs mīlitum __________ diū lacrimāvērunt. │ The wives of the soldiers who had been killed [= after they had been killed] cried for a long time.

Fīlia mīlitis __________ flēvit. │ The daughter of the soldier who had been killed wept.

[8]

Iuvenēs mīlitem __________ cōnspexērunt. │ The young men caught sight of the wounded soldier.

Iuvenēs fēminam __________ cōnspexērunt. │ The young men caught sight of the wounded lady.

Iuvenēs mīlites __________ cōnspexērunt. │ The young men caught sight of the soldiers who had been wounded.

[9]

Troiānī nāvēs cōnscendere mālunt quam in urbe __________ manēre. │ The Trojans would rather board the ships than stay in the destroyed city.

Inter urbis __________ ruīnās stābat. │ He stood among the ruins of the destroyed city.

[10]

Pontem __________ refēcimus. │ We repaired the broken bridge.

Pontēs __________ refēcērunt. │ They repaired the broken bridges.

āmissam; āmissum; captam; captārum; captōrum; dēlētā; dēlētae; interfectī; interfectōrum; inventam; inventum; lēctam; lēctōs; parātam; parātās; perterritōrum; perterritōs; ruptōs; ruptum; territae; territī; vulnerātam; vulnerātōs; vulnerātum

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