06.03.24: introduction to the dative plural of 2nd declension nouns

7. In angulō hortī sunt ulmī. In ulmīs corvī nīdificant. Corvōs libenter spectō, cum circum nīdōs suōs volitant. Magnus est numerus corvōrum in hortō patruī meī; multī mergī super ōceanum volitant. Vōs, mergī,ter spectō, cum super ōceanum volitātis et praedam captātis. Ōceanus mergīs cibum dat. Patruum meum hortus et agellus dēlectant; in agellō sunt equī et vaccae et porcī et gallī gallīnaeque. Lȳdia gallōs gallīnāsque cūrat. Nōn procul ab agellō est vīcus, ubi rusticī habitant. Nōnnullī ex rusticīs agellum cum equīs et vaccīs et porcīs cūrant.

Vocabulary

angulus: angle, corner

ulmus: elm; although the noun ends in -us, it is feminine

corvus: crow

nīdificāre: to make nests

nīdus: nest

volitāre: to fly

mergus: sea gull

super: preposition + accusative; over

ōceanus: ocean; sea

praeda: prey

captāre: to catch

gallus: cock; rooster

gallīna: hen

rūsticus, -a, -um: pertaining to the country / rustic / rural; here the adjective is being used as a noun i.e. rusticī: people who live in the country

nōnnullī: some; Nōnnullī ex rusticīs: some of the country folk

Notes

[1] The dative plural of all 1st and 2nd declension nouns ends in -īs i.e. the same ending as the ablative plural

2nd declension

Ōceanus ¦ mergīs ¦ cibum dat. The ocean gives food ¦ to the seagulls.

1st declension

Magister ¦ puellīs ¦ fābulās narrat. The teacher tells stories ¦ to the girls.

Therefore, in this sentence - Magister ¦ discipulīs ¦ librōs dat (The teacher gives books to the pupils) - the reference could be to male pupils, female pupils or a mixed gender group. Only context will determine, if necessary, which gender is being referred to.

[2] Note again [i] the use of suus (see previous post) when the possessor is the subject of the sentence and [ii] cum used to mean ‘when’:

Corvōs libenter spectō, cum circum nīdōs suōs volitant.

I gladly watch the crows when they fly around their (own) nests.

Here is some more practice in identifying cases and their uses:

1. [i] In angulō ¦ [ii] hortī sunt [iii] ulmī.
2. Magnus est numerus ¦ corvōrum
3. Patruum meum hortus et agellus dēlectant.
4. Lȳdia gallōs gallīnāsque* cūrat.
5. Nōn procul ¦ ab agellō est vīcus

*Can you remember what the function is of -que attached to the end of a word?

06.03.24: introduction to the dative singular of 2nd declension nouns and the dative of personal pronouns

[Ora Maritima: Sonnenschein (1902)]

6. Patruus meus agellō suō operam dat. Agellus patruī meī nōn magnus est. Circum villam est hortus. Mūrus hortī nōn altus est. Rīvus est prope hortum, unde aquam portāmus, cum hortum irrigāmus. In hortō magnus est numerus rosārum et violārum. Rosae et violae tibi, mī patrue, magnam laetitiam dant. Tū, Lȳdia, cum patruō meō in hortō saepe ambulās.

Vocabulary

patruus: uncle: Latin has two words for 'uncle' [i] patruus is a paternal uncle i.e. a father's brother [ii] avunculus is a maternal uncle i.e. a mother's brother

agellus: small piece of ground; little field

suus, -a, um: his / her(s) / its; their(s) (see notes below)

mūrus: wall

altus, -a, -um: high

rīvus: stream

unde: from which / where

irrigāre: to water

rosa: rose

viola: violet

tibi: to you (sg.) [dative of tū]

Notes:

[1] Dative singular of 2nd declension nouns

The dative of all second declension nouns is -ō i.e. the same as the ablative singular

Patruus meus ¦ agellō suō operam dat. My uncle gives attention ¦ to his small plot of land.

[2] Dative of personal pronouns

Rosae et violae tibi … magnam laetitiam dant. The roses and violets give great happiness to you.

Here, it is being used, as in English, as an indirect object pronoun.

You have already seen tibi and other dative pronouns in constructions expressing ‘have’:

Quid est tibi nōmen?

[Literally: What is the name to you; What is the name you have?] = What is your name?

Estne tibi fīlius?

[Literally: Is there a son to you?] = Do you have a son?

Mihi est ūnus fīlius.

[Literally: To me there is one son.] = I have one son

Nōmen eī Mārcus est.

[Literally: To him is the name Marcus.] = His name is Marcus.

Mihi est ūna fīlia.

[Literally: To me there is one daughter.] = I have one daughter.

Nōmen eī Flāvia est.

[Literally: To her is the name Flavia.] = Her name is Flavia.

We will look at the dative pronouns in more detail in a later post. However, you have already seen three of them, and the plurals are also given here for reference.

mihi: to me

tibi: to you

eī: to him / her / it (no gender distinction)

The plural forms are:

nōbis: to us

vōbis: to you (pl.)

eīs: to them (no gender distinction)

[3] suus, sua, suum is a possessive adjective and pronoun meaning [i] his / her(s) / its ; their(s) own and is used when the subject of the sentence (he, she, it, they) is the possessor. Here is an example:

He loves his garden. But, does he love his own garden or somebody else's? English would need to add 'own' if that distinction were to be made. Latin, however, uses suus, sua, suum.

Hortum suum amat. He loves his own garden.

Hortum eius amat. He loves his (i.e. somebody else's) garden.

In the example from the text, the writer's uncle is tending to his (own) garden. Therefore:

Patruus meus agellō suō operam dat.

There is no need to add 'own' in the translation unless that point has to be emphasised.

[4] Note the example of the vocative case as if the writer is addressing his uncle directly:

mī patrue: my uncle

06.03.24: further practice in the dative case of first declension nouns

[The Road to Latin (Chesnutt) 1932]

Read the text for understanding and note the words which are in the dative case. Pay particular attention to fīliābus: this is the dative plural of fīlia (daughter); the ending is used to distinguish between the dative plural of fīlius (son) which is, as is to be expected, fīliīs. A similar distinction occurs in the nouns deus (god) > dat. plur. deīs and dea (goddess) > dat. plur. deābus. Note that these are not endings used normally in the dative plural and are only there to make it clear whether males or females are being referred to. The dative plural is -īs.

GALBAE TABERNA

Galba magnam tabernam habet. Taberna est plēna statuārum et amphorārum. Taberna fēminās Rōmānās dēlectat. Hodiē, Tullia, Claudia, et Camilla tabernam Galbae intrant. Galba fēminās videt. Quid Tulliae dēmōnstrat? Tulliae parvam statuam dēmōnstrat, sed Tullia statuam nōn dēsīderat. Galba Claudiae statuam dēmōnstrat. Claudia statuam spectat et dēsīderat. Itaque fēmina Galbae pecūniam dat. Camilla quoque statuam deae dēsīderat. Galba Camillae rubram Diānae statuam dēmōnstrat. Statua Camillam dēlectat; Camilla Galbae pecūniam dat. Tum Galba fēminīs Rōmānīs amphoram dēmōnstrat; amphora pulchra fēminās dēlectat. Tullia fīliās vocat. Tum Galba fīliābus Tulliae amphoram dēmōnstrat. Amphora puellās quoque dēlectat. Cornēlia et Secunda tabernam Galbae amant. Interdum Galba fīliabus Tulliae parvam statuam dat. Galba puellīs fābulās saepe nārrat. Cornēlia et Secunda fābulās amant. Itaque fēminae et puellae tabernam Galbae saepe intrant.

DIANA

Camilla fīliābus rubram Diānae statuam dēmōnstrat. Puellae statuam spectant; tum Camilla fīliābus fābulam nārrat: “Diāna est dea silvārum et lūnae. Et agricolae et nautae Diānam laudant. Agricolae Diānae corōnas saepe dant quod dea silvās cūrat. Diāna, dea lūnae, nautās dēlectat quod lūna nautīs viam dēmōnstrat. Itaque nautae quoque corōnās dant.” Fīliae Camillae fābulam amant. Quod lūna et silvae fīliās dēlectant, puellae deam laudant et statuam deae ōrnant.

demonstrāre: to show

intrāre: to enter; go into

You are now seeing all the cases being used in the same text. At the early stages, you should keep thinking about what cases are being used, and why. As your fluency increases, this process will become more fluent.

Here are some examples of the dative case from the text:

Quid Tulliae dēmōnstrat? What does he show to Tullia?

Tulliae [dative] ¦ parvam statuam [accusative] dēmōnstrat. He shows a small statue ¦ to Tullia.

Camilla Galbae [dative] ¦ pecūniam [accusative] dat. Camilla gives money ¦ to Galba.

Agricolae Diānae [dative] ¦ corōnas [accusative] saepe dant. The farmers often give garlands ¦ to Diana.

Galba fēminīs Rōmānīs [dative] ¦ amphoram [accusative] dēmōnstrat. Galba shows the amphora ¦ to the Roman women.

lūna nautīs [dative] viam [accusative] dēmōnstrat. The moon shows the way ¦ to the sailors.

Galba puellīs [dative] ¦ fābulās [accusative] saepe nārrat. Galba often tells stories ¦ to the girls.

Camilla fīliābus [dative] ¦ fābulam [accusative] nārrat. Camilla tells a story ¦ to the daughters.

Look at the notes from previous posts; identify the cases in each of these extracts from the text and explain why these cases are being used.

1. Galba magnam tabernam habet.
2. Taberna est plēna statuārum et amphorārum.
3. Taberna fēminās Rōmānās dēlectat.
4. puellae ... [i] statuam ¦ [ii] deae ōrnant.
5. Diāna est dea silvārum et lūnae.
6. [i] Fīliae [ii] Camillae [iii] fābulam amant.

06.03.24: introduction to the dative case

[Ora Maritima: Sonnenschein (1902); note: you have read the first three parts of this text, the fourth part is omitted and we move to part 5]

Note the endings in bold.

5. Lȳdia quoque, consōbrīna mea, apud amitam meam nunc habitat. Lȳdia columbās cūrat: cūra columbārum Lȳdiae magnam laetitiam dat. Tū, Lȳdia, cum apud magistram tuam es, linguae Francogallicae et linguae Anglicae operam dās; sed ego linguīs antiquīs Romae et Graeciae operam dō. Saepe cum Lȳdiā ad silvam vel ad ōram maritimam ambulō. Interdum cum nautā in scaphā nāvigāmus. Quantopere nōs undae caeruleae dēlectant! Lȳdia casās agricolārum cum amitā meā interdum vīsitat. Vōs, fīliae agricolārum, Lȳdiam amātis, ut Lȳdia vōs amat. Ubi inopia est, ibi amita mea inopiam levat.

Vocabulary

apud: preposition + accusative case; it has several meanings depending upon context, one of which is, literally, in the presence of (a person); it often translates as ‘at the house of’ i.e like French chez

apud amitam meam habitat: She is living with my aunt i.e. at my aunt’s house (Fr. chez ma tante)

apud magistram tuam es: You are at your teacher’s house; you are with your teacher (i.e. in the same place as the teacher is)

columba: dove

cūrāre: to care for; take care of; look after

cūra: care (noun)

laetitia: happiness

lingua (Francogallica; Anglica): (French; English) language

operam dāre: give attention

inopia: want (noun); poverty; need (noun); scarcity

levāre: to relieve; alleviate

Notes

[1] cum: this word deserves careful attention; it has two meanings: [i] as a preposition + ablative meaning ‘(together) with’ and [ii] as a conjunction meaning ‘when’; you need to check whether …

[i] ‘cum’ is followed by a noun e.g. Interdum cum nautā in scaphā nāvigāmus. Sometimes we sail with the sailor in the small boat

[ii] ‘cum’ is working with a verb: Tū, Lȳdia, cum apud magistram tuam es. You, Lydia, when you are at your teacher’s house …

[2] Dative case

There is one other case to deal with, namely the locative case. However, the locative case is only used in special circumstances and is not listed as a main case unless it applies to a particular noun. The dative case is, effectively, the last case to be introduced.

Look at this extract from the text:

Cūra columbārum Lȳdiae magnam laetitiam dat: Taking care of the doves gives Lydia great happiness = ... gives great happiness to Lydia

The proper noun ‘Lydia’ is the indirect object of the sentence. You are not giving Lydia to anyone, but happiness is being given to Lydia.

I give the girl a book = I give a book to the girl. In Latin, ‘to the girl’ is in the dative case and you have already seen the endings elsewhere because they are used in other cases.

[i] The dative case singular of 1st declension nouns is -ae

Nominative: puella

> Dative: puellae i.e. it is the same as [a] the nominative plural and [b] the genitive singular

Magister puellae [dative] ¦ librum [accusative] dat. The teacher gives (to) the girl [indirect object = dative]¦ a book [direct object = accusative]; The teacher gives a book to the girl.

Tū … linguae Francogallicae et linguae Anglicae operam dās. You … give attention to the French language and (to) the English language.

[ii] The dative case plural of all 1st and 2nddeclension nouns is -īs

Nominative plural: puellae

> Dative plural: puellīs i.e. it is the same as the ablative plural

Ego linguīs antiquīs [dative plural] ¦ Romae et Graeciae [genitive singular] operam dō. I give attention to the ancient languages ¦ of Rome and Greece.

Do not be influenced by English usage: ‘to’ in the sense of, for example, going to a place is expressed by ad + accusative e.g. Ad macellum properat. He hurries to the market. The dative case is used when, for example, you give something to somebody or you say something to somebody.

06.03.24: more on accusative case pronouns

The verb dēlectāre means 'to delight; charm; please'. Sometimes a construction in Latin can sound odd to us e.g. "You passed the exam. That pleases me." The phrase "that pleases me" appears rather formal, distant or, perhaps, even insincere. However, such a construction in Latin i.e. X pleases Y has no such connotation. The subject of the sentence is not the person but the thing that delights the person and so the verb will agree with what delights and not who it is delighting.

Quantopere nōs silva dēlectat! (Literally: How greatly the forest delights us) i.e. 'silva' (forest) is the subject of the sentence and it delights us (accusative) = We really like / love / take delight in the forest.

Quantopere nōs undae caeruleae dēlectant! How greatly the blue waves delight us! undae (waves) is the subject of the sentence and they delight us; the verb agrees with undae

Quid tē dēlectat? What delights you? = What makes you happy?

Vīnum mē dēlectat. Wine delights me = I take great pleasure in wine; I really enjoy wine.

Fābulae antīquae mē dēlectant. Old stories delight me = I greatly enjoy old stories.

When translating, be flexible; as long as the translation conveys the sense of great pleasure, that is sufficient.

The construction can also be used with an infinitive:

Quantopere mē dēlectat undās caeruleās spectāre: How greatly it delights me to watch the blue waves. = I take great delight in watching the blue waves.

Therefore, the verb is going to come in useful when talking about likes and dislikes:

Cantāre mē dēlectat. (Literally: To sing delights me) = I love singing.

Coquināre mē dēlectat. (Literally: To cook delights me) = I love cooking.

06.03.24: accusative case of personal pronouns

Nūntius mē videt.│The messenger sees me.

Tē videō.│I see you (sg.).

Vidētisne puerum? Ita, eum vidēmus.│Do you see the boy? Yes, we see him.

Vidēsne puellam? Minimē, eam nōn videō.│Do you see the girl? No, I don't see her.

Videtne perīculum? Minimē, id non videt.│ Does he see the danger? No, he doesn't see it.

Nūntius nōs videt.│The messenger sees us.

Vōs vidēmus.│We see you (pl.)

Vidēsne puerōs? Minimē, eōs nōn videō.│Do you see the boys? No, I don't see them.

Vidētisne puellās? Ita, eās vidēmus.│Do you see the girls? Yes, we see them.

Ea vident.│They see them (=these things).

The accusative case of personal pronouns is as follows:

Nominative: ego (I) > Accusative: mē (me)

Nominative: tū (you sg.) > Accusative: tē (you)

mē: easy enough to recognise; if you're a French speaker you will immediately spot tē (Fr. te)

Nominative: is (he) > Accusative: eum (him); the same ending as 2nd declension masculine nouns

Nominative: ea (she) > Accusative: eam (her); the same ending as 1st declension feminine nouns (her)

Nominative: id (it) > Accusative: id (it); neuter nouns do not change in the accusative and neither do the pronouns

Nominative: nōs (we) > Accusative: nōs (us) i.e. exactly the same (similarly Fr. nous; no change)

Nominative: vōs (you pl.) > Accusative: vōs (you pl.) exactly the same (similarly Fr. vous; no change)

The third person plural pronouns match the endings of the nouns:

Nominative: eī (they [masc.]) > Accusative: eōs (them [masc.])

Nominative: eae (they [fem.] > Accusative: eās (them [fem.])

Nominative: ea (they [neut.]) > Accusative: ea (them [neut.]); the same rule consistently applies i.e. there is no change in the neuter nominative and accusative

04.03.24: Ora Maritima [3]

3. Ex fenestrīs villae undās spectās. Undās caeruleās amō. Quam magnae sunt, quam perlūcidae! Post cēnam lūnam et stellās ex fenestrā meā spectō. Prope villam est silva, ubi cum amitā meā saepe ambulō. Quantopere nōs silva dēlectat! O cōpiam plantārum et herbārum! O cōpiam bācārum! Nōn sōlum nautae sed etiam agricolae circum habitant. Casae agricolārum parvae sunt. Nautae casās albās habitant. Amita mea casās agricolārum et nautārum saepe vīsitat.

Vocabulary

unda: wave

caeruleus, -a, -um: blue

perlūcidus, -a, -um: transparent

post: preposition + accusative case; after

quantopere: how greatly

cōpia: abundance

nōn sōlum ... sed etiam ... not only ... but also...

What do explorers do when they circumnavigate the globe?

Why would a mother attend a post-natal clinic?

Why might it be a bad idea to drink a copious amount of beer?

Notes

[1] circum: can be a preposition + accusative meaning 'around' or, as here, an adverb meaning 'all around'

[2] O cōpiam (accusative) ¦ plantārum (genitive)! The accusative can be found in exclamatory expressions: What an abundance ¦ of plants! A similar example was in the previous text:

Ō beātās fēriās! Oh, how happy the holidays are!

[3] What's the difference between (i) Ex fenestrīs and (ii) ex fenestrā? Translate: (i) Ex fenestrīs villae and (ii) ex fenestrā meā

04.03.24: Ora Maritima [2]

[Ora Maritima: Sonnenschein (1902)]

2. Fēriae nunc sunt. Inter fēriās in villā maritimā habitō. Ō beātās fēriās! In arēnā ōrae maritimae sunt ancorae et catēnae. Nam incolae ōrae maritimae sunt nautae. Magna est audācia nautārum: procellās nōn formīdant. Nautās amō, ut nautae mē amant. Cum nautīs interdum in scaphīs nāvigō.

Vocabulary

fēriae: holidays

inter: preposition + accusative; between / (here) during

beātus, -a, -um: blessed; happy

arēna: sand

ancora: anchor

catēna: chain

nam: for (i.e because)

audācia: boldness; bravery

procella: storm

formīdāre: to fear

ut: as

scapha: small boat

audācia (boldness) and the adjective audāx (bold), although used positively here, could have a negative connotation i.e. reckless; the English derivative 'audacious' has that sense.

The next time you watch a major sports event in an 'arena' you'll know what the ground was originally made of!

How might a person with a 'formidable' character make you feel?

Explain the meaning of 'international'.

Notes

[1] Identify the cases in these extracts and explain the uses:

Magna est audācia (i) nautārum: (ii) procellās nōn formīdant.

(iii) Nautās amō, ut (iv) nautae mē amant.

(v) Cum nautīs interdum (vi) in scaphīs nāvigō.

[2] Identify the two cases used in each phrase and translate the phrase:

(i) in arēnā (ii) ōrae maritimae

(i) incolae (ii) ōrae maritimae

04.03.24: Ora Maritima

[Ora Maritima: Edward Sonnenschein, Professor of Greek and Latin at the university of Birmingham (1902); this is a superb little reader for beginners in Latin; Sonnenschein carefully constructs the text according to grammatical structures]

1. Quam bella est ōra maritima! Nōn procul ab ōrā maritimā est villa. In villā amita mea habitat; et ego cum amitā meā nunc habitō. Ante iānuam villae est ārea. In āreā est castanea, ubi luscinia interdum cantat. Sub umbrā castaneae ancilla interdum cēnam parat. Amō ōram maritimam; amō villam bellam.

Vocabulary

ōra maritima: seashore

quam: how (used in exclamations) Quam bella ...! How beautiful...!

bellus, -a, -um: beautiful; don't confuse the adjective with the neuter noun 'bellum' which means 'war'

procul: far

ā (before consonants) / ab (before vowels): preposition + ablative case; from

ārea: open space

luscinia: nightingale

interdum: sometimes

sub: preposition + ablative case; under

umbra: shade

• What would you see in a maritime museum?
• Why would a lady attend an ante-natal clinic?
• Why are submarines so called?
• What was the original function of an umbrella?

Notes

[1] You should always first read a text for understanding and not be distracted by the occasional word or phrase that is challenging you. You can refer to vocabulary and notes and information in previous posts to help you.

[2] Once the process of understanding is complete, take a second look at the text to see how the cases are being used. Identify the cases in these extracts and explain the uses:

Nōn procul (i) ab ōrā maritimā...

(ii) In villā (iii) amita mea habitat

ego (iv) cum amitā meā nunc habitō

ancilla ... (v) cēnam parat

Amō (vi) ōram maritimam

[3] Note the use of more than one case in the same construction:

Ante iānuam (accusative) ¦ villae (genitive) = before (in front of) the door ¦ of the house

Sub umbrā (ablative) ¦ castaneae (genitive) = beneath the shade ¦ of the chestnut tree

03.03.24: ablative plural of first and second declension nouns

These beautiful examples of bookplates show you all you need to know about the ablative plural of 1st/2nd declension nouns (and adjectives). The first bookplate, which would have been stuck into the book itself,  bears the name of the owner, the celebrated writer Ernest Hemingway. The phrase in the centre means literally "out of the books" i.e. this is one out of his collection. Take a look at the phrase; the preposition 'ex' (out of) takes the ablative case. Now you can see the ablative case plural ending for all nouns of the first and second declension i.e. -īs: ex librīs; the second example shows both the noun and the possessive adjective in the ablative plural: ex librīs meīs: out of my (collection of) books (with the initials of the owner Paul Bürck in the centre)

in sacculō: in a bag

in sacculō meō: in my bag

in sacculīs: in bags

in sacculīs nostrīs: in our bags

cum amīcō: with a friend (m)

cum amīcō tuō: with your friend (m)

cum amīcā: with a friend (f)

cum amīcā tuā: with your friend (f)

cum amīcīs: with friends; the ablative plural is the same for all genders and so only context will determine whether male or female friends or a mixed gender group is being referred to

cum amīcīs tuīs: with your friends

ē templō: out of the temple 

ē templō magnō: out of the large temple

ē templīs: out of the temples

ē templīs magnīs: out of the large temples

Translate these sentences into English. They are simple but they show how important it is to become familiar with case endings.

1. Servī in agrō labōrant.
2. Servī in agrīs labōrant.
3. Dominus cum fīliō in viā ambulat.
4. Dominus cum fīliō in viīs ambulat.
5. Dominus cum fīliīs in viā ambulat.
6. Agricola cum equō in agrō ambulat.
7. Agricolae cum equīs in agrīs ambulant
8. Hic magister in scholā meā labōrat.
9. Hī magistrī in scholīs nostrīs labōrant.
10. Virī ē templīs properant.
11. Vir ē templō properat.
12. Virī ē templō properant.

02.03.24: partitive genitive

A use of the genitive case which you will frequently come across is the partitive genitive. There is a clue in the first ‘part’ of the word partitive:

a glass ¦ of wine: 'glass' is a smaller part of something larger

Here are some more examples:

some ¦ of my friends (not all my friends)

a pound ¦ of cheese (not all the cheese, only a certain amount of it)

a basket ¦ of apples (not all apples, only a certain quantity of them)

The partitive frequently occurs when quantities are being expressed. A quantity could be [i] a specific amount e.g. weight, or [ii] it can refer to an object e.g. a sack or a basket in which a certain amount can be contained or [iii] another word or phrase that expresses a lesser amount e.g. some ¦ of my friends

Again, the French language uses de to express the same idea e.g. une bouteille ¦ de vin (a bottle of wine) and so, in this respect, both languages match one another. In German, Russian - and Latin - this concept is expressed by the use of the genitive case.

[pecūnia] > sacculus ¦ pecūniae: a bag ¦ of money

[garum: fish sauce] > amphora ¦ garī: an amphora ¦ of fish sauce

Here are some other examples:

• vīnum > amphora ¦ vīnī: an amphora ¦ of wine
• frūmentum > ager ¦ frūmentī: a field ¦ of grain (corn)
• nummus > sacculus ¦ nummōrum: a bag ¦ of coins
• ūva > corbula ¦ ūvārum: a basket ¦ of grapes
• stēlla > multitūdō ¦ stēllārum: a multitude ¦ of stars
• oppidum > magnus numerus ¦ oppidōrum: a large number ¦ of towns

01.03.24: Gesta Rōmānōrum

 

01.03.24: reading practice

Read the text and note the genitive cases indicated in bold. In this text, the writer uses the single -ī for the genitive of nouns ending in -ius.

Also note the words in italics which are all important prepositions.

[The Road to Latin (Chesnutt) 1932; slightly adapted]

IN HORTŌ CORNĒLĪ

Cornēlius vīllam habet. In villā sunt hortus magnus et parva silva. Itaque Cornēlius dominus est hortī et silvae. Dominus hortī et agrī saepe in hortō cum fīliō ambulat. Fīlius nāviculam habet; Cornēlius nāviculam fīlī libenter spectat. Hortus est pulcher. Circum hortum est mūrus altus. Ante mūrum est statua pulchra deī Mercurī. In hortō Cornēlī est magnus numerus statuārum deōrum et deārum. Cornēlius multōs amīcōs habet quod est vir bonus. In hortō hodiē sedet. Fīliī fīliaeque Cornēlī in hortō sedent. Prope Cornēlium et amīcōs sunt fīliī et fīliae. Extrā mūrum est magnus ager Cornēlī. In agrō servī cotidiē labōrant. Vespere servī dēfessī ex agrō ad vīllam properant. Servī in hortō nōn saepe sedent quod servī dīligenter labōrant.

vocabulary

itaque: and so; therefore

Mercurius: Mercury, the messenger of the gods

mūrus: wall

nāvicula: small ship

numerus: number

vespere: in the evening

Notes:

[i] The text contains five prepositions that are followed by the accusative case:

ad: to(wards); Servī dēfessī ... ad vīllam properant.

ante: in front of; Ante mūrum est statua pulchra

circum: around; Circum hortum est mūrus altus.

extrā: outside of / beyond; Extrā mūrum est magnus ager

prope: near; Prope Cornēlium et amīcōs sunt fīliī et fīliae.

[ii] The text contains three prepositions that are followed by the ablative case, two of which you have already seen, but one of which is new:

cum: with; Dominus ... saepe in hortō cum fīliō ambulat.

ē / ex: out of; Servī dēfessī ex agrō ... properant.

in: in / on; In villā sunt hortus magnus et parva silva.

01.03.24: genitive singular and plural of 2nd declension nouns

The genitive singular of 2nd declension masculine and neuter nouns is -ī

For masculine nouns the ending is the same as the nominative plural: -ī

nūnti¦us: messenger > gladius nūnti¦ī: the sword of the messenger = the messenger’s sword

magister: teacher > discipulus magistr¦ī: the pupil of the teacher = the teacher’s pupil

puer: boy > liber puer¦ī: the book of the boy = the boy’s book

Note: nouns ending in -ius may form the genitive singular in the following way:

Cornelius > fīlius Cornel¦ī (i.e. not -iī)

fīlius > magister fīl¦ī

This, however, tends to be a feature of older Latin and the genitive in -iī i.e. Corneli¦us > Corneli¦ī i.e. exactly the same as all other 2nd declension masculine nouns, is equally correct.

Second declension neuter nouns, however, also have -ī in the genitive singular i.e. the same ending as the masculine and not the neuter nominative plural

plaustrum: cart > rotae plaustr¦ī: the wheels of the cart

Again, neuter nouns ending in -ium may also end in a single -ī:

cōnsilium (plan) > gen. sg. cōnsil¦ī, but the ending in -iī is also used

The genitive plural of 2nd declension masculine and neuter nouns is -ōrum

discipul¦us > magister discipul¦ōrum: the teacher of the pupils = the pupils’ teacher

plaustr¦um > rotae plaustr¦ōrum: the wheels of the carts

Give the English for the following phrases:

1. [Sextus] > amīcus Sextī
2. [magister] > equus magistrī
3. [magister] > discipulī magistrōrum
4. [dominus] > fīlius dominī
5. [servus] > dominus servōrum
6. vēnditor: a seller ... of what...?
7. pannus (cloth) > vēnditor pannī
8. [cibus] > vēnditor cibī
9. [culter] > vēnditor cultrōrum
10. [liber] > vēnditor librōrum
11. [pulvīnus] > vēnditor pulvīnōrum
12. [vīnum] > vēnditor vīnī

Can you match some of the phrases above with what they're selling in the images?

01.03.24: a quotation from Plautus

A quote from the Roman playwright Terence will help you remember the genitive plural of 1st declension nouns! One of the characters from Terence’s comedy Eunuchus (the Eunuch) refers to his inability to keep a secret.

Plēnus rīmārum sum, hāc atque illāc perfluō

I am full of holes; I leak at every point

So you can remember a genitive plural that was said in a play first performed in 161BCE!

1.03.24: genitive case singular and plural of 1st declension nouns

1.03.24: genitive case singular and plural of 1st declension nouns

First read the two short texts and note the endings in bold. You have seen these endings in a text posted previously and some brief explanation was given at that point. Here, we will look at them in a little more detail.

[The Road to Latin (Chesnutt) 1932]

Marcella

Puella est Marcella. Marcella est fīlia Terentiae. Terentia est domina vīllae. Marcella est laeta quod novam tunicam habet. Tunica Marcellae est longa et alba. Marcella corbulam portat. Marcellae corbula est pulchra. Marcella statuās deārum amat. Vīlla est plēna statuārum deārum. Corbula Marcellae est rosārum albārum plēna. Marcella statuās deārum ōrnat; corōnae deās dēlectant.

Puellae laetae

Cornēlia et Secunda sunt fīliae Tulliae. Tullia et fīliae vīllam pulchram et ancillās multās habent. Vīta fīliārum Tulliae est laeta quod Tullia fīliās amat. Ancillae Tulliae sunt laetae quod Tullia est benigna domina. Vīta Tulliae est laeta quod et fīliae et ancillae sunt bonae. Ancillae nōn semper labōrant. Saepe puellae et ancillae ambulant. Tullia est magistra fīliārum et ancillārum. Puellae sunt laetae; puellae Tulliam magistram amant.

benignus, -a, -um: kind

tunica: tunic (common form of everyday clothing worn by both men and women)

genitive case

In English, we say "My friend's book" using an 's apostrophe to indicate possession; one small spelling change makes that plural i.e. "My friends' teacher". However, we don't tend to use it with inanimate nouns i.e. we would more likely say "The windows of the house are all broken" rather than "The house's windows are all broken". In French, all possessions are indicated with the preposition 'de' (of): My brother's book > The book of my brother > Le livre de mon frère. In German and Russian, the possession is also indicated by placing the 'possessor' after the thing 'possessed' and, in fact, both those languages - as in Latin - use the genitive case. The apostrophe 's in English is also a genitive case; it was in Anglo-Saxon as -es (cyninges > Modern English king's) and it is one of the few remaining examples of when the original English language had a full case system.

The genitive case in Latin is used to indicate the possessor:

Marcella est fīlia ¦ Terentiae. Marcella is the daughter ¦ of Terentia = Marcella is Terentia's daughter.

Terentia est domina ¦ vīllae. Terentia is the mistress ¦ of the villa.

Tunica ¦ Marcellae est longa et alba. The tunic ¦ of Marcella is long and white = Marcella's tunic is long and white.

You can see that, when translating, it is more natural to use apostrophe 's when the possessor is animate and of when it is referring to something inanimate, but that is merely a question of translation style rather than a rule.

The genitive case normally follows the noun that is 'possessed' but it can precede it:

[i] Marcellae [ii] corbula est pulchra. [ii] The basket [i] of Marcella is beautiful = Marcella's basket is beautiful.

In practice, however, the genitive will most often occur after the noun.

Cornēlia et Secunda sunt fīliae ¦ Tulliae. Cornelia and Secunda are Tullia's daughters [i.e. the daughters ¦ of Tullia]

Ancillae ¦ Tulliae sunt laetae. Tullia's maidservants [i.e. the maidservants ¦ of Tullia] are happy.

Vīta ¦ Tulliae est laeta. Tullia's life [i.e. the life ¦ of Tullia] is happy.

The genitive singular of 1st declension nouns looks the same as the nominative plural: -ae

Nominative singular: puella

Genitive singular: puellae

The genitive plural of 1st declension nouns is -ārum

Nominative plural: puellae

Genitive plural: puellārum

Marcella statuās deārum amat. Marcella loves the statues of the goddesses.

Marcella statuās deārum ōrnat. Marcella decorates the statues of the goddesses.

Tullia est magistra fīliārum et ancillārum. Tullia is the teacher of the daughters and the maidservants = Tullia is the daughters' and maidservants' teacher.

The genitive is not used only to express possession; it is used in many other circumstances where English uses of e.g. in quantities 'a bottle of wine' (which we look at in a later post) and, in the use in this text with the adjective plenus, -a, -um meaning 'full':

Corbula Marcellae est rosārum albārum plēna. Marcella's basket is full of white roses.

You can also see in the example above:

[i] the adjective endings are the same as the noun

[ii] two genitive cases in the same sentence

Corbula [i] Marcellae est [ii] rosārum albārum plēna.

[i] Marcella's basket is full [ii] of white roses

Further examples of this are in:

Vīta [i] fīliārum [ii] Tulliae est laeta.

The life [i] of the daughters [ii] of Tullia is happy = The life [ii] of Tullia's [i] daughters is happy.

Vīlla est plēna [i] statuārum [ii] deārum.

The villa is full of the statues of the goddesses.

01.03.04: revise the accusative case singular and plural, and use the verb habēre

 01.03.04: revise the accusative case singular and plural, and use the verb habēre

Habēsne animālia? Do you have animals?

gallus (rooster) > Ita, gallum habeō. / Ita, gallōs habeō.

Yes, I have a rooster. / Yes, I have roosters.

Practise using the same construction - both singular and plural - with the images posted below.

Now, you may be tempted to talk about pets such as cat, dog, bird etc. However, remember that, in learning, it is important not to go too far too fast otherwise you can end up involved in grammatical concepts that have not yet been introduced. You can, however, imagine that you live on a farm! All the farm animals in the image are 1st or 2nd declension nouns and so that is enough for now.

01.03.24: Some simple practice with 2nd conjugation verbs.

[i] Translate into English:

1. Cūr flēs?
2. docēs
3. dēleō
4. Cūr puerī rīdent?
5. flet
6. iacēmus
7. manētis
8. manētisne?
9. monent
10. nōn dēlētis
11. nōn monēmus
12. Quid docent?
13. Quid teneō?
14. Quid vidēs?
15. rīdeō
16. sēdēs
17. tenet
18. Ubī iacet?
19. Ubi puellae sedent?
20. vidēmus

[ii] Put the verbs into the corresponding plural or singular forms e.g. videō [I see} > vidēmus [we see]

vident [they see] > videt [he / she / it sees]

1. tenētis
2. sedet
3. rīdeō
4. monēs
5. manent
6. iacēmus
7. flēs
8. docet
9. dēleō

[iii] Translate into English.

1. In sellā nōn sedeō.
2. In caupōnā sedēmus.
3. Magister noster linguam Latīnam docet.
4. Nōnne magistrī vestrī linguam Latīnam docent?
5. In lectō iacet.
6. Quid vōs in pictūrā vidētis?
7. Nōs templa vidēmus.
8. Num barbarī oppidum vestrum dēlent?
9. Domī nōn manēmus.
10. Vidēsne templa antīqua?
11. Discipulī rīdent quod magistrum vexant.

A summary of the present tense of the 2nd conjugation is posted below.

01.03.24: second conjugation

Below are some sample sentences using 2nd conjugation verbs:

vidēre: to see

Quid in pictūrā vidēs? What do you see in the picture?

Taurōs vaccāsque in pictūrā videō. I see bulls and cows in the picture.

habēre: to have

Habēsne ōva? Do you have eggs?

Ita, ōva habeō. Yes, I have eggs.

tenēre: to hold

Quid tenet nūntius? What is the messenger holding?

Gladium tenet. He’s holding a sword.

latēre: to be (in) hiding (not ‘to hide’ something e.g. money; to express that concept, the first conjugation verb celāre is used)

Ubi latet leō? Where is the lion hiding?

Leō in silvā latet. The lion’s hiding in the forest.

sedēre: to sit; be sitting

Ubi sedētis, puerī? Where are you sitting, boys?

Num sedētis in viā? You're not sitting in the street, are you?

Minimē, in viā nōn sedēmus, sed in cauponā. No, we’re not sitting in the street, but in the pub.

iacēre: to lie

Fīlius meus aegrotat et in lectō iacet. My son is ill and he’s lying in bed.

Vaccae in agrō iacent. The cows are lying in the field.

docēre: to each

Nōnne magister es? Quid docēs? You’re a teacher, aren’t you? What do you teach?

Linguam Latīnam doceō. I teach Latin.

dēlēre:

Barbarī nōs terrent quod moenia dēlent. The Barbarians are frightening us because they are destroying the (city) walls.

terrēre: to frighten

Quid tē terret? What frightens you?

Arāneae mē terrent. Spiders frighten me.

timēre: to fear

Timeō Danaōs et dōna ferentēs

I fear the Greeks even when they’re bearing gifts.

This is a phrase from the Aeneid by the Roman poet Virgil. It is said by the Trojan priest Laocoon, referring to the enormous wooden horse left outside the walls of Troy as the Greeks, apparently, withdrew from the long war with the Trojans. Unfortunately, the citizens did not heed the priest’s advice and dragged the horse inside the city…which did not work out well for the Trojans and marks, in the Roman interpretation of history, the beginning of the eventual creation of Rome. But that’s another (long) story.

01.03.24: 2nd conjugation verbs; present tense

The formation of the present tense of 2nd conjugation verbs involves only a minor change compared to 1st conjugation verbs.

The infinitives of first conjugation verbs end in -āre e.g. habitāre (to live), labōrāre (to work) etc. The stem vowel, when -re is removed ends in -ā / a to which the personal endings -ō, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt are then added.

The infinitive of 2nd conjugation verbs, an example of which is vidēre (to see) ends in -ēre. The same rules apply for the adding of personal endings: remove the -re and add the personal endings to the stem vowel /e/; this time, unlike the first conjugation where first person singular also loses the stem vowel, the second conjugation adds the personal endings to the stem vowel in all forms of the verb:

[1] infinitive: vidēre

[2] remove -re: vidē- which gives you the stem

[3] add the personal endings to the stem; apart from the third person singular, which has a short /e/ stem vowel, all other forms of the verb have a long /ē/ in the stem

[4] the accent mark [ʹ] is only there to indicate where the syllable is stressed; it will not be used again

vídeō: I see

vídēs: you (sg.) see

vídet: he / she / it sees

vidḗmus: we see

vidḗtis: you (pl.) see

vídent: they see

The image posted gives some examples of second conjugation verbs.

01.03.24: 2nd conjugation verbs; introduction to the genitive case

[The Road to Latin (Chesnutt) 1932]

Text A: Tullia, Magistra Fīliārum I

Two points of grammar will be discussed based on these short texts but first read them and use the vocabulary and notes to help you.

In text A, revise the forms of esse in italics.

In text B, revise the forms of first conjugation verbs in italics.

In both texts, look at the verbs in bold.

Text A: Tullia, Magistra Fīliārum I

Tullia Cornēliam et Secundam linguam Latīnam docet. Tullia sevēra magistra est; itaque puellae dīligenter student. “Ego sum fēmina. Ego sum mātrōna Rōmāna. Tū, Cornēlia, es puella. Tū es fīlia mea. Secunda quoque est puella Rōmāna. Secunda est parva fīlia mea. Sum mātrōna Rōmāna; es fīlia mea; Secunda est parva fīlia mea.”

“Sum incola Rōmae. Tū Cornēlia, quoque es incola Rōmae. Ego et tū sumus incolae Rōmae. Nōs sumus laetae. Tū, Cornēlia, es fīlia mea. Tū quoque, Secunda, es fīlia mea. Vōs, puellae, estis fīliae meae. Estis puellae cārae. Lūcia est fīlia Camillae. Tertia est parva fīlia Camillae. Lucia et Tertia sunt fīliae Camillae.”

Text B: Tullia, Magistra Fīliārum II

“Nōnne rosae sunt pulchrae, fīliae meae? Māne ego in vīllam rosās portō. Tū, cornēlia, aquam portās. Secunda quoque aquam portat. Tum nōs rosās ad statuās deārum portāmus et statuās ōrnāmus. Vōs puellae rubrās rosās amātis et vestrās rosās ad Diānae statuam portātis. Cotidiē agricolae corbulās plēnās rosārum ad vīllam nostram portant. Ego rosās libenter cūrō.”

“Nōnne corōnae rosārum pulchrae sunt, puellae? Vidēsne corōnam rosārum albārum, Cornēlia?” “Corōnam videō, Tullia. Nōnne est pulchra?” “Videtne dea Diāna corōnās, Tullia?” “Certē, mea fīlia parva! Deae omnia vident.” “Sed nōs deās nōn vidēmus.” “Vōs, puellae, deās nōn vidētis quod deae in terrā nōn habitant.”

Vocabulary

ad: preposition that takes the accusative case; to(wards)

cārus, -a, -um: dear

certē: certainly; of course

corbula: basket

corōna: garland

curāre: to look after; take care of

docēre: to teach

incola: inhabitant; first declension, but can be masculine or feminine

libenter: willingly

manē: in the morning

mātrōna: married woman

omnia: all (things)

ōrnāre: decorate; adorn

plenus, -a, -um: full

rosa: rose

ruber, rubra, rubrum: red

sevērus, -a, -um: strict

studēre: be eager; study

terra: land; the earth

vidēre: to see

Notes:

[i]

Vōs puellae rubrās rosās amātis et vestrās rosās ad Diānae statuam portātis.

You girls love the red roses and bring your roses to the statue of Diana.

Cotidiē agricolae corbulās plēnās rosārum ad vīllam nostram portant.

Every day the farmers bring baskets full of roses to our villa.

noster, nostra, nostrum is a possessive adjective and pronoun; it is the plural of meus / mea / meum i.e. it means 'our(s)' and declines in exactly the same way; note the loss of /e/ noster > nostra

vester, vestra, vestrum is a possessive adjective and pronoun; it is the plural of tuus / tua / tuum i.e. it means 'your(s)' when talking to more than one person and declines in exactly the same way; again, note the loss of /e/ vester > vestra

[ii] docēre: to teach; studēre: be eager / study; vidēre: to see are all examples of second conjugation verbs. Note the long /ē/ in the infinitives which marks them as second conjugation as opposed to long /ā/ which marks the first conjugation. While, as has been mentioned before, the use of the macron above vowels was not used in Classical Latin, it is advisable to note these 2nd conjugation verbs with the macron for reasons which will become apparent when other verb conjugations are studied. Go to the next post for information on second conjugation verbs.

[iii] The third point to note will, at this stage, be brief:

Sum incola Rōmae. Tū Cornēlia, quoque es incola Rōmae. Ego et tū sumus incolae Rōmae.

I am an inhabitant of Rome. You Cornelia are also an inhabitant of Rome. You and I are inhabitants of Rome.

Vōs puellae ... vestrās rosās ad Diānae statuam portātis.

You girls ...bring your roses to the statue of Diana.

Cotidiē agricolae corbulās plēnās rosārum ad vīllam nostram portant.

Every day the farmers bring baskets full of roses to our villa.

“Nōnne corōnae rosārum pulchrae sunt, puellae? Vidēsne corōnam rosārum albārum, Cornēlia?”

The garlands of roses are beautiful, aren't they, girls? Do you see the garland of white roses, Cornelia?

The nouns in bold are in the genitive case; for first declension nouns you can see there are only two endings -ae (singular) and -ārum (plural); the genitive case has several uses, and these will be discussed in later posts. For the moment, note that the genitive case most often translates into English using 'of', and very often refers to possession:

ad Diānae statuam: to the statue of Diana i.e. Diana's statue.

Tullia, Magistra Fīliārum: Tulllia, the teacher of the daughters i.e. the daughters' teacher