Latin for Learners: 10/03/24

Thursday, October 3, 2024

13.12.24; level 2; degrees of comparison [22]; comparative and superlative of adverbs [3]; irregular forms

There are a very small number of irregular comparative and superlative of adverbs

[i] multum: a lot > magis: more > maximē: the most; mostly; chiefly / especially

ī ad illum quem magis amās quam patrem (Seneca the Elder) │ Go to him whom you love more than the father.

Cato’s recommendation to take time when buying a farm, and not just to visit it once: Quotiēns ībis, totiēns magis placēbit quod bonum erit. │ However often you (will) go, each time what will be good will please you more.

quam ob rem mihi magis pār est viā dēcēdere et concēdere (Plautus) │ For this reason, it is more fitting to get out of the road and to make room for me.

exoptā id quod vīs maximē tibi ēvenīre: fīet (Plautus) │ Long for what you desire the most to happen to you; it shall be done.

Ubi ego erō? / Ubi maximē esse vīs (Plautus) │ Where shall I be? / Where you most want to be.

Uxōrēs habent dēnī* duodēnīque* inter sē commūnēs et maximē frātrēs cum frātribus parentēsque cum līberīs (Caesar)│ Ten and even twelve have wives common to them, and particularly brothers among brothers, and parents among their children.

*dēnus, -a, -um: ten (each); duodēnus, -a, -um: twelve (each)

[ii] parum: not enough > minus: less > minimē: least (of all); very little; no; not at all

Pacidēius suōs equitēs exporrigere coepit in longitūdinem, quī nihilō minus ¦ fortissimē ācerrimēque pugnābant. (Dē bellō Āfricō; adapted) │ Pacideius began to deploy his horsemen on a broader front, and they still fought with the utmost gallantry and spirit. [= and no less did they fight most bravely and (most) fiercely]

Quid vīs, Pamphile? / Pa. Hinc abīre mātrem? minimē. (Terence) │ What do you want, Pamphilus? / PAMPHILUS: My mother go away? By no means.

Iam illud minimē mīrum est (Cicero) │ Now that is not at all strange

Nicostrātus quīdam, fidēlis Oppianicī servolus, percūriōsus et minimē mendāx (Cicero) │ a certain Nicostratus, a faithful slave of Oppianicus's, a man who was very curious and by no means a liar

[iii] diū: for a long time > diūtius: for longer; for too long > diūtissimē: for the longest time; for a very long time

Nam mihi quidem quotīdiē augēscit magis / Dē fīliō aegritūdō; et quantō diūtius / abest, magis cupiō tantō et magis dēsīderō. (Terence)│ For really my sorrow about my son increases [= grows more] daily; and the longer he is away from me, so much more do I wish for him, and the more I miss him.

Superlative adverb and adjective in the same sentence:

Quī diūtissimē impūberēs permānsērunt, maximam inter suōs ferunt laudem. (Caesar) │ Those who have remained virgins for the longest time, they bear the greatest praise amongst their own people.

[iv] potius: rather > potissimum: first of all; above all; in preference to all; most preferably

Quidquid est, ipse ībit potius (Plautus) │ Whatever it is, he’ll rather go there himself.

vōbīs nārrābō potius meās nunc miseriās (Plautus) │ I will rather [ = I’ll prefer to] relate my woes to you.

[v] saepe: often > saepius: more often > saepissimē: most often

Quīn melius nōvī quam tū et vīdī saepius. (Plautus) │ Why, I know him better than yourself, and have seen him more times.

tū mē dē tuīs rēbus omnibus et dē Lentulī tuī nostrīque studiīs et exercitātiōnibus velim quam familiārissimē certiōrem et quam saepissimē faciās (Cicero) │ I should like you to write about all your affairs, and about the studies and training of your son Lentulus (whom I regard as mine also) as confidentially and as frequently as possible

12.12.24: Level 1; Maxey [19] (1)

[A] Complete each translation with the words listed below.

Magistra: Quis est ille vir?

[1] _____ is that man?

Puer: Ille vir est caecus. Ille vir oculōs habet, sed nūllās rēs videt.

That man is [2] _____. The man has [3] _____, but [4] _____ nothing [= no things]

Magistra: Cūr adest? Cūr hīc est?

[5] _____ is he present? Why is he [6] _____?

Puer: Ille vir fīlium habet quī prope hunc locum habitat. Vir fīlium vīsitat et nunc fīlium exspectat.

That man has a son [7] _____ [8] _____ [9] _____ this place. The father [10] _____ (his) son and [11] _____ he [12] _____ his son.

Magistra: Herī ille caecus vir aderat. Nunc iterum adest.

[13] _____ that blind man [14] _____. Now he [15] _____ [16] _____.

again; blind; eyes; here; is here; is waiting for; lives; near; now; sees; visits; was here; who; who; why; yesterday

[B] Complete each translation with the words listed below.

Puer: Ita. Tum fīlium exspectābat et nunc iterum fīlium exspectat. Numquam longē sine fīliō it quod est timidus. Ubi cum fīliō ambulat, tūtus est.

Yes, at that time he [1] _____ (his) son and now [2] _____ he [3] _____ for his son. He never goes [4] _____ [5] _____ his son [6] _____ he’s afraid. [7] _____ he walks [8] _____ (his) son, he is safe.

Magistra: Omnēs virī et puerī quoque illī virō auxilium dare dēbent. Sī omnēs auxilium dant, virī caecī sunt laetī neque timent.

[9] _____ men and children too [10] _____ [11] _____ help [12] _____ man. [13] _____ everybody gives help, blind men are happy [14] _____ they are _____ afraid

Puer: Ecce! Vidē! Fīlius caecī virī adest. Quam laetus est ille vir!

[15] _____ See! The [16] _____ son is here. [17] _____ happy that man is!

Magistra: Ad quem locum eunt vir et fīlius?

To [18] _____ place [19] _____ the man and the son _____?

Puer: Necesse est ad aedificium magnum īre quod ibi vir caecus pecūniam accipit.

It is necessary [20] _____ to the big building because the blind man [21] _____ money [22] _____.

again; all; and … not; are … going; because; blind man’s; far; give; how; if; is waiting; look!; must; receives; there; to go; to that; was waiting; when; which; with; without

Notes:

[1] prefixes

In English a prefix is a small group of letters which changes the meaning of the word to which they’re attached e.g. happy – unhappy, write – rewrite, belief – disbelief

But the prefixes in standard English most often cannot stand alone i.e. there is no separate word *un* or *re* or *dis*

That is not the case in Latin. Many verbs can have prepositions attached to the beginning which will give a different meaning to the root word:

Preposition: ad; to(wards), at

> adsum, adesse: to be present

Nunc iterum adest. │He’s now present [= he’s here now]

Herī ille caecus vir aderat. │ That blind man was present [here] yesterday.

[2] Tum fīlium exspectābat │ then he was waiting for (his) son

This is an example of the imperfect tense that describes what somebody was doing; it will be briefly discussed in a later post.

12.12.24: level 1; topic; school [4]; the Arts

ars, artis [3/f]: art; skill

Artem ¦ scribendī discō. │ I’m learning to write [= the art ¦ of writing].

dīcendum: speaking

legendum: reading

pingendum: painting

scrībendum: writing

[i] These four words are known as gerunds; a gerund is formed from a verb but acts like a noun e.g. Smoking is not permitted. In English grammar they are sometimes known as verbal nouns because they describe the performing of the action which the verb describes.

[ii] They decline like 2^nd declension neuter nouns in -um but they have no nominative case.

Nominative: -

Genitive: legendī

Dative: legendō

Accusative: legendum

Ablative: legendō

[iii] When the idea is expressed in the nominative case, an infinitive is used:

La: vidēre est crēdere [infinitive]

Fr: voir c’est croire [infinitive]

Eng: seeing is believing

Legere [infinitive] mihi placet = Reading is pleasing to me = I like reading

[iv] The Latin gerund, however, is used in other cases. Therefore:

ars ¦ dīcendī / loquendī│ the art of speaking

ars legendī │ the art of reading

ars pingendī │ the art of painting

ars scrībendī │ the art of writing

11.12.24: level 2; degrees of comparison [21]; comparative and superlative of adverbs [2] superlative adverbs

superlative adverb

Remove the ending of the superlative adjective and add -ē; again, even if that superlative form is irregular, it makes no difference because all the superlative adjectives have the same ending i.e. -us > -ē

pulcherrim¦us > pulcherrimē

fortissimus > fortissimē

facillimus > facillimē

optimus > optimē

Again, the superlative, if no specific comparison is being made, can translate as “very” + the adverb:

Quid agis? │ How are you doing? > Bene, grātiās tibi agō. │ Well, thank you. > Optimē, grātiās tibi agō. │ Very well, thank you.

quam + superlative adverb = as …ly as possible

This extract from one of Cicero’s letters shows [i] quam + the superlative adverb and [ii] the superlative adjective both conveying “as X as possible”:

simul ac prōgredī coeperō, quam celerrimē poterō, et quam crēberrimīs litterīs faciam, ut tibi nota sit omnis ratiō diērum atque itinerum meōrum (Cicero) │ as soon as I start to advance, I shall, as quickly as I possibly can, and by as frequent letters as possible, make sure that you are aware of the whole programme of my dates and routes

10.12.24: level 2; degrees of comparison [20]; comparative and superlative of adverbs [1] comparative adverbs

The comparative and superlative of adverbs is just one small step from the adjectives: we’ll begin with the comparative adverb.

Whatever the comparative form of the adjective is, it will be the neuter that is used as the comparative adverb:

[i] laetus, -a, -um: happy

> comparative adjective: laetior [masculine / feminine] │ laetius [neuter]: happier

> comparative adverb laetius: more happily

[ii] comparative adjective: pulchrior [masc. / fem.] │ pulchrius [neut.]: more beautiful

> comparative adverb: pulchrius: more beautifully

Ancilla pulchrius cantabat. │The maidservant was singing more beautifully.

Even if the comparative has an irregular form, it will still be the neuter that is used:

[iii] comparative adjective: melior [masc. / fem.] │ melius [neut.]: better

> comparative adverbs: melius: better

As with the comparative of adjectives – if no obvious comparison is being made – the translation of the comparative adverb could be “rather beautifully” or “too quickly”.

09.12.24: Level 1; Maxey [18] (3)

Exercise [A] Complete the first part of the text with the correct forms of the words [a], [b] or [c]

[1] (i) Our │ (ii) commander │ gives advice │ (iii) to the commander │ (iv) of the allies.

(i) [a] dux [b] ducis [c] ducem │ (ii) [a] nostri [b] nostrum [c] noster │ (iii) [a] ducem [b] ducī [c] dux │ (iv) [a] sociōrum [b] sociī [c] sociīs │ consilium dat.

[2] He advises (i) the commander │ of the allies.

(i) [a] dux [b] ducis [c] ducem │ sociōrum │monet

[3] (ii) Our │ (i) soldiers │ give help │ (iii) to the neighbours …

(i) [a] mīles [b] mīlitī [c] mīlitēs │ (ii) [a] nostri [b] nostrum [c] noster │ auxilium │ (iii) [a] fīnitimīs [b] finitimōs [c] finitimī │ dant …

[4] …because (i) the neighbours │ don’t have large enough │ (ii) forces / troops.

… quod (i) [a] fīnitimīs [b] finitimōs [c] finitimī │ nōn satis magnās │(ii) [a] cōpiīs [b] cōpiās [c] cōpiae │ habent.

Exercise [B] Choose the correct translation of the sentences from the second part of the text

[1] Sī satis magnās cōpiās habent, nostrōs mīlitēs nōn vocant.

A. They don’t call our soldiers because they have large enough troops.

B. If they have large enough troops, they don’t call our soldiers.

C. Even if they have large enough troops, they call our soldiers.

[2] Nōs nostrōs mīlitēs tūtōs esse cupimus

A. Our soldiers want to be safe

B. Our soldiers want us to be safe

C. We want our soldiers to be safe

[3] … sed mīlitēs sociōs nostrōs tūtōs esse cupiunt.

A. …but our allies want the soldiers to be safe

B. …but the soldiers want our allies to be safe

C. …but the soldiers and our allies want to be safe

Exercise [C] Here is the last section of the text. Complete the Latin using the translation and the words listed below:

[1] __________ ad sociōs eunt. [2] __________ nōn domum venient, [3] __________ nōn domum venient; [4] __________ venient sed nōn omnēs. Multī [5] __________ [6] __________ venient.

[1] This morning they go to the allies. [2] Tomorrow they will not come home, [3] on the following day they won’t come home; they’ll [4] soon come but not all of them. Many will [5] never come [6] again.

crās; iterum; māne hodiē; mox; numquam; posterō diē

09.12.24; level 1; topic; school [3]; languages

08.12.24: degrees of comparison [19]; the superlative (6); translation practice [2]

[a] Complete the translations with the English word or phrase listed below.

Plūrimōs diēs huius annī nihil fēcimus. │ For [1] __________ days (of) this year we have done nothing.

Cūr quaeritis auxilium plūrimum dē servīs deī celerrimī? │ Why do you ask for [2] __________ assistance from the servants of the [3] __________ god?

Optima legiō, quae oppida īnsulae servāverat, crēdidit imperātōrī. │ The [4] __________ legion, which had saved the towns of the island, believed the emperor.

Maximumne est templum, quod umquam vīdistī? │ Is the temple the [5] __________ which you have ever seen?

Pessimīs impetibus cīvibus nūllus cibus erat. │ Because of the [6] __________ attacks the citizens had no food.

Versūs quam pulcherrimōs scrīpsit poēta clārissimus. │ The [7] __________ poet wrote verses (which were) [8] __________.

Prīnceps senātūs dēbet esse quam nōbilissimus. │ The leader of the senate ought to be [9] __________.

In caelō fulgente sōle, antrum est quam obscūrissimum. │ Though the sun shines in the sky, the cave is [10] __________.

Mel est semper dulcissimum cibōrum omnium, quī in vīllā sunt. │ Honey is always the [1] __________ foods, which are in the villa.

Vēnistis ad urbem maximam tōtīus orbis terrārum. │ You have come to the [12] __________ city of [ = in] the whole world.

as beautiful as possible; as dark as possible; as noble as possible; best; biggest; greatest; most famous; sweetest of all; swiftest; the most; very many; worst

[b] Complete the translations with the Latin word listed below. Note that most of these translate as “very + adjective” rather than “most + adjective”:

Haec est rēs [1] __________. │ This is a most serious matter.

Labor [2] __________ erat. │ The work was very difficult.

[3] __________ erat librum legere. │ It was very easy to read the book.

Oppidum in [4] __________ monte situm est. │ The town is located on the highest mountain.

Sōcratēs vir [5] __________ et [6] __________ erat. │ Socrates was a very wise and most educated man.

Amīcī in caldārium intrant, in quō aquā [7] __________ est. │ The friends go into the caldarium, in which the water is hottest.

[8] __________ ventus ab aquilōne cum [9] __________ nebulā, et cum [10] __________ pulvere. │ A very strong wind from the north with a very large amount of fog, and very thick dust.

altissimō; calidissima; dēnsissimō; difficillimus; doctissimus; facillimum; fortissimus; gravissima; maximā; sapientissimus

Latin tutorial: superlatives

07.12.24: level 2; degrees of comparison [18]; the superlative (5); translation practice [1]

Complete the translation with the word or phrase listed below.

Pulcherrima fīlia rēgis capiētur ab inimīcīs nautīs. │ The [1] __________ daughter of the king will be captured by enemy sailors.

Apud parentēs meōs bibam vīnum dulcissimum. │ At my parentsʼ (house) I shall drink the [2] __________ wine.

In silvā nēmō vīdit candidissimum celerrimumque equum. │ In the forest no one saw the [3] __________ and [4] __________horse.

Agricola sēmina in terram firmissimam iēcit. │ The farmer threw seeds into [5] __________ land.

Nōn possunt servī veterēs novissimō hominī placēre. │ The old slaves are not able to please the [6] __________ man.

Flēns puer in āram sacerrimam pōnētur. │ The weeping boy will be placed onto the [7] __________ altar.

Nōn fīdimus huic, quī in monte altissimō habitat. │ We do not trust this man, who lives on the [8] __________ mountain.

Timētisne mortem miserrimam? │ Do you fear a [9] __________ death?

Vōcem tristissimam equitis audīvimus. │ We heard the [10] __________ voice of the cavalryman.

Ferissima animālia silvae possunt hominibus fēminīsque illīus oppidī nocēre. │ [11] The __________ animals of the forest are able to harm the men and women of that town.

Quid faciēs postquam tempestās fortissima vēnerit? │ What will you do after the [12] __________ storm has come [= will have come]?

Nēmō est dignior quam is. Est dignissimus cīvis Rōmae. │ No one is more worthy than him. He is the [13] __________ citizen of Rome.

Nōlī indulgēre fēlīcissimīs iūcundissimīsque līberīs! │ Do not indulge the [14] __________ and [15] __________ children!

Nēmō improbissimum scelus facit. │ No one does a [16] __________ crime.

Agricola pecū ovium agente, nūbēs lentissimae in caelō stetērunt. │ While the farmer was driving the flock of sheep, the [17] __________ clouds stood in the sky.

happiest; highest; most beautiful; most joyful; most radiant; most recent; most sacred; most worthy; most wretched; slowest; strongest; sweetest; very hard; very sad; very swift; very wicked; wildest

06.12.24: Level 1; Maxey [18] (2)

Spectāmus et subitō multōs mīlitēs vidēmus. Multī aliī virī trāns viās et ante aedificia currunt quod hōs mīlitēs vidēre cupiunt. Mīlitēs arma et tēla habent. Galeās, gladiōs habent; scūta, pīla, arcūs, sagittās nōn habent. Patria nostra in bellō nōn pugnat, sed fīnitimī nostrī pugnant et nōs sumus sociī. Cum fīnitimī auxilium rogant necesse est īre. Mīlitēs nostrī īre dēbent quod sunt sociī fīnitimōrum. Omnēs mīlitēs nostrī fortiter pugnant et sunt parātī morīrī sī necesse est.

[1] In which order are the following first referred to

asking for help

being allies

fighting bravely

men running across the streets

neighbouring country at war

own country not at war

ready to die

suddenly seeing many soldiers

the soldiers must go

wanting to see soldiers

weapons

[2] Which of the following do the soldiers have and not have?

arrows

bows

helmets

javelins

shields

swords

06.12.24; level 1; topic; school [2]: colloquium

frāter et sorōrcula

S: Quid hodiē nārrāvit magister in scholā?

F: Nārrāvit dē Īcarō, Daedalī fīliō.

S: Mihi quoque dē Īcarō Latīnē nārrā. Fuitne Īcarus puer malus ?

F: Minimē malus sed miserrimus. Habēbat ālās; ālās cērā, aptāverat Daedalus; Īcarus ēvolāvit et cēra sōle liquefacta est. Tum. . .

S: Tum . . . quid?

F: Mihi nōn sunt verba Latīna. Itaque haesitō.

S: Ergō nārrā Anglicē. Nam linguam Anglicam intellegō.

F: Minimē. Latīnē tibi nārrō, nōn Anglicē.

[1]

Was Icarus a bad boy?
What did he have?
How had Daedalus fastened these?
What did Icarus do and how did the sun affect him?
The boy doesn’t say what happened to Icarus after that. Do you know?

[2] Find the Latin:

What did the teacher talk about / tell (you) about?
He talked / told (us) about …
I don’t have the Latin words
I understand the English language
I will tell you in Latin
Tell me in English
Tell me in Latin

05.12.24: level 2; degrees of comparison [17]; the superlative (4); relative superlative; quam + superlative

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?”

Take a look at the last sentence from Peckett and Munday’s Principia:

[1] The superlative can stand alone:

Fortissimus est. │ He is the bravest.

[2] The relative superlative refers to when the superlative is used in relation to something else e.g. the bravest of (all) the soldiers. Latin expresses this idea in two ways:

[i] With the genitive, and usually genitive plural since the superlative tends to be highlighting the best, worst etc. of a group, more than one person or thing:

eloquentissimus ¦ Rōmānōrum │ the most eloquent ¦ of the Romans

doctissimus ¦ magistrōrum │ the most educated ¦ of the teachers

pulcherrima omnium fēminārum │ the most beautiful ¦ of all the women

altissima ¦ arborum │ the tallest ¦ of the trees

[ii] With ē / ex + ablative plural

altissima ex arboribus │ the tallest of the trees

doctissimus ē magistrīs │ the most educated of the teachers

That is similar to English “He’s the best pupil out of that whole class.”

[3] Note that, in English, the preposition ‘in’ can be used to express a relative superlative, for example, ‘the most beautiful temple in the world,’ but Latin does not express the idea in that way:

pulcherrimum ¦ orbis [genitive] terrārum ¦ templum │ the most beautiful temple ¦ in the world

Urbs quam vidētis, pulcherrima Italiae [genitive] est. │ The city which you see is the most beautiful in Italy.

[4] In a relative superlative construction, the superlative adjective will always be translated as a superlative i.e. not as ‘very + adjective’. Compare:

mōns altissimus │ a very high mountain │ the highest mountain

altissimus montium / altissimus ē montibus │ the highest of the mountains

quam + superlative

Don’t confuse the different uses of quam

[i] quam is used with the comparative to express the object of comparison

Mārcus altior est quam Sextus. │ Marcus is taller than Sextus.

[ii] quam is also used with the superlative but not with the same meaning

When used with a superlative quam conveys ‘as [adjective] as possible’:

quam potentissimus │ as powerful as possible

04.12.24: level 2; degrees of comparison [16]; the superlative (3); translation of the superlative

In the same way as the comparative form, when no obvious comparison is being made can be translated by ‘rather + adjective’ or ‘too + adjective’ e.g. fortior: braver / rather brave / too brave, so too the superlative can be translated as ‘very + adjective’ if there is no apparent idea of comparison:

Rēgina pulcherrima est. │ The queen is the most beautiful. │ The queen is very beautiful.

English can use most to convey the idea of 'very' rather than a superlative:

"That was a most interesting lecture" = a very / an extremely interesting lecture, as opposed to "That was the most interesting lecture (that I've ever been to)"

However, if it is clear that a superlative is being used, then the adjective can only be translated as a superlative.

Pulcherrima omnium fēminārum soror tua est. │ Your sister is the most beautiful of all women.

03.12.24: Level 1; Maxey [18] (1)

Complete the Latin text using the English translation and with the words listed below.

"[1] __________ Aliquid [2] __________. [3] __________ aliquid? Multī virī per viās [4] __________; multī equī [5] __________. Sunt carrī quoque et in carrīs multae rēs [6] __________. [7] __________ mīlitēs quoque et in manibus mīlitum sunt tēla. Quī sunt hī mīlitēs? Ad quem locum [8] __________? [9] __________. Ibi prope nostram domum [10] __________."

[1] Listen! [2] I hear something. [3] Do you hear something? Many men [4] are running through the streets; many horses [5] are coming. There are also wagons and many things [6] are being carried in the wagons. [7] There are also soldiers and in the soldiers’ hands are weapons. Who are these soldiers? To which place [8] are they going? [9] See! There near our house [10] they’re coming.

vidē; audiō; veniunt; sunt; currunt; eunt; portantur; veniunt; audīsne; audī

Note:

Multae rēs portantur │many things are being carried; look out for this ending which is used to indicate the passive voice

The passive voice is used when the subject of the sentence is not performing the action but the action is being done to the subject:

Mīlitēs multās rēs portant │ The soldiers are carrying many things = active sentence

Multae rēs in carrīs portantur │ Many things are being carried in the wagons = passive sentence

____________________

"Audī. Aliquid audiō. Audīsne aliquid? Multī virī per viās currunt; multī equī veniunt. Sunt carrī quoque et in carrīs multae rēs portantur. Sunt mīlitēs quoque et in manibus mīlitum sunt tēla. Quī sunt hī mīlitēs? Ad quem locum eunt? Vidē. Ibi prope nostram domum veniunt."