08.06.25: Level 3; the gerundive [5]; purpose

In the posts on the gerund some sentences were highlighted:

Ad legendum [gerund] + librōs [direct object; accusative] vēnit. │ He came ¦ to read books.

Legendō [gerund] + librōs [direct object; accusative] legere discimus. │ We learn to read ¦ by reading books.

Terit tempus scrībendō [gerund] + epistulās [direct object; accusative] │ He spends time ¦ in writing letters.

Cupidī erant Rōmānī insulam nostram [direct object; accusative] … vīsitandī et explōrandī [gerund]. │ The Romans were desirous … ¦ of visiting and exploring our island.

Dat operam agrōs [direct object; accusative] colendō [gerund]. │ He attends ¦ to tilling fields.

All of these use the gerund with a direct object. These sentences are perfectly correct Latin, but there is a parallel construction used with the gerundive:

When the gerund would have an object in the accusative, the Gerundive is generally used instead. (Allen & Greenhough)

This involves a slight “rethinking” because the way in which Latin expresses this idea is completely different from the way in which English translates it.

We’ll take a sentence from a far earlier post:

Next month I shall first go to Iowa ¦ to visit a friend.

The sentence expresses purpose which, in English, is conveyed by an infinitive; French, German and Russian would also use infinitive constructions.

Now look at the Latin; it does not use an infinitive:

Mēnsē proximō ībō prīmum ad Iowa ¦ ad amīcum vīsitandum. 

Therefore, the structure is markedly different:

[i] English: I shall go to Iowa ¦ to visit [infinitive] a friend [the direct object of the infinitive]

[ii] Latin: Ībō ad Iowa ¦ ad amīcum [accusative after ad] + vīsitandum [gerundive: agreeing in gender, number and case with the noun]

Here are some further examples from earlier posts:

Venīte mēcum ¦ ad eōs spectandōs.

Literally: Come with me ¦ to look at them.

inter Dubrās et Rutupiās est locus ¦ ad nāvigia applicanda ¦ idōneus │ between Dover and Richborough is a place suitable ¦ to bring vessels to land [ = for vessels (which are) to be brought to land]

locus idōneus est ¦ ad cōpiās explicandās │ it’s a suitable place ¦ to deploy forces [ = for forces (which are) to be deployed]

Image #2 shows examples of how this gerundive construction can be translated with an English infinitive even though, in the Latin, there is no infinitive

Image #3: the use of the gerundive + noun where English would use an infinitive + a direct object is not restricted to constructions with ad + accusative. The table shows these parallel constructions: [i] the gerund with an object in the accusative, and [ii] the gerundive agreeing in case, gender and number with the noun; both constructions mean the same

Latin tutorial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm5F9C_mWgs