Monday, April 21, 2025

16.07.25: Level 3; review: ipse, ipsa, ipsum

[i] ipse is a demonstrative, also known as an intensive pronoun; note in the declension: genitive singular -īus and dative singular -ī

[ii] It has an emphatic use conveying the same idea as English ‘myself’, ‘yourself’, ‘himself’ etc. in combination with a noun or personal pronoun;  when used with a noun, the translation may be ‘the very’:

Agricola ipse frūctum numquam adspiciet. │The farmer himself will never see the fruit.

From the Caractacus texts:

Et omnēs hominēs cupidī erant rēgem Britannōrum ipsum spectandī.  │ All the people were eager to look at the king of the Britons himself.

Magna multitūdō captīvōrum Britannicōrum ūnā cum Caractacō ipsō et uxōre frātribusque eius in catēnīs aderant. │ A great number of British prisoners together with Caractacus himself and his wife and brothers were present in chains.

Sed Caractacus ipse animum audācem … praestitit │ But Caractacus himself displayed a bold spirit.

Ante oculōs prīncipis ipsīus collocātus "Rēx sum" inquit … │ Placed before the eyes of the Emperor himself he said “I am a king”

Tum prīnceps … veniam lībertātemque Caractacō ipsī … dedit. │ The Emperor then gave mercy and freedom to Caractacus himself.

Further examples:

Tandem sōlum tribūs brevissimīs hōrīs, Caesar ipse ad castra cum illīs tribūnīs perveniet. │ Finally, in only three very short hours, Caesar himself will reach the camp with those tribunes.

Caesarem ipsum servāvimus. │ We saved Caesar himself.

Cicerō ipsum laudāvit. │ Cicero praised me myself.

Ancilla ipsa amphoram portāvit. │ The maid herself carried the jar.

Amīcum rēgis ipsīus servāvērunt. │ They saved the friend of the king himself.

Fidēlissimī servī senem ad templum ipsum portāvērunt. │ The most faithful servants carried the old man to the temple itself /  the very temple.

Lēgātōs cīvium Rōmānōrum ipsōrum servāvistis. │ You have saved the ambassadors of the Roman citizens themselves.

Vōs ipsī iūdicāte: decet mulierem nōn vēlātam ōrāre Deum? (Vulgate) │ You yourselves judge: is it proper for a woman without a veil to pray to God?

[iii] Note: in English, -self and -selves, apart from having the same emphatic function as Latin ipse e.g. I myself will do it, also is used to express reflexive actions e.g. She hurt herself, he looked at himself in the mirror; Latin does not use ipse to convey this, but the reflexive pronoun which we will review in the next post.

Complete the sentences by choosing the correct form of ipse:

[1] The man himself sees the danger. │ Homō ____ perīculum videt.

[2] The man sees the danger itself. │ Homō ____ perīculum videt.

[3] In the city of Alexandria itself Caesar waged war with the inhabitants. │ Caesar ____ in urbe Alexandrīa bellum cum incolīs gessit.

[4] I didn’t want to hurt the girl herself. │ Puellam ____ laedere nōlēbam.

[5] The king bestowed honours on [= gave honours to] the citizens themselves. │ Rēx honōrēs cīvibus ____ dedit.

[6] How do the Roman women themselves feel about the powers of their husbands? │ Quōmodo fēminae ____ Rōmānae dē potentiīs marītōrum sentiunt?

[7] Many of the enemy themselves thanked him. │ Hostium ____ multī eī grātiās ēgerunt.

[8] Thieves stole the gold of the king himself. │ Fūrēs aurum rēgis ____ abstulērunt.

[9] We ourselves heard the senator’s speech. │ Nōs ____ ōrātiōnem senātōris audīvimus.

[10] On that very day he cleaned the stable. │ Illō ____ diē stabulum pūrgāvit.

[11] This was the very cause of that war. │ Haec erat ____ causa illīus bellī.

ipsa; ipsā; ipsae; ipsam; ipse; ipsī; ipsīs; ipsīus; ipsō; ipsōrum; ipsum

____________________

[1] Homō ipse perīculum videt.

[2] Homō ipsum perīculum videt.

[3] Caesar ipsā in urbe Alexandrīa bellum cum incolīs gessit.

[4] Puellam ipsam laedere nōlēbam.

[5] Rēx honōrēs cīvibus ipsīs dedit.

[6] Quōmodo fēminae ipsae Rōmānae dē potentiīs marītōrum sentiunt?

[7] Hostium ipsōrum multī eī grātiās ēgerunt.

[8] Fūrēs aurum rēgis ipsīus abstulērunt.

[9] Nōs ipsī ōrātiōnem senātōris audīvimus.

[10] Illō ipsō diē stabulum pūrgāvit.

[11] Haec erat ipsa causa illīus bellī.

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