19.10.25: Level 3; ferō and its compounds [1]

[i] The most common meaning of ferō is ‘carry’ or ‘bear’ something.

[ii] It is a 3^rd conjugation verb, the only ‘irregularity’ in the present tense being the omission of -i- in the 2^nd and 3^rd person singular, and the 2^nd person plural:

ferō

fers

fert

ferimus

fertis

ferunt

[iii]

infinitive: ferre (i.e. the -e- of the 3^rd conjugation infinitive is omitted)

imperative: fer (singular); ferte (plural)

[iv] The imperfect and future tenses are completely regular:

Imperfect

ferēbam, ferēbās, ferēbat, ferēbāmus, ferēbātis, ferēbant

Future

feram, ferēs, feret, ferēmus, ferētis, ferent

[v] However, going beyond this, we find that ferō, ferre is a rare example of a suppletive verb. This refers here to a verb, certain forms of which are from a completely different verb. The most notable example of this in English is the verb ‘go’:

I go / am going / have (had) gone / will go: all of these are from Old English gān (go)

But: I went; even though Old English had a past tense for the verb gān i.e. iċ ēode, this was replaced by the past tense of a completely different verb: OE wendan (to depart; go; change) i.e. iċ wende > Modern English: I went.

The verb ferō has undergone a similar change taking its perfect stem and its perfect passive participle from the verb tollō, tollere, sustulī, sublātus [3]: remove; take away

Perfect stem: tulī

Pefect passive participle: lātus

Therefore, the four principal parts are: ferō, ferre, tulī, lātus

Perfect: tulī, tulistī, tulit, tulimus, tulistis, tulērunt

Pluperfect: tuleram, tulerās, tulerat, tulerāmus, tulerātis, tulerant

Future perfect: tulerō, tuleris, tulerit, tulerimus, tuleritis, tulerint

Exercise

As way of introduction to this verb, complete the Latin sentences with the appropriate present tense of ferō. However, look at the English translations and note the different meanings that this verb can have.

1. The slave is carrying food. │ Servus cibum __________
2. The slaves carry an amphora. │ Servī amphoram __________
3. The road leads to the estate. │ Via ad vīllam __________
4. I bring help to you. │ Ego tibi auxilium __________
5. The Roman troops bear arms. │ Cōpiae Rōmānae arma __________    
6. We gain a victory; win a battle. │ Victōriam __________
7. You (pl) endure / suffer many wrongdoings. │ Multās iniūriās __________     
8. What are you (sg) carrying in the cart? │ Quid in plaustrō __________?