Wednesday, August 13, 2025

06.11.25: Level 1; Carolus et Maria [14][iv] passive voice; passive agent

LINK; all posts on the passive voice can be found here:

https://mega.nz/file/rYkjzCgC#gfnqLlfHt23oFmHeGZyWaNsmtbXQag9Tkwm4rcXJZPs

The person or thing by whom or which an action is performed is known in grammar as the passive agent.

[1] He was killed ¦ by a soldier: Here, the agent refers to an animate noun i.e. a human being (it could also refer to an animal)

When the agent is animate, Latin uses the preposition ā / ab with the ablative case:

Virī ¦ ab hōc equō ¦ nōn timentur │ The men are not feared ¦ by this horse

Scūta ¦ ā ducibus et mīlitibus ¦ portābantur │ Shields were / used to be carried ¦ by commanders and (by) soldiers

[2] He was killed ¦ by a sword: here, the agent refers to an inanimate noun i.e. an object

When the agent is inanimate, Latin uses the ablative case alone i.e. without a preposition

Americānī ¦ scūtīs ¦ nōn teguntur │ Americans are not protected ¦ by shields

Rōmānī antīquī ¦ scūtīs magnīs et lātīs ¦ tegēbantur │ The ancient Romans were / used to be protected ¦ by large and wide shields

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