28.07.25: Level 3; pronominal adjectives [7]; neuter, -ra, -rum: neither

neuter < ne (not) + uter (either): neither (neither one nor the other; neither of the two)

Uter puer aegrotat, Mārcusne an Quīntus? │ Which boy is ill, Marcus or Quintus?

> Neuter puer, ¦ nec Mārcus nec Quīntus. │ Neither boy, neither Marcus nor Quintus.

Neuter eōrum [masc.] vēnit. │ Neither of them came.

Neutra eārum [fem.] vēnit. │ Neither of them came.

Neutra aciēs laeta ex eō certāmine abiit. (Livy) │ Neither army (battle-line) went off rejoicing from that battle.

mēcum ubi est, tēcum est tamen; tēcum ubi autem est, mēcum ibi autemst: [i] neuter [ii] neutrī [dative case with the verb invideō] invidet (Plautus) │ when she's with me, still she's with you; and when she's with you, she's with me as well: [i] neither of us envies [ii] the other.

A few more off-beat examples from Adler:

Utrum nauta baculum meum, an saccum meum habet ? Neutrum habet. │ Does the sailor have my stick or my sack? He has neither.

Utrum vēndere vult equum hunc an illum? Neutrum vēndere vult. │ Does he want to sell this horse or that one? │ He wants to sell neither [ = he doesn’t want to sell either (of them)]

Utrum occīdere vult gallīnam hanc an illam? Neutram occīdere vult. │ Does he want to kill this hen or that one? He wants to kill neither [ = he doesn’t want to kill either (of them)]

Māluntne loquī potius, quam scrībere? Neutrum libenter faciunt. │ Do they prefer to speak rather than (to) write? │ They prefer doing neither.

Exercise: Complete the Latin sentences with the appropriate form of neuter:

[1] He doesn’t want to marry either [one (f.)] of them [f.] │ ____ eārum in mātrimōnium dūcere vult.

[2] He wrote neither letter. │ ____ litterās scrīpsit.

[3] Neither of them [m.] seems very strong to me. │ ____ eōrum mihi valdē fortis vidētur.

[4] The walls of neither city are high. │ Moenia ____ urbis alta sunt.

[5] We must help neither of them [ = we mustn’t help either of them]. │ ____ eōrum iuvāre dēbēmus.

[6] Julia isn’t in either cottage / is in neither cottage. │ Iūlia est in _____ casā.

[7] The boy is neither’s son / isn’t the son of either [of them] │ _____ fīlius est puer.

neuter; neutrā; neutram; neutrās; neutrīus; neutrīus; neutrum

28.07.25: Level 3; Sonnenschein; Prō Patriā [7]; Pax Rōmāna [2]; review: superlative of adjectives

"Omnia bella saeva et inhūmāna sunt. Omnium autem bellōrum saevissima et inhūmānissima fuērunt bella illa temporibus antīquīs contrā gentēs barbarās pugnāta. Rōmānī hostēs crūdēlissimī plērumque fuērunt. Sed quid ūtilius fuit tōtī orbī terrārum quam imperium Rōmānum? Et imperiō Rōmānō nūllum maius perīculum erat quam rebelliōnēs populōrum barbarōrum. Pāx illa Rōmāna etiam populīs subiectīs ūtilissima fuit. Hominēs ferōs et inhūmānōs ā studiō bellandī ad vītam hūmāniōrem et ad litterās, artēs, scientiās revocāvit. Rōmānī Britanniam viīs optimīs et aedificiīs pulcherrimīs celeberrimīsque, templīs, basilicīs, forīs, vīllīs, lūdīs litterāriīs, ōrnāvērunt. In lūdīs litterāriīs fīliī prīncipum Britannicōrum linguae Latīnae operam dabant. Itaque Britannī īram iniūriāsque suās paulātim oblīviōnī dabant. Lībertātis suae dēfēnsōrēs fortissimī et ācerrimī fuerant. Sed tribūtum Rōmānum tolerābant, sī iniūriae aberant. Multae hodiē exstant in Britanniā reliquiae aedificiōrum illōrum Rōmānōrum. Callevae Atrebatum reliquiās pulcherrimās basilicae, forī, templī, amphitheātrī, balneārum, mūrōrum spectāvī; et in īnsulā Vectī exstant pavīmenta tessellāta vīllae Rōmānae, prīmō saeculō post Chrīstum nātum aedificātae. Sed iam ante tempora Agricolae nōnnūllae ex gentibus Britannicīs mediocriter hūmānae fuerant. Incolās Cantiī Caesar in librō quīntō Bellī Gallicī 'omnium Britannōrum hūmānissimōs' vocat."

[1] Find the Latin:

[i] very cruel / the cruellest

[ii] very useful / most useful

[iii] very brave

[iv] very keen

[v] the most inhumane

[vi] the most savage of all the wars

[vii] I have looked at the very beautiful remains

[2] Translate:

[i] Rōmānī Britanniam viīs optimīs et aedificiīs pulcherrimīs celeberrimīsque … ōrnāvērunt.

[ii] Incolās Cantiī Caesar in librō quīntō Bellī Gallicī 'omnium Britannōrum hūmānissimōs' vocat.

[3] Translate the following extract which have further examples of the comparative:

Quid ūtilius fuit tōtī orbī terrārum quam imperium Rōmānum? ? Et imperiō Rōmānō nūllum maius perīculum erat quam rebelliōnēs populōrum barbarōrum.

[4] Links: the superlative of the adjective and adverb was covered in detail in the following posts:

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/09/021224-level-2-degrees-of-comparison-14.html

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/09/021224-level-2-degrees-of-comparison-15.html

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/10/041224-level-2-degrees-of-comparison-16.html

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/10/051224-level-2-degrees-of-comparison-17.html

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/10/071224-level-2-degrees-of-comparison-18.html

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/10/081224-degrees-of-comparison-19.html

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/10/101224-level-2-degrees-of-comparison-20.html

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/10/111224-level-2-degrees-of-comparison-21.html

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/10/131224-level-2-degrees-of-comparison-22.html 

27.07.25: topic; the fruits of the earth [8]; Celsus (ii)

The causes and cures for flatulence (Celsus)

If you’re suffering from īnflātiō Celsus tells you what, and what not to eat …

Īnflant autem omnia ferē legūmina, omnia pinguia, omnia dulcia, omnia iūrulenta, mustum, atque etiam id vīnum, cui nihil adhūc aetātis accessit (1); ex holeribus alium, cēpā, brassicā, omnēsque rādīcēs, exceptō sisere et pastinācā; bulbī, fīcūs etiam āridae sed magis viridēs, ūvae recentēs, nucēs omnēs, exceptīs nucleīs pīneīs, lac, omnisque cāseus; quicquid deinde subcrūdum aliquis adsūmpsit.

Now flatulence is produced by: almost all food which is leguminous, fatty, sweet, everything stewed, new wine, and also that wine which has not as yet matured; among pot-herbs, garlic, onion, cabbage, and all roots except skirret and parsnip; bulbs, figs even when dried but especially when green, fresh grapes, all nuts except pine kernels, milk, cheese of all kinds; lastly anything eaten half-cooked.

Minima īnflātiō fit ex vēnātiōne, aucupiō, piscibus, pōmīs, oleīs, conchȳliīsve, ōvīs vel mollibus vel sorbilibus, vīnō vetere. Fēniculum vērō et anetum īnflātiōnēs etiam levant.

The least flatulence comes from what is got by hunting and birding, from fish, orchard fruit, olives, or shellfish, from eggs whether cooked soft or raw, from old wine. Fennel and anise in particular even relieve flatulence.

(1) etiam id vīnum, cui nihil adhūc aetātis accessit │ literally: also that wine to which no age (nothing of age) has yet come = wine that has not yet matured

aucupium, -ī [2/n]: hunting for wild fowl

vēnātiō, vēnātiō [3/f]: hunting

āridus, -a, -um: dry

dulcis, -e: sweet

iūrulentus, -a, -um: stewed; containing juice

pinguis, -e: (here) fatty; rich

subcrūdus / succrūdus, -a, -um: half-raw; par-boiled; not fully ripe

anēt(h)um, -ī [2/n] [i] anise, a plant cultivated for its aromatic seeds and used as a spice [ii] dill

vae vōbīs scrībae et Pharisaeī hypocritae quia decimātis mentam et anēthum et cymīnum et relīquistis quae graviōra sunt lēgis iūdicium et misericordiam et fidem (Vulgate) │ "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith.”

• menta, -ae [1/f]: mint
• cymīnum (cūminum), -ī [2/n]: cumin

bulbus, -ī [2/m]: bulb, especially edible

conchȳlium, -ī [2/n]: [i] (here) shellfish [ii] can refer specifically to an oyster

fēniculum / fēnuculum [2/n]: fennel

fīcus, -ūs [4 m/f] or -ī [2 m/f]: fig

legūmen, legūminis [3/n] legume e.g. peas, beans

mustum, -ī [2/n]: ‘must’; unfermented wine

nucleus, -ī [2/m]: kernel

nux, nucis [3/f]: nut (-tree)

ōvum sorbile: raw egg; sorbilis, -e (rare) refers to something that can be ‘supped’ or ‘sucked up’

rādīx, rādīcis [3/f]: [i] root (of a plant); [ii] radish

27.07.25: topic; the fruits of the earth [7]; Celsus (i)

In one of her outstanding documentaries on Ancient Rome, Professor Mary Beard visits sewers and (use your imagination) identifies the varied diet enjoyed by the Romans. There are, however, other ways of identifying what foodstuffs the Romans knew about.

Not only vegetables but an astonishing range of foods are discussed by Aulus Cornelius Celsus in his dē Medicīnā, “a primary source on diet, pharmacy, surgery and related fields, … one of the best sources concerning medical knowledge in the Roman world” (Wikipedia)

I'm posting two extracts (the second is in the next post). For both these extracts, I have only highlighted those words which were not in the previous posts and those which are very common and have appeared many times before.

[1]

Inbēcillissimam vērō māteriam esse omnem caulem holeris et quicquid in caule nāscitur, quālis est cucurbita et cucumis et capparis, omnia pōma, oleās, cochleās, itemque conchulae. (Celsus)

The weakest of food materials are: all vegetable stalks and whatever forms on a stalk, such as the gourd and cucumber and caper, all orchard fruits, olives, snails, and likewise shellfish.

capparis, -is [3/f]: caper

caulis, -is [3/m]: [i] stalk, stem [ii] cabbage-stalk; Engl. cauliflower is, via Fr. chou-fleur, derived from this

cochlea, -ae [1/f]: snail; image: mosaic of snails from Aquileia (4^th century AD)

conchula, -ae [1/f] (very rare), a small shell-fish, diminutive of concha, -ae [1/f]: mussel

olea, -ae [1/f]: olive (fruit or tree)

• also: olīva, -ae [1/f]; image: from the Tacuinum Sānitātis, a man climbing the tree to pick olives; note again the Mediaeval spelling: olīve nigre = olīvae nigrae = black olives

26.07.25: Level 1; Road to Latin [21]; Tullia et Claudia; notes

Tullia et Claudia

Tullia et fīliae, Cornēlia et Secunda, rūrī sunt. Claudia Rōmae est. Tullia Claudiam amat; itaque Tullia cum fīliābus Rōmam properat. Tullia in lectīcā sedet sed fīliae et servae, Rosa et Anna, ambulant. Ex vīllā in Viam Appiam Tullia et puellae properant. In Viā Appiā sunt nautae et agricolae. Nautae Rōmā ad ōram properant. Agricolae ā сasīs Rōmam properant. In viās Rōmae agricolae ūvās et olīvās portant. Tullia pulchrās ūvās videt et Annae pecūniam dat. Parvae puellae ūvās pulchrās, et corbulās plēnās rosārum rubrārum et albārum, ad Claudiam portant.

Claudia domī est et proximae Claudiae sunt ancillae. Ancillae Claudiae labōrant. Saepe Claudia ancillīs fābulās nārrat. Tullia et filiae Claudiam salūtant. Rosa et Anna ancillās Claudiae salūtant. Puellae Claudiae rosās et ūvās dant. Noctū Tullia cum filiābus et servīs Rōmā domum properat.

This text reviews all the endings and main uses of the first declension

Image: endings

[i] The word declension is also used for a group of nouns all of which are declined in approximately the same way. Nearly all the nouns studied so far belong to the first declension.

[ii] There are five declensions in Latin. To which declension belongs is indicated in dictionaries and vocabulary lists by including the genitive singular since that is different for all the five declensions:

puella (nominative), puellae (genitive singular), often abbreviated to puella, -ae; the declension and gender of the noun may be included:

puella, -ae [1/f]: girl

From now on, the nouns in the vocabulary lists will be given with their nominative and genitive forms.

[iii] The locative case, mentioned in the previous post, is generally not listed since it only applies to certain nouns. Where a noun does have a locative case, it is listed.

[iv] There is one more case known as the vocative case, used when addressing people directly. However, apart from one group of nouns in a different declension from the one we are covering here, the nominative and the vocative are always the same and so, again, it isn’t listed here.

Image #2: uses

Nominative

[i] the subject of the sentence, the person or thing performing the action:

• Tullia [nominative singular] in lectīcā sedet │ Tullia is sitting on a sedan
• servae … ambulant [nominative plural] │ the servants are walking

[ii] the predicative nominative, most often after the verb esse (to be):

• Fēmina est magistra [nominative singular] │ The lady is a teacher
• Puellae Americānae sunt discipulae [nominative plural] │ The American girls are pupils

Genitive

The ‘owner’ or ‘possessor’ of something; it often conveys the English preposition ‘of’:

• Ancillae Claudiae [genitive singular] labōrant │ Claudia’s maidservants [ = the maidservants of Claudia] are working
• corbulās plēnās ¦ rosārum [genitive plural] … portant │ they carry baskets full ¦ of roses

Dative

The indirect object, the person to whom or for whom something is, for example, given or said or done

• Tullia … Annae [dative singular] pecūniam dat │ Tullia gives money to Anna
• Claudia ancillīs [dative plural] fābulās nārrat│ Claudia tells stories to the maidservants

Accusative

[i] The direct object, the person or thing who ‘receives’ or is directly affected by the action:

• Tullia Claudiam [accusative singular] amat │ Tullia loves Claudia
• agricolae ūvās [accusative plural] et olīvās [accusative plural] portant │ The farmers are carrying grapes and olives

[ii] Used with some prepositions:

• Nautae … ad ōram [accusative singular] properant │ The sailors hurry to(wards) the shore
• In viās [accusative plural] … agricolae ūvās et olīvās portant │ The farmers carry grapes and olives into the streets

Ablative

The ablative case has many uses one of which is with a large number of prepositions:

• Tullia in lectīcā [ablative singular] sedet │ Tullia is sitting on a sedan
• Ex vīllā [ablative singular]… properant│ They hurry out of the villa
• Agricolae ā сasīs [ablative plural]… properant │ The farmers hurry (away) from the cottages
• Tullia cum servīs [ablative plural] … domum properat │ Tullia hurries home (together) with the slaves

26.07.25: Level 1; Road to Latin [20]; Tullia et Claudia; reading, vocabulary and exercise

[Summary of the First Declension]

Tullia et Claudia

Tullia et fīliae, Cornēlia et Secunda, rūrī sunt. Claudia Rōmae est. Tullia Claudiam amat; itaque Tullia cum fīliābus Rōmam properat. Tullia in lectīcā sedet sed fīliae et servae, Rosa et Anna, ambulant. Ex vīllā in Viam Appiam Tullia et puellae properant. In Viā Appiā sunt nautae et agricolae. Nautae Rōmā ad ōram properant. Agricolae ā сasīs Rōmam properant. In viās Rōmae agricolae ūvās et olīvās portant. Tullia pulchrās ūvās videt et Annae pecūniam dat. Parvae puellae ūvās pulchrās, et corbulās plēnās rosārum rubrārum et albārum, ad Claudiam portant.

Claudia domī est et proximae Claudiae sunt ancillae. Ancillae Claudiae labōrant. Saepe Claudia ancillīs fābulās nārrat. Tullia et filiae Claudiam salūtant. Rosa et Anna ancillās Claudiae salūtant. Puellae Claudiae rosās et ūvās dant. Noctū Tullia cum filiābus et servīs Rōmā domum properat.

lectīca: litter, sedan

sedet: he/she/it sits

Exercise [1]

1. Ubi sunt Tullia et fīliae?
2. Ubi est Claudia?
3. Quō Tullia properat?
4. Ubi sedet Tullia?
5. Quibuscum Tullia Rōmam properat?
6. Sedentne fīliae et servae?
7. Unde properant Tullia et fīliae?
8. Suntne naūtae et agricolae in Via Appiā?
9. Unde nautae properant?
10. Quō nautae properant?
11. Unde agricolae properant?
12. Quō agricolae properant?
13. Quid portant agricolae?
14. Cui Tullia pecūniam dat?
15. Quid portant parvae puellae?
16. Ubi est Claudia?
17. Cui sunt ancillae proximae?
18. Cuius servae libenter labōrant?
19. Quibus Claudiā fābulās saepe nārrat?
20. Cuius ancillās salūtant Rosā et Annā?
21. Quid puellae Claudiae dant?
22. Quō Tullia et fīliae noctū properant?

Exercise [2]

Look at the words in bold in exercise [1]; find the Latin:

1. where?
2. to where?
3. from where?
4. to whom? (referring to one person)
5. to whom? (referring to more than one person)
6. what?