23.11.25: Level 3; the Spartans

[i] Parī animō Lacedaemoniī Thermopylīs cecidērunt. Quid illōrum dux Leōnidās dīcit? "Pergite animō fortī, Lacedaemoniī: hodiē apud īnferōs coenābimus." Nōnne etiam Lacaena pariter fortis fuit? Haec enim, fīliī morte nūntiātā, "In hunc fīnem peperī fīlium," dīxit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Thermopylae

coenō, -āre [1] (Late Latin) = cēnō, -āre [1]: dine

īnferī, -ōrum [2/m/pl]: souls of the dead (in the Underworld)

Lacedaemōn, -is [3/f]: Lacedaemon; Sparta

Lacedaemonius, -a, -um: Spartan

Lacaena, -ae [1/f]: Spartan woman

Thermopylae, -ārum [1/f/pl]: Thermopylae; narrow mountain pass in Greece

[1] parī animō │ with equal / like courage; ablative of manner i.e. describing how the action was performed

pār, -is: equal; like

21.05.25: Level 3; summary of of the uses of the ablative case [6]: [i] the ablative of accompaniment; [ii] the ablative of manner

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/210525-level-3-summary-of-of-uses-of_37.html

A general note at this level: the various terms used to identify the functions of the ablative case are useful to know but, in translation, they are often rendered with a limited number of prepositions which is why, in grammar books, you will frequently see “by, with, from” listed.

The examples below show that, while they have different grammatical terms to describe their usage, they all translate as “with”:

cum omnibus copiīs ad locum vēnērunt │ They came to the place with all the troops (ablative of accompaniment)

Summā celeritāte vēnit│ He came with the utmost speed (ablative of manner)

magnā cum cūrā │ with great care (ablative of manner)

fēmina oculīs caeruleīs │ a lady with blue eyes (ablative of description)

Milēs rēgem gladiō interfēcit │ The soldier killed the king with / by means of a sword (ablative of means / instrument)

[2] Note the differences between [i] the verb in the text and [ii] two other verbs which look similar

(i) pariō, -ere, peperī, partus [3-iō]: bear; give birth to

(ii)

parō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]: prepare

pāreō, -ēre, -uī, parītum (supine) [2]: [i] appear; [ii] (with dative) obey

____________________

With equal courage the Lacedaemonians fell at Thermopylae. What does their leader, Leonidas, say? “Carry on with bold resolve: today we shall dine with the souls of the dead.” Surely the Lacedaemonian woman was also brave? For she, when the death of her son was announced, said “I bore (my) son for this end.”

Léonidas aux Thermopyles by Jacques-Louis David (1814); Musée du Louvre

22.11.25: Level 2; Vincent (Latin Reader); XXXVI; a Roman Victory [ii]

While the Romans occupied Britain for 400 years, the legacy in terms of place-names is not from Latin itself but from Anglo-Saxon descriptors of the geographical locations of places near Roman settlements or camps. British place-names have Celtic, Saxon and Viking roots.

The English suffix -chester (and variant forms) is derived from Old English (OE) ceaster (fortress; fortified/ walled town), a loan-word from Latin: castra, castrōrum [2/n/pl] camp e.g. Chester, Dorchester, Manchester.

Locations in England with -ceaster did not have the suffix as part of an original Roman name.  Some origins can be unclear and / or disputed, and are sometimes derived from Latinisation of Celtic terms pre-dating Roman occupation.

[1]

Chester: founded as a Roman fort was originally called Deva Victrix, a settlement then developing around it.

Mamucium (or Mancunium): the name of the Roman fort in an area of what is now known as Manchester, citizens of which are still called Mancunians. However, the Latin name has its origins in Celtic.

Image #1: Mameceſtre [ſ = s] (Manchester) listed in the Domesday Book, a manuscript survey of England and Wales written in Latin and completed in 1086 on the orders of William the Conqueror

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domesday_Book

Colchester: known by the Romans as Camulodunum, it was first referred to as Colenceaster and Colneceastre in the 10th century; one view is that the name is a combination of colōnia and castra, the former word referring to a Roman colonial settlement, which is possible given that it was the original capital of Roman Britain, and the city of Cologne (Köln) in Germany is similarly derived from colōnia.

Image #2: (Domesday) Coleceſtra

[2] Variations of the OE ceaster exist in place-names such as:

Ancaster (Lincolnshire)

Doncaster (Yorkshire); (Domesday) Donecastre

Cirencester (Gloucestershire) < OE: Ċirenċeaster; (Domesday) Cirecestre

Worcester < OE: Weogornaċeaster; (Domesday) Wirecestre

Caistor (Lincolnshire); Castor (Cambridgeshire)

[3] In the present location of Leicester was the Roman settlement of Ratae Corieltauvorum, renamed in the Anglo-Saxon period as Ligera ceaster or Legoraceaster i.e. a walled settlement relating either to the name of the river or to a Celtic tribal name.

Image #3: (Domesday) Civitas de Ledecestre

[4]

Exeter: Roman Isca Dumnoniorum < Isca (Celtic): water (the river is still known as the Exe) + Dumnoniorum (of the Dumnonii tribe); the Anglo-Saxons adapted the name to Escanceaster > Exeter

Wroxeter: Roman Viroconium Cornoviorum < Viroconium (the name of a Celtic leader or tribe) + Cornoviorum (of the Cornovii tribe);

Image #4: (Domesday) Rochecestre

[5] An interesting example is Chesterton, a combination of OE ceaster and ton < OE: tūn (town) i.e. a settlement near a Roman camp.

The word tūn itself could refer to any enclosed piece of ground hence Modern Dutch: tuin (garden) or Modern German: Zaun (fence). Similarly: Casterton (Cumbria) and both Little Casterton and Great Casterton (Lincolnshire).

Image #5: (Domesday) Cestretone

[6] Gloucestershire shows the layers of linguistic influence in the British Isles: Roman: Glēvum (or colōnia Glēvum) + OE: ceaster (La: castra) > OE: Glowecestre

+ OE scīr  (administrative region), that word itself possibly related to La: cūra which can mean ‘administration’ or ‘management’ > Gloucestershire

Image #6: (Domesday) Glowecestre

Image #7: (Domesday Book) HIC ANNOTANTUR TENENTES TERRAS IN DEVENESCIRE │ Here are noted those holding lands in Devonshire

Image #8: note the use of CEASTRA in the Bayeux Tapestry

This is a good site: https://opendomesday.org/

Names of people and places can be easily searched with links to clear manuscripts and detailed extracts.

22.11.25: Level 2; Vincent (Latin Reader); XXXVI; a Roman Victory [i]

Inde Caesar exercitum exposuit atque locum castrīs idōneum dēlēgit. Caesar, dum decem cohortēs et trecentī equitēs in castrīs manent, tertiā vigiliā cum legiōnibus suīs contrā hostēs contendit. Equitēs Britannōrum atque esseda ex locō altiōre contrā Rōmānōs pugnābant. Sed equitēs Rōmānī hostēs fugāvērunt; Britannī, quī in silvīs sē occultābant, rārī contrā Rōmānōs pugnābant. Mīlitēs legiōnis septimae, quī testūdinem fēcērunt, hostēs ex silvīs expulērunt. Caesar, quod nātūram locī ignōrābat atque castra mūnīre volēbat, hostibus nōn īnstābat.

[A] Comprehension

[i] In sentence 1, what are the first two things which Caesar did? (3)

[ii] What military forces remained in the camp? (2)

[iii] What is the period of time indicated by tertiā vigiliā? (1)

[A] Noon – 3PM; [B] 12AM – 3AM; [C] 9PM – Midnight

[iv] From where did the Britons start fighting? (1)

[v] Where did the Britons hide? (1)

[vi] Mīlitēs legiōnis septimae, quī testūdinem fēcērunt

What is the meaning – in context – of the word in bold? (1)

[vii] Why did Caesar not pursue the enemy? (2)

[B] Grammar review

[1] hostibus nōn īnstābat

[a] What case is the noun in bold and [b] why is that case being used? (2)

[2] locum castrīs idōneum dēlēgit

[a] What case is the noun in bold and [b] why is that case being used? (2)

[3] testūdinem fēcērunt

What is the nominative singular of the noun in bold? (1)

[4] Britannī … rārī contrā Rōmānōs pugnābant.

[a] What type of word is in bold and [b] how would it best be translated into English? (2)

[5] Caesar … tertiā vigiliā cum legiōnibus suīs contrā hostēs contendit.

Why is suīs used in this sentence? (1)

[6] Caesar … castra mūnīre volēbat [a] What form of the verb is mūnīre and [b] why is it being used here? (2)

[7] Give the first person singular present tense of:

[a] exposuit; [b] dēlēgit; [c] expulērunt (3)

[8] Britannī, quī in silvīs sē occultābant

[a] What type of word is in bold and [b] what type of clause is in italics? (2)

[9] Translate: Caesar, quod nātūram locī ignōrābat, … (2)

____________________

[A] Comprehension

[i] landed the army (1); selected a position (1); suitable for a camp (1)

[ii] ten cohorts (1); three hundred cavalry (1)

[iii] [B] 12AM – 3AM; approximate divisions of the night in Ancient Rome:

Prīma vigilia│First watch: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Secunda vigilia │ Second watch: 9:00 PM to 12:00 AM

Tertia vigilia │ Third watch: 12:00 AM to 3:00 AM

Quārta vigilia │ Fourth watch: 3:00 AM to 6:00 AM (until dawn)

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/220324-ordinal-numbers-2-telling-time.html

[iv] from a higher position

[v] forests

[vi] a form of shelter used in sieges, or a close formation of shields above soldiers’ heads

https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0062:entry=testudo-harpers

[vii] did not know the nature of the place (1); wanted to fortify the camp (1)

[B] Grammar review

[1] [a] dative [b] with compound verb i.e. īnstō, -āre

[2] [a] dative [b] with idōneus, -a, -um: suitable for a camp

[3] testūdō, testūdinis [3/f] (literally): tortoise / turtle (-shell)

[4] [a] adjective [b] rarely i.e. as an adverb although Latin frequently uses an adjective to describe the person performing the action as opposed to describing the action itself

[5] suus, -a, -um: his own (as opposed to eius which would refer to somebody else)

[6] [a] infinitive [b] after the verb volēbat i.e. he wanted to fortify the camp

[7] [a] expōnō; [b] dēligō; [c] expellō

[8] relative pronoun; [b] relative / adjectival clause

[9] Caesar, because (1) he did not know (1) the nature of the place, …

21.11.25: Level 1; Carolus et Maria [16][vi] Grammar Notes (2) Perfect Passive

Herī Carolus ad tēctum Cassī invītātus est. │ Yesterday Carolus was invited to Cassius’ house

omnēs rēs sunt parātae │ all the things have been prepared

[1] ‘invītātus’ and ‘paratae’ are examples of a perfect passive participle with the literal meaning of ‘having been invited’ and ‘having been prepared’

[2] This is the equivalent of Engllish “The letter was written yesterday”, “The car has been sold”, but it is not the equivalent of “*I have written* a letter” or “*He has sold* his car”. In Latin ‘invītātus’ is only passive; it can only mean ‘invited’ in the sense having been invited e.g. I was invited to my friend’s wedding.

[3] perfect passive participles are like adjectives in that they agree with the subject in gender, number and case.

Carolus ad tēctum Cassī invītātus est. │ Carolus was invited to Cassius’ house.

Maria ad tēctum Cassī invītāta est. │ Maria was invited to Cassius’ house.

Omnēs puerī invītātī sunt. │All the boys were invited.

Omnēs puellae invītātae sunt. │ All the girls were invited.

[4] perfect passive participles end in -tus or -sus

invitō, invītāre (invite) > invītātus, -a, -um: (Having been) invited

parō, parāre (prepare) > parātus, -a, -um: (having been) prepared

videō, vidēre (see) > vīsus, -a, um: (having been) seen

[5] These perfect passive participles are very often used with the verb esse to say that something was / has been done, but note the difference:

Carolus ad tēctum Cassī invītātus est. │ Carolus was / has been invited to Cassius’ house.

omnēs rēs sunt parātae │ all the things were / have been prepared

i.e. Latin uses the present tense of esse + the perfect passive participle to convey ‘was / has been (done)’

[6] Depending on context, it can sometimes be translated as in English, but it is best to keep as close as possible to the Latin original:

omnēs rēs sunt parātae │ all the things have been prepared [ = all the things are ready]

Perfect passive participles are an important topic and so focus on the basic principles that have been referred to here, and the key information was discussed at the following links:

28.08.24: follow-up on previous post 'how cats shows their emotions' [3]; level 2; perfect passive participles - a brief introduction

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/07/280824-follow-up-on-previous-post-how_79.html

01.09.24: Follow-up; Level 2; Perseus cartoon [2]; perfect passive

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/07/010924-follow-up-level-2-perseus_25.html

13.01.25: Level 2; the passive voice [20]: the perfect passive [1]; three-in-one: the perfect, pluperfect and future perfect passive; the fourth principal part / the perfect passive participle

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/10/130125-level-2-passive-voice-20-perfect.html

21.11.25: Level 1; Carolus et Maria [16][v] Grammar Notes (1): 4th declension nouns

There are four new nouns introduced in this text, all of which end in -us, but they belong to different declensions.

arcus: bow

carrus: wagon; cart

locus: place

manus: hand

Until now you have seen that nouns ending in -us are 2nd declension, and almost all of them are masculine. However, as mentioned in earlier posts, there are other nouns ending in -us that are not 2nd declension. How can you tell the difference? The answer is – if you only look at the nouns in the way they are listed above – you can’t, which is why it is important to note the nominative and genitive singular of a Latin noun, because the genitive singular is different for each declension i.e. it is the genitive singular that will tell you the declension.

[i] carrus and locus are second declension and are listed as follows:

carrus, -ī (gen. sg. in -ī) [2/m]

locus, -ī (gen. sg. -ī) [2/m]

[ii] arcus and manus are fourth declension and are listed as follows:

arcus, -ūs (gen. sg. in -ūs) [4/m] i.e. the only distinction between the nominative and genitive singular is the vowel length (nom. sg -us; gen. sg. -ūs)

Almost all 4^th declension nouns in -us are masculine, but there are exceptions:

manus, -ūs (gen. sg. in -ūs) [4/f]

Some 4^th declension nouns are neuter and end in a distinctive -ū in the nominative, for example:

cornū, -ūs (gen. sg. in -ūs) [4/n]: horn

LINK to all previous posts on the 4^th declension:

https://mega.nz/file/DA9mFBBY#Yj4KLIjYqE17OtRVQkSaJZqDv6jNyOnfZjGSaIPUsc0

20.11.25: Level 3; indefinites [5] ali- [ii] aliquis; declension and examples

Images #1 - #2: aliquis, aliqua, aliquid (aliquod); declension (singular and plural)

Image #3: All the examples show the word operating either as a pronoun standing alone or as an adjective describing a noun; note, in particular, the difference between -quid and -quod because that difference applies to all the indefinites:

[1] pronoun

Dēnique aliquid exstābit (Cicero) │ In the end something will appear

nam iam domum ībō atque aliquid surripiam patrī (Plautus) │ For I'll go home now, and steal something from my father

[2] adjective

Nūllus es, Geta, nisi iam aliquod tibi cōnsilium celere reperīs (Terence) │  You’re a dead man, Geta, unless you come up quickly with some plan

cum … aliquod bellum incidit (Caesar) │ when some war begins

[3] Image #4: aliquid can be followed by a noun or adjective in the genitive case

aliquid nummōrum: some / a few coins

In grammar this is known as a partitive genitive, the equivalent of English: a lot of money;  something of interest

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/020324-partitive-genitive.html

English uses this with nouns, but Latin can also use it with adjectives:

ego illī aliquid ¦ bonī [genitive] dīcam (Plautus) │ I may say something ¦ nice to him

The French language still reflects this original genitive use:

Fr: quelque chose d’intéressant │ something interesting [literally: something of interesting]

Examples: singular

Tacē modo: deus respiciet nōs aliquis (Plautus)│ Oh, do shut up: some god will look out for us

aliquī ex nostrīs (Caesar) │ someone from our men

aliqua mala crux semper est, quae aliquid petat (Plautus) │ there’s always some evil tormentor who’s after something

Nōlō, inquam, aurum concrēdī mihi, vel dā aliquem quī servet mē (Plautus) │ I don't want money put in my charge, I say. At least, appoint someone who’ll watch me.

nam pater exspectat aut mē aut aliquem nūntium (Plautus) │ for my father is expecting either me or some messenger

iam ego illūc praecurram atque īnscendam aliquam in arborem (Plautus) │ Now I'll run on ahead and climb some tree

istī puerō …  dā ponderōsam aliquam epistulam … (Cicero)│ give this man of mine … some bulky letter…

Quō maior est suspīciō malitiae alicuius … (Cicero)│ Even greater is my suspicion of some trickery or other …

Graecī … pōculum alicui trāditūrī … │ the Greeks … (when) about to hand over the cup to anyone …

Antequam aliquō locō cōnsēderō … (Cicero) │Before I have settled down somewhere [ = at some place] …

nūlla enim abs tē … epistula inānis aliquā rē ūtilī … vēnerat (Cicero) │ for no letter has come from you devoid of any useful matter

… aliquid malī esse propter vīcīnum malum (Plautus) │ … that there’s something bad (some evil) close to a bad neighbour [ = a bad neighbour brings bad luck]

Examples: plural

an aliqua firmiōra aut graviōra quaerenda sunt? (Cicero) │ or are some more reliable or more important things to be sought?

Cōgitō interdum trāns Tiberim hortōs aliquōs parāre (Cicero) │ I think at times of buying some gardens across the Tiber

ut mihi aedīs [acc. pl] aliquās [acc. pl] condūcat volō (Cicero)│ I want him to hire some house for me; in the singular aedis, -is [3/f] means ‘temple’, but, in the plural, means ‘house’

aut aliquōrum iūdicium dē similī causā … prōferēmus (Cicero)│ or we shall set forth the judgement of any others concerning a similar case

Singular and plural in the same sentence

sī ab nārrātiōne dīcere incipiāmus aut ab aliquā firmissimā argūmentātiōne aut litterārum aliquārum recitātiōne (Cicero) │ if we should begin to speak from the Statement of Facts, or from some very strong argument, or the reading of some documents

Medical advice from Celsus:

ōre ūmor calidus cum medicāmentīs aliquibus continētur, saepiusque mūtātur │ and hot water containing certain medicaments is held in the mouth and frequently changed

20.11.25: Level 3; indefinites [4] ali- [i]

The prefix ali- creates indefinite pronouns, adjectives or adverbs from interrogatives:

[i] quis │ who > aliquis (or aliquī), aliqua, aliquid (aliquod): someone / anyone; something / anything

• aliquā  (adverb): somehow; in some manner
• aliquō (adverb): to somewhere

[ii] quandō│when > aliquandō: sometime(s); at sometime; now and then

[iii] quot│ how much / many > aliquot: a few; some; several

[iv] quotiē(n)s │ how many times > aliquotiē(n)s: several times

[v] quantus, -a, -um │ how much / many / great

• aliquantus, -a, -um: somewhat; considerable (amount)
• aliquantum (adverb): to some extent
• aliquantō (adverb): somewhat; a little; with the comparative: aliquantō longior │ a little longer

[vi] ubi│ where > alicubi: somewhere

[vii] unde│ from where > alicunde: from somewhere; from any place

[viii] quālis, -e│ what kind > (Mediaeval) aliquālis, -e: of some / any kind > (Mediaeval) aliquāliter: in some / any way; to some extent

ali- is possibly a truncated form of alius (other):

ibi: there > alibī (alius + ibi): somewhere else (the word you need, of course, if charged with murder; you need to have been somewhere else i.e. you need an alibi)

20.11.25: Level 3; indefinites [3] markers; recognition and meaning

The aim of this post is to introduce the “markers” which indicate that they are indefinite. What matters is being able to recognise these in order to identify them and to give an appropriate translation

“The use of the indefinites is very various, and must be learned from the Lexicon and from practice. The choice among them may depend merely on the point of view of the speaker, so that they are often practically interchangeable.” (Allen and Greenough)

While that comment is true, and translations of them often differ or there are ‘overlaps’ in terms of usage, it is better, at the early stage at least, to keep very specific translations in mind. Therefore, I have dealt with each of them separately.

aliquis: someone (also: quispiam, and quis alone)

quīdam: a certain

quīcumque: whoever

quisque: each (one)

quisquam: anyone

quīvīs / quīlibet: whoever / whatever you please; any one; any thing whatever

20.11.25: Level 3; Socrates

In eundem carcerem paucīs post annīs Sōcratēs iit, eōdem scelere iūdicum. Quī est igitur eius sermō apud iūdicēs? "Lubenter," inquit, "mortī obviam ībō. Alterum enim dē duōbus fīet: aut sēnsūs omnīnō omnēs mors auferet, aut in alium quendam ex hīs locīs abībimus. Itaque aut somnō fruēmur, aut cum optimō quoque cīve loquī poterimus et versārī."

[1]

in eundem carcerem │ into the same prison

eōdem scelere │ through the same wickedness

When reading don’t confuse two endings: [i] -dem and [ii] -dam

We will deal with -dam in the Level 3 language topic of indefinites. Therefore, simply bear in mind that -dem indicates ‘the same’; this was discussed here:

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/150525-level-3-beasts-in-egypt-and.html

[2] mortī obviam ībō │ I shall go to meet / face death

obviam (adv.): in the way; against; at hand; within reach

sī nihil obviam est (Plautus) │ if there’s nothing within reach

It is often used with verbs of movement to indicate, for example, going to meet / “face” somebody or something, and the person / thing being faced is in the dative case. All the quotations, apart from one, are from Plautus.

mortī [dative] obviam ībō │ I shall go to meet / face death

[i] ībō ego illī [dative] obviam [ii] ībō huic [dative] obviam │ I'll go meet him

obviam grātulantēs Antōniō exiērunt (Caesar)│ they went out [literally congratulating] to meet Antony = they went out to meet Antony to give their congratulations

sed ego cessō īre obviam adulēscentī │ But why am I delaying going to meet the young man?

Sī istāc ībis, commodum obviam veniēs patrī │ If you go that way, you'll conveniently run into your father [ = literally: you will come into the path of (your) father]

Num nōn vīs mē obviam hīs īre? │ Won't you let me go to find them?

sī rēx obstābit obviam, rēgem ipsum prius pervortitō │ if the king stands in your way, first overthrow the king himself

____________________

A few years after Socrates went to the same prison through the same (kind of) wickedness of his judges. What then is his speech before the judges? ‘Willingly,’ he said, ‘shall I go to meet death; for one thing of two will happen: either death will altogether remove all feelings, or we shall go to some other (place) from these (places). So we shall either enjoy sleep, or shall be able to converse and live with all the best citizens.’

19.11.25: Latin (intermediate) multi-choice questions [4]

Which ([A], [B] or [C]) is the correct Latin translation?

[1] by chance: [A] fortis [B] forte [C] fortius

[2] habit; custom:  [A] mōs [B] mox [C] mors

[3] everyone: [A] omnīnō  [B] ōminis [C] omnēs

[4] at home: [A] domum [B] domō [C] domī

[5] near; because of [A] propter [B] praeter [C] praetor

[6] inside: [A] inter [B] intrā [C] intrō

[7] 500: [A] quīnquāgintā  [B] quīngentī [C] quīndecim

[8] cavalryman: [A] eques [B] equus [C] aequus

[9] walls: [A] murus [B] mūrēs [C] murī

[10] better: [A] mīles [B] melius [C] mellis

____________________

Answers

[1] by chance: [B] forte

[2] habit; custom:  [A] mōs

[3] everyone: [C] omnēs

[4] at home: [C] domī

[5] near; because of [A] propter

[6] inside: [B] intrā

[7] 500: [B] quīngentī

[8] cavalryman: [A] eques

[9] walls: [C] murī

[10] better: [B] melius

18.11.25: Level 1; Carolus et Maria [16][iv] Listening [ii]

Section #4: fill in the blanks with the missing endings listed below.

[i] Post ūn_____ hōr_____ prope puer_____ est aedifici_____. “Habitat_____ aliquis ibi?” inquit Carolus ubi ad aedifici_____  ven_____.

-ōs; -it; -ne; -am; -am; -um; -um

[ii] “Numquam ibi vir_____  et fēmin_____  vīdī,” respond_____  Cassius. Ubi in tēctum puerī ven_____, omnia spect_____.

-ōs; -iunt; -et; -ās; -ant

[iii] Hīc est mēnsa. In ill_____  loc_____  est pictūra mīlit_____  quī in capit_____  gale_____  habet. Scūt_____  et iacul_____  et gladi_____  habet.

-am; -e; -is; -um; -um; -um; -ō; -ō

[iv] Hīc aliquis habitā_____. Diū puer_____  in aedifici_____  man_____. Hīc cēn_____  ed_____.

-am; -ent; -ī; -ō; -unt; -vit

[v] Post cēn_____ ex aedifici_____ curr_____et in man_____ arc_____ et sagitt_____ port_____.

-am; -ant; -ās; -ibus; -ō; -unt; -ūs

[vi] Animālia vid_____ sed nūllum cap_____. Mox est vesper et puer_____ dēfessī dom_____ eu_____. Equ_____ nunc dom_____ et ad stabul_____, in qu_____ frūment_____ est, laetē curr_____.

-ent; -ī; -it; -iunt; -nt; -ō; -um; -um; -um; -um; -us

Section #5: fill in the blanks with the missing endings, but, this time, the endings are not listed.

“Ubi,” inquit māter, “sunt animāl_____?” Puer_____ nunc in tēctum ven_____ et omnia nārr_____.

“Multa vīd_____ sed nūllum cēpimus,” respond_____ puerī. “Multās hōr_____ in aedifici_____ manē_____. Mox erat vesper et dēfessī er_____.”

Mox Carolus dom_____ it. In man_____ sagittās sed nūllum animal port_____. Ubi Carolus ad tēctum Cassī invītāt_____, laetus est.          

18.11.25: Level 1; Carolus et Maria [16][iii] Listening [i]

Fill in the blanks with the missing words listed below each section. However, in the last section, the words are not listed.

Carolus et Maria XVI

Section #1 [i]

_____ _____ faciunt Carolus et Cassius? _____ Carolus ad tēctum Cassī _____ est. _____ per agrum ambulābat. _____ equum habēbat. _____, dōnum _____, et quattuor _____ portābat _____ _____cum Cassiō per silvam _____ et multa animālia _____ cupiēbat.

arcum; capere; herī; hodiē; invītātus; īre; māne; nūllum; patris; quid; quod; sagittās; vesperī

Section #1 [ii]

Māne puerī sunt  _____. Māne omnēs  _____ sunt  _____. Cassius equum nigrum et  _____ habet. In  _____  _____ rēs portantur. _____, frūmentum, _____, cēna  _____ sunt in carrō. Iacula nōn portant, quod  _____ sagittāriī, nōn mīlitēs, sunt.

arcūs; carrō; carrum; laetī; multae; nunc; parātae; puerōrum; rēs; sagittae

Section #2

“_____,” inquit māter. “_____,” inquiunt puerī _____ nunc in _____ sunt. Equus niger, _____ nōmen est “Pulcher,” validus est. _____ agrōs in viīs _____ properat. Ā _____ et _____ sinistrā _____ rēs _____ sunt grātae. _____ equus _____ viā currit. “Pulcher _____videt et timet,” inquit Cassius. “_____ est?”

ā; aliquid; carrō; cuius; dextrā; ē; lātīs; omnēs; per; puerīs; quī; quid; subitō; valē; valēte

Section #3: fill in the missing words listed below; they are not listed.

_____ trāns viam _____ parvum animal currit. Carrum et equum videt et timet et per agrum properat. _____ secundum et tertium animal _____ viam _____ equum currunt. _____ equus in viā nōn fortiter currit _____ tria animālia timet. In _____ viā stat et currere nōn cupit. Puerī _____ timent et “Properā, Pulcher,” inquiunt. “_____est perīculum. Es _____.” _____ animālia nōn videntur, Pulcher _____ currit. 

17.11.25: Level 3; indefinites [2] formation; markers

Indefinites are used:

[i] as pronouns to refer people or things without saying exactly who or what they are, for example somebody, anything: “Somebody told me that”;“Do you have anything to say?”

[ii] as adjectives e.g. “Some man told me this”; “There has to be some reason for that”

[iii] as adverbs indicating, for example, indefinite time or place e.g. “Come and see me sometime, wherever I am”

We will first focus on [i] and [ii] because those indefinite forms decline, and there can be some slight differences in formation, whereas indefinite adverbs, like any other adverbs, are single indeclinable words.

The indefinite pronouns and adjectives are formed with either one prefix: ali-

Or with several suffixes:  -piam, -dam, -quam, -cumque, -que, -vīs, -libet

Each of these will be discussed separately but (1) the prefix and suffixes themselves are indeclinable and (2) they are all formed by combinations with the same group of words, namely:

quis (quī), quae, quod (quid): who, which, what

When these words stand alone, they can variously act as:

[1] interrogative pronouns e.g. Quis vocat? │ Who is calling?

[2] interrogative adjectives e.g. Quī homō vocat │ Which man is calling?

[3] relative pronouns e.g. Puer quī in hortō sedet cantat │ The boy who is sitting in the garden is singing.

[4] Images #1 and #2: You will mainly come across indefinites in the singular and we can compile a table that shows the forms to which the ali- prefix and the different suffixes are attached without pondering exactly what those forms are. The forms in brackets never stand alone, but are used in combinations with ali- and / or the suffixes

Below are examples; don’t focus on the prefix and the suffixes yet, but simply note how they are all being formed from the same set of words:

ali¦quis; ali¦qua; ali¦quid

quae¦piam

quemquam; quicquam

quendam

quīcumque; cuiuscumque

cuivīs

quodque

quōlibet

[5] Image #3: Some indefinites have plural forms although some are very rare, but, for reference, here are the plurals of the words from which the indefinites are formed. Again, the forms in brackets only occur in combinations.

quīdam; quaedam; quōrundam; quōrumcumque; quibusque

This is a feature of Latin where you need to tread carefully in order not to be distracted. A grammar book or other reference will list tables for the sake of completeness i.e. the form of a word exists but, sometimes, that word is only attested once in the literature or is simply theoretical i.e. logic would dictate that a form exists even if there is no original evidence to show it. Therefore, don’t become embroiled in detail.

It isn’t a question of ‘learning’ all of these indefinites as if they were separate declensions, but rather focussing on the indeclinable prefix and suffixes which are attached to them. And we begin that in the next post.

17.11.25: Level 3; indefinites [1] ‘fishy’ Latin; introduction: the big picture

Image #1: “Deep Sea World” describes piranhas as the world’s most misunderstood fish. Below is an image of some Latin piranhas that are often misunderstood – but we’ll catch them slowly.

This topic deals with what we can broadly call indefinites, the equivalent of, for example:

Somebody told me that.

I don’t know anybody who can help me.

Whoever said that doesn’t know anything about it,

I’ll come and see you sometime, wherever you are.

I begin with what I shouldn’t begin with – an anecdote, but one which, I feel, really hammers home a crucial feature of dealing with Latin.

I once had to sit through a dull as ditchwater speech from a so-called expert on public speaking who stressed that he did not like information presented to him stage by stage: he wanted the “big picture”.

Image #2: Alright, if that’s what you want, here’s my “big picture” … and, rest assured, it could be far bigger -but my word cloud creator would probably explode! The image shows forty words, sort of lined up in battle formation against the Carthaginians.

Image #3: from Bennett’s “A New Latin Grammar”

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/15665/pg15665-images.html#sect91

Bennett’s Grammar is thorough, but a grammar book does what it says on the tin: it presents the language (in tabular form or in lists), provides some (usually) limited information and even more limited examples and practice. Moreover, every word has to be in a “pigeon hole”: it’s an adjective or a pronoun or a substantive or an adverb or a “determiner”.

Image #4: the image says it all … in fact, it says way too much

You will come across information of biblical proportions, complex linguistic terms, together with “Cicero uses this but Plautus doesn’t” and “sometimes” it’s this, but it’s usually something else … and on and on and on.

It's very easy to become disheartened, to see these monolithic blocks of information and to be tempted to take up golf instead. There is a difference – a big difference – between people writing (sometimes rather pretentiously) about what they personally know, as opposed to explaining something to a learner.

This was how I approached it all.

[1] Some aspects of a language are more “important” than others; a car can run without an air-con, but it won’t run without an engine! If you don’t know the case endings of, for example, nouns and adjectives and you cannot recognise verb tenses then, even with some simple “schoolbook” sentences, it will be a struggle to know who’s doing what and when!

[2] The words covered in this topic, while not “unimportant”, require less attention. It really depends on how deeply you want to explore. Given that members of the group are at different levels of Latin, and some want to explore a topic more thoroughly than others, the posts here are organised in the following way.

[i] Take a look at image #5: each of the words have “markers” i.e. seven indeclinable suffixes, one is a prefix (ali-) and a few repeat (e.g. quōquō, quicquid):

ali-; -dam; -piam; -vīs; -que; -cumque; -libet; -quam; quicquid; quōquō

These convey certain meanings. At the most basic level, being able to recognise those markers is enough. By way of example, all the words that begin with ali- create an indefinite idea of ‘some’:

quis: who > aliquis: somebody

quid: what > aliquid: something

All of them prefixed with ali- convey that idea and so it isn’t really a question of learning endless new words, but being familiar with the meaning of that particular prefix. English translations do not always convey the, at times, subtle differences between them, but – broadly – you can hold on to one specific meaning for each one.

[ii] Tables are given for reference; a table will give you all forms, but some of those forms are very rare. Reading the language regularly is crucial because you will gradually “pick up” the more frequent ones. What you will notice is that they all follow a pattern i.e. they have all been constructed in the same way.

[iii] Examples are given from the authors to show them in context.

[iv] Exercises allow you, if you want, to be more precise, to identify case endings and to use the table.

[v] Some of these words can function both as pronouns e.g. “Somebody told me that” and adjectives e.g. “Some soldier told me that”; I am not going to spend too much time on the differences (I never did) since they are very slight and always comprehensible in context. In these posts I am going to use a very general heading of “indefinites” rather than being overly analytical. The examples will make it clear what “job” they are doing in a sentence.