Friday, March 27, 2026

08.09.26: Level 2 (review); Carolus et Maria [33] (4) subordinate clauses [1]

Paucīs ante diēbus Iūlia epistulam accēpit. Amīca Iūliae quae in urbe habitat eam vidēre maximē vult. Itaque māter Carolī et Mariae ad tēctum amīcae invītātur. Laeta est quod diū amīcam nōn vīdit. Quamquam via est longa et paucōs diēs aberit, iter facere cōnstituit.

Tandem omnia sunt parāta et Iūlia ā casā discēdit et ad urbem prōcēdit. Nunc nēmō est in casā. Omnēs absunt. Pater in nāvigiō est. Per noctēs Carolus cum Cassiō, Maria cum Helenā manet. Itaque nocte nēmō domī est. “Eruntne omnia tūta?” rogat Maria. “Ita,” respondet māter, quod Claudius saepe hūc ex oppidō veniet et casam dēfendet. Nōn est necesse timēre. Deinde iānuam casae claudit.

In urbe amīca Iūliam salūtat. Laetae sunt hae amīcae ubi dē temporibus quibus erant puellae colloquium habent. Amīca urbem suam laudat et multa loca Iūliae mōnstrāre vult. In ūnō aedificiō sunt tēla et rēs antīquae bellī. Iūlia haec laudat et dē fīliō suō putat. Tēla quibus lēgātī et centuriōnēs, quī centum mīlitēs dūcēbant, sē et cīvitātem dēfendērunt, Iūlia laudat. Corōnam, quam dux fortis excēpit, videt. Diū inter rēs antīquās Iūlia et amīca manent. Deinde iterum per viās urbis īre volunt. Iūlia dōna ad fīlium fīliamque ferre vult. Dōna erunt grāta. Quod Carolus et comitēs eius bellum saepe in hortō gerunt, Iūlia hastās et quaedam alia tēla fert. Hīs tēlīs enim puerī sē ab hostibus dēfendent. Hastae sunt longae et gravēs, sed mīlitem bene dēfendunt. Difficile est hās iacere. Difficile est hās excipere et iterum ad hostēs mittere. Dē hīs omnibus Iūlia putat et laeta est.

Tandem “Valēte” Iūlia et amīca eius dīcunt, et Iūlia domum prōcēdit. Magnā cum laetitiā puer puellaque mātrem in oppidō accipiunt. Ubi omnēs casae appropinquant, Maria, “Aliquis ante iānuam nostram stat!” inquit. Omnēs ad casam currunt.

“Claudius sum,” inquit vir; “casam tuam, Iūlia, dēfendō. Herī nocte in viā ambulābam. Subitō lūcem in casā vīdī et aliquem ibi esse scīvī. Quod latrōnēs timēbam, fīnitimōs celeriter vocāvī. Ego et paucī fīnitimī latrōnēs ē casā expulimus. Quīdam ē latrōnibus vulnerātī sed nōn interfectī sunt. Posteā paucī captī sunt. Per reliquam noctem hīc mānsimus, quod iānua claudī nōn potest. Heu! Paucae rēs ē casā portātae sunt.”

Iūlia Claudiō grātiās agit ubi ille ā casā discēdit. Pecūnia quae erat in mēnsā reperīrī nōn potest. Latrōnēs hanc habent, sed parva est et māter nōn est maesta. Iterum omnēs sunt laetī quod nunc omnēs domī sunt.

Key points for review:

[1] a clause is group of words that contains a finite verb i.e. a verb that has a subject and tense and expresses either (a) a complete or (b) a partial idea:

[i] simple and compound sentences

I live in Rome

This is a complete idea; it can be fully inderstood and can stand alone as a complete sentence with no additional information required; in grammar this is known as a simple sentence.

Paucīs ante diēbus Iūlia epistulam accēpit.

  • A few days previously Julia received a letter.

[ii] Two or more complete ideas, i.e. they could stand alone as separate sentences, can be combined:

(1) I live in Rome. (2) I work in a bank.

> (1) I live in Rome, ¦ and (2) I work in a bank.

In grammar this is known as a compound sentence, the two sentences combined by a coordinating conjunction.

(1) Amīca urbem suam laudat ¦ (2) et multa loca Iūliae mōnstrāre vult.

  • Her friend praises the city ¦ (2) and wants to show Julia many places.

(1) Latrōnēs hanc habent, (2) sed parva est (3) et māter nōn est maesta.

  • (1) The thieves have it, (2) but it is small (3) and the mother is not sad.

[2] Complex sentences:

[i] … because I work there: this is a partial idea; it cannot be fully understood nor can it stand alone, but must be related to some other clause in the sentence e.g. I live in Rome ¦ because I work there.

  • quod diū amīcam nōn vīdit │ … because she has not seen her friend for a long time.

Standing alone, it makes no sense; it needs another clause to clarify the meaning:

(1) Laeta est ¦ (2) quod diū amīcam nōn vīdit.

  • (1) She is happy ¦ (2) because she has not seen her friend for a long time.

[ii] A sentence that contains (1) a complete idea and (2) a partial idea is divided into (1) a principal / main clause, and (2) a subordinate clause; in grammar this is known as a complex sentence:

(1) I live in Rome [main, or principal clause] ¦ (2) because I work there [subordinate clause].

  • (1) Laeta est [main, or principal clause] ¦ (2) quod diū amīcam nōn vīdit [subordinate clause].

(1) She is happy [main, or principal clause] ¦ (2) because she has not seen her friend for a long time [subordinate clause].

(1) Iterum omnēs sunt laetī [main, or principal clause]  ¦ (2) quod nunc omnēs domī sunt [subordinate clause].

  • They are all happy again [main, or principal clause]  ¦ (2) because they are now all at home [subordinate clause].

[3] Subordinate clauses have grammatical names that define the information they give. In general they are easy to identify since they have distinctive “markers” that introduce them:

[A] subordinating conjunctions; they do not decline

[i] Subordinate clause of time (also known as a temporal clause) indicates when something takes place:

(1) Iūlia Claudiō grātiās agit [main, or principal clause] ¦ (2) ubi ille ā casā discēdit [subordinate clause of time].

  • Julia thanks Claudius [main, or principal clause] ¦ (2) when he leaves the house [subordinate clause of time].

[ii] Subordinate clause of reason (also known as a causal clause) indicates why something takes place:

(1) Laeta est [main, or principal clause] ¦ (2) quod diū amīcam nōn vīdit [subordinate clause of reason].

  • (1) She is happy [main, or principal clause] ¦ (2) because she has not seen her friend for a long time [subordinate clause of reason].

[iii] concessive clause = English “although”

(2) Quamquam via est longa et (b) paucōs diēs aberit [concessive clauses], ¦ (1) iter facere cōnstituit [main, or principal clause].

  • Although the way is long and (although) he will be away for a few days [concessive clauses] ¦ (1) she decided to make the journey [main, or principal clause]. 

[B] relative pronouns: quī, quae, quod (which / that)

These introduce relative / adjectival clauses that most often relate to / describe something or someone that has been previously mentioned; what has been previously mentioned is known as the antecedent:

(1) Amīca Iūliae [antecedent] ¦ (2) quae in urbe habitat [relative / adjectival clause]¦ (1) eam vidēre maximē vult.

  • (1) Julia’s friend [antecedent] ¦ (2) who lives in the city [relative / adjectival clause] ¦ (1) very much wants to see her.

(1) Pecūnia [antecedent]  ¦ (2) quae erat in mēnsā [relative / adjectival clause] ¦ (1) reperīrī nōn potest.

  • The money [antecedent] ¦ (2) which / that was on the table [relative / adjectival clause] ¦ (1) cannot be found.

Relative pronouns decline; they agree in gender and number with the antecedent, but decline according to their use in the relative clause:

(1) Pecūnia [antecedent]  ¦ (2) quae erat in mēnsā [relative / adjectival clause]  ¦ (1) reperīrī nōn potest.

  • The money [antecedent] ¦ (2) which was on the table [relative / adjectival clause]  ¦ (1) cannot be found.

(1) Tēla [antecendent] ¦ (2) quibus lēgātī et centuriōnēs… sē et cīvitātem dēfendērunt [relative / adjectival clause], (1) Iūlia laudat.

  • Julia praises the weapons [antecendent] ¦ (2) with which the lieutenants and centurions defended themselves and the state [relative / adjectival clause].

[4] As this is heading towards the end of the entire book, the author introduces more complex sentences to prepare you for original Roman writing where a sentence can comprise a number of clauses. Compare carefully the numbering of the Latin and English translations. Both in English and in Latin a clause can be separated, with another clause embedded within it.

[i]

(1) Laetae sunt hae amīcae ¦ (2) ubi dē temporibus ¦ (3) quibus erant puellae ¦ (2) colloquium habent.

  • (1) These friends are happy ¦ (2) when they have a conversation about the times ¦ (3) when / in which they were girls.

[ii]

(1) Tēla ¦ (2) quibus lēgātī et centuriōnēs, ¦ (3) quī centum mīlitēs dūcēbant, ¦ (2) sē et cīvitātem dēfendērunt, (1) Iūlia laudat.

  • (1) Julia praises the weapons ¦ (2) with which the envoys and centurions, ¦ (3) who led a hundred soldiers, ¦ (2) defended themselves and the state.

https://adckl.blogspot.com/search/label/relative%20clauses%3B%20qui%20quae%20quod

https://adckl.blogspot.com/search/label/sentence%20structure

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