Referring to: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1794469918666961
[A] Transcription and translation:
Ecce sēmita quā ducimur per silvam. | Here’s the path
by which we are led through the forest.
Sine sēmitīs difficile est versārī et ambulāre in silvā. |
Without paths it’s difficult to move around and walk in the forest.
Inter arbusta et folia rēpunt serpentēs … | Among the woods
and leaves snakes crawl …
…aliaque animālia aliaeque bēstiōlae … | … and
other animals and other little creatures …
… quae impetum in nōs facient … | … which will attack us
[literally: make an attack against us] …
…sī vexāmus eās. | … if we annoy them.
Ego nōlō vexāre eās … | I don’t want to
annoy them …
… nam silva est locus ubi habitant. | … for the forest is the
place where they live.
Ergō domus eīs (iīs) est. | Therefore, it’s
their house / home.
Nōnnumquam inter dēnsa arbusta ambulō, … | Sometimes
I walk among the thick woods / thickets … [nōn¦numquam; literally: not never
= sometimes]
… quaerēns anguēs, serpentēs … | … looking for snakes
[both Latin nouns mean ‘snakes’]
…quia mihi placent. | … because I like them [literally:
they are pleasing to me]
Ergō eōs velim vidēre. | Therefore, I would
like to see them.
Nōn sum venātor. | I am not a hunter.
[B] Notes:
[1] Short videos such as this are useful not just from the
point of view of hearing Latin, but also reinforcing vocabulary related to a
specific topic. Look at the number of words Vincent uses to describe forest
surroundings.
- anguis, -is [3 m]: snake; serpēns, serpentis [3 m]: snake
- animal, -ālis [3/n]: animal
- arbustum, -ī [2/n]: [i] plantation; orchard; vineyard (esp. with trees) [ii] (here) woods
- bēstiola, -ae [1/f]: little creature / beast; the diminutive (smaller version) of bēstia, -ae [1/f]: beast
- folium, -ī [2/n]: leaf
- sēmita, -ae [1/f]: (narrow) path; footpath; one of the synonyms for sēmita is callis, -is [3 m/f] from which the Spanish noun la calle (street) is descended
- silva, -ae [1/f]: forest; woods
- venātor, -ōris [3/m]: hunter
[2]
vexō, -āre [1]: annoy; harass; vex
rēpō, -ere [3]: crawl
adjective: rēptilis, -e: creeping; crawling > Engl. deriv: reptile;
some Vulgate translations render La: rēptilēs as ‘crawling things’
[3] aliaque animālia aliaeque bēstiōlae | and
other animals and other little creatures
-que: can be attached to the preceding word to convey
‘and’
[4]
[i] not wanting
nōlō [+ infinitive]: I do not
want / I refuse [to ….]; Ego nōlō vexāre eās | I do not want
to annoy them
[ii] two common ways of expressing that you want to do
something:
volō [+ infinitive]: I want
[to …]
velim [+ infinitive]: I would
like [to …]; velim is the subjunctive form of the verb and, at the
early stages of learning Latin, it’s best simply to note forms of these as they
turn up.
Ergō eōs velim vidēre | Therefore, I would
like to see them.
[5] Sometimes, it’s the ‘little words’ that need a bit of
explanation. Vincent uses three:
[i] Ergō eōs velim vidēre | Therefore, I would like to
see them.
[ii] Ego nōlō vexāre eās | I don’t want to annoy them.
Both translate as them; they are accusative pronouns
i.e. they are the direct object of the sentence.
[i] eōs: used when referring to masculine nouns
… quaerēns anguēs, serpentēs [masculine] …. | …
looking for snakes …
Ergō eōs velim vidēre | Therefore, I would like to see them.
[ii] eās: used when referring to feminine nouns
… aliaeque bēstiōlae [feminine] quae impetum in nōs
facient sī vexāmus eās. Ego nōlō vexāre eās …
…and other little creatures which will attack us if we
annoy them. I do not want to annoy them …
[iii] Ergō domus eīs (iīs) est | Therefore, it’s
their house / home.
eīs [or: iīs]: dative case
(all genders); to them
domus eīs (iīs) est | literally: the house / home is to them = it is their house / home