23.07.24: level 2; is, ea, id [10]

Take a look at these two English sentences:

Did you buy the book I was telling you about? │ Did you buy that book I was telling you about?

There’s really no difference between the two i.e. both ‘the’ and ‘that’ are simply referring back to something that was talked about before. You’re not saying “I’d like to buy that book” and pointing to it on a shelf.

is, ea and id can also be used in this way. This is the closest we sometimes get in Latin to translating a word as ‘the’:

Tum ad Sullam iter fēcit et in eō itinere ter hostium exercitūs fūdit. │ He then made a journey [i.e. marched] to Sulla, and on the way [i.e. on that / the journey] he defeated the enemy's army three times.

• in eā parte caelī │in that part of the sky (the speaker isn’t pointing to the sky but referring to a part of the sky previously mentioned)
• Post id proelium iterum hūc vēnī … │ After that / the battle, I came here …
• Itaque ad ea moenia cōpiās suās dūxit. │And so, he led his troops to those / the walls …
• Saepe eīs temporibus ubi erant servī, clāmōrēs servōrum vulnerātōrum audīvī. │ Often in those times when there were slaves, they heard the cries of wounded slaves.
• Eīs diēbus barbarī magnā vī impetūs faciēbant … │ In those days the barbarians made attacks with great force.

Below are some examples of is, ea, id being used in different ways. Note the translations.

Eī quī auxilium rogant nōn validī videntur neque eōs hostēs timent. 

• Those who ask for help do not seem strong, nor do the enemy fear them.

Uxor erat eī Eurydicē nōmine, quam maximē amābat. Cum eā in prātīs nitidīs lūdere gaudēbat. Prope Thrāciae ōram poēta uxorque eius bene beātēque vīvēbant.

• He had a wife [i.e. to him was a wife] by the name of Eurydice whom he very much loved. He enjoyed playing with her in the shining meadows. Near the shore of Thrace the poet and his wife lived well and happily.

Eō tempore, Octāvius contrā Mārcum Antōnium bellum gessit.

• At that time Octavius waged war against Mark Anthony.

“Percussit Absalom omnēs fīliōs rēgis, et nōn remānsit ex eīs saltem ūnus.”  (Vulgate)

• “Absalom has struck down all the king’s sons; not one of them is left.”

Et nōluit audīre eam: sed vocātō puerō quī ministrābat eī, dīxit: ēice hanc ā mē forās, et claudē ōstium post eam. (Vulgate)

• And he refused to hear [listen to] her, but he called the boy who attended to him (i.e. was his servant) and said, “Throw this woman out away from me, and bolt the door after her.”

Nēmō eōrum relēgātus in exilium est. (Livy)

• None / not one of them was sent into exile.

20.07.24: level 2; is, ea, id [9]

Choose the correct pronoun; each of them has a very specific translation.

Answers are at the end.

1.      Haec verba __________ dīc. │ Say these words to them.

2.      __________ servī erant bonī. │ His slaves were good

3.      Cornēlia bene __________ cūrāvit. │ Cornelia looked after them well.

4.      Vir __________ __________ nārrāre coepit. │ The man began to talk about them.

5.      Fāna __________ vastāvit. │ He destroyed their shrines.

6.      Sermōnem __________ __________ habuit. │ He had a talk with them.

7.      Quās rēs tū cottīdiē facis, __________ ego quoque faciō. │ What things you do every day, I also do them.

8.      Nōnnūllās __________ avidē dēvorāvit. │ He greedily devoured some of them.

9.      __________ __________ in aciē contendit. │ He fought with him on the battle line.

10. Bonum medicāmentum __________ dabō. │ I shall give good medicine to him.

eōs; eōrum; eius; eīs; eī; eās; eārum; dē eīs; cum eō; cum eīs

Image: the Mykonos Vase (c. 675 BC), the earliest depiction of the Trojan Horse; the Greeks are hiding in the horse

..equō nē crēdite, Teucrī. │ Do not trust the horse, Trojans

quidquid id est, timeō Danaōs et dōna ferentēs. │ Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks even when bearing gifts.

Vergil, Aeneid II.13-16 & 48-49

____________________

1. Haec verba eīs dīc.

2. Eius servī erant bonī.

3. Cornēlia bene eōs cūrāvit.

4. Vir dē eīs nārrāre coepit.

5. Fāna eōrum vastāvit.

6. Sermōnem cum eīs habuit.

7. Quās rēs tū cottīdiē facis, eās ego quoque faciō

8. Nōnnūllās eārum avidē dēvorāvit

9. Cum eō in aciē contendit.

10. Bonum medicāmentum eī dabō.

17.07.24: level 2; is, ea, id [8]; the “table”: how to handle it – step by step [3]

In the plural, all the pronouns have the same endings as 1st / 2nd declension nouns, and so, if you’re already familiar with the nouns, then it isn’t something ‘new’.

At the early stage of learning them, I kept a single meaning in mind. I stuck to their meanings as pronouns and gave a distinct English translation for each of them.

Nominative

• Eī celeriter cucurrērunt. │ They ran quickly.
• Eī quoque silēbant. │ They also were silent.
• Eī quī ¦ rūrī habitābant semper timēbant. │They [i.e. those (people)] who lived in the countryside were always afraid.
• Quid eae dixērunt tibi? (Plautus)  │ (Referring to a group of women) What did they say to you?

Genitive

• Ibi circum poētam volābant tenuēs umbrae eōrum. │ Their slender shadows were flying there around the poet.
• Hostēs semper superō, quod oppida eōrum ācriter oppugnāre et agrōs eōrum vastāre audeō. │ I always conquer the enemy because I dare fiercely to attack their towns and lay waste their fields.
• Posteā vērō, hospes, sciēs dē terrā, et āere, et aquā, et ignī et fōrmīs eōrum... │ In truth, (my) guest, later you will know about the land, and the air and water and fire and their forms.

Dative

• Semper eīs partem praedae dedērunt. │ They always gave a part of the booty to them.
• Dulcissimum erat eīs cantum dīvīnum audīre. │ It was the sweetest thing for them to hear the heavenly singing.

Accusative

• … et eōs amīcōs fēcit. │ And he made them friends.
• Ubīque sunt in aquā nāvēs et magna est laetitia Cornēliae ubi eās videt. │There are ships everywhere in the water and great is Cornelia’s happiness [Cornelia is very happy] when she sees them.
• Prope mare castra mūniēmus quae nēmō oppugnābit quod ea bene dēfendēmus. │ We shall fortify the camp near the sea which nobody will attack because we shall defend it well. [castra (camp) is plural in Latin]
• Avunculus rūra semper amābat et laetus erat quod nunc cum Cornēliā ea iterum vīsitābat. │(Her) uncle always loved country areas and was happy because he was now visiting them again with Cornelia.

Ablative

• … et fābulās dē eīs laeta legit. │ …and she happily read stories about them.

14.07.24: level 2; is, ea, id [7]; the “table”: how to handle it – step by step [2]

Image: By making a “jump” the endings of the pronouns most often match with the endings of 1st / 2nd declension nouns. It doesn’t match 100% but it’s close. Where it doesn’t match is marked in red.

Here are examples showing them working in a sentence. As always, I think it’s best to focus on a single example for each one.

Nominative

• Is quī semper abest nihil potest discere. │ He who is always absent can learn nothing.
• Discipulus est is quī discit. │ A pupil is he [i.e. someone / a person (m.)] who learns.
• Tum ea respondit: "Mihi non licet hoc dicere." │ Then she replied “I’m not allowed to say that.”
• Quid est id quod Mārcus claudit? │ What is it that Marcus is closing?

Genitive

• Omnia flōrum genera sub pedibus eius flōrēbant. │ All kinds of flowers were blossoming beneath his feet.

Dative

• Litterās scrīpsit eī. │ He wrote letters to him / her.
• Iūlium vīdī et eī librum dēdī. │ I saw Julius and I gave a book to him.

Accusative

• Līberāte eum, Mārce et Sexte. │ Let him go, Marcus and Sextus.
• Et ab illō diē incēpit eam dīligere. │ And from that day he began to love her.
• Cīvēs igitur mōnstrum īnfēstum in urbem trāxērunt. Iuvenum chorus per viās id dūxērunt. │ The citizens, therefore, dragged the dangerous monster into the city. A chorus of youths led it through the streets.

Ablative

• Fuitque Dominus cum eō (Vulgate) │ And the Lord was with him
• Exercitum colligās et ad dēbellandum inimīcum suum pergās cum eō! │ You should gather the army together and continue with it to defeat his enemy.
• …quod aliud auxilium ab eā habēre nōn posset… │ … because he couldn’t have any other help from her.

Two cases in the same sentence:

• Exultāte in eā [ablative] omnēs quī dīligitis eam [accusative] gaudēte cum eā [ablative] gaudiō ūniversī quī lūgētis super eam [accusative]. (Vulgate)│ Rejoice in her, all (you) who love her. Rejoice greatly with her, all (you) who mourn over her.

 

11.07.24: level 2; is, ea, id [6]; the “table”: how to handle it – step by step [1]

Take a look at the image

[1] At first sight, it looks like there are thirty of these to learn. Note the ones that are repeated in the table because they apply to all three genders: eius, eī and eīs (which is used for two cases)

[2] A couple of them in red ‘sunk in’ very quickly because, most often, they mean:

• eius: his / her(s) / its i.e. possession
• eōrum / eārum: their

They don’t agree in gender, number or case with the noun possessed.

• pater eius │ his / her father
• fīlia eius │his / her daughter
• pedēs eius │ his / her feet

• Saxum super caput eius ingēns pendēbat. │ A huge rock was hanging above his head.

• Neptūnus igitur in agrōs eius mare mīsit. │Neptune, therefore, sent the sea into his fields.

• Fortasse Eurydicēn ad virum eius remittent. │ Perhaps they will send Eurydice back to her husband.

• cibus eōrum │ their food
• casa eōrum │ their cottage
• oppidum eōrum │ their town
• in librīs eōrum │ in their books
• Ducem eōrum vīcit │ He conquered their leader.

[3] The others that immediately “hit” were eum: him and, by extension, eam (her) and [4] ‘id’: i.e. ‘id est’

 

How eum and eam translate depends on the noun they agree with; if the noun is ‘animate’ i.e. referring to a living human being they will translate as ‘him’ or ‘here’; if they agree with a noun that does not refer to a human being e.g. an object, they will translate as ‘it’:

• Dominus adest, sed eum vidēre nōn vultis. │The master is here but you don’t want to see him.
• Puerī puellaeque innūptae circum equum saltāre et canere gaudēbant et flōribus eum ōrnāre. │ The boys and unmarried girls enjoyed singing and dancing around the horse and decorating it with flowers.

• "Fortasse vōbīs Anna quoque aliquid nārrābit. Eam rogāte." │ Perhaps Anna will tell you something too. Ask her.

• "Mox iterum," inquit, "fābulam legam quod multum eam amō." │ “I’ll read the story again soon,” she said “because I like it a lot.”

08.07.24: is, ea, id [5]; the “table”: how will you handle it?

There’s no purpose in pretending that Latin is a ‘push button’, “all your problems are solved in an instant” language.

Image #1:  One member – quite rightly – talked about the difficulty of remembering the “small” words, and they don’t come much smaller than the ones in “the table”  because, when you see them like this, it looks challenging.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74R9hHFr0JI

In the video link, the presenter himself refers to the table as being ‘daunting’ but goes on to say that students “everywhere have memorised this through rote, repetition …”. His videos are very good and very detailed. However, I would say one thing:

I can recite that table now – but I couldn’t at first and, more than that, I didn’t even try.

Image #2: The declension of is, ea, id: how will you deal with them? If you threw your hands up in despair, that wouldn’t be surprising, and the problem is that these words are “fired” at you – often without much explanation – and with the impression that it’s the only way to learn them. Alternatively, take it apart, see connections, learn short sentences and / or phrases, find ways of remembering them – any way that suits you –  and, as always see them in context. In other words, you can play it cool.

Image #3: the only way to “crack” a block of Latin case endings is to chip away at it.

05.07.24: level 2; is, ea, id [4]

If you’re into psychology, you’ll spot the Freudian id!

Image: the ego (I), the super¦ego (above me) and the id (the unconscious mind), the ‘it’, the “reptilian brain”

And ‘id’ is in the abbreviation: i.e. (id est), that is… (in other words …)

02.07.24: level 2; is, ea, id [3]

[1]

Mēnsē proximō ībō prīmum ad Iowa ad amīcum vīsitandum. │ Next month I’ll first go to Iowa to visit a friend.

Is fīet sacerdōs. │ He will become a priest.

Mox ōrdinābitur. │ He will soon be ordained.

[2] Catullus 85

Ōdī et amō. Quārē id faciam fortasse requīris.

Nesciŏ, sed fierī sentiō et excrucior.

____________________

I hate and I love. Why do I do it / that perhaps you are asking.

I do not know, but I feel it happening and I’m being tortured.

[3]

In hōc hortō pūblicō … versantur multī alligātōrēs. │ In this park there are many alligators.

Venīte mēcum ad eōs spectandōs. Sī eōs vidēbō, vōbīs ostendam. │ Come with me to look at them. If I see them, I will show you.

02.07.24: level 2; is, ea, id [2]; uses

Visualise a conversation in a restaurant. You’re looking directly at your friend who’s sitting opposite. You say …

[1] It’s my favourite. [What are you talking about?]  > This wine we’ve ordered. It’s my favourite.

[2] She’s looking at us. [Who are you talking about?] > Do you see that woman over there. She’s looking at us.

[3] I hate him. [Who?] > (through gritted teeth) > That guy at the bar, I hate him.

Most often in English, pronouns such as he, she, it, him, her, they, them etc. which some grammar writers refer to as “weak” refer back to something or someone previously mentioned.

I met John last night. He was very upset.

Did you meet John last night? Yes, I met him at the bar.

I’ve just spoken to the girl on the helpline. She didn’t help.

Did you speak to the girl on the helpline? Yes, I spoke to her but she wasn’t very helpful.

I’ll go to the same hotel again this year. I really like it. It’s by the sea.

My son was learning quadratic equations. He found them very difficult. They’re not easy for him to understand.

I met John last night i.e. we know who we’re talking about, and so we generally shift to: He was very upset i.e. we don’t keep repeating ‘John’ but replace ‘John’ with a pronoun.

[i] This is the main function of is, ea and id: he / she / it

It can also mean:

[ii] ‘this (person/thing)’ or ‘that (person/thing)’, but the use is very ‘weak’: it isn’t pointing to somebody or referring to someone or something for the first time, but merely referring back to what has already been mentioned. They are not used to refer to a noun previously unknown.

“I spoke to the bank manager about the ATM card. You know, this problem’s getting on my nerves.”

“Did you see that book in the store (which I told you about yesterday)?”

And the same in the plural:

eī, eae, ea

[i] they

[ii] these / those (people / things)

From three of Vincent’s videos:

[1] Mēnsē proximō ībō prīmum ad Iowa ad amīcum vīsitandum. │ Next month I’ll first go to Iowa to visit a friend.

Is fīet sacerdōs. │ He will become a priest.

In Latin, when he / she / it is the subject of sentence, it is most often missed out because who is performing the action is already mentioned.

Mārcus Rōmae habitat. Rōmānus est. │ Marcus lives in Rome. He is a Roman.

Vincent could equally have said: sacerdōs fiet i.e. without is, and it would have meant exactly the same because the verb refers to who is doing the action, and he’s already mentioned him.

In his second sentence, he doesn’t use the pronoun at all.

Mox ōrdinābitur. │ He will soon be ordained.

[2] In hōc hortō pūblicō … versantur multī alligātōrēs. │ In this park there are many alligators.

Venīte mēcum ad eōs spectandōs. Sī eōs vidēbō, vōbīs ostendam. │ Come with me to look at them. If I see them, I will show you.

[3] Here’s an example from Catullus 85:

Ōdī et amō. Quārē id faciam fortasse requīris. │ I hate and I love. Why I do it, perhaps you ask.

The ‘id’ refers back to his hating and loving.

02.07.24: level 2; is, ea, id [1]; introduction

Before moving on to the next topic in detail, take a look at the image together with my editing suggestion

Image #1: This is a really good example of how something which is not difficult can be made to look difficult. It’s exactly the kind of “minefield” that I’ve mentioned in earlier posts. It’s filled with blah, blah, blah and words such as exophoric and cataphora and deictic that sound like medical problems. What is being said in that paragraph is not wrong, but how it is being said gives the impression you’re about to climb a mountain. You need none of it.

The words we’ll look at are: is, ea and id.

For now, all you need to know is:

is: he

ea: she

id: it

Image #2 tells you what to do with image #1