16.08.25: Level 1; Road to Latin [30]; Domicilium Urbānum [iii] links

28.02.24: introduction to adjectives

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/introduction-to-adjectives-refer-to.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/398762196068388/

07.03.24: more on 1st / 2nd declension adjectives

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/070324-more-on-1st-2nd-declension.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/403090272302247/

07.03.24: further practice with adjectives

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/070324-further-practice-with-adjectives.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/403104742300800/

07.03.24: colour adjectives

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/070324-colour-adjectives.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/403206128957328/

07.03.24: describing hair [1]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/070324-describing-hair-1.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/403509502260324/

07.03.24: describing hair [2]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/070324-describing-hair-2.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/403591418918799/

07.03.24: describing hair (.pdf)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/479628251315115/

08.03.24: describing character; adverbs and adverbial phrases of frequency

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/080324-describing-character-adverbs-and.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/403616835582924/

08.03.24: more on character

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/080324-more-on-character.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/403630608914880/

19.04.24: summary of 1st / 2nd declension adjectives

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/190424-summary-of-1st-2nd-declension.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/427341703210437/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBA46LamsWY

21.04.24: Uploaded to files: summary of 1st / 2nd declension adjectives

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/428444286433512/

25.04.24: adjectives functioning as nouns

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/250424-adjectives-functioning-as-nouns.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/430923399518934/

29.04.24: review: adjectives [1]: 1st / 2nd declension [1]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/290424-review-adjectives-1-1st-2nd.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/433334502611157/

29.04.24: review: adjectives [2]; 1st / 2nd declension [2]; Julia: a Latin reader [1]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/290424-review-adjectives-2-1st-2nd.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/433357589275515/

29.04.24: review: adjectives [3]; 1st / 2nd declension [3]; Julia: a Latin reader [2]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/290424-review-adjectives-3-1st-2nd.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/433438282600779/

12.05.24: short revision of 1st and 2nd declension adjectives

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/120524-short-revision-of-1st-and-2nd.html

15.07.24: follow-up on the post on colour adjectives

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/479626981315242/

15.08.24: Level 1; Maxey (10) [2]; 1st / 2nd declension adjectives: nominative / accusative singular and plural

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/06/150824-maxey-10-2-1st-2nd-declension.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/494412906503316/

15.08.24: Level 1; Maxey (10) [4]: 1st / 2nd declension adjectives; nominative and accusative singular and plural

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/06/150824-maxey-10-4-1st-2nd-declension.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/497702969507643/

13.10.24: Level 1; review; practice in the cases; 1st / 2nd declension adjectives; adjectives in -er [1]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/09/131024-level-1-review-practice-in-cases.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/552015760743030/

15.10.24: Level 1; review; practice in the cases; 1st / 2nd declension adjectives; adjectives in -er [2]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/09/151024-level-1-review-practice-in-cases.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/552019107409362/

17.10.24: Level 1; review; practice in the cases; 1st / 2nd declension adjectives; adjectives in -er [3]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/09/171024-level-1-review-practice-in-cases.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/552028940741712/

20.04.25: Level 1; readings [6] - [11]: review (7); adjectives [ii]; 1st / 2nd declension adjectives [i]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/200425-level-1-readings-6-11-review-7.html

20.04.25: Level 1; readings [6] - [11]: review (8); adjectives [iii]; 1st / 2nd declension adjectives [ii]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/200425-level-1-readings-6-11-review-8.html

23.04.25: Level 1; readings [6] - [11]: review (9); adjectives [iv]; 1st / 2nd declension adjectives [iii]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/230425-level-1-readings-6-11-review-9.html

23.04.25: Level 1; readings [6] - [11]: review (10); adjectives [v]; 1st / 2nd declension adjectives [iv]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/230425-level-1-readings-6-11-review-10.html

26.04.25: Level 1; readings [6] - [11]: review (11); adjectives [vi]; 1st / 2nd declension adjectives [v]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/260425-level-1-readings-6-11-review-11.html

26.04.25: Level 1; readings [6] - [11]: review (12); adjectives [vii]; 1st / 2nd declension adjectives [vi]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/260425-level-1-readings-6-11-review-12.html

16.08.25: Level 1; Road to Latin [29]; Domicilium Urbānum [ii] grammar

1^st / 2^nd declension adjectives

[1] Adjectives agree with the noun in gender, number and case

[2] Adjectives in Latin are in two groups based upon their endings. Here we are dealing only with one group:

1^st / 2^nd declension adjectives; that term is used because the endings of the adjectives are the same as 1^st and 2^nd declension nouns, but it is important to note from the start that those adjectives can be used with nouns of other declensions, but will still retain the same endings i.e. the declension of the noun does not influence the endings, for example:

Via [1^st declension noun] longa [1^st / 2^nd declension adjective]: the endings happen to be the same

Hortus [2^nd declension noun] magnus [1^st / 2^nd declension adjective]: the endings happen to be the same

However:

Iter (journey: a 3^rd declension neuter singular noun) longum [1^st / 2^nd declension adjective]: the adjective continues to agree in gender, number and case and retains its own adjective ending

Urbs (city: a 3^rd declension feminine singular noun) magna

[3] agricola, -ae [1/m]: although agricola is a first declension noun – and most 1^st declension nouns are feminine – this noun is masculine and so the adjective will have masculine endings:

multī [masculine] agricolae │ many farmers

Similarly:

[i] poēta, -ae [1/m]: poet

• Laeca est poēta [masculine] clarus. │ Laeca is a famous poet.

[ii] incola, -ae can be masculine or feminine; here, the agreement is masculine:

• multī incolae │ many inhabitants

[4] in an adjective + noun phrase, the adjective usually follows the noun, but that is not a hard and fast rule because Latin word order can be flexible:

• Servī [noun] ¦ bonī [adjective] │ the good [adjective] ¦ slaves [noun]

[5] the -us ending of the 1^st / 2^nd declension adjective, again like the noun, has a vocative singular ending in -e: bone:

• Esne dēfessus, serve ¦ bone? │ Are you tired, good ¦ servant?

As with the noun declensions, there is no plural ending, nor is there a separate vocative form for any other adjective ending.

Note: the vocative singular of meus > mī: Salvē, amīce mī! │ Hello, my friend!

[6] 1^st / 2^nd declension adjectives in the nominative case are listed as follows:

• magnus, -a, -um [magnus, magna, magnum]: big; great

As with nouns, there are also adjectives which, in the nominative singular, end in -er; similarly, those adjectives may [i] retain the -e throughout the declension, or [ii] lose the -e as soon as an ending is added, for example:

[i] miser, -a, -um [miser, misera, miserum]: miserable; wretched; the /e/ is retained through the declension

• līber, -a, -um: free

[ii] piger, -ra, -rum [piger, pigra, pigrum]: lazy; the /e/ is lost when endings are added

• pulcher, -ra, -rum [pulcher, pulchra, pulchrum]: beautiful

Examples:

Singular

[1] Nominative

masculine: -us; feminine: -a; neuter: -um

• Sextus est servus [noun] ¦ bonus [adjective]. │ Sextus is a good ¦ slave.
• Maria nōn est pigra. │ Maria is not lazy.
• Peristȳlum ¦ pulchrum est.  │ The peristyle garden is beautiful.

[2] Genitive

masculine / neuter: -ī; feminine: -ae

• Servī … dominī ¦ Rōmānī dīligenter labōrant. │ The slaves of the Roman ¦ master work well.
• Maria est serva dominae ¦ benignae. │ Maria is the slave of a kind ¦ mistress.

[3] Dative

masculine / neuter: -ō; feminine: -ae

• Proximī templō ¦ antīquō sunt multī virī. │ Many men are next to the ancient ¦ temple.
• Domicilium est dominae ¦ Rōmānae grātum. │ The dwelling is pleasing to the Roman ¦ mistress.

[4] Accusative

masculine: -um; feminine: -am; neuter: -um

• Servum ¦ bonum saepe laudat. │ He often praises the good ¦ slave.
• Multam ¦ pecūniam habet. │ He has much (a lot of) ¦ money.
• Domicilium ¦ pulchrum amant. │ They love the beautiful ¦ dwelling.

[5] Ablative

masculine / neuter: -ō; feminine: -ā

• In domiciliō ¦ pulchrō habitant. │ They live in a beautiful ¦ dwelling.
• Agricola in casā ¦ rusticā habitat.  │ The farmer lives in a country (rustic) ¦ cottage.

Plural

[6] Nominative

masculine: -ī; feminine: -ae; neuter: -a

• Servī ¦ bonī … dīligenter labōrant. │ The good ¦ slaves work hard.
• Altae ¦ columnae peristȳlum circumstant. │ Tall ¦ columns surround the peristyle garden.
• Domicilia ¦ pulchra dominīs Rōmānīs semper sunt grāta. │ Beautiful ¦ dwellings are always pleasing to the Roman masters.

[7] Genitive

masculine / neuter: -ōrum; feminine: -ārum

• Cornēlius est dominus multōrum ¦ servōrum. │ Cornelius is the master of many ¦ [male] slaves.
• Tullia est domina multārum ¦ servārum. │ Cornelia is the mistress of many ¦ [female] slaves.

[8] Dative

all genders: -īs

• Domicilia pulchra dominīs ¦ Rōmānīs semper sunt grāta. │ Beautiful dwellings are always pleasing to the Roman ¦ masters.

[9] Accusative

masculine: -ōs; feminine: -ās; neuter: -a

• Cornēlius multōs et bonōs ¦ servōs habet. │ Cornelius has many (and) good ¦ slaves.
• Viās ¦ urbānās timent. │ They fear the city (urban) ¦ streets.
• Magna ¦ domicilia ¦ urbāna habent. │They have large urban ¦ dwellings.

[10] Ablative

all genders: -īs

• In casīs ¦ rūsticīs habitant. │ They live in country ¦ cottages.

16.08.25: Level 1; Road to Latin [28]; Domicilium Urbānum [i] text; vocabulary; exercise

[adjectives of the first and second declension]

Domicilium Urbānum

Rōmae Cornēlius magnum domicilium urbānum habet. Dominus, domina, fīliī, fīliae, servī, servae, in domiciliō magnō habitant. Cornēlius est dominus multōrum servōrum. Cornēlius est dominus benignus; itaque servī bonī dominī Rōmānī dīligenter labōrant. Tullia est domina benigna; itaque servae bonae Tulliam amant. Magnum domicilium est dominae Rōmānae grātum. Rōmae sunt multa domicilia magna.

Servī et servae in domiciliō Cornēliī libenter labōrant quod dominum et dominam amant. Sextus est servus bonus. Sextus non est līber sed nōn est miser quod dominus est benignus. Sextus nōn est piger; itaque dominus servum bonum saepe laudat. Cornēlius multōs et bonōs servōs habet. Servī bonī nōn sunt līberī sed nōn sunt miserī. Servī nōn sunt pigrī. Maria nōn est lībera quod est serva. Tullia est domina benigna; itaque Maria nōn est misera; Maria est serva dominae benignae est. Maria nōn est pigra. Tulliae servae sunt neque miserae neque pigrae.

Servī et servae nōn sunt miserī quod dominus et domina sunt benignī. Servī et servae sunt laetī quod in domiciliō pulchrō habitant. Dominī fīliī et fīliae quoque sunt laetī. Līberī laetī domicilium pulchrum amant. In domiciliō peristȳlum pulchrum est. Altae columnae peristȳlum circumstant. In peristȳlō est hortus pulcher. Līberōs peristȳlum dēlectat quod est apertum. Domicilium pulchrum Cornēlium et Tulliam et līberōs dēlectat. Domicilia pulchra dominīs Rōmānīs semper sunt grāta.

Multī incolae Italiae magna domicilia urbāna habent. Laeca domicilium pulchrum habet. Laeca est poēta clarus et multam pecūniam habet. Agricolae Rōmānī multam pecūniam nōn habent; itaque domicilia pulchra nōn habent. Multī agricolae viās urbānās timent; itaque in casīs rūsticīs habitant.

Exercise

Respondē Latīnē:

1. Quid Cornēlius Rōmae habet?
2. Quālis dominus est Cornēlius?
3. Quālēs sunt servī?
4. Quālīs domina est Tullia?
5. Quālēs sunt servae Tulliae?
6. Quāle est domicilium?
7. Quālia domicilia Rōmae sunt?
8. Quis est Sextus?
9. Quālis servus est Sextus?
10. Cūr dominus Sextum laudat?
11. Num servī sunt miserī?
12. Suntne servī pigrī?
13. Cūr est Maria nōn misera?
14. Estne Maria pigra?
15. Quālēs sunt servae Tulliae?
16. Num miserī sunt servī et servae?
17. Quālēs sunt fīliī et fīliae?
18. Quāle est peristylum?
19. Quōs peristylum dēlectat?
20. Quāle domicilium Cornēlium dēlectat?
21. Quālia domicilia dominīs Rōmānīs sunt grāta?
22. Quī magna domicilia habent?
23. Quālis poēta est Laeca?
24. Quī viās urbānās timent?

Vocabulary

circumstō, circumstāre [1]: to surround, encircle

līber, lībera, līberum: free

līberī, līberōrum [2/m/pl.]:  children

miser, misera, miserum: wretched, unhappy

peristȳlum, peristȳliī [2/n]: peristyle (garden surrounded by columns)

rūsticus, rūstica, rūsticum: rustic, rural

urbānus, urbāna, urbānum: pertaining to the city, urban

15.08.25: Level 3; review; direct questions [7]; interrogative adjectives [ii]

Apart from quī, quae and quod, there are other interrogative adjectives to note:

[1] quot?: how many?; quot is indeclinable

Quot erās annōs gnātus*, quom [ = cum] tē pater ā patriā āvehit? (Plautus) │ How many years old were you when your father took you from your native country?

* archaic: nātus

Quot sunt satis? (Plautus) │ How many are sufficient?

Quotiēns et quot nōminibus ā Syrācūsānīs statuās auferēs? (Cicero) │ How often and for how many individuals will you take statues from the Syracusans?

[2] quotus, -a, -um? is a 1^st / 2^nd declension adjective. It is unusual as it has no specific equivalent in English. The question asks which or what number when referring to a numerical sequence. In English we convey this in different ways, for example:

Which US president was Ronald Reagan? He was the fortieth president.

Similary, we may say “Where did he come in the race?” “He finished third.”

In Latin, it is quotus which expresses this idea:

Quotus imperātor Nerō fuit? Quīntus. │ Which emperor was Nero [i.e. was he the first, second etc.]? The fifth.

The word is used when asking the time since clock time is expressed in Latin using ordinal numbers:

Quota hōra est? Tertia. │ Which hour is it? The third.

Quotā hōrā? │ At what time?

[3] quantus, -a, -um?: how big / large?

Quantus est exercitus Caesaris? │ How large is Caesar’s army?

Quantī eam emit? (Plautus) │ For how much did he buy her?

[4] Both quot and quantus can be used as exclamations:

Quot quantāsque virtūtēs ... collēgit et miscuit! (Pliny the Elder) │ How many and how great virtues he acquired and mixed!

[5] quālis, -e?: what kind / sort of?; a 3^rd declension adjective:

Quālis est tibi liber? │ What sort of book do you have?

Quālēs sunt eī librī? │ What sort of books does he have?

[6] uter, utra, utrum?: Which (of two)?

This interrogative adjective was discussed in detail here together with many examples and exercises.

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/04/250725-level-3-pronominal-adjectives-6.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/907899478487988

Uter igitur est divitior? (Cicero) │ Which (of the two) is wealthier?

Utra lex antiquior? (Quintilianus) │ Which law (of the two laws) (is)

Utrum librum vīs? │ Which book [i.e. which of the two books] do you want?

Translation practice:

1. Cum quālibus comitibus iter faciēs?
2. Hoc mihi dēdit, sed ... post quot labōrēs?
3. Immō vērō quantus exercitus!
4. Quālī virō Cloēlia nūbet?
5. Quot annōs nātus / nāta es?
6. Quālēs amīcōs habēs?
7. Uter est pēs dextra?
8. Quālia sunt haec dōna?
9. Quot oppida in Syriā, quot in Macedoniā dēvorāta sunt!
10. Quālis homō es?
11. Utra est manus sinistra?
12. Quot estis?
13. Quot librōs scrīpsit?
14. Utrī potentiōrēs sunt? Rōmānī aut Carthāginiēnsēs?
15. Quot mīlitēs pugnāvērunt?
16. Quot ovēs sunt in agrīs?

15.08.25: Level 3; review; direct questions [6]; interrogative adjectives [i]

The interrogative adjective translates as which? what? what kind of?

In general, adjectives have the function of narrowing the field of reference, for example:

I really like that car? > Which car? > The blue one.

Therefore, interrogative adjectives refer to known nouns but ask to specify which noun:

Which car did you buy? What kind of music do you like?

There is very little distinction between the interrogative adjectives and the interrogative pronouns in the previous post except that:

[i] the interrogative adjective has all three genders in the singular which is logical because the adjective has to be able to agree with nouns of all three genders.

[ii] the neuter singular (nominative and accusative) is quod and not quid.

In the plural, the interrogative adjectives and pronouns are identical.

NOMINATIVE

Quī vir mē vocat? │ Which / what kind of man is calling me?

Quae bella gerunt? │ What sort of wars do they wage?

GENITIVE

Cuius fēminae domus est? │ Literally: Of which woman is the house? [ = Which woman does the house belong to?]

Dē factīs quōrum hominum fābulam nārrās? │ Which / whose men’s deeds [ = the deeds of which men] are you telling a story about?

DATIVE

Cui puerō / puellae dōnum dedistī? │ To which boy / girl did you give a gift?

Quibus magistrīs librum lēgit? │ To which teachers did s/he read a book?

ACCUSATIVE

Quod oppidum vidēs? │ What town do you see?

Quōs mīlitēs vocat rēx? │ Which / what soldiers is the king calling?

ABLATIVE

1. In quō locō urbs erit? │ In what place will the city be?
2. Dē quibus librīs loqueris? │ What / which books are you talking about?
3. Translation practice:
4. Quī homō vocat?
5. Quem virum amās?
6. Quod templum vidēs
7. Quōs librōs lēgistī?
8. In quibus oppidīs vīxistis?
9. Quod animal in agrō erat?
10. Cum quā fēmina ambulābat?
11. Quibus tēlīs cōpiae nostrae eguērunt?
12. Quae prōvinciae ā Rōmānīs occupātae sunt?
13. Cuius scūtum habēs?
14. Quibus virīs deī favēbunt?
15. Quī virī castra pōnunt?

15.08.25: Level 3; review; direct questions [5]; interrogative pronouns

Interrogative pronouns ask the question ‘who?’ or ‘what?’ They refer to a person or thing previously unknown:

Who did that?; What did you say?

Image: declension of quis / quid (who? what?); note that, in the singular, there is no distinction between masculine and feminine i.e. quis? (who?) and quem (whom?) are always masculine by default in Classical Latin, although the answer to the question could be a woman.

NOMINATIVE

Quis mē vocāvit?│ Who called me?

Quis es? │ Who are you?

Quid tibi est? │ What do you have? [also: What is wrong with you?]

Quī sunt cōnsulēs hōc annō? │ Who are the consuls this year?

GENITIVE

Cuius est hic liber? │ Whose book is this? [literally: of whom is this book?]

Quōrum nōmina in librō scrīpsit? │ Whose (plural) names [literally: the names of whom] did he write in the book?

Quārum (plural; feminine) statuās Marcella ōrnat? │ Whose statues does Marcella decorate?

> Marcella statuās deārum ōrnat │ Marcella decorates the statues of the goddesses.

DATIVE

Cui vēritātem dīxit? │ To whom (singular) did he speak the truth?

Cui pecūniam dedistī? │ To whom (singular) did you give the money [ = Who did you give the money to?]

Quibus pecūniam mīsistī? │ To whom (plural) did you send the money?

ACCUSATIVE

Quem in hortō cēpērunt? │ Whom did they capture in the garden?

Quid in hortō invēnērunt? │ What did they find in the garden?

Quās iuvātis? │ Whom (feminine plural) are you (plural) helping?

ABLATIVE

Dē quō loquiminī? │ What are you (plural) talking about?

Ā quibus urbs est capta? │ By whom (plural) was the city captured?

Quōcum poēta ambulat? │ With whom is the poet walking? [ = Who is the poet walking with?]

Translation practice:

1. Quis hoc fēcit?
2. Ā quō amārīs?
3. Quem vīdistī?
4. Cui librum dedistī?
5. Quis illud dīxit?
6. Quid agis?
7. Quid dīxit?
8. Quae dīxit rēx?
9. Quid tē terret?
10. Cuius est haec taberna?
11. Quō interfectus est Caesar?
12. Quibus dux auxilium dedit?
13. Ā quibus porta sinistra tenēbātur?
14. Quibuscum Germānī bellum gerēbant?
15. Cui lēgātus suum scūtum dabit?

15.08.25: Level 3; Sonnenschein; Prō Patriā [8]; Castellum Rutupīnum [3]

Inter viam Mārcus patruum meum dē victōriā illā ā Calēdonibus reportātā interrogāvit.

MĀRCUS: Quis fuit ille Galgacus? Num rēx antīquus Scōtōrum fuit?

PATRUUS MEUS: Nūllī Scōtī eō tempore in Calēdoniā erant. Nōndum in Calēdoniam migrāverant.

MĀRCUS: Quid igitur erat nōmen incolārum Calēdoniae, sī nōn Scōtī erant?

PATRUUS MEUS: Calēdonia eō tempore ā Pictīs aliīsque gentibus Calēdoniīs habitābātur.

MĀRCUS: Quī erant Pictī?

PATRUUS MEUS: Difficilis est quaestiō. Dē orīgine Pictōrum virī doctī disputant.

MĀRCUS: Quō tempore Scōtī in Calēdoniam migrāvērunt?

PATRUUS MEUS: Quīntō saeculō post Chrīstum nātum.

MĀRCUS: Quā ex terrā migrāvērunt?

PATRUUS MEUS: Ex Hiberniā eōs in Calēdoniam migrāvisse scrīptōrēs historicī affirmant.

MĀRCUS: Quem igitur prīmum rēgem Scōtōrum fuisse affirmant?

PATRUUS MEUS: Fergus prīmus rēx Scōtōrum nōminātur.

MĀRCUS: Cuius partis Calēdoniae rēx fuit?

PATRUUS MEUS: Partis merīdiānae.

MĀRCUS: Itaque Galgacus fortasse Pictus fuit.

PATRUUS MEUS: Fortasse; sed nihil dē eō nōtum est.

Note: indirect statement

Ex Hiberniā [i] eōs in Calēdoniam [ii] migrāvisse scrīptōrēs historicī affirmant.

> Literally: The historical writers claim [i] them [ii] to have migrated from Ireland to Scotland.

> The historical writers claim ¦ that [i] they [ii] migrated …

Exercises

[1] Find the Latin:

From which coutry …?

In what period /time …?

Of which part …?

Surely he was …? / He was …, wasn’t he?

What was …?

Who was …?

Who were …?

Whom do they claim was [= to have been] …?

[2] Translate the following extracts from the text noting in particular the words in bold:

nihil dē eō nōtum est

Nūllī Scōtī eō tempore in Calēdoniā erant.

Fergus … nōminātur

Calēdonia … ā Pictīs aliīsque gentibus Calēdoniīs habitābātur.

Inter viam Mārcus patruum meum dē victōriā illā ā Calēdonibus reportātā interrogāvit.

14.08.25: topic; the elements [1]; Comenius (1658); the Earth

In the Earth are high mountains, │ in Terrā sunt altī montēs

deep vallies, │ profundæ vallēs

hills rising, │ ēlevātī collēs

hollow caves, │ cavæ spēluncæ

plain fields, │ plānī campī,

shady woods. │ opācæ sylvæ.

A list of vocaabulary is of course an immediate source of reference which you can memorise, write down or stick as post-it notes on a fridge. However, I’ve found that “talking about” words, their origins, the derivatives and the changes in meaning over centuries i.e. spending a bit of time with the “biographies” of individual words, seeing them illustrated and in some form of even basic context (as here in the Comenius text) help to reinforce them.

altus, -a, -um: [i] high, [ii] deep; Engl. deriv. altitude

campus, -ī [2/m]: any flat, level ground; plain; natural field; Engl. campus refers to the grounds / property of, for example, a university or hospital

Campus Mārtius: the Field of Mars, publicly owned area in ancient Rome

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

cavus, -a, -um: hollow; cavus, -ī [2/m] or cavum, -ī [2/n]: cave

collis, -is [3/m]: hill; Engl. deriv. intercolline (geological term): situated between two hills

ēlevātus, -a, -um: raised; elevated i.e. a derivative from Latin with a Germanic grammatical ending –(e)d, a common practice in English; elevator

mōns, montis [3/m]: mountain; Engl. mountain is an example of displacement where an original Old English word is effectively ‘kicked out’ in preference for a word of Latin / French origin in this case Old English: beorg, and dūn; Modern German: Berg

opācus, -a, -um: shady; dark(ened); opaque

plānus, -a, -um: flat; even; the English term plain, derived from the Latin, now rarely has that meaning of ‘flat’ as an adjective, but still means the same as a noun

profundus, -a, -um: deep; Engl. deriv. profound

silva, -ae [1/f]: wood; forest; Engl. deriv. sylvan: pertaining to the forest

terra, -ae [1/f]: (dary) land; earth; the Earth; country; territory

Trānsylvānia / Trānssilvānia < trāns: across + silvānus, -a, -um: (adj.) forest, wooded; Pennsylvania

spēlunca, -ae [1/f]: cave; also: [i] specus, -ūs [4/m], and [ii] antrum, -ī [2/n]

English has the (now obsolete) noun: spelunk (spelunc) from Middle English spelunke: cave, derived either indirectly from French or directly from Latin spēlunca. In the 1930s a US cave explorer coined the word spelunker to describe somebody who explored caves, and from this the term spelunking was created i.e. the act of exploring caves.

vallis, -is [3/f]: valley; vale; again, an example of displacement (OE: dene), but some displaced words live on in English, especially in place-names,  even if they are no longer in common usage.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, English derivatives may have one, or more ‘middle men’ e.g. Old French words that were derived from Latin:

Engl: terrain

< Fr: terrain

< La: terrēnum (neuter adjective from terrēnus, -a, -um: earthly)

< La: terra

How these words ended up in English, the ‘routes’ they followed, while it is interesting, is not crucial in seeing the links between the original Latin and the final English derivative.

The massive contribution to the English language is well illustrated in this short text. Apart from all the words in bold that I’m writing here, every noun and adjective listed by Comenius still exists in some shape or form in modern English – and we have a cave explorer in the 1930s to thank for one of them.

altus: altitude

campus: campus

cavus: cave

collis: intercolline

ēlevātus: elevated; elevator

mōns: mountain

opācus: opaque; opacity

plānus: plain

profundus: profound

silva: Pennsylvania; sylvan

spēlunca: spelunker; spelunking

terra: Mediterranean; (extra-) terrestrial; terrain

vallis: valley

spelunking

quattuor elementa

13.08.25: Level 1; Road to Latin [27]; [i] Templa antīqua; [ii] In Britanniā

https://mega.nz/file/2F8VGRpY#P4mfrMSDiyGAfEXLR9mnK3Mmece0TXa10CONM3ZIKbI

[neuter nouns of the second declension]

Templa Antīqua

Templum est Athēnīs. Templum est antīquum. Incolae Athēnārum templum saepe intrant. Incolae in templum ambulant quod columnās et statuās libenter spectant. Proximī templō sunt multī virī. Columnae pulchrae templī virōs dēlectant. In templō est magna statua deae sapientiae. Proximae statuae sunt ārae. Fēminae ārās deae ōrnant. Agricolae frūmentum ad ārās templī portant. Nautae aurum ā terrīs extrēmīs in templum portant. Sīc virī et fēminae templī deam adōrant.

Hodiē quoque templa antīqua virōs et fēminās dēlectant. Ā terrīs extrēmīs ad Graeciam nāvigant. Templa clāra intrant et laudant. Etiam hodiē columnae templōrum antīquōrum sunt pulchrae. Proxima magnīs templīs sunt multa domicilia parva. Incolae Graeciae longās fābulās dē templīs antīquīs nārrant.

Exercise

Respondē Latīnē:

1. Ubi est templum?
2. Quāle est templum?
3. Quid incolae Athēnārum saepe intrant?
4. Ubi sunt virī?
5. Dēlectantne templī columnae virōs?
6. Ubi est statua deae?
7. Quō agricolae frūmentum portant?
8. Quid nautae in templum portant?
9. Quid virōs et fēminās hodiē dēlectat?
10. Quālia templa hodiē virōs et fēminās dēlectant?
11. Quid virī et fēminae intrant?
12. Nōnne columnae templōrum antīquōrum sunt pulchrae?
13. Ubi sunt parva domicilia?
14. Nārrantne incolae Graeciae fābulās longās dē templīs antīquīs?

In Britanniā

In Britanniā cōpiae Rōmānae castra magna habent. Castra Rōmāna proxima sunt ōrae quod Rōmānī multās onerāriās habent. Onerāriae auxilia et frūmentum ad cōpiās Rōmānās portant. Circum castra est altum vallum. In vāllō stat Mārcus, lēgātus Rōmānus. Mārcus est adultus fīlius Cornēliī. Mārcus nūntium Rōmānum extrā vallum videt. Nūntius ad castra Rōmāna properat. "Salvē, amīcē," clāmat Mārcus. "Parantne Britannī proelium?"

"Salvē, lēgāte, multī Britannī armātī sunt in silvīs proximīs. Intrā silvās sunt multa arma et multum frūmentum quoque. Fēminae cum fīliīs et fīliābus ab oppidīs et ab agrīs in silvās properant quod fāma Romanōrum est magna et proelium timent," nūntius clāmat. Tum in castra celeriter properat.

Lēgātus neque Britannōs neque perīcula bellī timet quod vallum castrōrum est firmum et cōpiae Rōmānae sunt multae.

Vocabulary

adōrō, adōrāre [1]:  to worship

āra, -ae [1/f]:  altar

arma, armōrum [2/n/pl.]: arms, armour

aurum, aurī [2/n]: gold

auxilium, auxiliī [2/n]: help, aid; reinforcements, auxiliary troops (when plural)

bellum, bellī [2/n]: war

Britannia, -ae [1/f]:  Britain

Britannus, Britanna: British

Britannus, -ī [2/m]: a Briton

castra, castrōrum [2/n/pl]: camp

celeriter: quickly

cōpia, -ae [1/f]:  abundance, plenty; troops, forces (when plural)

domicilium, domiciliī [2/n]: dwelling, home

etiam: even, also​

fāma, -ae [1/f]:  fame, reputation, report

frūmentum, frūmentī [2/n]: corn, grain

intrā (+acc.): within, inside

oppidum, oppidī [2/n]: town

perīculum, perīculī [2/n]: danger, peril

proelium, proeliī [2/n]: battle

sīc: thus

templum, templī [2/n]: temple

timeō, timēre [2]: to fear

vallum, vallī [2/n]: rampart

Grammar

2^nd declension neuter nouns: all cases; note that, in the declension table, the vocative is not listed since the vocative singular and plural are the same as the nominative singular and plural forms.

The only differences in endings between masculine and neuter nouns of the second declension are:

[i] Neuter nominative singular -um has the same ending -um in the accusative

[ii] Neuter nominative and accusative plural ends in -a

[1] Nominative singular

Templum est Athēnīs. │ The temple is at Athens.

[2] Genitive singular

Columnae … templī virōs dēlectant. │ The columns of the temple delight the men.

[3] Dative singular

Proximī templō sunt multī virī. │There are many men next to the temple.

[4] Accusative singular

Incolae … templum … intrant. │ The inhabitants enter the temple. [i.e. the nominative and accusative singular of neuter nouns in -um is the same]

Incolae in templum ambulant │ The inhabitants walk into the temple.

Mārcus nūntium … extrā vallum videt. │ Marcus sees a messenger outside / beyond the rampart.

[5] Ablative singular

In templō est magna statua │ There is large statue in the temple.

In vallō stat Mārcus │ Marcus is standing on the rampart.

[6] Nominative plural

Templa … virōs et fēminās dēlectant │The temples delight the men and women.

[7] Genitive plural

Columnae templōrum … sunt pulchrae │ The columns of the temples are beautiful.

[8] Dative plural

Proxima … templīs sunt multa domicilia parva. │ Many small dwellings are next to the temples.

[9] Accusative plural

Templa … intrant et laudant. │ They enter and praise the temples [i.e. the nominative and accusative singular of neuter nouns in -um is the same]

[10] Ablative plural

Fābulās dē templīs … nārrant │ They tell stories about the temples.

Ab oppidīs … properant │ They hurry away from the towns.

Note: castra, castrōrum [2/n/pl]; you can see that this noun is listed as a plural although, in English, it is singular i.e. (military) camp; the Latin noun does have a singular: castrum, -ī [2/n] meaning ‘fort’ or ‘castle’ but it is the plural that is by far more commonly found. Here are the examples from the text with the English translation as a singular noun:

Nominative: Castra … proxima sunt ōrae │ The camp is near the shore [the Latin noun is plural and so the verb is plural (sunt and not est) but English translates it as a singular]

Genitive: vallum castrōrum │ the rampart of the camp

Accusative:

Nūntius ad castra … properat. │The messenger hurries towards the camp.

Circum castra est … vallum. │ There is a rampart around the camp.

In castra … properat │ He hurries into the camp.