Read the text for understanding and note the prepositions all of which are followed by the ablative case.
- ā /
ab: (away) from
- ē /
ex: out of
- in:
in; on
- cum:
(together) with
[The Road
to Latin (Chesnutt) 1932]
Laeca Poēta I
Laeca poēta vīllam pulchram in Italiā habet. In vīllā Laeca
cum fīliā Iūliā habitat. Aqua est proxima vīllae. In aquā poēta nāviculam
rubram habet. Poēta ex vīllā saepe properat. Nunc in nāviculā est. Tum ab ōrā
poēta nāvigat. Silvae quoque sunt proximae vīllae. In silvīs Laeca saepe
ambulat. Poētae silvās et aquam maximē amant quod in silvīs et in aquā multās
et pulchrās pictūrās poētae vident. Poētae ā silvīs et ab aquā properant et
fābulās nārrant. Iūlia in vīllā labōrat. Fēminae et puellae Rōmānae in vīllīs
saepe labōrant. Noctū Iūlia ex vīllā properat. Tum Iūlia cum Laecā in silvīs
ambulat. Interdum poēta et fīlia ex silvīs properant et in ōrā stant. Laeca et
Iūlia stēllās et lūnam spectant. Tandem Laeca et Iūlia ab ōrā ambulant et in
vīllā iterum sunt.
Servae Claudiae
Claudia est domina multārum servārum. Servae Claudiae in
terrā et in vīllā cotīdiē labōrant. Claudia servīs cāra est quod est domina
benigna. Servae cēnam parant et vīllam ōrnant. Sed servae Claudiae nōn semper
labōrant. Noctū servae ē casīs properant et in ōrā et in silvīs ambulant. Lūna
clāra et stēllae pulchrae servīs dēfessīs sunt grātae. Tandem Claudia servās
vocat. Tum ex silvīs et ab ōrā servae properant.
Vocabulary
interdum: meanwhile
iterum: again, a second time
tandem finally, at length
Notes
[1] ē / ex refers to movement physically out
of a place i.e. from somewhere inside to somewhere
else:
Interdum poēta et fīlia ex silvīs
properant. │ Meanwhile the poet and the daughter hurry out of the
forests.
ē: used when the noun begins with a consonant
ex: used when the noun begins with a vowel or a
consonant
[2] ā / ab refers to movement physically away
from a place with no suggestion that the movement began inside
anywhere: think of a train departing from a platform:
Tandem Laeca et Iūlia ab ōrā ambulant. │ Laeca and
Julia finally walk (away) from the seashore.
ā: used when the noun begins with a consonant
ab: used when the noun begins with a vowel or a
consonant
[3] in: with the ablative case it means ‘in’ or ‘on’
a place:
poēta vīllam pulchram in Italiā habet │ the poet has
a beautiful villa in Italy
[4] cum: (together) with e.g. with a person;
other meanings of ‘with’ in English are expressed differently in Latin
Iūlia cum Laecā ambulat │ Julia is walking with
Laeca
Here are three other prepositions that are followed by the
ablative case :
[5] dē: down / away from, but it also conveys a
useful non-spatial meaning of 'about; concerning':
Dē quō ¦ cōgitās? │ About what are you
thinking? = What are you thinking about?
[6] sine: without; a fun way of remembering it is
this one line from a Mediaeval drinking song:
Bibunt omnēs ¦ sine mētā. │ They all
drink without a limit.
[7] sub: under
sub umbrā castaneae │ under the shade of
a chestnut tree
Some prepositions can take more than one case and they can
have more than one meaning, but don't run before you can walk; familiarise
yourself with the basic meanings of the prepositions.
