12.05.25: Level 3; summary of of the uses of the ablative case [3]: prepositions (2)

[1] Prepositions with the ablative can indicate physical location e.g. where a building is situated, or where an action is taking place (known as the ablative of place where)

[i] in: in / on

In urbe habitābam. │I used to live in the city.

Agricola in īnsulā habitat. │ The farmer lives on an island.

[ii] sub: under

Mārcus sub arbore sedēbat. │ Marcus was sitting under a tree.

[2] Prepositions with the ablative can also indicate movement away from a location

[i] ā / ab: (away) from

Ab urbe profectus est. │ He set out from the city.

ā / ab can also be used to express from a certain time:

ab hōrā tertiā │ from the third hour

[ii] dē: (down) from

dē nāvibus dēsilīre │ to jump down from the ships

Mātrēs familiae dē mūrō vestem argentumque iactābant (Caesar) │ The married women began throwing their clothes and silver over [ = down from] the wall

[iii] ē / ex: out of

Ex omnibus partibus silvae ēvolāvērunt. │ They flew out from all parts of the forest.

Notes:

[1] These are the basic meanings of these prepositions. However, as you continue through the notes on the ablative case, you will see that they have other meanings and uses.

[2] The ablative case expressing “in” is not used with the names of towns, cities and small islands. The next two posts will look at this in order to “put it to bed” before continuing with the ablative. However it has already been discussed here:

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/290324-locative-case.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/415064654438142/

12.05.25: Level 3; Beasts in Egypt and Libya [6]; the Crocodile

Translate into English:

Crocodīlī autem nātūra haec est. Per quīnque mēnsēs hībernōs cibum nūllum capit. Quadrupēs est terram pariter et aquam habitāns: ōva enim parit exclūditque in terrā, et maiōrem partem diēī in siccō versātur, noctū vērō in fluviō: est enim aqua noctū magis calida quam terra rōre cōnspersa. Omnium vērō animālium hoc ex minimō fit maximum. Ōva enim haud multō maiōra sunt ōvīs ānseris: at pervēnit ad septemdecim cubitōrum longitūdinem. Habet autem oculōs porcī, dentēs vērō magnōs. Sōlum ex omnibus animālibus linguam nōn habet: neque īnferiōrem māxillam movet. Habet autem unguēs rōbustōs, et cutem squāmātam. In aquā quidem caecus est, in aere bene videt. Os habet intus plēnum hirūdinibus. Iam aliae quidem avēs et bēstiae illum fugiunt: cum trochilō autem pācem colit. Hic ūtilem eī operam praestat: nam in os eius sēsē īnsinuāns hirūdinēs dēvorat.

Vocabulary

cōnspergō, -ere, cōnspersī, cōnspersus [3]: sprinkle, spatter

cutis, -is [3/f]: (living) skin

exclūdō, -ere, exclūsī, exclūsus [3]: (here) hatch

hībernus, -a, -um: of / pertaining to winter; wintry

hirūdō, hirūdinis [3/f]: leech

īnsinuō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]: (here) wind one’s way into; penetrate, enter

māxilla, -ae [1/f]: jaw (-bone)

pariō, -ere, peperī, partus [3-iō]: bear, give birth to; spawn; produce

pariter (adverb): equally; alike

rōs, rōris [3/m]: dew

sēsē: itself; emphatic form of sē

siccum, -ī [2/m]: dry land

squāmātus, -a, -um: scaly

versor, -ārī, versātus sum [1/dep]: live, stay, be

trochilus, -ī [2/m]: now referring to a species of small bird of the hummingbird genus but the bird described here was legendary:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trochilus_(crocodile_bird)

As [the crocodile] lives chiefly in the river, it has the inside of its mouth constantly covered with leeches; hence it happens that, while all the other birds and beasts avoid it, with the trochilus it lives at peace, since it owes much to that bird: for the crocodile, when he leaves the water and comes out upon the land, is in the habit of lying with his mouth wide open, facing the western breeze: at such times the trochilus goes into his mouth and devours the leeches. This benefits the crocodile, who is pleased, and takes care not to hurt the trochilus. (Herodotus)

Notes

[1] dative of possession

Crocodīlī [dative] … nātūra haec est │ literally: to the crocodile is this nature = the crocodile has this nature

[2] present active participle

terram … et aquam habitāns │ inhabiting / which inhabits the land and the water …

… in os eius sēsē īnsinuāns … │ getting itself into its mouth

[3] ablative

[i] terra rōre cōnspersa │ land sprinked with dew

[ii] Os … plēnum hirūdinibus │ a mouth … filled with (full of) leeches; Latin uses the ablative case (categorised under the ablative of means) with adjectives and verbs that refer to filling something with something or being filled with (full of) something

Tōtum montem hominibus complēvit. │ He filled the whole mountain with men.

Vīlla abundat gallīnā, lacte, cāseō, melle (Cicero) │ The farm abounds in poultry, milk, cheese and honey.

[iii] Ōva enim [a] haud multō maiōra sunt [b] ōvīs ānseris

[a] ablative of degree of difference: haud multō maiōra │not much bigger

[b] ablative of the object of comparison: ōva … [a] haud multō maiōra sunt ¦ [b] ōvīs ānseris │ the eggs are [a] not much bigger ¦ [b] than the eggs of a goose

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/06/260724-level-2-de-crocodilo-1.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/477428204868453/

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/06/290724-level-2-de-crocodilo-2.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/478215624789711/

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/06/010824-level-2-de-crocodilo-3.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/479730151304925/

Vincent and the Alligators

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/06/22.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/465398589404748

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/06/250624-level-2-vincent-and-alligators-2.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/467026835908590

____________________

[6] Now the nature of the crocodile is as follows. During the five months of winter it takes no food. It is a quadruped, inhabiting land and water alike: for it lays and hatches its eggs on land, and lives on dry ground for the greater part of / most of the day, but by night in the river: for by night the water is warmer than the earth (which has been) sprinkled with dew. But of all animals this one, from being very small, becomes the greatest. For its eggs are not much larger than the eggs of a goose; but it reaches to the length of seventeen cubits. Moreover,  it has the eyes of a pig, but large teeth. Alone of all animals it does not have a tongue, nor does it move its lower jaw. However, it has strong claws, and a scaly skin. In the water, indeed, it is blind; it sees well in the air. It has its mouth full of leeches inside. Now other birds and beasts in fact flee from it, but it keeps peace with the wagtail (see notes). The latter does it a useful service: for creeping into its mouth it devours the leeches.

11.05.25: Level 2; review; prīmus annus [2]; praepositiōnēs: cāsus ablātīvus (2)

In Britanniā sunt multī lūdī et campī; in lūdō multī puerī labōrant, lūdunt in campō; innumerī igitur discipulī in tōtā Britanniā sunt. In lūdis sunt multae camerae, in camerīs multae sellae, in sellīs discipulī sedent. In camerā etiam sunt quattuor mūrī; in prīmō mūrō est iānua, in alterō fenestrae, in tertiō tabula nigra, in quārtō pīctūrae.

Magister ē sellā surgit, crētam ā mensā sūmit, trēs sententiās in tabulā scrībit, prīmam in summā tabulā, alteram in mediā, tertiam in īmā. Multae lītterae in sententiā sunt, permultae in pāginā, in tōtō librō innumerae. Nunc magister chartam Eurōpae mōnstrat. In summā chartā est Britannia, ubi Britannī habitant; in mediā est Helvētia, in īmā Sicilia. Graecia est ā dextrā, ā sinistrā Hispānia. Graecī in Graeciā habitant, in Hispāniā Hispānī. In mediā aquā multās īnsulās vidētis.

Nunc magister in mediā camerā stat et ad sellās sē vertit. Fenestrae sunt ā dextrā, iānua ā sinistrā, sellae ā fronte, tabula ā tergō. Ad iānuam sē vertit: ubi sunt fenestrae, iānua, sellae, tabula?

[1] Respondē:

1. Ubi labōrās?
2. Ubi lūdis?
3. Ubi sunt camerae?
4. Ubi sunt sellae?
5. Ubi sedētis?
6. Ubi magister sedet?
7. Ubi pīctūrās vidēs?
8. Ubi pēnsum scrībis?
9. Ubi magister prīmam sententiam scrībit? alteram? tertiam?
10. Ubi sunt pāginae?
11. Magister sē ad fenestrās vertit: ubi sunt fenestrae, iānua, sellae, tabula? Ubi magister stat?
12. Ubi sunt Britannia, Hispānia, Gallia, Germānia, Āfrica, Graecia?
13. Ubi sunt īnsulae?
14. Ubi habitant Ītalī, Helvētiī, Germānī, Gallī?

[2] ablative case; find the Latin:

[a]

1. in Britain
2. in Greece
3. in Spain
4. in a sentence
5. in the room
6. in rooms
7. in schools

[b]

1. The teacher writes three sentences on the blackboard; Note: some languages may interpret this as movement i.e. the sentences are being written onto the board, but Latin uses the ablative case to indicate the location where that action is taking place; a further example: Librōs in mēnsā posuit.│ He placed the books on the table. (Compare German: auf den Tisch [accusative] and Russian: na stol [accusative] but Latin does not use the accusative here.)
2. on the page
3. on chairs

[c]

1. on the right
2. on the left
3. at the front
4. at the back

[d]

1. on the first wall
2. on the second (wall)
3. on the third (wall)
4. on the fourth (wall)

[e]*

1. at the top of the map / blackboard
2. at the bottom (of the map / blackboard)
3. in the middle (of the map / blackboard)
4. in the middle (of the water / room)
5. in the whole book
6. in all / the whole of Britain

*note that, in English, we use nouns to express these ideas e.g. at the top ¦ of the map; Latin uses adjectives which then agree in gender, number and case with the noun

11.05.25: Level 2; topic; Mankind; the human body; accident and illness [8]

Consider yourself lucky that you never had to see a doctor in Ancient Rome, but we can practise saying what is wrong with you.

Image #1

Quid tibi est?  │What’s wrong with you?

Quid tibi dolet? │What’s hurting you? (What is causing you pain?)

Dorsum mihi dolet. │My back is hurting. (My back is causing me pain.)

doleō, -ēre [2]; doluī: hurt; cause pain can be used in the 3^rd person singular or plural to indicate what is / are hurting. In English we usually say ‘my back hurts’, but Latin expresses the idea literally as ‘the back is causing pain to me’ using the dative case of the person affected. If the noun is singular dolet is used, if the noun is plural then the verb will be dolent:

Dēns mihi dolet. │ My tooth hurts. / I have toothache.

Doletne tibi caput? │Do you have a headache?

Dentēs mihi dolent. │ My teeth hurt.

Image #2

[1] Look at the images below and, using dolet or dolent, say what is / are hurting you.

aurēs; bracchium; calcāneum; caput; collum; crūs; dēns; digitī; digitus; genū; humerus; manus; oculī; pedēs; pēs; venter

[2] Now change the phrases, this time saying what was / were hurting using the imperfect tense: dolēbat or dolēbant.

Dēns mihi dolēbat. │ My tooth was hurting / I was having toothache.

Dentēs mihi dolēbant.│ My teeth were hurting.

Reading

Puer quī aegrōtat māne ē lectō nōn surgit, neque vestēs induit, neque per scālās dēscendit. Māter ad puerum venit, cui, "Cūr," inquit, "ē lectō nōn surrēxistī?" Cūr vestēs nōn induistī?"

Cui puer, "Ō māter," inquit, "aegrōtō. Ex capite, ex ventre labōrō."

Deinde māter medicum quaerit; medicus venit et puerō, "Linguam," inquit, "mihi mōnstra." Puer linguam extendit, et medicus, "Ō tē miserum," exclāmat, "Pessima est lingua; oportet tē medicāmentum bibere. Medicāmentum tibi mittam."

aegrotō, -āre, -āvī [1]: be sick, ill

extendō, -ere, extendī [3]: stretch out

induō, -ere, induī [3]: put on (e.g. clothes); exuō, -ere, exuī [3]: take off (e.g. clothes)

(ē lectō) surgō, -ere, surrēxī [3]: get up (out of bed)

medicāmentum, -ī [2/n]: medicine

Note: another way of expressing the source of pain is using the preposition ē / ex + the ablative:

ex capite ¦ labōrō │ literally: I’m suffering ¦ from the head = I have a headache, a sore head

ex ventre ¦ labōrō │ literally: I’m suffering ¦ from the stomach = I have stomach ache, a sore stomach

10.05.25: Level 1; readings [12]: Gods on stage

Tum Epicharmus: “Et Cornēlia et tū, Mārce, in theātrō libenter fābulās spectātis. Itaque tibi certē Amphitruō Plautī nōtus est: Iuppiter cum Mercuriō Alcmēnae appropinquat…”

Et Mārcus: “Mihi cūnctae fābulae Plautī nōtae sunt cūnctaeque mē dēlectant, imprīmīs autem Amphitruō. Nihil magis rīdeō, quam cum Mercurius scālās portāre dēbet.”

Epicharmus autem: “Gaudēmus igitur et ego et tū in theātrō, et tē et mē iuvat fābulās Plautī spectāre.”

Nunc Mārcus rīdet et “Vōs Graecī”, inquit, “nōs Rōmānōs ēloquentiā superātis. Nōn ignōrō. Ecce, ā vōbīs victus neque tamen maestus sum. Vōs nōn iam vituperō, sed vōbīscum rīdeō.”

Et Dēmarātus: “Gaudeō, quod nōbīscum rīdēs, Mārce; nam iuvat rīdēre.”

Amphitruō: Amphitryon, title of a play by Plautus

____________________

This text focuses on the 1^st and 2^nd person personal pronouns i.e. the equivalents of ‘I’, ‘me’, ‘you’, ‘we’, ‘us’ etc. Most of these are used in the text and the full table is given in the image. These will be reviewed and discussed in more depth later but begin by recognising them and note in particular the use of the preposition cum (with) since it is attached to the end of the pronoun i.e. nōbīscum (with us) vōbīscum (with you); that is the only preposition which acts in that way.

[1] Nominative

Et [i] ego et [ii] tū │ both [ii] you and [i] I:

Gaudēmus … et ego et tū in theātrō │ Both you and I … rejoice in the theatre i.e. being in theatre

Et Cornēlia et tū …│ Both you and Cornelia …

Et Cornēlia et tū … libenter fābulās spectātis │ Both you … and Cornelia … like to watch plays

[2] Accusative

Et [ii] tē et [i] mē iuvat │ It pleases both [ii] you and [i] me …

et tē et mē iuvat fābulās Plautī spectāre │ Literally: it pleases both you and me to watch the plays of Plautus = you and I like to watch …

cūnctaeque mē dēlectant │ and they all delight me

Vōs nōn iam vituperō │ I no longer scold you (plural)

[3] Two cases in the same sentence:

“Vōs [nominative] Graecī”, inquit, “nōs [accusative] Rōmānōs ēloquentiā superātis. │ “You Greeks,” he says, “conquer us Romans with eloquence.”

[4] Dative

Mihi cūnctae fābulae Plautī nōtae sunt │ All the plays of Plautus are well-known to me

… tibi … Amphitruō Plautī nōtus est │ Plautus’s “Amphitryon” is … well-known to you

[5] Ablative

nōbīscum rīdēs │ you laugh with us

vōbīscum rīdeō │ I laugh with you (plural)

ā vōbīs victus │ conquered by you (plural)

09.05.25: Level 3; summary of of the uses of the ablative case [2]: prepositions (1)

The ablative case is used with a range of prepositions which can refer to either a [i] physical  /  literal or [ii] non-physical idea i.e. you may come across the terms “figurative” or “transferred” meaning, for example:

[i] “John went out of the house” i.e. that is what he literally / physically did

[ii] “Get that idea out of your head”  i.e. it has a transferred meaning equivalent to “forget that idea”

Latin prepositions can also serve those two functions. These are not all of them, but the ones most commonly found.

ā / ab: away from

cōram: face to face; in the presence of

mihi vērō ipsī ¦ cōram generō meō, propinquō tuō ¦ quae dīcere ausus es? (Cicero) │ But what was it that you dared to say to me myself, ¦ in the presence of my son-in-law, your own relation?

cum: (together) with

dē: (away / down) from

ē / ex: out of

in: in / on

prae: before; in front of

prō: before; in front of

sine: without

sub: under; up to; close to

The mnemonic SIDSPACE (the ablative astronaut 😊) is often used as a reminder of the most common prepositions that take the ablative case:

Sub – In – Dē – Sine – Prō – Ab / ā – Cum – Ex/ ē

09.05.25: summary of of the uses of the ablative case [1]: introduction to the ablative case

Ablatives are to Latin grammar what black holes are to space: they suck in all matter and energy. 

The ablative case … is a kind of catchall. You can do almost anything with the ablative case.

The ablative case has been called the “junk case” by students over the years.

The ablative case is sometimes called the “everything case”, since it seems to do a bit of, well, everything. 

All of these light-hearted but nonetheless unhelpful online introductions certainly emphasise that the ablative case has many uses. However, it isn’t a question of the ablative doing all the jobs that other cases don’t want to do, it isn’t “catching all”, nor does it do a bit of, well, everything.

We need to be more specific.

The uses of the ablative case can almost exclusively be found under the umbrella term adverbial.

[1] [i] At six o’clock John was waiting [ii] at the railway station:

[i] “at six o’clock” is an adverbial phrase; it gives additional information pertaining to when the action was performed i.e. it refers to circumstances (< La. circumstāns: standing around).

[ii] “at the railway station” is also an adverbial phrase giving more details as to where the action was performed.

Even though English uses “at” to express both ideas, those two ideas i.e. time and place are expressed differently in Latin.

[3] A little boy, who was standing [i] with his mother, hit John [ii] with a stone.

[i] “with his mother”; this adverbial phrase again explains circumstances i.e. who the little boy was with when he performed the action

[ii] “with a stone”; this time – even though the same word “with” is used – the phrase gives details as to what object the boy used to perform the action

Similarly, both of those i.e. with whom and with what (object) are expressed differently in Latin.

We call all of these adverbial and most often adverbial phrases because they are constructed from two or more words that are not in themselves adverbs but, when combined, perform an adverbial function:

with: preposition + mother: noun > He was waiting with his mother = adverbial phrase

Latin, too, uses adverbial phrases with prepositions but it can also use its case system without a preposition to express an idea which, in English, needs more than one word e.g. nocte │ at night

Those examples - at the station, at six o’clock, with his mother, with a stone – are all expressed in Latin using the ablative case some of which use a preposition and some of which do not.

The grammar books consistently use a series of terms that specifically describe the type of ablative being used; when reading the language, it is not essential to know these terms because the meaning is generally clear without needing to analyse what that use is. Nevertheless, those terms will come up again and again in any discussion about grammar and so, step-by-step, we’ll review all the different uses. Every ablative use has come up in the posts and has been referred to – mostly briefly – at each stage. Therefore, the following posts are simply going to give a summary of each one together with a few examples as illustration.

The very important point to note when operating at this level of Latin is that there is not 100% consistency in a literature that spans centuries. What is given in these posts are the main features of the ablative and the main ways in which those features are expressed. There will be exceptions and different possibilities but it is far better to have an overview rather than become embroiled in fine detail.

09.05.25: Level 3; Beasts in Egypt and Libya [5];Wonderful Animals in Libya

Translate into English:

Sunt in Libyā immānī magnitūdine serpentēs, sunt ibīdem leōnēs, et elephantī, et ursī, et aspidēs, et asinī cornūtī. Sunt etiam hominēs capita cānum habentēs. Sunt aliī sine capitibus, oculōs in pectore habentēs, et ferī hominēs. Sunt etiam mūrēs bipedēs, et parvī serpentēs singulīs cornibus īnstrūctī. Dēnique magnus numerus mīrārum bēstiārum in hīs regiōnibus invenītur.

Vocabulary

aspis, aspidis [3/f]: viper

bipēs, bipedis: two-legged

cornūtus, -a, um: having horns, horned

ferus, -a, -um: wild, savage

ibīdem (adverb): at / in  the same / that very place

īnstruō, -ere, īnstrūxī, īnstrūctus [3]: (here) equip, furnish, provide

Notes

[1] present active participle

Sunt etiam hominēs … habentēs │ There are even / also men … having / who have …

[2] parvī serpentēs singulīs cornibus īnstrūctī │ small snakes are each ‘equipped / provided’ with a horn = with one horn apiece / each

singulus, -a, -um: while this adjective can translate as “single”, that is slightly misleading since, in Classical Latin, it was only used in the plural meaning “each one”, “one at a time” (i.e. since it is referring to more than one), one apiece

in singula diēī tempora (Caesar) │ in every hour of the day

Caesar cum [...] singulās legiōnēs appellāret (Caesar) │ When Caesar … addressed every legion (i.e. each legion one by one)

Persequī singulōs longum est … (Seneca the Younger) │ It is tedious to recount each man (in turn / individually) …

[3]

sed antīquitās quidem obscūra (Tacitus) │but all antiquity is, of course, obscure

Is it fabricated, exaggerated, misinterpreted or true?

With reference to the phoenix, Tacitus (Annales 6.28) writes:

haec incerta et fābulōsīs aucta: cēterum aspicī aliquandō in Aegyptō eam volucrem nōn ambigitur │All this is full of doubt and legendary exaggeration. Still, there is no question that the bird is occasionally seen in Egypt.

[i] That uncertainty as to whether tales of ‘fabulous’ beasts are actually true continues through the Middle Ages into the Renaissance period:

Gaspar Schott: Physica Curiosa (1662):

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/10/120125-level-1-topic-school-20-science.html

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/10/120125-level-1-topic-school-21-science.html

[ii] Sunt etiam hominēs capita cānum habentēs.

More information on this belief is at:

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

https://www.theoi.com/Phylos/Kunokephaloi.html

____________________

[5] There are in Libya serpents of huge size; in the same place there are lions, and elephants, and bears, and vipers, and horned asses. There are also human beings having the heads of dogs. There are others without heads, having eyes in the breast, and wild men. There are also two-legged mice, and small serpents each equipped / provided with one horn (a-piece). In a word, a great number of strange animals is found in these regions.

08.05.25: Level 2; review; prīmus annus [1]; praepositiōnēs: cāsus ablātīvus (1); cāsus accūsātīvus

Review: prepositions that are followed by the ablative case and those followed by the accusative case. What is the difference between ā / ab and ē / ex both of which can, at times, have the same translation as ‘from’?

Camera

Tertia hōra est: discipulī cameram intrant, ad sellās eunt, cōnsīdunt. Nunc magister etiam intrat et omnēs ex sellīs surgunt et exclāmant: "Salvē, ō magister!"

Ille crētam ā mēnsā sūmit et sententiās scrībit. Tum cōnsīdit et "Recitāte," inquit, "omnēs."

Discipulī ex tabulā recitant. Deinde magister "Tū, Mārce!" inquit, "ad tabulam ī et eam extergē!"

Mārcus ā sellā ad tabulam it, prope tabulam stat, tabulam exterget; tum ā tabulā ad sellam redit. Quīntus et Titus ā sellīs ad fenestrās eunt, fenestrās aperiunt, ā fenestrīs ad sellās redeunt.

Magister, "Aperīte," inquit, "librōs! Tu, Sexte, ex librō recitā."

Sextus autem respondet: "Nūllum librum hīc habeō: extrā enim cameram est."

Magister, "Ī igitur," inquit, "ex camerā et librum tuum pete!"

Sextus ex camerā exit, librum petit, in cameram redit, ex librō recitat. Omnēs nunc ex librīs recitant. Ūnus autem ex discipulīs Gallus est; ex Galliā venit neque Anglicam linguam intellegit: sed Latīnās sententiās bene recitāre potest.

Post lūdum magister ā mēnsā abit et ex camerā exit. Tum discipulī ā sellīs abeunt, ē lūdō exeunt, per campum currunt, domum redeunt.

[1] Respondē:

1. Unde surgitis? (sellae)
2. Unde magister crētam sumit? (mēnsa)
3. Unde discipulī recitant? (tabula)
4. Quō Mārcus it? (tabula)
5. Quō Quīntus et Titus eunt? (fenestrae)
6. Unde abeunt? (fenestrae)
7. Unde Sextus recitat? (liber)
8. Unde Gallus venit? Germānus? Hispānus? Ītalus?
9. Quō īs, cum tertia hōra est? (lūdus)
10. Unde post lūdum puerī exeunt? (campus)
11. Quō redeunt?

[2] ablative case; find the Latin:

[a]

1. Go out of the room!
2. They go out of school.
3. He comes from Gaul.
4. He recites from (out of) the book.
5. They recite from the books.
6. They get up from (out of) (their) seats.
7. one of the pupils (literally: one out of the pupils)

[b]

1. The teacher goes away from the table.
2. The teacher takes the chalk from the table.
3. Marcus goes (away) from (his) seat.
4. Quintus and Sextus go away from (their) seats.
5. They go back (away) from the windows.

[3] accusative case; find the Latin:

1. Go to the board!
2. He goes back to (his) seat.
3. They go to their seats.
4. They go to the windows.
5. He stands near the blackboard.
6. It’s outside the room.
7. He comes back into the room.
8. after school
9. They run through the field.
10. They go back home.

08.05.25: Level 2; topic; Mankind; the human body; accident and illness [7]

Complete Comenius’ descriptions of the functions of the five senses by including the words from the box below. Most of these you already know or can easily work out.

Sunt quīnque externī ______; │There are five outward senses;

Oculus videt ______ quid album vel ______, ______ vel caeruleum, rubrum aut ______, sit. │ The eye sees colours, what is white or black, green or blue, red or yellow.

Auris audit ______ tum nātūrālēs, ______ et ______, tum artificiālēs, ______ mūsicōs. │ The ear hears sounds both natural, voices and words, and artificial, musical tunes.

Nāsus ______ ______ et fētōrēs. │ The nose scents smells and stinks.

Lingua cum palātō ______ sapōrēs quid ______ aut amārum, ācre aut ______, acerbum aut ______, sit. │ The tongue with the roof of the mouth tastes flavours, what is sweet or bitter, keen or biting, sour or harsh.

Manus ______ tangendō rērum quantitātem et quālitātem: │ The hand by touching distinguishes the quantity and quality of things:

calidum et ______, │ the hot and cold,

______ et siccum, │ the moist and dry,

______ et molle, │ the hard and soft,

laeve et asperum, │ the smooth and rough,

______ et leve. │ the heavy and light.

acidum; asperum; ātrum; austērum; colōrēs; dignōscit; dulce; dūrum; frīgidum; grave; gustat; hūmidum; lūteum; odōrēs; olfacit; sēnsūs; sonōs; tonōs; verba; viride; vōcēs

07.05.25: Level 1; readings [6] - [11]: review (18); verbs; esse

If you are a non-native learner of, for example, French – or, indeed, English, you may be familiar with the term “irregular” verb; these are verbs which do not follow the normal pattern of endings, for example:

I work – I worked; I play – I played; I jump – I jumped

but:

I swim – I swam; I see – I saw; I sing – I sang; note: at the risk of being pedantic, these verbs are technically not irregular but, as in German, strong verbs that undergo a vowel change. However, most books teaching English refer to them as irregular which is an easier way to deal with them.

Latin has very few irregular verbs but, as in English, French and German, the verb ‘to be’ is completely irregular. Latin, however, is far more user-friendly since it retains personal endings, including -m which is also an indicator of the first person singular and will come up again later when dealing with other verbs and tenses:

esse │ to be

sum │ I am

es │ you (singular) are

est │ he / she / it is; note: est can stand alone as the equivalent of English there is i.e. indicating the existence of something

sumus │ we are

estis │ you (plural)

sunt │ they are; note again that, like est, sunt can translate as there are

06.05.25: Level 3; Beasts in Egypt and Libya [4]; The Winged Serpents and the Ibis; ablative of separation

Translate into English:

Ineunte vēre in Aegyptum advolant volucrēs serpentēs. Ibidēs autem avēs illīs occurrentēs, aditū prohibent, necantque serpentēs. Ob hanc causam magnī aestimantur ībidēs ab Aegyptiīs. Speciēs autem ībidis tālis est; colōre nigrō avis est, pedibus gruis, rōstrō aduncō. Serpentum fōrma similis est fōrmae hydrārum. Ālās habent nōn pennātās, sed vespertīliōnis ālīs similēs.

Vocabulary

aditus, -ūs [4/m]: approach

aduncus, -a, -um: hooked, bent, curved

aestimō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]: value, rate, consider, judge

āla, -ae [1/f]: wing

grūs, gruis [3m/f]: crane (species of bird)

hydra, -ae [1/f]: water-snake; in Greek mythology, the hydra refers to a many-headed serpent and it is the second labour of Hercules to kill the Learnaean Hydra

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

occurrō, -ere, occurrī [3]: (+ dative): (go to) meet; resist, oppose

rostrum, -ī [2/m]: beak

vespertīliō, vespertīliōnis [3/m]: bat

volucer, volucris, volucre: winged

Notes

[1] ablative absolute: present active participle + noun

iniēns, ineuntis: present active participle < ineō, inīre, inī(v)ī: [i] enter; [ii] (here) begin / make a beginning

ineunte vēre │ with spring beginning = at the beginning / commencement of spring

[2] ablative of separation

The ablative is used when x is “separated” from y, that separation being physical or abstract, positive or negative. Some verbs use a preposition with this construction and others do not or there is inconsistency in use of a preposition. The focus, however, should be on recognising the idea of separation which is already conveyed in the verbs themselves.

[i] hostēs ¦ [ii] fīnibus prohibuērunt │ They kept [i] the enemy ¦ [ii] from (their) borders.

[i] praedōnēs ¦ [ii] ab īnsulā prohibuit │ He kept [i] the pirates ¦ [ii] from the island.

[i] urbem ¦ [ii] ā tyrannō  līberāvērunt │ They freed [i] the city ¦ [ii] from the tyrant.

[i] liberāmur ¦ mortis [ii] mētū │ [i] We are freed [ii] from the fear of death.

There is more to the ablative of separation than has been discussed here and it will be looked again when all forms of the ablative are reviewed. However, this is enough to explain the sentence from the text:

aditū prohibent │ they prevent (their) approach i.e. they prevent (the birds) from approaching

[3] dative usage

[i] with compound verbs:

occurrō, -ere, occurrī [3]: (+ dative): (go to) meet; resist, oppose

ibidēs autem avēs illīs [dative] occurrentēs … │ the ibises, however, going to meet / opposing them … 

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/130425-level-3-verbs-with-dative-case-1.html

or

https://adckl2.blogspot.com/2025/02/level-3-verbs-with-dative-case-1.html

[ii] … fōrma similis est fōrmae hydrārum │ the shape … is similar to the shape of water-snakes

[4] genitive of value

magnī [genitive] aestimantur ībidēs │ the ibises are highly / greatly valued

The genitive case can be used to convey value or worth, but in an indefinite rather than an actual price. The extent of the “value” is expressed by an adjective in the genitive case although, as the quotation from Catullus illustrates, it can also be a noun

magnī aestimō sapientiam │I value his wisdom highly

suōs parvī fēcit │ he considered his (own men) to be of little (value)

floccus, -ī [2/m]: wisp / tuft of wool > Nōn ego tē floccī faciō; nē mē territēs (Plautus) │ I don't care a straw for you; don't be bullying me.

Plūris aestimō beneficium quam iniūriam (Seneca) │ I  reckon a benefit at a higher rate than an injury.

Catullus:

Vivamus, mea Lesbia, atque amemus, │ let us live, my Lesbia, and let us love

rumoresque senum severiorum │ and the rumours of rather stern old men

omnes unius aestimemus assis! │ let us value them all at one penny

____________________

At the commencement of spring winged serpents fly to Egypt. But the ibis birds going to meet / opposing them, prevent (their) approach, and kill the serpents. For this reason they are highly valued by the Egyptians. The appearance of the ibis is as follows; it is a bird of a black colour, with the claws of a crane, and a curved beak. The shape of the snakes resembles the shape of water snakes. They do not have feathered wings but similar to the wings of a bat.

05.05.25: Level 2; topic; Mankind; the human body; accident and illness [6]: Comenius XXXIX (1658); the Head and the Hand / Caput et Manus [2]

[iv] a man’s chin is covered with a beard, 14. and the eye (in which is the white and the apple)* with eye-lids, and an eye-brow, 15.│mentum virīle tegitur barbā, 14. oculus vērō (in quō albūgō & pūpilla) palpæbrīs,** & superciliō, 15.

*pupil (0f the eye)

**palpebrīs

[v] the hand being closed is a fist, 17. being open is a palm, 18. in the midst, is the hollow, 19. of the hand. the extremity is the thumb, 20. with four fingers, the fore-finger, 21. the middle-finger, 22. the ring-finger, 23. and the little-finger, 24. │ manus contracta, pugnus, 17. est aperta, palma, 18. in mediō vola, 19. extrēmitās, pollex, 20. cum quat(t)uor digitīs, indice, 21. mediō, 22. annulārī, 23. & auriculārī, 24.

[vi] In every one are three joynts, a. b. c. and as many knuckles, d. e. f. with a Nail, 25. │ In quōlibet sunt
articulī trēs, a. b. c. & totidem Condylī, d. e. f. cum Ungue, 25.

vocabulary

virilis, -e [3]: manly, masculine

tegō, -ere, tēxī, tēctus [3]: [i] cover, clothe; [ii] conceal; protect

passive: mentum virile tegitur barbā │ a man’s chin is covered by a beard

albūgō, albūginis [3/f]: interesting that this is used to refer to the white of the eye because several dictionaries define it specifically as a disease of the eye (leucoma) or a white spot on the eye but, unsurprisingly in a work from the 17^th century, there are at times different interpretations of words

contrahō, -ere, -trāxī, -tractus [3]: draw together

aperiō, -īre, aperuī, apertus [4]: open

perfect passive participles used as adjectives:

manus contracta │ a closed hand; a hand (that has been) closed

manus aperta │ an open(ed) hand; a hand (that has been) opened

quī¦libet, quaelibet, quodlibet: anyone; whatever, whichever, no matter, what you please; any whatever i.e. (from the text) the same number of joints in any of the fingers

totidem (indeclinable): just as many

[a] vocabulary from [iv], [v] and [vi]: fill in the blanks with the genitive singular endings listed below; some of the endings are used several times

articulus, articul__ [2/m]: joint (a point connecting different body parts)

condylus, condyl__ [2/m]: knuckle

palma, palm__ [1/f]: palm (of the hand); also used to refer to the tree

palpebra, palpebr__ [1/f]: eye-lid

pollex, poll__is [3/m]: thumb; big toe

pugnus, pugn__ [2/m]: fist

pūpilla, pūpill __ [1/f]: pupil (of the eye)

supercilium, supercili__ [2/n]: eyebrow

unguis, ungu__ [3/m]: finger nail; toe nail

vola, vol__ [1/f]: the “hollow” of the hand; palm

-ae; -ī; -ic-; -is

[b]

[i] pollex, pollicis [3/m]: thumb

[ii] index, indicis [3m/f]: index finger; the English noun still retains the Latin plural i.e. indices

also: digitus salūtāris from salūs, salūtis [3/f]: [i] safety; security, [ii] greeting; reason for its use is unclear, one suggestion being that the finger was used in some style of greeting

[iii] digitus medius: middle finger

[iv] digitus annulāris (Mediaeval) from CL ānulāris, -e: relating to the signet-ring < ānulus, -ī [2/m]: (signet) ring

[v] Good advice from 17^th century health care professionals …

digitus auriculāris: Why is it called the ear finger?

The term was once used by anatomists to refer to the fifth finger i.e. the ‘pinky’ or ‘little finger’

quintus auricularis, quia cum minimum sit, auribus expurgandis est aptissimus │ the fifth (finger, called) auricularis, because of how small it is, is most suitable to clean the ears

Vanheyen: Corporis Humani Anatomiae Liber Primus (1693)

https://www.clinicalanatomy.c  om/mtd/573-digitus-auricularis

[c] Explain the origin of these English derivatives: