Latin Lesson #198: More -eo verbs

The focus for today's lesson is more practice with the 1st-person form of 2nd-conjugation verbs, the ones ending in -eo. 

And here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before; you know all the words in today's sayings except for just two:

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Maneo nemini.
I-wait for-no-one.
MA-neo NE-mini.

The word maneo is the 1st-person form of the verb manet.

The "I" of this saying is... a sundial or a watch, speaking on behalf of time itself. This was an inscription often found on sundials. Time waits for no one! Here's a sundial with Maneo nemini and also Carpe diem, which is also good advice with regard to time.

2. Anguillam cauda teneo.
I've-got the-eel by-the-tail.
an-GUIL-lam cauda TE-neo.

The word teneo is the 1st-person form of the verb tenet.
The word anguillam is the accusative form of anguilla, "eel." It's in the accusative case because it's the object of the verb.

The word cauda (caudā) is the ablative form of the noun cauda: "(by the) tail." Latin often uses an ablative where English has to use a prepositional phrase or an adverb.

The idea, of course, is that an eel is very slippery: you may think you have got hold of it, but it's probably going to wriggle right out of your hands. 

3. Non timeo, sed caveo.
I-fear not, but I'm-cautious.
non TI-meo, sed CA-veo.

The word timeo is the 1st-person form of the verb timet, and the word caveo is the 1st-person form of the verb cavet.
This is a motto of Clan Strachan in Scotland.

4. Timeo naufragus omne fretum.
Having-been-shipwrecked, I-fear every strait.
TI-meo NAU-fragus omne fretum.

The word fretum is in the accusative case (remember: neuter nouns look the same in the nominative and accusative cases), so it is the object of the verb. The neuter adjective omne agrees with fretum. Literally, fretum refers to a strait, but it can also be used metaphorically to refer to the sea, so you could also translate this as "A shipwrecked man, I fear every sea."

The word naufragus is in the nominative case, which means it modifies the subject of the verb: "I, a shipwrecked man, am afraid..."
The words come from a poem by the Roman poet Ovid.


5. Nec habeo, nec careo, nec curo.
I-have not, I-lack not, I-worry not.
nec HA-beo, nec CA-reo, nec curo.

The word habeo is the 1st-person form of the verb habet, and the word careo, "I lack," is the 1st-person form of the verb caret, which is new verb you have not seen before. But caret has been adopted as a word in English, "caret." A caret looks like a little pointing arrow at the bottom of a line of writing — ‸ — and it's used by editors and proofreaders to indicate that something is missing: caret! "something's missing!"

The word curo is the 1st-person form of the verb curat, which is a 1st-conjugation verb, not 2nd.

As always with multiple nec, you have the option of translating it with "neither... nor..." in English. This time, you have a triple nec, so that would be "neither... nor... nor..." — "I neither have, nor do I lack, nor do I care."

This saying was used as the title of a book by the 17th-century writer and satirist George Wither.

Here's a recap:

• Maneo nemini.
• Anguillam cauda teneo.
• Non timeo, sed caveo.
• Timeo naufragus omne fretum.
• Nec habeo, nec careo, nec curo.

And here is today's audio:



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Latin Lesson #197: 2nd-conjugation -eo

The focus for today's lesson is the 1st-person form of the 2nd-conjugation verbs. Since the theme vowel of the 2nd-conjugation is -e-, you won't be surprised that the ending is -eo. So, for example, the verb habeo means "I have." 

Just like last week, these 1st-person forms are found in Latin mottos, so you'll see some heraldry, bookplates, etc. below.

Remember that this 1st-person form is how you look up words in the Latin dictionary, so this is what the entry for habeo looks like:

 
So, now you know the 1st-person form for the 1st conjugation, amo (infinitive: amare), and also the 1st-person form for the 2nd conjugation, habeo (infinitive habere).

And here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before; you know almost all of today's words already:

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Nil timeo.
I-fear nothing.
nil TI-meo.

The word timeo is the 1st-person form of the verb timet.

The word nil is the accusative form of nil (remember: neuter nouns and adjectives have the same form in the nominative and the accusative), and it is the object of the verb.

Some heraldry featuring this saying:

2. Sic fidem teneo.
Thus I-keep the-faith.
sic fidem TE-neo.

The word teneo is the 1st-person form of the verb tenet. 

The word fidem is the accusative form of the noun fides, and it's the object of the verb.

I found an image of this motto being used in Masonic heraldry in the Cornish town of Bodim, England:

3. Irrideo tempestatem.
I-scoff at-the-storm.
ir-RI-deo tempes-TA-tem.

The word irrideo, "I scoff," is the 1st-person form of the verb irridet. You haven't seen this verb before, but you have seen the root verb: ridet.

The word tempestatem is the accusative form of the word tempestas; it's the object of the verb.
I found this one used in a bookplate, paired with the image of a tree that can stand tall in a storm:

4. Nec timeo, nec tumeo.
I-fear not, nor do-I-boast.
nec TI-meo, nec TU-meo.

The word tumeo, "I swell up; I boast," is the 1st-person form of the verb tumet. This same root shows up in English "tumor."

The word nec literally means "and not," but when used in a pair like this, nec... nec..., it can mean "not... nor..." or "neither... nor..." 
So this saying could also be translated as "I neither fear, nor do I boast."

As you can see, the force of this saying depends on the sound-play between the words timeo and tumeo. They are completely unrelated, but they sure sound good together!

More heraldry:

5. Recte faciendo neminem timeo.
By-acting rightly, I-fear no-one.
recte faci-EN-do NE-minem TI-meo.

The word faciendo is the ablative form of the verbal noun faciendum, "doing, acting." You haven't seen this word before, but you know the verb that it comes from: facit.

The word neminem is the accusative form of nemo, and it is the object of the verb.
This one I found used as a military motto:

Here's a recap:

• Nil timeo. 
• Sic fidem teneo. 
• Irrideo tempestatem. 
• Nec timeo, nec tumeo. 
• Recte faciendo neminem timeo.

And here is today's audio:



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Week 63 Vocabulary Review

This week the quiz-slideshow focuses on infinitives! The -are and -ire forms are easy to recognize as the 1st and 4th declensions, but the -ere infinitives are tricky: they can be the 2nd declension (long e, so accented on the ending, like habere: hab-ERE) or 3rd declension (short e, so accented on the stem, like capere: CAP-ere). You can use the pronunciation guide on the slides to help you figure out which is which! And don't forget about the irregular infinitive of the verb "to be," esse.

Using the quiz-slideshow, you can check yourself by looking at the cat slide that follows the slide with the missing word(s). You can also begin at the end and work backwards, giving yourself a different kind of quiz: seeing the slide without English and trying to supply the English, checking your answer on the next slide, reviewing with the cat slide, and then seeing if you can fill in the blank.

Plus don't forget: on the slides that contain the English translation, the English is linked to the original blog post if you want some help in understanding the grammar of the saying.

Here is a link to the full-size quiz-show, and the show is embedded in the blog post here too: 

If you want to do even more reviewing (you cannot review too much!), here are the vocabulary review slideshows from previous weeks.

And here is the Week 63 Crossword for you to download and print. Screenshots:

And... here's a random cat (with a new cat when you reload the page):

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Latin Lesson #196: More 1st-conjugation 1st-person

The focus for today's lesson is more practice with those 1st-conjugation verbs and the -o ending for the "I" forms. You know almost all of the words today, like the verbs: amo, "I love," spero, "I hope," vigilo, "I keep watch, stay awake," and exspecto, "I await, expect." You also have one new verb: reformido, "I fear." The Latin root of that verb also appears in the English "formidable."

Because these 1st-person sayings are so commonly found in heraldry, I have some fun art to share today, in addition to the usual LOLcats.

And here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before:

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Pacem amo.
I-love peace.
pacem amo.

You already know the words in this saying!

The word pacem is the accusative form of the noun pax, and it is object of the verb, amo.
This is a popular motto, and you can see in all kinds of heraldry, including here in this brewery sign in the England, together with a unicorn:

2. Spe exspecto.
I-await with-hope.
spe ex-SPEC-to.

You also know both of these words!
The word spe is the ablative form of spes, which can mean "with hope, "in hope," etc.

The words spe and exspecto are not related, as the word exspecto has as its root, "spec-," "seeing, watching," as in "spectator," but this saying plays nicely on the similarity in sound between them.


3. Vigilo et spero.
I-keep-watch and I-hope.
VI-gi-lo et spero.

These words are also familiar from before, and this is another popular family motto, appearing in heraldic emblems, as in this Potts family emblem:

4. Supra spem spero.
I-hope beyond hope.
supra spem spero.

And you know all the words in this saying too! 

The word spem is the accusative form of the noun spes, used here with the preposition supra.

The family motto is inspired by the Biblical Letter to the Romans, although the Vulgate text reads contra spem in spem, "against hope into hope."
Here you can see that motto on a Victorian watch:

5. Pacis nomine bellum involutum reformido.
I-fear war rolled-up-in in-the-name of-peace.
pacis NO-mi-ne bellum in-vo-LU-tum re-FOR-mi-do.

There are two new words in this saying. The verb reformido means "I fear," and it's a 1st-conjugation verb, so the infinitive is reformidare.
The word bellum is the accusative form of the neuter noun bellum: "I fear war." The adjective involutum, "wrapped up in," is new, but you know the root verb that it comes from: volvit. This can mean something literally wrapped up in something, but it can also be used metaphorically as in the English word "involve" which comes from this Latin root.

As often with a passive participle like involutum there is an ablative complement: nomine, the ablative form of nomen. So, this is not just about any kind of war, but a war wrapped up "in the name" ... and what name? The name of peace: nomine pacis. The word pacis is the genitive singular of pax.

The words come a speech by the Roman politician Cicero in which, after the assassination of Julius Caesar, Cicero denounced Mark Antony; these are the so-called Philippics.

Here's a recap:

• Pacem amo.
• Spe exspecto.
• Vigilo et spero.
• Supra spem spero.
• Pacis nomine bellum involutum reformido.

And here is today's audio:



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Latin Lesson #195: 1st-person 1st-conjugation

Now that you have had lots of practice with the 3rd-person (she, he, it) forms of the verbs, it's time to learn the 1st-person forms. The vast majority of the verbs you will encounter in Latin will be 3rd-person forms, but the 1st-person form is also the dictionary form! So whenever you are using the wiktionary or other Latin dictionary, you will see the 1st-person form of the verb listed first, followed by the infinitive. So, that's very useful!

Here is how the 1st-person form works for the 1st-conjugation verbs: the 1st-person form just ends in o! For example:
spero: I hope

The stem is sper- and -o is the ending. 

Next in the dictionary comes comes the infinitive, which has -are as the ending:
sperare: to hope.

You can see how that works at the wiktionary: spero. (Click on the link to find out more.) First comes spero, and then sperare; then comes the perfect form and the supine, which you will learn more about later. Based on the 1st-person form and the infinitive, you can be sure this is a 1st-conjugation verb, but the dictionary also provides that information for you.

All the sayings for today feature 1st-person forms of 1st-conjugation verbs, and here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before:

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Aspiro.
I-aspire.
a-SPI-ro.

The verb aspiro, "I desire, aspire," is the 1st-person form of the verb aspirat; the infinitive is aspirare. It is a compound verb: ad+spirat, "breathes in, breathes at," with many metaphorical meanings based on this literal, physical meaning. You can see the range of meaning at the Logeion Latin dictionary online. This range of meaning is why in English "aspiration" can have the sense of "hope, desire," but can also have the physical meaning of breathing, as when you pronounce aspirated consonants.

For the uncompounded form of this verb, see #3 below.

This is the motto of the Curry family. Many of these 1st-person Latin sayings are mottos. Maybe as we work on all these 1st-person sayings in the coming lessons, you will find a Latin motto you want to adopt as your own motto, or perhaps you will be inspired to compose one of your own.


2. Lucem spero.
I-hope-for the-light.
lucem spero.

The verb spero is the 1st-person form of the verb sperat; the infinitive is sperare. You haven't seen this verb before, but you know the root noun: spes. 

The word lucem is the accusative form of the noun lux, and it is the object of the verb.
You can also find this in a longer form: Post tenebras, spero lucem, "After the darkness, I hope for the light."


3. Dum spiro, spero.
While I-breathe, I-hope.
dum spiro, spero.

The verb spiro, "I breathe," is the 1st-person form of the verb spirat; the infinitive is spirare.

As you can see, this Latin saying depends on word-play between spiro and spero. The words are not linguistically related, but their similar sounds makes it seem as if they must have something to do with each other! The verb spiro is related to spiritus, "spirit," while the verb spero is related to spes, "hope."

This saying is quite famous and has a Wikipedia article of its own; it is motto of the state of South Carolina.

Notice how you can see Spes embodied as a goddess. The other Latin phrase, animis opibusque parati, means "(we are) ready with our minds and resources."

4. Non nimium curo.
(I) don't care overmuch.
non NI-mium curo.

The verb curo is the 1st-person form of the verb curat; the infinitive is curare. 

The word nimium is a neuter adjective which is being used adverbially, as often happens with neuter adjectives in Latin.

You can find this phrase used by the poet Martial. Compare the English cliche, "I couldn't care less."

5. Vento navigo meo.
I-sail by-my-own wind.
vento NA-vigo meo.

The verb navigo is the 1st-person form of the verb navigat; the infinitive is navigare. The root of this verb is the noun navis, "ship."
The noun phrase, vento meo, wraps around the verb, and it is in the ablative case. You haven't seen the masculine form of this adjective before, but you have seen the feminine form: mea.

The idea is that you do not depend on some casual, external wind; you can propel yourself by means of your own wind.


Here's a recap:

• Aspiro.
• Lucem spero.
• Dum spiro, spero.
• Non nimium curo.
• Vento navigo meo.

And here is today's audio:



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Week 62 Catch-up Day

Below is this week's catch-up post to help you review any lesson(s) you missed over the past two weeks of lessons and/or to work on whatever kind of practice is most useful to you as you review the 3rd and 4th conjugation verbs:

1. 191: 3nd-Conjugation Verb Review
2. 192: 3nd Conjugation, cont.
3. 193: 4th-Conjugation Verb Review
4. 194: 4th Conjugation, cont.

And this is the slideshow with all the sayings from the week. You can read out loud, first with the English to remind you of the vocabulary... and then read out loud again with the cat!

I also made a printable crossword PDF as usual, focusing on the verb forms; screenshots below. 

And here's a random cat:

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Latin Lesson #194: Fourth Conjugation, cont.

The focus for today's lesson is more practice with 4th-conjugation verb forms: those present-tense forms in -it, passive forms in -itur, plus the imperative in -i and the infinitive in -ire.

Here's a comparison of the four conjugations since you have now had a chance to review them all!

1: amat	2: habet	3: capit	4: audit
amatur	habetur	capitur	auditur
amare	habere	capere	audire
ama!	habe!	cape!	audi!

It's the 3rd conjugation that is the sneakiest: because its theme vowel is a short i, it sometimes looks like the 4th conjugation (capit, capitur) and it sometimes looks like the 2nd conjugation (capere, cape!), but it is different than both of them: the 3rd conjugation vowels are short, which is why the stress is different too: haBEre but CApere, and auDItur but CApitur.

And don't worry: you'll get used to it all after a while, especially because those 3rd-conjugation verbs are the most common. The key is to read out loud every time you are working on Latin, and your ears will learn which verb is which!

And here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before... and you've seen most of the words before!

And here are today's proverbs:

1. I, piger, ad formicam.
Go, lazy (person), to (the) ant.
i, piger, ad for-MI-cam.

The word i is the imperative form of it.

The word formicam is the accusative form of formica with the preposition ad.

The idea is that the ant is a proverbial hard worker, and you've seen a variation of this saying before: Vade ad formicam, o piger!


2. Sic transit gloria mundi.
Thus passes (the) glory of-the-world.
sic transit GLO-ria mundi.

The word mundi is the genitive form of the word mundus, so the phrase gloria mundi means "glory of the world." 

This Latin phrase is so famous that it has its own Wikipedia article, which explains the use of the phrase during the crowning of a new pope starting back in the early 15th century and continuing all the way up until 1963.  


3. Nullum infortunium venit solum.
No misfortune comes alone.
nullum infor-TU-nium venit solum.

The word infortunium, "misfortune," is new, but you know the root word: fortuna.

Compare the English saying: "Troubles never come singly."


4. Potest ex casa vir magnus exire.
(A) great man can emerge from (a) hut.
potest ex casa vir magnus ex-I-re.

The word exire, "to go out, come out, emerge," is the infinitive of the verb exit, a compound: ex+it.
The word casa is the ablative form (casā) of casa, which is a "hut" or "cottage." 

The idea is that a great man can come from humble beginnings.

Of course, this Latin word went on to enjoy a long life in the Romance languages, where casa became the standard word for "house," not just a lowly "hut" or "cottage."


5. Arguendo et disputando veritas invenitur.
(The) truth can-be-found by-arguing and by-discussing.
argu-EN-do et dispu-TAN-do VE-ritas inve-NI-tur.

The word arguendo is the ablative form of arguendum, a verbal noun from arguit, "argues," and disputando is the ablative form of disputandum, a verbal noun from disputat, "discusses."


Here's a recap:

• I, piger, ad formicam.
• Sic transit gloria mundi.
• Nullum infortunium venit solum.
• Potest ex casa vir magnus exire.
• Arguendo et disputando veritas invenitur.

And here is today's audio:



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