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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Latin Lesson #193: 4th-Conjugation Verb Review

The focus for today's lesson is the 4th — and final — conjugation. These verbs have i (long i: ī) as the theme vowel. You don't notice that in the active or imperative forms, but it is important for the passive and infinitive forms, where the stress is on the theme vowel:

• audi: hear! (audi)
• audit: hears (audit)
• auditur: is heard (au-DI-tur)
• audire: to hear (au-DI-re)

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

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Sic itur ad astra.
So it-is-gone to the stars.
sic itur ad astra.

The word itur is the passive form of the verb it. This is different from the passive verbs you have seen before: instead of turning the object of the active verb into the subject of the passive verb, this is an impersonal construction without a subject. I have translate it as "it is gone," but that really doesn't make much sense in English, right? Another way to translate this would be: "one goes."

The word astra here is a form we haven't work on yet: it is a neuter plural! The neuter singular is astrum. (So, yes, this is how Latin datum becomes plural data, giving us the word "data" in English.) The case is accusative with the preposition ad, meaning "towards (the) stars," ad astra.

This was the personal slogan of Jean-Pierre Blanchard, the 18th-century pioneer of gas balloon flight.


2. Abi in malam crucem.
Go-away to (the) bad cross.
abi in malam crucem.

The word abi, "go away!" from the verb abit, "goes away." This is a compound verb: ab-it, "away-goes."

The word crucem is the accusative form of feminine noun crux, and the accusative feminine malam agrees with the noun. The noun phrase is in the accusative case with the preposition in, meaning "to, towards," expressing the direction of the motion. 

This is a very Roman insult; the cross here is the cross used to crucify criminals, a distinctive Roman form of punishment. You can find it used in the plays of the Roman playwright Plautus (c. 254 – 184 BCE).


3. Cineri gloria sera venit.
Glory comes late to (the) ash(es).
CI-neri GLO-ria sera venit.

You know all the words in this saying!

The subject is gloria, and the adjective sera agrees with gloria, although here it is being used like an adverb — When does the glory come? Glory comes late.

The word cineri is the dative form of the noun cinis, referring literally to "ash" and metaphorically to cremation ashes, i.e. a dead person.

The idea is that when glory comes only after you are dead, it has come too late for you to enjoy it.

These words appear in the epigrams of the Roman poet Martial.


4. Perditum non redit tempus.
Lost time doesn't return.
PER-ditum non redit tempus.

The word redit, "returns," is another compound form: re+it, "back-comes," i.e. "comes back, returns." The letter "d" is inserted between the two vowels: re-d-it.

The word perditum, "lost," is a neuter adjective agreeing with the neuter noun tempus. You haven't seen this adjective before, but you have seen the related verb: perdit.

We speak about "lost time" in the same way as Latin does here. You can find these words in the writings of Thomas a Kempis.


5. Semel in anno licet insanire.
(It's) permitted to-go-crazy once in (a) year.
semel in anno licet insa-NI-re.

The word insanire, "to go crazy," is the infinitive form of the verb insanit. You haven't seen this verb before, but you have seen the related adjective insanus. The phrase used here is like English "go wild" or "go crazy."

The verb licet, "it is permitted," takes an infinitive complement. Technically speaking, the infinitive is the subject of the verb: "Going crazy is permitted."

The word anno is the ablative form of the noun annus, "year," used here with the preposition in. You haven't seen this noun before, but you've seen a related adjective: annosa.

Here's a recap:

• Sic itur ad astra.
• Abi in malam crucem.
• Cineri gloria sera venit.
• Perditum non redit tempus.
• Semel in anno licet insanire.

And here is today's audio:



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Week 61 Vocabulary Review

This week the quiz-slideshow focuses the 3rd conjugation forms you have been reviewing this week, so you will see some present active and passive 3rd-conjugation verbs, plus infinitives and imperatives. 

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 61 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 #192: 3nd Conjugation, cont.

The focus for today's lesson is one more set of sayings featuring the 3rd-conjugation verb forms you have seen so far: the present active, -it, and present passive, -itur, forms, along with the imperative -e form, and the infinitive, -ere.

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

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Alit lectio ingenium.
Reading nourishes genius.
alit LEC-tio in-GEN-ium.

The word lectio, "reading," is new to you, but you have seen the verb that it comes from: legit. You can see Latin lectio in the English word "lectionary."

The word ingenium is the accusative form of ingenium (remember: neuter nouns have identical nominative and accusative forms), and it is the object of the verb, alit.

The saying comes from a letter by the Roman philosopher Seneca.

2. Disce parvo esse contentus.
Learn to be satisfied with-little.
disce parvo esse con-TEN-tus.

The adjective contentus gives us "content," and it takes an ablative complement. The word parvo is the ablative form of parvum, so parvo contentus means "content with a little."

The word disce is an imperative, and it takes an infinitive complement: esse, which is the infinitive of the verb est.

These words come from Seneca also!


3. Diluculo surgere saluberrimum est.
It's healthiest to-get-up at-dawn.
di-LU-culo SUR-gere salu-BER-rimum est.

The word diluculo is the ablative form of the word diluculum, "dawn, daybreak." This is a new word, but you know the root noun: lux.

The word saluberrimum means "the most healthy," and it can also be translated "very healthy, extremely healthy." You haven't seen this word before, but you have seen the root noun: salus.

The word surgere is the infinitive of the verb surgit. That's why there is a neuter adjective here; infinitives are like neuter nouns, so the neuter adjective saluberrimum agrees with the infinitive, surgere.

An abbreviated version of this saying is quoted by Sir Toby in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.


4. Mens alitur discendo et cogitando.
(The) mind is-nourished by-learning and by-thinking.
mens A-litur dis-CEN-do et cogi-TAN-do.

The word alitur is the passive form of the verb alit.

The word discendo is the ablative form of discendum, and the word cogitando is the ablative form of cogitandum, "thinking." You haven't seen this word before, but you have seen the root verb: cogitat.

These words come from the Roman statesman and philosopher, Cicero, and the meaning is very similar to the alit saying above: Alit lectio ingenium.

5. Nil melius laetam quam semper ducere vitam.
Nothing (is) better than always to-lead (a) happy life.
nil ME-lius laetam quam semper DU-cere vitam.

The word vitam is the accusative form of vita, and it is the object of the infinitive ducere. The word laetam is the accusative form of the feminine adjective laeta, "happy," agreeing with the feminine noun vitam. You haven't seen this adjective before, but you have seen a related noun: laetitia.

The word melius is a neuter adjective, agreeing with the neuter noun nil. It is a comparative adjective, and quam explains the comparison: nil est melius quam, "nothing is better than..."

This is a medieval saying, as you can see from the near-rhyme: laetam... vitam...


Here's a recap:

• Alit lectio ingenium.
• Disce parvo esse contentus.
• Diluculo surgere saluberrimum est.
• Mens alitur discendo et cogitando.
• Nil melius laetam quam semper ducere vitam.

And here is today's audio:



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