The genitive case is similar to "of" in English, but without using an extra word. Instead, you just change the form of the word, and it means "of" that word.
- vita = life. vitae = of-life.
You can actually see the remnants of the genitive case in the English apostrophe-s. The genitive ending in Old English was -es and over time it turned into apostrophe-s. The result is that in English was have a choice: we can use the genitive case with apostrophe-s OR we can use the preposition "of" — "Brenda's book" is the same as "the book of Brenda." In Latin, however, there is not a preposition that means "of" like there is in English; instead, you use the genitive case to express that idea in Latin.
Unlike the nominative nouns and adjectives that you have seen before, which stand on their own, the genitive word does not stand on its own. Instead, it is connected to some other word in the sentence, forming a phrase. For example, in the first saying today, you will see the phrase vitae sal, "the salt of-life" or "life's salt."
And remember: Latin word order is free! So sometimes the genitive word might come first in its phrase, but sometimes it might come second, as in CV, which stands for curriculum vitae, "the course of-life."
Tomorrow I'll have more to say about exactly how to put Latin words into the genitive case. For now, just focus on the idea that vitae means of-life. You will see vitae in each of today's sayings:
1. Vitae sal amicitia.
Friendship (is the) salt of-life / life's salt.
vitae sal ami-CI-tia
The noun vitae is the genitive form of vita, so it means "of life," and vitae sal means "salt of life." Compare the English phrase, "the spice of life."
The noun sal "salt" is related to the English word "salt" because both are from Indo-European séh₂ls. You also see the Latin root in English words like "salary" and "saline."
The noun amicitia, "friendship," is derived from amicus, "friend."
You can see this Latin saying inscribed on a building in Kyoto, Japan (!), along with several other famous Latin sayings.
2. Mors corona vitae.
Death (is the) crown of-life / life's crown.
mors co-RO-na vitae
2. Mors corona vitae.
Death (is the) crown of-life / life's crown.
mors co-RO-na vitae
You've seen the noun mors already in this saying: Aequa mors est.
The noun corona, "crown," actually gives us the word "crown" in English, along with "corona" and "coronation."
The phrase in this saying is corona vitae, "life's crown," with the genitive coming after the noun that it is modifying.
Compare the English phrase "a crowning achievement." The idea is that death is the crown, i.e. the crowning achievement, of life.
3. Senectus vitae hiems est.
Old age is (the) winter of-life / life's winter.
se-NEC-tus vitae hiems est
The noun senectus, "old age," is related to a word you have learned already, senex, which you saw in this saying: Bis puer est senex.
3. Senectus vitae hiems est.
Old age is (the) winter of-life / life's winter.
se-NEC-tus vitae hiems est
The noun senectus, "old age," is related to a word you have learned already, senex, which you saw in this saying: Bis puer est senex.
The noun hiems, "winter," is at the origin of the English word "hibernate" (via the Latin adjective hibernus). This word is also related to "Himalaya," because in Sanskrit the word for snow is hima, a cousin of Latin hiems (Sanskrit is an Indo-European language like both Latin and English.)
The phrase in this saying is "vitae hiems," "the winter of-life," with the genitive coming before the noun that it is modifying.
In this saying, a human life is mapped onto a calendar, with life beginning in spring, passing through summer and autumn, and then reading its ending in winter.
4. Historia magistra vitae.
History (is the) teacher of-life / life's teacher.
his-TO-ria ma-GIS-tra vitae
The noun historia gives us English "history," and the word goes back to Greek historia.
4. Historia magistra vitae.
History (is the) teacher of-life / life's teacher.
his-TO-ria ma-GIS-tra vitae
The noun historia gives us English "history," and the word goes back to Greek historia.
The noun magistra means "teacher," and it is feminine in form. That is because historia is a feminine noun. For the masculine form of "teacher," magister, see the next saying!
The phrase in this saying is magistra vitae, "life's teacher." The genitive comes second in the phrase.
The idea is that to live one's life in the present, you need to learn from life in the past, that is, from history. So, let history be your teacher!
5. Tempus est vitae magister.
Time (is the) teacher of-life.
tempus est vitae ma-GIS-ter
You've seen the noun tempus in several sayings already; for example: Tempus breve est.
5. Tempus est vitae magister.
Time (is the) teacher of-life.
tempus est vitae ma-GIS-ter
You've seen the noun tempus in several sayings already; for example: Tempus breve est.
The word magister, "teacher," is masculine, in contrast to magister, feminine. You've seen magister in several sayings already: Optimus magister bonus liber.
The phrase in this saying is vitae magister, "life's teacher." Compare the word order in the previous saying: magistra vitae. The word order is just a matter of style! It does not change the meaning.
So, the idea again is that as time goes by, you accumulate experiences, and you should learn from those experiences. Let time be your teacher!
Here's a recap:
And here is today's audio:
Plus the LOLCats!
Here's a recap:
- Vitae sal amicitia.
- Mors corona vitae.
- Senectus vitae hiems est.
- Historia magistra vitae.
- Tempus est vitae magister.
Plus the LOLCats!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are limited to Google accounts. You can also email me at laurakgibbs@gmail.com