Proverbs/Grammar ~ Grammar/Proverbs: Latin Lesson #64: More -am Accusative

The focus for today's lesson is practicing some more with the -am accusative nouns from the 1st declension. Just like yesterday, you will see a variety of word order patterns, sometimes subject-verb-object (like in English), but you'll also see verb-subject-object, object-subject-verb, and subject-object-verb. The freedom of word order is one of the most important features of Latin style! So, as you read each saying, analyze the word order to see the different patterns.

To prepare for today's sayings, here is a little slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before:

So, here are today's proverbs:

1. Amat victoria curam.
Victory loves carefulness.
amat vic-TO-ria curam.

The verb amat, "loves" is related to words you have seen before: the participle amans, "loving," and the adjective amabile, "lovable."

This saying expresses the same idea as yesterday's Cura dat victoriam. This time, however, victoria is the subject, personifying "victory" as if it were a person... a person who loves, amat, carefulness, curam.

2. Exceptio probat regulam.
(The) exception tests (the) rule.
ex-CEP-tio probat RE-gulam.

The 3rd-declension noun exceptio gives us English "exception."

The verb probat means "tests, demonstrates, approves," and this root gives us English "proof" and "prove," and also "probe."

The word regulam is the accusative of regula, "rule," which gives us English "rule" and also "regulate." The root of regula is the same that you have seen in the words rex (stem reg-), "king, ruler," and also regnum, "kingdom."

This Latin saying is the origin of the English saying: "The exception proves the rule." For details about this legal principle, see the wiktionary.

3. Minervam sus docet.
(The) pig is-teaching Minerva.
Mi-NER-vam sus docet.

The word Minervam is the accusative of Minerva, which is the Roman name of the goddess known as Athena in Greek, the goddess of wisdom and learning.

The 3rd-declension noun sus means "pig," and it is related to the English words "sow" and "swine." These words all come from the Indo-European root suH-.

The pig in this saying is a fool: there is nothing a pig could hope to teach Athena that the goddess of wisdom does not already know! If you are curious, you can listen to a discussion in Latin of this saying in this YouTube video: Sus Minervam.

4. Aquilam cornix provocat.
(The) crow provokes (the) eagle.
A-quilam cornix PRO-vocat.

The 3rd-declension noun cornix means "crow," specifically "she-crow."
The verb provocat gives us English "provoke" and "provocative." The Latin word is a compound: pro-vocat, "forth-call," i.e. "calls forth." You've seen the noun that gives the root of this verb: vox (stem voc-), "voice."

Like the previous saying, the idea here is that something absurd is happening: the crow might have a loud voice, but for a crow to squawk at a mighty bird like the eagle, provoking the eagle to a fight, is ridiculous.

5. Elephas muscam non curat.
(An) elephant doesn't worry (about) a fly.
E-lephas muscam non curat.

The 3rd-declension noun elephas gives us English "elephant." The -ph- is a clue that the word is of Greek origin, with "ph" being used to transliterate the Greek letter phi.

This saying takes up the same idea as the previous sayings, but from a different angle: a mighty animal like the elephant doesn't worry about something as small and unimportant as a fly.

Compare the English saying, "Don't sweat the small stuff."

Here's a recap: