Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Latin Lesson #85: 3rd-Declension Neuter Accusative

There's something new for today's lesson: the accusative form of 3rd-declension neuter nouns and adjectives. So far, you've seen masculine and feminine 3rd-declension accusatives which end in -em.

But what about 3rd-declension accusatives...? Do you remember the rule for neuter nouns and adjectives in Latin? In Latin, as also in English and in all the Indo-European languages, the neuter accusative is the same as the nominative form.

So, the neuter nouns and adjectives of the 3rd declension do not have a special ending for you to learn; instead, you get to just use the nominative form for the accusative!

To get ready, here is a little slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before:


And here are today's proverbs:

1. Finis coronat opus.
(The) end crowns (the) work.
Finis co-RO-nat opus.

You already know finis which is a 3rd-declension masculine noun; it's in the nominative case, so you know it's the subject of the sentence.
The verb coronat is new, but you already know the noun: corona, "crown."
Here's the 3rd-declension neuter noun, opus, "work." We use this word in the phrase magnum opus, literally, "a great work," or "masterpiece." The word could be in the nominative or accusative case; since finis is in the nominative case, that lets you know opus must be accusative, the object of the verb. 
The idea here is that the reason why you complete a project is so that you can have a "crowning achievement," reaching your final goal.


2. Caput Nili quaerit.
(Someone) seeks (the) head of-the-Nile.
Caput Nili quaerit.

You already know the word caput, and it's a neuter 3rd-declension noun. That means it could be the subject of the verb or the object, and the only way to know is by context. The sentence makes sense if caput is the object of the verb; it doesn't make sense as the subject.
The word Nili is the genitive of Nilus, the name of the river Nile.
This is a proverbial way to refer to an incredibly difficult task, perhaps an impossible task. That's because  the headwaters of the Nile were a mystery to the Romans. We now know that the Nile actually has two main sources: the Blue Nile and the White Nile. The Blue Nile flows out of Lake Tana in Ethiopia, and the White Nile from from Lake Victoria in Uganda (they meet in Khartoum, Sudan). You can see a map at Wikipedia: Nile.


3. Sola apis mel conficit.
Only (a) bee makes honey.
Sola apis mel CON-ficit.

You already know the feminine adjective sola and the feminine noun apis; the phrase sola apis is in the nominative case, the subject of the verb.
You also know the word mel, a 3rd-declension neuter noun. It could be either nominative or accusative; the verb already has a subject, sola apis, so you know that it is the object.
The verb conficit, "makes, prepares," is new to you, but it is a compound of a verb you have seen already: facit. You can see this Latin root in English "confection."
The idea is that a bee, and only a bee, can make honey. Other insects build hives, like wasps for example, but for honey, you need a beehive.


4. Rotat omne fatum.
Fate rotates everything.
Rotat omne fatum.

The verb rotat is new to you, but you already know the noun that it comes from: rota. Latin rotat gives us English "rotate."
You already know the neuter 3rd-declension adjective omne. In this sentence, the adjective is being used substantively, as a noun: "every(thing)."
You also know the neuter 2nd-declension noun fatum.
From context, you can see that fatum must be the subject of the verb, while omneis the object.
The metaphor here is the proverbial "Wheel of Fortune," Rota Fortunae. Sometimes you're up, sometimes you're down: Fortuna never stops spinning her wheel.


5. Timet naufragus omne fretum.
(A) shipwrecked (man) fears every sea.
Timet NAU-fragus omne fretum.

The word naufragus, "shipwrecked," is new to you, but you can recognize the parts of this compound: nau- (ship, a root you've seen in nauta, "sailor") and frag- from the verb frangit, "breaks." So a naufragus is a "ship-break," or what we call "shipwreck" in English.
The word fretum means "strait" and also, more generally, the "sea" itself. It is a neuter 2nd-declension noun, and omne agrees the noun: omne fretum, "every sea." This phrase could be nominative or accusative; because naufragus is nominative, that lets you know that omne fretum is the accusative, making it the object of the verb.
Compare the English saying, "Once bitten, twice shy." If someone met a disaster at sea, every sea, even a calm sea, is a source of fear.


Here's a recap:
  • Finis coronat opus.
  • Caput Nili quaerit.
  • Sola apis mel conficit.
  • Rotat omne fatum.
  • Timet naufragus omne fretum.
And here is today's audio:



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Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Week 20 Vocabulary Review

Here is this week's vocabulary review: the  slides have the English translations, plus links back to the original posts if you want to review the notes... along with the cats!

These are the instructions for how to use the slideshow as a quiz, and here's a link to the full-size show. There are lots of way syou can use this material, the key thing being to read out loud, repeating the sayings over and over. If you want, it can be like a quiz where you are trying to supply the missing word, but you can also just skip over the slide with the blanks, reading the saying out loud once, then again with the cat, and one more time without the English prompt. The more you say, the more you hear, which means... the more you learn! 

If you want to do even more reviewing, here's are the review slideshows from Week 19Week 18, and Week 17. You can never do too much reviewing!

And... here's a random cat:



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Monday, April 28, 2025

Latin Lesson #84: Proverbial elephants

The focus for today's lesson is 3rd-declension accusatives (again!), and this time there are several proverbs about elephants... plus a cat saying and a fly saying too!

You've already had one proverb about elephants; do you remember?
  • Elephas muscam non curat.
    An elephant doesn't worry about a fly.
The idea is that someone big, strong, and important, like elephant, doesn't worry about something puny, small and unimportant, like a fly. As the English saying goes, "Don't sweat the small stuff."

You'll see that same contrast between big-and-small in the elephant sayings today.

To get ready, here is a little slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before:


So, here are today's proverbs:

1. Feles et regem aspicit.
(A) cat looks even (at the) king.
feles et regem AS-picit.

You've seen felis, "cat," before. The word feles is simply a variant spelling of felis; they mean the same thing.
The word regem is the accusative form of a noun you know already: rex.
The word et is being used adverbially here: "even, also." So et regem means "even the king."
The verb aspicit means "look at," and it's a compound: a(d)-spicit, "at-look." This is the root in English "aspect."
Compare the English saying, "A cat may look at a king." The idea is that even a common person has the right to look at anything or anyone, including the king. This old English saying was made famous in modern times by its appearance in Alice in Wonderland: , when the Cheshire Cat is looking at the King of Hearts: "A cat may look at a king," said Alice. "I've read that in some book, but I don't remember where."


2. Habet et musca splenem.
Even (a) fly has spleen.
habet et musca splenem.

The word splenem is the accusative form of splen, "spleen," and this Latin word gives us both "spleen" and "splenetic" in English.
This et is also adverbial: et musca, "even a fly."
The meaning of this saying depends on the ancient idea of the bodily humors. The fluid of the spleen was supposed to give someone an angry disposition. So, the idea here is that even someone who is tiny and weak can still get angry, and perhaps even be dangerous as a result. You can find out more about the theory of the humors at Wikipedia: Four Temperaments. English words like splenetic, sanguine, choleric, melancholic, bilious and phlegmatic all derive from this ancient model of embodied emotions.


3. Murem elephas non capit.
(An) elephant doesn't catch (a) mouse.
murem E-lephas non capit.

You know all the words in this saying already!
The word murem is the accusative of a word you've seen before: mus.
The idea is that someone big and strong, like an elephant, isn't going to waste their time catching mice. Compare the elephant proverb you saw earlier: Elephas muscam non curat.


4. Elephas murem non mordet.
(An) elephant doesn't bite (a) mouse.
E-lephas murem non mordet.

You know all the words in this saying too!
The meaning is the same as in the previous saying, but now with a nice bit of sound-play, specifically, alliteration: murem...mordet. You can read more about alliteration at Wikipedia.


5. Elephantus culicem non curat.
(An) elephant doesn't care-about (a) gnat.
ele-PHAN-tus CU-licem non curat.

The Romans used both the word elephantus and the word elephas to mean "elephant." 
The word  culicem is the accusative form of culex, which is a "gnat" or "midge."
As you can see, this is another variation on the saying you saw earlier: Elephas muscam non curat.


Here's a recap:
  • Feles et regem aspicit.
  • Habet et musca splenem.
  • Murem elephas non capit.
  • Elephas murem non mordet.
  • Elephantus culicem non curat.
And here is today's audio:



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Latin Lesson #83: Proverbial paradoxes

The focus for today's lesson is more practice with 3rd-declension accusatives, and there is a common theme: all the proverbs are about some kind of absurd situation or something paradoxical. 

There's not a lot of vocabulary since the sayings are short, so I made a slideshow containing other paradoxical proverbs. Hopefully reviewing these proverbs will get you in the right mood for some new paradoxes!


Here's list of the sayings in the show:
  • Lac gallinaceum.
  • Hinnulus leonem.
  • Calvus pectinem.
  • Camelus saltat.
  • Nauta aratrum poscit.
  • Speculum caecus poscit.
  • Aquilam testudo vincit.
  • Iam testudo volat.
  • Minervam sus docet.
  • Catulus leonem allatrat.
  • Colubra restem non parit.
  • Aquila non parit columbam.
And here are today's proverbs:

1. Surdus tibicinem poscit.
(A) deaf (man) is-demanding a flute-player.
surdus ti-BI-cinem poscit.

The masucline adjective surdus, "deaf," is being used substantively here as a noun: "deaf (man)." The word can also mean "mute," and so in English the word "surd" is a linguistic term that refers to a voiceless consonant. 
The word tibicinem is the accusative form of the 3rd-declension noun tibicen, "flute-player." The word is a compound, tibi-cen, "flute-singer."
The idea is that someone who is deaf would not need or enjoy a flute-player. Compare these other paradoxical sayings with poscit from the slideshow: Nauta aratrum poscit and Speculum caecus poscit.


2. Cancer leporem capit.
(The) crab catches (the) rabbit.
cancer LE-porem capit.

The 3rd-declension noun cancer means "crab" in Latin, and it gives us the astrological sign "Cancer." The use of "cancer" in English to means the disease because ancient Greek medical writers noted a similarity between cancerous tumors and the shape of a crab.
The word leporem is the accusative form of the 3rd-declension noun lepus, a word you know already.
The absurdity here is that a rabbit runs fast, while a crab cannot even walk straight, much less run. Compare a similar saying about fast and slow: Aquilam testudo vincit.


3. Plaustrum bovem trahit.
(The) wagon is-pulling (the) ox.
plaustrum bovem trahit.

The word plaustrum, "wagon," is a 2nd-declension neuter noun, which means it could be nominative or accusative here. Because bovem is accusative (from the 3rd-declension noun bos), that lets you know plaustrum is nominative.
The verb trahit, "pulls, drags." You can see this Latin root in English "tractor."
Compare the English saying about the absurdity of "putting the cart before the horse."


4. Currus bovem trahit.
(The) cart is-pulling (the) ox.
currus bovem trahit.

The word currus means "cart, chariot," and it is also found with this spelling: carrus, which gives us English "car."
This saying is a variant on the previous saying, now with a currus instead of a plaustrum, but the meaning is the same.


5. Bos currum trahit, non bovem currus.
(The) ox pulls (the) cart, (the) cart doesn't (pull the) ox.
bos currum trahit, non bovem currus.

As you can see, this saying unpacks the previous saying, making sure people understand the difference between the normal situation, bos currum trahit, and the absurd topsy-turvy situation: bovem currus.


Here's a recap:
  • Surdus tibicinem poscit.
  • Cancer leporem capit.
  • Plaustrum bovem trahit.
  • Currus bovem trahit.
  • Bos currum trahit, non bovem currus.
And here is today's audio:



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Friday, April 25, 2025

Week 19 Catch-Up Day

Today is a catch-up day to review any lesson(s) you missed this past week and/or to work on whatever kind of practice is most useful to you. There's also a slideshow below to help you review all those 3rd-declension accusative nouns that you saw last week! Here are the lessons from this week, plus previous weeks:

And here's a slideshow with all the sayings from the week... and their cats! Read them out loud while you watch: you could throw in some meows too. :-)


I also made a printable crossword PDF with this week's sayings as the prompts; you need to supply the accusative noun for each saying. Screenshots below.




And here's the random cat:


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Thursday, April 24, 2025

Latin Lesson #82: Finishing up Week 19

The focus for today's lesson is more of those -em 3rd-declension accusatives. You may have noticed that we've only done feminine and masculine 3rd-declension nouns and adjectives, but you'll be learning about 3rd-declension neuter nouns and adjectives next week.

Today's sayings have the same word as both subject and object, a style that you have seen before. To get ready, here's a slideshow that reviews those "duplicated" sayings:


You can read through those "duplicated" proverbs here too:
  • Cura curam trahit.
  • Gratia gratiam parit.
  • Pecunia pecuniam parit.
  • Nummus nummum parit.
  • Caecus caecum ducit.
  • Asinus asinum fricat.
  • Mulus mulum scabit.
  • Fatuus fatuum invenit.
  • Abyssus abyssum invocat.
  • Vicissim insanus insanum ridet.
  • Alius alium beatissimum existimat.
  • Lupus lupum non edit.
  • Iniuria non excusat iniuriam.
And now here are today's proverbs:

1. Lis litem generat.
(One) quarrel produces (another) quarrel.
lis litem GE-nerat.

The new word here is lis, a 3rd-declension noun, meaning "quarrel, argument," and more specifically "lawsuit, court case." Its accusative form is litem, and you can see this Latin root in English "litigation." 
The United States is not the only litigious society, as you can see from this saying. 


2. Amor gignit amorem.
Love brings-forth love.
amor gignit a-MO-rem.

The new word here is the verb gignit, "brings forth, gives birth to." 
The word amorem is the accusative form of the 3rd-declension noun you've already seen: amor.
Compare a similar saying that you saw earlier: Gratia gratiam parit.


3. Nec serpens serpentem comedit.
Snake doesn't eat snake.
nec serpens ser-PEN-tem COM-edit.

The new word here is the verb comedit, "eats, consumes," which is a compound com-edit. You can see this root in English "edible" and also in the word "comestible."
The word serpentem is the accusative form of the 3rd-declension noun you've already seen: serpens.
Do you remember the little word nec? It is like non, and here it negates the verb: nec comedit, "doesn't eat."
Compare to this similar saying: Lupus lupum non edit.


4. Furem fur cognoscit et lupum lupus.
Thief knows thief and wolf (knows) wolf.
furem fur cog-NO-scit et lupum lupus.

The new word here is the verb cognoscit, "recognizes, knows," and you can see this root in English "cognition."
The word furem is the accusative form of the 3rd-declension noun you've already seen: fur.
Likewise, lupum is the accusative form of a 2nd-delcension noun: lupus.
Notice the word order: the object comes before the subject, furem fur ... lupum lupus.
For the meaning, compare the English saying, "Thick as thieves."


5. Lupus non leporem sed lupum generat.
(A) wolf doesn't give-birth-to (a) rabbit, but (a) wolf.
lupus non LE-porem sed lupum GE-nerat.

You know all the words in this saying already!
The word leporem is the accusative form of the 3rd-declension noun you've already seen: lepus.
The charm of this saying depends on the similar-sounding nouns: lupus and lepus.
Meanwhile, the "Lupus non leporem generat" part of this saying is like this saying about the eagle and the dove: Aquila non parit columbam


Here's a recap:
  • Lis litem generat.
  • Amor gignit amorem.
  • Nec serpens serpentem comedit.
  • Furem fur cognoscit et lupum lupus.
  • Lupus non leporem sed lupum generat.
And here is today's audio:



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Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Latin Lesson #81: Proverbs without verbs

The focus for today's lesson is more of those sentences that don't have verbs... but you know that there is a verb implied because there is an accusative noun, an object for the verb-that-is-not-there. 

As a quick review, here are the verbless proverbs that you saw before: 

Capra gladium. Goat (found) sword. 
Cornix scorpium. Crow (grabbed) scorpion. 
Atlas caelum. Atlas (holds up) sky.
 
Most of the words today are new, so there's no slideshow to review, but you will see lion, leo, and crow, corvus, in today's sayings. You'll also see a form of the verb latrat, "barks."


Unus quidem, sed leo est.



Corvus oculum corvi non eruit.



Canis mordens non latrat.



And here are today's proverbs:

1. Calvus pectinem.
(The) bald man (has/wants a) comb.
calvus PEC-tinem.

The masculine adjective calvus means "bald," and here it is used substantively, as a noun: "bald (man)." It You can see this root in "Calvary" (Latin calvaria means "skull," the ultimate head-without-hair). 
The word pectinem is the accusative of the 3rd-declension noun pecten, "comb." From this Latin root we get English "pectinate" and also, via French, "peignoir," the bathrobe or dressing gown you might wear while combing your hair.
This is one of these sayings about an absurd mismatch; compare these sayings that you saw previously: Nauta aratrum poscit and Speculum caecus poscit.


2. Corvus serpentem.
(The) crow (grabbed a) serpent.
corvus ser-PEN-tem.

The word serpentem is the accusative of the 3rd-declension noun serpens, which gives us English "serpent." The Latin word is actually a participle from the verb serpo, "creep, crawl," so serpens literally means "creeping, crawling."
This saying is like the one you saw last week: Cornix scorpium. The idea is the same: someone grabs something, expecting a treat, and instead: disaster! This saying has its own article at Wikipedia: The crow and the snake.


3. Carpathius leporem.
(The) Carpathian (imported a) rabbit.
car-PA-thius LE-porem.

Carpathos is a Greek island in the southeastern Aegean, and Carpthius refers to someone who lives on the island, a Carpathian. (Not to be confused with the Carpathian Mountains in Europe!)
The word leporem is the accusative of the 3rd-declension noun lepus, "hare, rabbit." You can see this root in English "leporine." There is also this film: Night of the Lepus. It involves mutant killer rabbits but, as Wikipedia notes, "the film's biggest failure is considered to be the inability to make the rabbits seem scary. Night of the Lepus has since gained cult status for its laughably poor quality." (I have watched this movie, and it is indeed laughable!)
The story behind this proverb is ecological: there were no rabbits on the island of Carpathus, but a foolish Carpathian brought a rabbit to the island, although it must have been a few rabbits... because the rabbits then overwhelmed the island, eating up the vegetation. So, the saying refers to someone who does something reckless that leads to disastrous consequences. For more about this saying, and the similar rabbit disaster in Australia, see Michael Gilleland's blog post: Rabbits.


4. Hinnulus leonem.
(The) colt (attacks/chases/challenges the) lion.
HIN-nulus le-O-nem.

The word hinnulus means "colt," specifically a colt born from a stallion and a she-donkey, which is also called a "hinny" in English. 
The word leonem is the accusative form of leo
So, the idea here is that some weak person is foolishly attacking, chasing, etc. someone who is far stronger than they are. The Greek version of this saying is  Ὁ νεβρὸς τὸν λέοντα (ho nebros ton leonta), "The fawn (attacks) the lion."


5. Catulus leonem allatrat.
(The) puppy barks-at (the) lion.
CA-tulus le-O-nem al-LA-trat.

The noun catalus means "puppy." Don't confuse this noun with the name of the famous Roman poet, Catullus. The spelling makes a difference!
The verb allatrat means "bark at." You haven't seen this verb before, but you have seen the uncompounded form: latrat, "barks," in the saying: Canis mordens non latrat.
The meaning of this saying is like the meaning of Hinnulus leonem: a puppy has no business barking at a lion. That is both a foolish and dangerous thing for a puppy to do!


Here's a recap:
  • Calvus pectinem.
  • Corvus serpentem.
  • Carpathius leporem.
  • Hinnulus leonem.
  • Catulus leonem allatrat.
And here is today's audio:



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Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Week 19 Vocabulary Review

Here is this week's vocabulary review: the  slides have the English translations, plus links back to the original posts if you want to review the notes... along with the cats!

These are the instructions for how to use the slideshow as a quiz, and here's a link to the full-size show. And remember: reading OUT LOUD is the key. So, you can use this as a quiz, filling in the blanks when you can, or you can just use it as a way to review and read 30 previous proverbs out loud. The more you hear, the more you learn! So, you can read the proverb out loud 3 times: once with the slide that shows the English, then a second time with the cat slide, and then one last time without English or cat.

If you want to do even more reviewing, here's the random review slideshow from Week 18, Week 17, and Week 16 (which is the first week with this type of review).

Plus... here's a random cat:



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Monday, April 21, 2025

Latin Lesson #80: More -em accusatives

The focus for today's lesson is more practice with 3rd-declension accusatives ending in -em. It's also a chance for you to keep learning the stems of those 3rd-declension nouns. Remember: you can see the stem in the genitive -is form and also in the accusative -em form. Here are some of the genitive and accusative 3rd-declension forms you've seen so far, along with the nominative form:

nox: Luna oculus noctis.
homo: Mors est latro hominis.
scelus ... salus: Confessio sceleris initium salutis.
leo ... rex: Sicut fremitus leonis, et regis ira.
cor ... os: Pulchra est harmonia cordis et oris.

fur: Occasio facit furem.
nemo: Tempus neminem manet.
finis: Nescit homo finem suum.
vermis: Avis matutina vermem capit.
piscis ... minor: Piscem vorat maior minorem.

And here is a little slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before that you will see again in today's sayings:


And here are today's proverbs; I've underlined the accusative form each time:

1. Amor tollit timorem.
Love removes fear.
amor tollit ti-MO-rem.

The verb tollit means to "lift up" and it can also mean "carry off, remove," which is the meaning here. You can see this root in English "extol."
The word timorem is the accusative of the 3rd-declension noun timor, "fear." You haven't seen this word before, but you have seen these two related words: the adjective timidus and the verb timet.
The idea is that love makes you courageous, feeling no fear.

2. Repellit ver hiemem.
Spring drives-out winter.
re-PEL-lit ver HI-emem.

The verb repellit, "drive back, drive out," and it gives us English "repel."
The 3rd-declension noun ver means "spring," as in English "vernal," and Italian primavera (first-spring).
The word hiemem is the accusative of the 3rd-declension noun hiems, which you have seen before.
The words come from the Metamorphoses of the Roman poet Ovid.
And speaking of primavera...



3. Colubra restem non parit.
(A) snake doesn't beget (a) rope.
CO-lubra restem non parit.

The noun colubra means "snake, serpent," and it is a feminine noun. There is also a masculine form of this same word: coluber
The word restem is the accusative of the 3rd-declension noun restis, which means "rope, cord." 
The idea is that something dangerous, like a serpent, is not going to produce something harmless, like a rope. Compare the saying you saw earlier: Aquila non parit columbam.


4. Opportunitas latronem facit.
Opportunity makes (a) robber.
oppor-TU-nitas la-TRO-nem facit.

From the Latin noun opportunitas we get English "opportunity."
The word latronem is the accusative of the 3rd-declension noun latro, which you've seen before. The plural form is latrones, which is the name of a ancient Roman board game. You can find out more at Wikipedia: Latrones.
Compare a saying you saw earlier: Occasio facit furem.


5. Pauper dominum, non sortem mutat.
(A) poor (man) changes (his) master, not (his) fate.
pauper DO-minum, non sortem mutat.

The word sortem is the accusative of the 3rd-declension noun sors, which means "lot, allotment, lottery," and thus also "fate, destiny." You can see this root in English "sort" and also "sorcery" (from the idea of "casting lots" as a form of divination).
Notice how this saying is two statements combined, with the focus on the two accusatives, dominum and sortem, which are the objects of a single verb: 
Pauper dominum (mutat), 
(pauper) non sortem mutat.
The idea is that someone who is poor might have a new boss, but the poverty remains the same. For an Aesop's fable on this theme, see the story of The Sensible Ass.

Here's a recap:
  • Amor tollit timorem.
  • Repellit ver hiemem.
  • Colubra restem non parit.
  • Opportunitas latronem facit.
  • Pauper dominum, non sortem mutat.
And here is today's audio:



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Sunday, April 20, 2025

Latin Lesson #79: 3rd-Declension Accusative

The focus for today's lesson is something new: the accusative ending for the 3rd declension. You've learned the -am accusative for the 1st declension and the -um accusative for the 2nd declension, and now for the 3rd declension the accusative ending is -em.

But there's something different about the 3rd declension. Do you remember from when you studied the genitive ending for the 3rd declension? Here's that previous post if you want to review. The trick with the 3rd declension is that you cannot form the stem from the nominative form, like you can for the 1st and 2nd declension. For the 3rd declension, you need to know the stem. So, to make the genitive you add -is to the stem, and you make the accusative by adding -em to the stem. And how do you know the stem? You have to learn it, or you can look it up in the dictionary. The dictionary always gives the genitive form because that is what you need to know the stem:

mors. nominative
mort-is genitive
stem: mort- (remove -is from the genitive to get the stem)
mort-em accusative 

If you want to take a look at the variety of 3rd-declension noun and adjective stems, this slideshow gives you the genitive form next to the nominative form for 50 different 3rd-declension words. You can click on through and compare the nominative and genitive forms to get a sense of how these stems work:


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



And here are today's proverbs; I've underlined the 3rd-declension accusatives:

1. Occasio facit furem.
Opportunity makes (the) thief.
oc-CA-sio facit furem.

The 3rd-declension noun occasio, "opportunity, occasion" gives us English "occasion."
The word furem is the accusative of fur, "thief." You haven't seen this noun before, but you have seen the relative adjectives furtivus and furtiva.
This saying has been adopted in English: "Opportunity makes the thief."


2. Tempus neminem manet.
Time waits-for nobody.
tempus NE-minem manet.

You already know all the words in this saying! 
The word neminem is the accusative form of nemo, a 3rd-declension noun you know already.
Compare the English saying, "Time and tide wait for no man."


3. Nescit homo finem suum.
(A) person doesn't-know their end.
nescit homo finem suum.

You also know all the words in this saying!
The word finem is the accusative form of finis, a 3rd-declension noun you know already. It is a masculine noun, so it takes a masculine accusative adjective: suum.
The "end" here refers to the end of life. In other words, no one can know what life has in store for them in the future, especially at the end. The words come from the Biblical Book of Ecclesiastes.


4. Avis matutina vermem capit.
(The) early-morning bird gets (the) worm.
avis matu-TI-na vermem capit.

The 3rd-declension noun avis is a feminine noun, so it takes a feminine adjective: matutina, "morning, early-morning, early." The Roman goddess of the dawn was Matuta, also known as Mater Matuta, equivalent to Greek Aurora. You can find out more at Wikipedia.
The word vermem is the accusative form of vermis, "worm," a 3rd-declension noun.  You can see this Latin root in English "vermin." Both Latin vermis and English "worm" are from the Indo-European root wr̥mis.
The verb capit means "takes, grabs, gets," and you can see this root in English "capture."
We have this saying in English too: "The early bird gets the worm."


5. Piscem vorat maior minorem.
(The) bigger (fish) eats (the) littler fish.
Piscem vorat maior mi-NO-rem.

The word piscem is the accusative form of piscis, "fish," a 3rd-declension noun. You can see this Latin word in the astrological sign "Pisces" (pisces is the plural form in Latin: "fishes").
The masculine adjective maior, "bigger," gives us English "major." This is the comparative form of an adjective you have seen before: magnus.
The word minorem is the accusative form of an adjective you've seen before, minor.
Notice how the accusative noun phrase, piscem minorem, wraps around the whole sentence. 
I can't resist sharing Brueghel's illustration of this saying, which has a line of Latin verse below the image: Grandibus exigui sunt pisces piscibus esca, "The tiny fishes are food for the big fishes." 



Here's a recap:
  • Occasio facit furem.
  • Tempus neminem manet.
  • Nescit homo finem suum.
  • Avis matutina vermem capit.
  • Piscem vorat maior minorem.
And here is today's audio:



Plus the LOLCats!








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Friday, April 18, 2025

Week 18 Catch-Up Day

Today is a catch-up day to review any lesson(s) you missed this past week and/or to work on whatever kind of practice is most useful to you. There's also a slideshow below to help you review all the accusative nouns that you saw last week! Here are the lessons from this week, plus previous weeks:

And here's a slideshow with all the sayings from the week... and their cats! Maybe you can just read them out loud again. Really loud! To really remember them :-)


I also made a printable crossword PDF with this week's sayings as the prompts; you need to supply the accusative noun for each saying. Screenshots below. :-)


And here's the random cat:


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Thursday, April 17, 2025

Latin Lesson #78: Wrapping Up Week 18

The focus for today's lesson is one more day of 2nd-declension neuter accusatives... and then next week we'll start with the 3rd-declension accusative forms. Hopefully these 1st- and 2nd-declension accusatives in -am and -um are feeling very familiar now!

You'll also see a nice variety of word order and word play in today's sayings; I've pointed out some of those features in the notes below.

But first, here is a little slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before:


And here are today's proverbs:

1. Nemo scit quantum nescit.
Nobody knows how-much (he) doesn't-know.
nemo scit quantum nescit.

The verb scit, "knows," is related to a word you know already: scientia, "knowledge." The verb nescit, "doesn't know" is a compound: ne-scit, "not-knows."
You haven't seen the neuter quantum before, but you have seen the feminine form: quanta.
Notice that nemo is formed from the same prefix that you see in the verb nescit: nemo is ne-homo (no-person). So, those parallel word formations wrap around the saying as the first word and final word.


2. Paulum fellis disperdit multum mellis.
A-little of-bile ruins a-lot of-honey.
paulum fellis dis-PER-dit multum mellis.

The neuter adjective, paulum, "small, little," can be used substantively, as here: "(a) little (something)." And yes, this the origin of the name of Paul. The word takes a complementary genitive: fellis is the genitive form of the 3rd-declension noun fel.
The verb disperdit, "destroys, ruins," is a compound dis-perdit, "utterly-destroys." You can see the verb perdit in English "perdition."
Both paulum and multum are neuter nouns, and it is only the meaning of the statement that tells you which one is the nominative subject, paulum, and which one is the accusative object, multum.
You can see how this saying is built around the parallel rhyming phrases: paulum fellis / multum mellis. The ancient Romans were not big fans of rhyme, so when you find a rhyming Latin proverb, that is usually a sign that it is a medieval Latin saying.


3. Invenit interdum caeca gallina granum.
Once-in-a-while (a) blind chicken finds (a) kernel.
IN-venit in-TER-dum caeca gal-LI-na granum.

The neuter noun granum, "grain, kernel, seed" gives us English "grain." You can also see this Latin root in English "granular."
The feminine noun gallina is in the nominative case, so it is the subject of the verb, and granum is the accusative object.
This is a variation on the saying you saw yesterday: Invenit interdum caeca columba pisum. Notice that each variation has its own alliteration: gallina-granum in today's saying, and caeca-columba in yesterday's saying.


4. Propositum mutat sapiens, at stultus inhaeret.
(A) wise (man) changes (his) plan, but (a) fool sticks (to it).
pro-PO-situm mutat SA-piens, at stultus in-HAE-ret.

The neuter noun propositum means "plan, purpose, intention." You can see the same prefix and root in English "proposition." 
The word sapiens is in the nominative case, so that means it is the subject of the verb, and propositum is accusative.
The conjunction at means "but."
The adjective stultus means "foolish, stupid," and it is being used as a noun here: "(a) foolish (man)." You've seen this related word before: stultitia.
You haven't seen the verb inhaeret before, but you've seen the uncompounded form: haeret. From Latin inhaeret we get English "inheres" and "inherent."
The word order in this saying is an example of chiasmus, the criss-cross word pattern, VS:SV: mutat sapiens : stultus inhaeret.


5. Parva saepe scintilla magnum excitat incendium.
(A) small spark often stirs-up (a) big conflagration.
parva saepe scin-TIL-la magnum EX-citat in-CEN-dium.

The adverb saepe means "often."
The feminine noun scintilla, "spark," is a word used in English too: "scintilla." You can also see this root in English "scintillating." Since scintilla is a feminine noun, it takes a feminine adjective: parva.
Because parva scintilla is in the nominative case, you know it is the subject of the verb.
The verb excitat gives us English "excite." 
You haven't seen the neuter noun incendium yet, but you already know the verb: incendit. The neuter noun takes a neuter adjective: magnum. The saying turns on the paradoxical opposition: parva / magnum.
Because scintilla is the nominative subject of the verb, you know that this is the accusative object.
Notice how the first noun phrase wraps around the adverb, parva SAEPE scintilla, while the second noun phrase wraps around the verb, magnum EXCITAT incendium.


Here's a recap:
  • Nemo scit quantum nescit.
  • Paulum fellis disperdit multum mellis.
  • Invenit interdum caeca gallina granum.
  • Propositum mutat sapiens, at stultus inhaeret.
  • Parva saepe scintilla magnum excitat incendium.
And here is today's audio:



Plus the LOLCats!








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