Proverbs/Grammar ~ Grammar/Proverbs: Latin Lesson #74: More -um Accusatives

The focus for today's lesson is the masculine accusative nouns and adjectives that end in -um. The examples today have some more complex sentence structure — complex by English-language standards, that is. In Latin, these kinds of sentences are easy and natural. Hopefully by reading the sayings out loud, you'll get used to the Latin patterns so that they will feel easy and natural to you too!

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

So, here are today's proverbs:

1. Invenit amicum, invenit thesaurum.
(Someone) finds (a) friend, finds (a) treasure.
IN-venit a-MI-cum, IN-venit the-SAU-rum.

You already know all the words in this saying!

Ancient Roman culture put a high value on friends and friendship, as you can see from this saying. Compare some other sayings about the positive value of friendship: Bonus liber amicus optimus and Amicus optima vitae possessio.

2. Incus robusta malleum non timet.
(A) strong anvil doesn't fear (the) hammer.
incus ro-BUS-ta MAL-leum non timet.

There are a lot of new words in this one:

The noun incus means "anvil," and don't let it fool you: it ends in -us, but it is not a masculine noun of the 2nd declension; it is a feminine 3rd-declension noun (stem incud-). The word "incus" is used in English to refer to a tiny anvil-shaped bone in the ear.

The adjective robusta gives us English "robust." The form is feminine because it agrees with the feminine noun incus. The root of this adjective is the Latin noun robur which means "oak, hardwood," and by extension then refers to anything that is especially strong.

The word malleum is the accusative form of malleus, "hammer." You can see this root in English "malleable."

The verb timet, "fears," and has the same root as an adjective you've seen already: timidus.

The saying is literally true: if the anvil had feelings, it wouldn't need to be afraid of the hammer, no matter how hard the hammer is going to hit it; the anvil is going to be just fine. So, be like the anvil and don't underestimate your inner strength: you can be confident in that strength.

3. Avarum irritat, non satiat pecunia.
Money provokes (the) miser, (it) doesn't satisfy (him).
a-VA-rum ir-RI-tat, non SA-tiat pe-CU-nia.

The verb irritat means "stirs up, provokes, excites," often with negative connotations. This is where we get English "irritate."

The verb satiat gives us English "satiate." This word shares the same root with a Latin word you've seen already: satis.

Just as friendship is highly prized, greediness is deeply condemned, both in Roman culture and in later Christian culture also. You've seen other sayings like this which mock the rich miser who is not able to enjoy the money he has accumulated: Avarus semper est pauper, Avarus semper eget, and Avarus ipse miseriae causa est suae.

4. Suum custodit quasi thesaurum draco.
(He) guards his (stuff) like (a) dragon (guards his) treasure.
suum cus-DO-dit quasi the-SAU-rum draco.

The verb custodit, "guards, watches," is related to a noun you've seen already: custos (root custod-).
The noun draco gives us English "dragon." The word is originally Greek: δράκων (drákōn).

This is another saying about misers: dragons were emblematic of rich people who sit on top of their treasure, greedily guarding their wealth, but not enjoying it. For an Aesop's fable on this subject, see the fable of The Dragon and the Fox.

5. Scientia non habet inimicum nisi ignorantiam.
Knowledge has no enemy but ignorance.
sci-EN-tia non habet ini-MI-cum nisi ignor-AN-tiam.

The word inimicum is the accusative form of the masculine adjective inimicus. That form is new to you, but you've seen the feminine form before: inimica. The adjective is being used as a noun here: "enemy."

The Latin word nisi means, literally "not-if, not if." There are a variety of different ways to translate it into English: "unless, except, but." The word "but" fits best here.

Given that science is under siege in my country right now, this saying has acquired a new currency, sad to say.

Here's a recap: