Proverbs/Grammar ~ Grammar/Proverbs: 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: