Proverbs/Grammar ~ Grammar/Proverbs: Latin Lesson #91: 2nd-Conjugation Imperatives

The focus for today's lesson is the imperative form of 2nd-conjugation verbs: they end in e. That's no surprise, because e is the theme vowel for that conjugation. Here are a few 2nd-conjugation words to refresh your memory, along with the corresponding imperative form:

docet. teaches. doce! teach!
gaudet. rejoice. gaude! enjoy!
manet. remains. mane! remain!
ridet. laughs. ride! laugh!
videt. sees. vide! see!

You'll learn some new 2nd-conjugation verbs in today's sayings, and here is a little slideshow (with cats) of the other words in today's sayings that you have seen before:

And now here are today's sayings:

1. Cave canem.
Beware (of the) dog.
cave canem.

The verb cave means "beware!" and it takes an accusative object: canem is the accusative form of canis. The Romans actually used this the way we do in English to warn people about a dog on the premises. Because so many cultures do this, there's even a Wikipedia article: Beware of dog. This Roman mosaic is featured in the article, along with other signs from other cultures that warn "beware of dog!"

2. Sapiens, sile.
Wise (man), be-quiet.
SA-piens, sile.

The verb sile means "be quiet! be silent!" and you can see this Latin room in English "silence."

The adjective sapiens is being used here as a noun: "wise (person)."

This is one of many proverbs about how it is often safer to keep silent than to speak, and so, if you are wise, you will choose to be silent.

3. Mulge praesentem.
Milk (the) present.
mulge prae-SEN-tem.

The verb mulge means "milk!" and it is a cousin of the English word "milk," both of which come from the Indo-European root h₂melǵ-.

The metaphor here is to milk the cow that is present, milk the cow that you have. Literally, it applies to milking cows, but metaphorically it refers to any kind of resource or opportunity: you have to milk the opportunity that is available to you. Don't wait: milk what you've got now!

4. Polypi mentem obtine.
Have (the) mind (of an) octopus.
PO-lypi mentem OB-tine.

The word polypi is the genitive of polypus, which is a Greek word adopted into Latin: poly-pus, "many-foot." In this saying, it refers to an octopus.

The word mentem is the accusative form of mens.

The verb obtine, "gain! get! have!" gives us English "obtain."

The idea here is that an octopus had elaborate defense systems, being cunning and sly; they are able to change their color and even their texture as camouflage. You can find out more at Wikipedia: Octopus camouflage. So, this saying advises you to be like the octopus: use your cunning to get out of trouble!

5. Quietum ne move lutum.
Don't move mud (that is) still.
qui-E-tum ne move lutum.

The adjective quietum gives us English "quiet," in the sense of "still, at rest" (not quiet in the sense of silent). This is a neuter accusative adjective agreeing with the neuter noun lutum. You haven't seen this adjective before, but you have seen a related noun: quies.

The verb move, "move!" is being negated here with ne, which creates a negative imperative: ne move, "don't move!"

The word lutum is a neuter noun, so the nominative and accusative forms are the same. The subject of the verb is "you" (an imperative verb always has "you" as its subject), so that means quietum lutum is in the accusative, the object of the verb.

This proverb is similar in meaning to one you had last week: Canem sopitum ne excita. When a dog is sleeping, don't wake it, and when the mud is just sitting there, nice and still, don't stir it up!

Here's a recap: