Latin Lesson #120: 3rd-declension ablatives again

The focus for today's lesson is more practice with the 3rd-declension ablatives ending in -e, used with prepositions. You've seen all the prepositions in today's sayings, and you've seen almost all of the words today too! 

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

And here are today's proverbs:

1. In varietate voluptas.
In variety, pleasure.
in varie-TA-te vo-LUP-tas.

The word varietate is the ablative form of the noun varietas, which you have seen before, used with the preposition in.

You've seen a saying like this one before: Delectat varietas. Today's saying has the nice poetic feature of alliteration: varietate voluptas.


2. Sub sole nihil perfectum.
(There is) nothing perfect under (the) sun.
sub sole nihil per-FEC-tum.

The word sole is the ablative form of the noun sol, which you have seen before, used with the preposition sub.

You have seen some other sayings with this type of formula, like Aeternum sub sole nihil and Nihil novum super terram.


3. Non est fumus absque igne.
(There) is no smoke without fire.
non est fumus absque igne.

The word igne is the ablative form of the noun ignis, which you have seen before, used with the preposition absque. You have not seen this preposition before, but it's just a variation on a preposition you have seen before: ab.

Compare the English positive version of this saying: "Where there's smoke, there's fire."

 

4. Sub nomine pacis bellum latet.
War hides under (the) name of-peace.
sub NO-mine pacis bellum latet.

The word nomine is the ablative form of the noun nomen, which you have seen before, used with the preposition sub. 

The word pacis is the genitive form of the noun pax, which you have seen before.
The word bellum is a 2nd-declension neuter noun meaning "war." You can see this Latin word in the English phrases "antebellum" (Latin ante bellum) and "postbellum" (Latin post bellum).

You can find this idea invoked in Cicero's Philippics, the speeches Cicero made against Mark Antony. 


5. Ovem in fronte, lupum in corde gerit.
He wears (a) sheep in (his) face, (a) wolf in his heart.
ovem in fronte, lupum in corde gerit.

The word fronte is the ablative form of the noun frons, which means "forehead" and, by extension, it can mean "face." And yes, this is the origin of English "front." 

The word corde is the ablative form of the noun cor, which you have seen before. The proverb is based on the opposition between outward appearance, in fronte, and inner thoughts or feelings, in corde.

The words ovem and lupum are the accusative forms of the nouns ovis and lupus; they are the object of the verb gerit.

This verb is new to you; it has a wide range of meanings in English: "carries, possesses, exhibits, wears." It's hard to find a good English word to use in the translation; the best translation would probably be a different idiom entirely. Maybe: "He's got the face of a sheep but the heart of a wolf." 

Compare the proverbial "wolf in sheep's clothing."

You can also find this saying with a fox, vulpem, instead of a wolf: Ovem in fronte, vulpem in corde gerit.


Here's a recap:

• In varietate voluptas.
• Sub sole nihil perfectum.
• Non est fumus absque igne.
• Sub nomine pacis bellum latet.
• Ovem in fronte, lupum in corde gerit.

And here is today's audio:



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Latin Lesson #119: More ablative practice

The focus for today's lesson is more practice with the ablative; specifically, the 3rd-declension ablative ending -e. As in previous weeks, these ablative nouns come with prepositions, which is the most common use of the ablative in Latin. All those prepositions are definitely worth learning, and you've seen all the prepositions in today's sayings before.

Here's the slideshow (with cats) of those prepositions and also the other words you have seen before:

So, here are today's proverbs:

1. Non sine sole iris.
No rainbow without (the) sun.
non sine sole iris.

The word sole is the ablative form of the noun sol, which you have seen before. The ablative is used here with the preposition sine.
The feminine noun iris means "rainbow," and it is also the origin of the English word "iris" (so-called because of the many colors in that part of the eye). The word is Greek in origin; Iris, the rainbow, was the messenger of the gods; you can read more about the goddess Iris at Wikipedia.

This Latin motto can be seen in the famous "Rainbow portrait" of Elizabeth, the Sun Queen; find out more here: Wikipedia: Portraits of Elizabeth the First. Look closely, and you'll see it on the far left-hand side of the portrait:

2. Mel in ore, fel in corde.
Honey in (the) mouth, bile in (the) heart.
mel in ore, fel in corde.

The word ore is the ablative form of the noun os, which you have seen before.

The word corde is the ablative form of the noun cor, which you have also seen before.

Each of these ablatives is being used with the preposition in.

You've seen this contrast between sweet mel and bitter fel in two previous sayings: Ubi mel, ibi fel and  Paulum fellis disperdit multum mellis. In this saying, mel and fel are used to describe someone acting hypocritically, speaking sweetly but having bitter thoughts in their heart / mind.

3. Mens sana in corpore sano.
(A) healthy mind in (a) healthy body.
mens sana in COR-pore sano.

The feminine adjective sana, "healthy," agrees with the feminine noun mens. You haven't seen this adjective before, but you've seen a related verb: Santa.
The word corpore is the ablative form of the neuter noun corpus, which you have seen before. The word sano is the ablative form of the neuter adjective sanum, agreeing with the neuter noun. The preposition again is in. 

This famous saying has its own article at Wikipedia: Mens sana in corpore sano.


4. In medio Tantalus amne sitit.
In mid-stream Tantalus thirsts.
in ME-dio TAN-talus amne sitit.

The word amne is the ablative form of the masculine noun amnis, meaning "stream, river." The word medio is the ablative form of the masculine adjective medius, agreeing with the masculine noun, once again with the preposition in.

The name Tantalus gives us the word "tantalize" in English, based on exactly this myth: for his outrageous crimes, Tantalus was punished in the afterlife by standing in water he could never drink.
The verb sitit means "thirst." In addition to thirsting, Tantalus also had to look at fruit that he could not eat. Both the food and the drink were "tantalizing." You can find out more about Tantalus at Wikipedia.

5. Sine Cerere et Baccho friget Venus.
Without Ceres and Bacchus, Venus grows-cold.
sine CE-rere et Baccho friget Venus.

The word Cerere is the ablative form of the name Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture. You can see this root in the English word "cereal."

The word Baccho is the ablative form of the noun Bacchus, the Roman god of wine.

Both of these ablatives are used with the preposition sine.

The verb friget means "grow cold, chill," as in English "frigid" and "refrigerator."

In this saying, the names of the gods are being used as shorthand: the idea is that without food (Ceres) and alcohol (Bacchus), love (Venus) grows cold. Compare a similar saying you've seen before: Ubi Bacchus regnat, Venus saltat.


Here's a recap:

• Non sine sole iris.
• Mel in ore, fel in corde.
• Mens sana in corpore sano.
• In medio Tantalus amne sitit.
• Sine Cerere et Baccho friget Venus.

And here is today's audio:



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Week 28 Catch-Up Day

Here's this week's catch-up post to help you review any lesson(s) you missed this past week and/or to work on whatever kind of practice is most useful to you. 

These were the lessons from this week, plus previous weeks, and you'll find the review slideshow below:

• 115: The Third Declension
• 116: 3rd Declension Stem and Ending
• Week 28 Vocabulary Review
• 117: 3rd-Declension Ablative
• 118: More 3rd-declension ablatives

This is the slideshow with all the 3rd-declension nominative, genitive, and ablative forms from the week. You can read out loud, first with the English to remind you of the vocabulary... and then with the cat!

I also made a printable crossword PDF with this week's sayings as the prompts; you need to supply the correct form of the third-declension word for each saying. Screenshots below.

And here's the random cat:

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Latin Lesson #118: More 3rd-declension ablatives

The focus for today's lesson is more practice with the 3rd-declension ablative ending: -e. As before, these are all ablatives being used to complement a preposition; later on, you'll learn more uses for the ablative case in Latin.

Just as a reminder, here are the prepositions you have seen so far: a / ab, ad, ante, contra, cum, de, ex / e, extra, in, intra, post, pro, sine, sub, and super. Most prepositions take the ablative case, but you've seen a few prepositions that take the accusative case instead.

Many prepositions also do double-duty as verbal prefixes, and you can also see some prepositions used independently as adverbs. Prepositions are some of the most frequently used words in Latin, so it is definitely worth getting to know them well!

To get started with today's prepositional proverbs, here is a little slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before:

So, here are today's proverbs:

1. In nocte consilium.
At night, (a) plan.
in nocte con-SI-lium.

You already know all the words in this saying!

The word nocte is the ablative form of the noun nox with the preposition in.

The idea here is like English: "Sleep on it!" If you let your mind reflect on something over night, you'll have a plan in mind in the morning.


2. Aeternum sub sole nihil.
(There is) nothing eternal under (the) sun.
ae-TER-num sub sole nihil.

You have not seen the neuter adjective aeternum, "eternal," before, but you have seen the feminine form, aeterna, and also the related noun: aeternitas. The neuter adjective agrees with nihil, which is also neuter.

The word sole is the ablative form of the noun sol with the preposition sub.

Compare the English saying, "Nothing lasts forever."

3. Aurum in stercore quaerit.
(Someone is) seeking gold in manure.
aurum in STER-core quaerit.

You also know all the words in this saying!

The word aurum is the accusative form of aurum (remember: neuter nouns have the same form in the nominative and the accusative); it is the object of the verb.

The word stercore is the ablative form of the noun stercus with the preposition in.

The metaphorical idea, of course, is that you are looking for something valuable (gold) in something that is not only not valuable, but downright nasty (dung heap).

An anecdote in Cassiodorus claims that Vergil compared reading the archaic poet Roman Ennius to "looking for gold in a dung-heap." Find out more here: 


4. Non in solo pane vivit homo.
(A) person doesn't live by bread alone.
non in solo pane vivit homo.

The word pane is the ablative form of the masculine noun panis, "bread." You can see this root in English "pantry" and "pannier." 

The word solo is the ablative form of the adjective solus, agreeing with the masculine ablative noun pane. The ablatives make a prepositional phrase: in solo pane.

This famous saying is from the Gospel of Matthew, with Jesus's words inspired by the Book of Deuteronomy in the Hebrew Bible. You can see the Greek, Latin, and English texts side by side at the Sacred Texts Polyglot for Matthew and the Hebrew, Greek, Latin and English for Deuteronomy.

5. Oculum pro oculo, dentem pro dente.
[Rendering an] eye for (an) eye, (a) tooth for (a) tooth.
O-culum pro O-culo, dentem pro dente.

Here you see two forms of the 2nd-declension noun oculus: accusative oculum and ablative oculo.

You also see two forms of the 3rd-declension noun dens: accusative dentem and ablative dente. You can see this root in English "dentist" and "dental."

The words oculum and dentem are in the accusative because they are the objects of an implied verb: someone will pay back, render, return, etc.

The words oculo and dente are in the ablative with the preposition pro.

This is the so-called lex talionis, the law of retaliation (the Latin word talis means "such, like," hence "retaliation," which means paying like for like). You can find out more about this principle at Wikipedia: Eye for an eye.

Here's a recap:

• In nocte consilium.
• Aeternum sub sole nihil.
• Aurum in stercore quaerit.
• Non in solo pane vivit homo.
• Oculum pro oculo, dentem pro dente.

And here is today's audio:



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Latin Lesson #117: 3rd-Declension Ablative

Here is the ablative ending for the 3rd declension, at last! The ending is: -e.

So, now you have the ablative ending for the three main declensions:

• -a. 1st declension: de vita "about life"
• -o. 2nd declension: de asino "about the donkey"
• -e. 3rd declension: de morte "about death"

Each of the sayings today has a 3rd declension noun or adjective in the ablative case, so look for that -e ending.

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

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Nihil sine labore.
Nothing without work.
nihil sine la-BO-re.

The word labore is the ablative form of the noun labor.

This is a widely used motto, especially of schools. 

You can also see it with this word order: Sine labore nihil.


2. A capite foetet piscis.
(A) fish stinks from (the) head.
a CA-pite foetet piscis.

The word capite is the ablative form of the noun caput.
You haven't seen the verb foetet, "stinks," before, but you have seen a related noun: foetorem.

No, fish don't really stink from the head, but the point of this saying is its metaphorical application: corruption begins at the top! There's a similar English saying: "Shit rolls downhill."


3. In propria pelle quiesce.
Rest in your-own skin.
in PRO-pria pelle qui-ES-ce.

The word pelle is the ablative form of the noun pellis. It is a feminine noun, so it takes a feminine adjective in the ablative case: propria (propriā).

The word quiesce, "rest!" is the imperative form of the verb quiescit. You haven't seen this verb before, but you have seen a related noun: quies.

The idea is to be happy with who you are: just relax! You are who you are! Don't try to be someone else, i.e. don't put on someone else's skin.


4. E parvo semine multa messis.
From (a) small seed, much harvest.
e parvo SE-mine multa messis.

The word semine is the ablative form of the noun semen. It is a neuter noun, so it takes a neuter adjective in the ablative case: parvo.
You haven't seen the feminine adjective multa before, but you have seen the masculine and neuter forms: multus and multum.

This saying depends on the paradox of parvo and multo, small and big. Seeds are small; harvests are big! That is literally true of seeds you put in the ground, and it is true of metaphorical things: a small effort can lead to something big.


5. Procul a Iove, procul a fulmine.
Far from Jupiter, far from (his) thunderbolt.
procul a Iove, procul a FUL-mine.

The adverb procul means "far," and combined with the preposition a, "from," the phrase procul a means "far from."

The word Iove is the ablative form of the noun Iuppiter, "Jupiter." So, if you've ever wondered why we say both "Jupiter" and "Jove" in English, this is why! The nominative Iuppiter is actually a compound word: Iū-piter, "Jove-Father," i.e. Father Jove.

The word fulmine is the ablative form of the noun fulmen, "thunderbolt." You can see this root in English "fulminate."

Jupiter was a sky-god, and he did indeed wield a thunderbolt. The message of this proverb is to stay away from high and mighty people; if you don't stay away from them, you run the risk of being blasted by one of their thunderbolts.

Here's a recap:

• Nihil sine labore.
• A capite foetet piscis.
• In propria pelle quiesce.
• E parvo semine multa messis.
• Procul a Iove, procul a fulmine.

And here is today's audio:



Plus the LOLCats!

(those are my cats!)

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Week 28 Vocabulary Review

It's time for this week's vocabulary review: this slideshow can work as a quiz if you want... and I got an interesting suggestion from someone last week! Instead of starting at the beginning, you can go to the end and work backwards. If you do that, then you will first see a version of the saying without any English, so you can test yourself on how much you remember without any prompting; then keep going backwards and you get a cat, and then you get the slide with a "fill-in-the-blank," which you can check by going forward to the cat slide again if you need to. Very cool! 

So, it's really up to you, however you want to use the slides. And remember: you can always click on the English translation to go back to the original lesson. Here is a link to the full-size show. 

If you want to do even more reviewing (learning IS reviewing! reviewing IS learning!), here are the review slideshows from Week 27, Week 26, and Week 25. The more you repeat, the more you learn! 

And... here's a random cat:

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Latin Lesson #116: 3rd Declension Stem and Ending

The focus for today's lesson is using the genitive form of 3rd declension nouns and adjectives to find the stem, and then to be able to recognize the accusative form. With the 1st and 2nd declension, you can confidently form the accusative from the nominative form, but not so the 3rd declension.

And where do you find the genitive form of a 3rd-declension noun or adjective? It's in the dictionary! The standard practice is to list the nominative and the genitive form, along with the gender. That is the core information you need to generate the other forms of the word. Just remove the -is from the genitive, and you have the stem.

So, for example, here are five 3rd-declension nouns from today's sayings with links to my one of favorite online Latin dictionaries: Wiktionary (at Wikipedia). If you are going to be reading Latin, it's a good idea to get familiar with this resource. The Wiktionary is especially good for etymological information and also paradigms that show all the word endings. So, take a few minutes to click on some of these links and look at the dictionary entries:

pellis (gen. pellis): Wiktionary. stem: pell-
labor (gen. laboris): Wiktionary. stem: labor-
aestas (gen. aestatis): Wiktionary. stem: aestat-
fustis (gen. fustis): Wiktionary. stem: fust-
foetor (gen. foetoris): Wiktionary. stem: foetor-

So, in today's sayings, you will see each of those words in the accusative form, with an -em ending. Just add that ending to the stem and you get the accusative form: pellis in the accusative becomes pellem, and so on.

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

So, here are today's proverbs:

1. Leoninam pellem indue.
Don (the) lion skin.
leo-NI-nam pellem IN-due.

The word leoninam is the accusative form of the 1st-declension adjective, leonina, which gives us English "leonine." The feminine accusative adjective agrees with the feminine accusative noun, pellem.

You've seen another version of this saying which uses the noun leo instead of the adjective: Leonis pellem indue. The reference here is to the way that the hero Hercules wore a lion's skin. So, if you have a difficult task in front of you, put on your lion skin, just like Hercules, and get to work! 


2. Revocat aurora laborem.
Dawn revives work.
RE-vocat au-RO-ra la-BO-rem.

The verb revocat, "revives, recalls, summons again," is a compound re-vocat, "back-calls." You've seen a related adjective: revocabile. 

The subject of the verb is aurora, "dawn," which is a word we also use in English: "aurora."

The word laborem is the accusative form of the noun labor, and it is the object of the verb.

The idea is that with dawn comes the beginning of the day, which means the beginning of the work day as well.

3. Una hirundo non facit aestatem.
One swallow doesn't make (a) summer.
una hi-RUN-do non facit aes-TA-tem.

You've seen all the words in this saying because you already know this saying: Aestatis hirundo est nuntia, "The swallow is summer's messenger."

The word aestatem is the accusative form of the noun aestas, and it is the object of the verb.

Note the feminine adjective una; it is feminine because the noun hirundo is feminine.

Compare the English saying, "One swallow does not a summer make." A fuller version of the saying in English explains how the saying is about more than just the bird: "One swallow does not make a summer, neither does one fine day." So, just as one swallow's arrival is not enough to confirm the end of winter, so too a single day's warm weather does not mean there will not be another freeze.


4. Asinus esuriens fustem neglegit.
(The) hungry donkey ignores (the) cudgel.
A-sinus e-SU-riens fustem NEG-legit.

The word fustem is the accusative form of the noun fustis, "cudgel," and it is the object of the verb. You can see this root in the English word "fustigate."

The 3rd-declension adjective esuriens, "hungry" is masculine, agreeing with asinus, the subject of the verb. You can see this root in English "esurient." 

The idea is that when a donkey is hungry, that's all that matters; he's not going to respond to the cudgel. So, if he is grazing in the meadow or feeding in the barn, you can beat him all you want, but the donkey is not going to move. People can act the same way too, depending on what they are "hungry" for.


5. Reddit foetorem stercus motum graviorem.
Manure (when it is) moved gives-forth (a) worse stench.
reddit foe-TO-rem stercus motum gravi-O-rem.

The 3rd-declension neuter noun, stercus, "manure, dung," is a word that is new to you, but you've seen a related word: sterculinum. 

The adjective motum, "moved," is neuter, agreeing with the noun stercus, the subject of the verb. You already know the verb that this adjective (participle) comes from: movet, "moved."

The verb reddit, "gives back, returns, yields," is a compound: re(d)-dit, "back-gives, give back." You know the root verb already: dat, "gives."

The word foetorem is the accusative form of foetor, a 3rd-declension noun (sometimes spelled fetor), meaning "stink." You can see this same root in English "fetid."

The word graviorem is the accusative form of gravior, a 3rd-declension adjective, "heavier." It is the comparative form of the adjective gravis, "heavy." You can see this root in both the English adjective "grave" and the noun "gravity."

Notice how the accusative noun phrase foetorem ... graviorem wraps around the nominative noun phrase: stercus motum. That word order creates the internal rhyme of foet-orem and gravi-orem, a regular feature of medieval Latin proverbs.

This saying is literally true, of course, and also metaphorically true: there's a lot of stirring up of manure in the world far away from actual farms and farm animals. It's a veritable shit-storm in DC these days, sigh.

Here's a recap:

• Leoninam pellem indue.
• Revocat aurora laborem.
• Una hirundo non facit aestatem.
• Asinus esuriens fustem neglegit.
• Reddit foetorem stercus motum graviorem.

And here is today's audio:



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Latin Lesson #115: The Third Declension

The goal this week is to learn the ablative ending for the 3rd declension, and so we'll start by reviewing the 3rd declension. Specifically, today we'll review the 3rd-declension nominative endings. The 1st and 2nd declensions are easy to recognize in the nominative case, with the 1st declension ending in -a and the 2nd declension ending in -us and -um... but the 3rd declension has a wide variety of nominative endings. The 3rd-declension genitive ends in -is, which is where you can find the stem, but you can't rely on the nominative to find the stem (unlike the 1st and 2nd declensions, where you can just remove the nominative endings to find the stem).

Just to give you a reminder of the variety of 3rd-declension nominative endings, here's a slideshow of the 3rd declension nouns you have seen so far. Don't worry if you can't remember what all the words mean — just look at all those different nominative endings! To find the stem, look at the genitive form and remove the -is. (We'll do some more work on the genitive 3rd-declension ending tomorrow too.)

And to get ready for today's sayings, here is a little slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before:

Now here are today's proverbs:

1. Calamitas nulla sola.
Not-any trouble (is) single.
ca-LA-mitas nulla sola.

The 3rd declension noun calamitas gives us English "calamity." The stem is calamitat- (this -tas / -tatis word formation is very common; you will see it frequently).

Compare the English saying "Troubles never come singly," and also the phrase "one thing after another."


2. Magis mutus quam piscis.
More silent than (a) fish.
magis mutus quam piscis.

The masculine adjective mutus gives us English "mute." 

This 3rd-declension noun, piscis, has a genitive that is the same form as the nominative: piscis.

Land animals make all kinds of sounds, as do birds... but not fish. So, fish are a very fine example of someone or something silent.


3. Homo animal bipes implume.
(A) human (is a) two-footed featherless animal.
homo A-nimal bipes im-PLU-me.

The 3rd-declension noun animal gives us English "animal," and it's related to the Latin word anima. An animal is alive because it has an anima, "spirit." The stem is visible here in the nominative: animalis is the genitive.
The 3rd-declension adjective bipes is a compound bi-pes, "two-footed." This Latin word also gives us English "biped" from the stem biped-
The 3rd-declension adjective implume is also a compound im-plume, "not-plumed, without feathers." You can see this Latin root in English "plume." For this word also you can see the stem, implum-, in the nominative.

This saying is related to a famous anecdote about the philosophers Plato and Diogenes: when Plato defined a human being as a "featherless biped", Diogenes brought Plato a plucked chicken and said, "Here is Plato's man."


4. Neque caro neque piscis est.
(It) is neither flesh nor fish.
neque caro neque piscis est.

The conjunction neque means "not, and not," and it can be used in a pair like this: neque... neque... "neither... not..."
The 3rd-declension noun caro, "flesh, meat," gives us English "carnal" from the stem of the noun, carn-.

In the Catholic tradition edible meats were divided into "flesh" and "fish" (no eating of flesh on Fridays, but fish is allowed), so the idea is that if something is neither flesh nor fish, it is something utterly strange, something paradoxical beyond existing categories. Compare English sayings like "Neither here nor there, "Neither the one nor the other, "Neither head nor tail," etc. 

5. Ubi Bacchus regnat, Venus saltat.
Where Bacchus rules, Venus dances.
ubi Bacchus regnat, Venus saltat.

The name Bacchus is a masculine 2nd-declension noun, but Venus is a 3rd-declension feminine noun; her genitive form is Veneris, and you can see the stem, Vener-, in the English word "venereal" (as in venereal disease).

Here the name of the god Bacchus (Greek Dionysus) stands for wine, while the name of the goddess Venus (Greek Aphrodite) stands for love. So the idea is that when there is wine or drink, people feel frisky and dance.


And here's a recap:

• Calamitas nulla sola.
• Magis mutus quam piscis.
• Homo animal bipes implume.
• Neque caro neque piscis est.
• Ubi Bacchus regnat, Venus saltat.

And here is today's audio:



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Week 27 Catch-Up Day

Here's this week's catch-up post to help you review any lesson(s) you missed this past week and/or to work on whatever kind of practice is most useful to you. 

These were the lessons from this week, plus previous weeks, and you'll find the review slideshow below:

• 111: Another week of prepositions
• 112: More prepositions with the ablative
• Week 27 Vocabulary Review
• 113: Prepositions with the accusative
• 114: Finishing Up Week 27

This is the slideshow with all the ablative and accusative prepositions from the week. You can read out loud, first with the English to remind you of the vocabulary... and then with the cat!

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

And here's the random cat:

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Latin Lesson #114: Finishing Up Week 27

The focus for today's lesson is a review of prepositions with the 2nd declension, both ablative (-o ending) and accusative (-um ending). So, as you read through the sayings today, keep an eye out for which prepositions are taking the accusative and which ones are taking the ablative.

Then after you finish this little review, it will be time for the ablative ending of the 3rd declension next week!

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

And here are today's proverbs:

1. In vino feritas.
In wine, ferocity.
In vino FE-ritas.

The word vino is the ablative form of the noun vinum, which you have seen before. The preposition in takes the ablative case here: in vino.
The noun feritas means "ferocity," and you can also see this same root in English "feral" and "fierce."

The saying is a play on the traditional form of a saying you have seen before: In vino veritas. The proverb scholar Wolfgang Mieder calls these types of sayings "anti-proverbs."


2. Ab asino lanam.
(Seeking) wool from (a) donkey.
Ab A-sino lanam.

The word asino is the ablative form of the noun asinus, which you have seen before.
The noun lana means "wool," and you can see this root in English "lanolin."

This is one of those proverbial fool's errands: you are never going to get would from a donkey, no matter how hard you look. Compare the English saying "hen's teeth."

3. Reductio ad absurdum
Reduction to (the) absurd.
Re-DUC-tio ad ab-SUR-dum.

The word absurdum is the accusative form of the adjective absurdum, which gives us English "absurd."
The noun reductio gives us English "reduction." This is a 3rd-declension noun, nominative case, and it is the subject of the sentence.

We use this Latin phrase in English, and it has a Wikipedia article of its own: Apagogical argument.


4. Sera in fundo parsimonia
Saving (is) late at (the) bottom.
Sera in fundo parsi-MO-nia.

The word fundo is the ablative form of the noun fundus, "bottom," as in the bottom of the barrel (it's too late to spare the wine when you're at the bottom of the barrel), or the bottom of the money-chest (it's too late to practice economy when the money-chest is empty). You can see this root in English "fund" and  "fundament."
You haven't seen the feminine adjective sera before, but you have seen the neuter form serum and the adverbial form sero.


5. Ad stagnum resilit, tenet etsi rana cathedram.
(A) frog jumps-back into (the) marsh, even-if it has a throne.
Ad stagnum RE-silit, tenet etsi rana ca-THE-dram.

The word stagnum is the accusative form of the noun stagnum, "swamp, marsh." You can see this root in English "stagnant." This word is in the accusative because of the preposition ad.

The word cathedram is the accusative form of the noun cathedra, which means "throne," specifically a bishop's throne, and it also refers to a "chair" in the sense of a professor's chair. You can see this root in English "cathedral." This word is in the accusative because it is the object of the verb tenet.

The verb resilit, "leaps back," gives us English "resilience."

The verb tenet, "holds, has," and gives us the English noun "tenet."

The word etsi is a compound: et-si, "even if." You've see the adverbial et before, which means "even, also" (instead of the usual conjunction "and"), and you've seen si, "if," so know you have the compound: etsi.

The noun rana means "frog," and the saying is making fun of some ridiculous, unworthy person (the "frog") who is appointed to the position of a bishop or a professor and then proceeds to embarrass himself. Notice how the word order puts rana right next to cathedram, emphasizing this comical juxtaposition!

Here's a recap:

• In vino feritas.
• Ab asino lanam.
• Sera in fundo parsimonia.
• Reductio ad absurdum.
• Ad stagnum resilit, tenet etsi rana cathedram.

And here is today's audio:



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Latin Lesson #113: Prepositions with the accusative

For the past week you've looked at prepositions that take the ablative, but remember: some prepositions take the accusative case. Here are the prepositions with the accusative that you saw a couple weeks ago with the 1st declension; I've underlined the prepositions, and bolded the prepositional phrase.

• Asinus ad lyram.
• Ardua ad gloriam via.
• Vade ad formicam, o piger!
• Ut piscis extra aquam.
• Nihil novum super terram.

So today you will see some prepositions that take the accusative but with 2nd declension nouns and adjectives. The 2nd-declension accusative ending is -um.

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

So, here are today's proverbs:

1. Otium post negotium.
Leisure after business.
O-tium post ne-GO-tium.

The word negotium is the accusative of the neuter noun negotium (nominative and accusative the same as always for neuter nouns). The word is a compound: nec-otium, "not-leisure," i.e. "business."

The preposition post, "after," takes the accusative. You've seen this in Latin phrases like post partum, "after birth."

The idea is that you need to get business done first, but then you can have fun. Compare the English saying, "Business before pleasure." The Latin word play with otium-negotium makes the Latin version of this saying more fun though!


2. Leonis exuvium super asinum.
(A) lion's skin on (a) donkey.
le-O-nis ex-U-vium super A-sinum.

The word asinum is the accusative of the masculine noun asinus which you have seen before. 

You've also seen the preposition super before.

The noun exuvium, "skin," is new. Specifically, it means a snake's sloughed off skin, but here it is used to refer to a skin stripped from a lion.

The saying refers to the Aesop's fable about the donkey in the lion skin: at first people thought he was a lion, so he was able to graze where he wanted and do as he pleased, but when they figured out he was really a donkey, they pulled the skin off him and beat him for his bad behavior. It's a saying for people pretending to be something they are not!

3. Serum auxilium post proelium.
Help after (the) battle (is) late.
serum aux-I-lium post PROE-lium.

The word proelium is the accusative of the neuter noun proelium (nominative and accusative the same as always for neuter nouns), and you've seen this noun before.

The neuter noun auxilium is new, and it means "help, aid, assistance." You can see this root in English "auxiliary." It is in the nominative case, the subject of the sentence. 

The adjective serum agrees with auxilium: nominative neuter singular. You haven't seen this form of the word before, but you've seen the adverbial form, sero, "late" (the ablative form of a word sometimes does double-duty as an adverb).

The idea is that if you are going to help someone, you should help them when they are in trouble, not waiting until after the trouble is over.

4. Testudo intra tegumentum tuta.
(The) turtle (is) safe inside (her) shell.
tes-TU-do intra tegu-MEN-tum tuta.

The word tegumentum is the accusative of the neuter noun tegumentum (nominative and accusative the same as always for neuter nouns). The noun means a "covering," or specifically a "shell" when you're talking about turtles. You can see this root in the English word "integument."

The preposition intra means "within, inside, on the inside." You can find this in many English compounds like "intravenous" and "intramural."

Part of the charm of this saying is the sound-play: listen to all those t-sounds! Seven 7 t-sounds in just 4 words!


5. Vir prudens non contra ventum mingit.
(A) wise man doesn't piss against (the) wind.
vir prudens non contra ventum mingit.

The word ventum is the accusative of the masculine noun ventus which you have seen before.

The preposition contra, "against," shows up in lots of English compounds like "contradiction" and "contraception."

The adjective prudens gives us English "prudent" (the stem of the adjective is prudent-). This Latin word is a contraction of pro-videns, "before-seeing," i.e. "seeing things in advance, anticipating what is to come." That's the original meaning of "prudent."

The verb mingit means "urinates, pisses." You can see this Latin root in the English medical term "micturate."

So, the idea is that the prudent man can see in advance what will happen if he pisses into the wind. And it will not be good... so he doesn't do it. :-)


Here's a recap:

• Otium post negotium.
• Leonis exuvium super asinum.
• Serum auxilium post proelium.
• Testudo intra tegumentum tuta.
• Vir prudens non contra ventum mingit.

And here is today's audio:



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