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:



Plus the LOLCats!

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