Something new you will see today is the preposition in used with the accusative. This preposition sometimes takes the ablative and sometimes it takes the accusative, and it has a different meaning depending on the case. With the ablative, in means "in," but with the accusative, in means "into." You can see how that makes sense: prepositions with the accusative sometimes has the sense of motion, so "into" conveys that idea of motion in English, while in Latin it is the accusative case that conveys that sense.
And here is a little slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before:
So, here are today's proverbs:
1. Post laborem requies.
After work, rest.
post la-BO-rem requies.
The word laborem is the accusative form of the noun labor, which you have seen before, with the preposition post, which you have also seen before.
Here's a recap:
Plus the LOLCats!
And here is a little slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before:
1. Post laborem requies.
After work, rest.
post la-BO-rem requies.
The word laborem is the accusative form of the noun labor, which you have seen before, with the preposition post, which you have also seen before.
The noun requies means "rest," and we use the accusative form of this Latin word in English: "requiem." This word is new, but you have seen a related Latin word before: quies.
Notice that the English is ambiguous: the word "rest" could be a noun or it could be an imperative verb (rest!). In Latin, there is no such ambiguity: requies is a noun in Latin. If you wanted to say "Rest!" in Latin, you would need an imperative verb: requiesce!
2. Nemo est supra legem.
Nobody is above (the) law.
nemo est supra legem.
The word legem is the accusative form of the noun lex, which you have seen before, with the preposition supra, "above." You haven't seen this preposition before, but you have seen one similar in meaning: super.
2. Nemo est supra legem.
Nobody is above (the) law.
nemo est supra legem.
The word legem is the accusative form of the noun lex, which you have seen before, with the preposition supra, "above." You haven't seen this preposition before, but you have seen one similar in meaning: super.
You can also see this phrase in the plural: "No one is above the laws," Nemo est supra leges. (We'll be learning the plural forms of nouns and adjectives later.)
You can read about the history of this saying in English at the New York Times: No one is above the law.
3. Ne capra contra leonem.
(The) goat (must) not (go) against (the) lion.
ne capra contra le-O-nem.
The word leonem is the accusative form of the noun leo, which you have seen before, with the preposition contra, which you have also seen before.
3. Ne capra contra leonem.
(The) goat (must) not (go) against (the) lion.
ne capra contra le-O-nem.
The word leonem is the accusative form of the noun leo, which you have seen before, with the preposition contra, which you have also seen before.
This is one of those sayings which has an implied verb: the goat should not (ne) do something against the lion: go against the lion, march against the lion, plot against the lion... whatever the goat is doing, it should not do that thing in a way that will provoke the lion!
4. Ex aurea etiam sede in paludem rana resilit.
(The) frog jumps-back into (the) swamp even from (a) golden throne.
ex AU-rea etiam sede in pa-LU-dem rana RE-silit.
The word paludem is the accusative form of the noun palus, which means "swamp." This gives us the English adjective "paludal."
4. Ex aurea etiam sede in paludem rana resilit.
(The) frog jumps-back into (the) swamp even from (a) golden throne.
ex AU-rea etiam sede in pa-LU-dem rana RE-silit.
The word paludem is the accusative form of the noun palus, which means "swamp." This gives us the English adjective "paludal."
You've also got an ablative prepositional phrase here too: ex aurea sede.
The word sede is the ablative form of the feminine noun, sedes, "seat, chair, throne" and you can see this root in English "sedan."
The word aurea is the ablative form of the feminine adjective, aurea, "golden." You haven't seen this adjective before, but you have seen the noun: aurum.
Notice how the prepositional phrase ex aurea sede wraps around the adverb etiam.
This is a variation on a saying you've seen before: Ad stagnum resilit, tenet etsi rana cathedram. In that saying, the frog had a bishop's chair; in this saying, the frog has a golden throne.
The point of both sayings is the same. We might say in English: "You can take the frog out of the swamp, but you can't take the swamp out of the frog."
5. Post calamitatem memoria alia est calamitas.
After disaster, (its) memory is another disaster.
post calami-TA-tem me-MO-ria alia est ca-LA-mitas.
The word calamitatem is the accusative form of the noun calamitas, which you have seen before, with the preposition post, which you have also seen before.
5. Post calamitatem memoria alia est calamitas.
After disaster, (its) memory is another disaster.
post calami-TA-tem me-MO-ria alia est ca-LA-mitas.
The word calamitatem is the accusative form of the noun calamitas, which you have seen before, with the preposition post, which you have also seen before.
The word alia is a feminine adjective, "other, another," agreeing with the feminine noun calamitas. You haven't seen this feminine form before, but you have seen the masculine form: alius.
Notice how the noun phrase, alia calamitas, wraps around the verb: alia est calamitas.
It's quite a wise saying: there's the pain of the disaster itself, and then the pain of reliving it again and again in memory. This is one of the sayings of Publilius Syrus, a Latin writer who first came to Rome as a slave from Syria. You can find out more at Wikipedia: Publilius Syrus.
Here's a recap:
- Post laborem requies.
- Nemo est supra legem.
- Ne capra contra leonem.
- Ex aurea etiam sede in paludem rana resilit.
- Post calamitatem memoria alia est calamitas.
Plus the LOLCats!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are limited to Google accounts. You can also email me at laurakgibbs@gmail.com