Proverbs/Grammar ~ Grammar/Proverbs: Latin Lesson #122: Sneaky neuter accusative

The focus for today's lesson is more prepositions with the accusative case. Today, all those accusative nouns are neuter nouns, and you remember how that works, right? In Latin, and in all the Indo-European languages, the nominative and accusative forms of the neuter nouns are exactly the same. Always!

So, that means you are going to see what might look like a nominative noun with a preposition — but it cannot be the nominative, because a nominative noun can only be the subject of a verb; that is the only thing a nominative noun can do: the nominative is the subject of the verb.

But an accusative noun can be the object of a verb, and it can also complement a preposition. Each of the sayings below has a preposition with an accusative noun.

But first, to get started here is a little slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before:

And now here are today's proverbs:

1. Inter os et offam.
Between mouth and morsel.
inter os et offam.

The preposition inter, "between," takes the accusative case. You can see this Latin word in many English compounds, like "international."
The word os is the accusative of the neuter noun os, which you have seen before.

The word offam is the accusative of the feminine noun offa, meaning "morsel."

Compare the English saying, "There's many a slip 'twixt cup and lip." The Latin saying has the same meaning, but it leaves out the verb.

2. Apud flumen puteum fodit.
(Someone) is-digging (a) well at (a) river.
apud flumen PU-teum fodit.

The preposition apud, "at, near," takes the accusative case.
The word flumen is the accusative of the neuter noun flumen, which means "river, the thing that flows." The root of the noun is flu- as in English "fluid."

The word puteum is the accusative of the masculine noun puteus, "well." This Latin word is ultimately the source of English "pit" (in the sense of a hole in the ground).

It is in the accusative case because it is the object of the verb, fodit, "digs." You can see this Latin root in English "fossil" (something "dug up").

This saying refers to someone doing something that is a foolish waste of time: if you have a source of water nearby, then you do not need to dig a well!

3. Tuta est testudo collecta in tegimen suum.
(The) turtle is safe, gathered into her shell.
tuta est tes-TU-do col-LEC-ta in TE-gimen suum.

The preposition in has the meaning "into" when it takes the accusative case.

The word tegimen is the accusative of the neuter noun tegimen, "covering, shell." You have not seen this word before, but it shares the same root with tegumentum.

The adjective suum is the accusative of the neuter adjective suum, which you've seen before, agreeing with tegimen.

The word collecta, "collected," is a feminine adjective agreeing with the noun testudo, which you've seen before.

This saying has the same meaning as one you saw previously: Testudo intra tegumentum tuta.

4. Pauperis ad funus currit vix clericus unus.
Scarcely one priest runs to (a) pauper's funeral.
PAU-peris ad funus currit vix CLE-ricus unus.

The preposition ad, which you have seen before, takes the accusative case.

The word funus is the accusative of the neuter noun funus which gives us English "funeral."

The word pauperis is the genitive of the noun pauper, which you've seen before. Notice how the noun phrase pauperis funus wraps around the preposition: pauperis ad funus.

The subject of the sentence, clericus, "priest," lets you know that this is a medieval saying. The word is a borrowing from Greek klerikos (κληρικός), and this also gives us English "clerical" and "clergy."
The adverb vix means "scarcely, barely." By implication, many priests would go running to the funeral of a rich man!

Another clue that this is a medieval saying is the rhyme: funus-unus.

5. Si dormit lupula, non currit in os ovis ulla.
If (the) she-wolf is-sleeping, not any sheep run into (her) mouth.
si dormit LU-pula, non currit in os ovis ulla.

This is another rhyming medieval Latin proverb: lupula-ulla. That's why you have this unusual form of the word lupus, "wolf." Here you have a "she-wolf," lupa; more specifically, lupula, a little she-wolf (-ula is a diminutive ending).

The word ulla is a feminine adjective, agreeing with lupula.

The word os is the accusative of the neuter noun os, as in the saying above.

The idea is that the wolf has to get to work and go catch that sheep. No sheep is ever just going to run into her mouth!

Here's a recap: