Proverbs/Grammar ~ Grammar/Proverbs: Latin Lesson #124: More preposition review

The focus for today's lesson is more examples of prepositions with ablative nouns and adjectives. As you read through the sayings, see if you can identify whether you are looking at the ablative form of a 1st-declension noun (-ā ending), a 2nd-declension noun (-ō ending), or a 3rd-declension noun (-e ending).

But first, here is a little slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before; you know almost all of today's words!

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Magnum in parvo.
(Something) great in (something) small.
magnum in parvo.

The word parvo is the ablative form of the neuter adjective parvum with the preposition in.

The word magnum is also a neuter adjective.

Both of these adjectives are being used substantively as nouns: magnum is (something) big, and parvum is (something) small.

The idea is that you should not be fooled by appearances: something small and seemingly unimportant could in fact be something big and important.

2. Nihil novi sub luna.
(There is) nothing new under (the) moon.
nihil novi sub luna.

The word luna (lunā) is the ablative form of the feminine noun luna with the preposition sub.

The word novi is the genitive form of the neuter adjective novum, and it is being used in a new idiom here: nihil plus the genitive, "nothing (of) new." This is simply a stylistic choice; you can say nihil novum or nihil novi in Latin to mean "nothing new."

This is a variation on a saying you've seen before: Nihil novum super terram.

3. Omnis est rex in domo sua.
Everyone is king in their-own home.
omnis est rex in domo sua.

The word domo is the ablative form of the feminine noun domus with the preposition in. Because it is a feminine noun it takes a feminine adjective: sua. (The word domus has various irregular features; it looks masculine here, but it is a feminine noun.)

Compare the English saying, "A man's home is his castle," which is also the basis for the so-called "castle doctrine."

4. Sine amicitia vita est nulla.
(There) is no life without friendship.
sine ami-CI-tia vita est nulla.

The word amicitia (amicitiā) is the ablative form of the feminine noun amicitia with the preposition sine.

This is yet another Latin saying in praise of friendship, which was a fundamental institution of Roman life. The words come from a treatise written by Cicero about friendship: De amicitia, "About friendship."

5. Pelle sub agnina latitat mens saepe lupina.
(A) wolfish mind often lurks under (a) lamb skin.
pelle sub ag-NI-na LA-titat mens saepe lu-PI-na.

The word pelle is the ablative form of the feminine noun pellis. Because it is a feminine noun, it has a feminine adjective: agnina. You have not seen this adjective before, but you have seen the noun that it comes from: agnus. Notice how the noun phrase pelle agnina wraps around its preposition: pelle sub agnina.

You also have not seen the feminine adjective lupina before, but you know the noun that it comes from: lupus. Notice how this noun phrase, mens lupina, wraps around the adverb: mens saepe lupina.

The verb latitat, "lurks," is new, but you have seen the verb that it derives from: latet, "hides." The -it- changes the verb to a frequentative form; you can read more about the Latin frequentative at Wikipedia. (The verb cogitat is also formed in this same way.)

This is a medieval Latin proverb as you can tell from the rhyme: agnina - lupina. You have seen another saying based on this notion of the wolf in sheep's clothing: Ovem in fronte, lupum in corde gerit.

Here's a recap: