Latin Lesson #132: More 3rd-Conjugation Infinitives

The focus for today's lesson is more 3rd-conjugation infinitives, which end in -ere. 

Remember: unlike the 2nd-conjugation infinitives with the stress on the ending (long e in -ēre), the 3rd-conjugation stress is on the verb stem (short e in -ere). Here are the infinitives you will see today:

• FALL-ere. "to cheat"
• PERD-ere. "to lose, destroy"
• SCRIB-ere. "to write"
• DISC-ere. "to learn"
• SURG-ere. "to get up"

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

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Fallere fallentem non est fraus.
To-cheat (a) cheater is not fraud.
FAL-lere fal-LEN-tem non est fraus.

The word fallere is the infinitive form of the verb fallit, which you have seen before.
The word fallens is the participle (verbal adjective) from this same verb: "cheating," I.e. someone who is cheating, "a cheater." 

Compare to the legal maxim that you saw earlier: Fraus est celare fraudem, "It is fraud to conceal fraud."


2. Amicum perdere damnum est maximum.
To-lose (a) friend is (the) biggest loss.
a-MI-cum PER-dere damnum est MAX-imum.

The word perdere is the infinitive form of the verb perdit, "destroys, loses," which gives us English "perdition."

This is one of the Latin sayings of Publilius the Syrian. You can also find it in this form: Amicum perdere est damnorum maximum, "To lose a friend is the greatest of losses" (you will be learning about the genitive plural, damnorum, "of losses," later on).

3. Difficile est satiram non scribere.
(It is) hard to not write satire.
dif-FI-cile est SA-tiram non SCRI-bere.

The word scribere is the infinitive form of the verb scribit, "writes," which gives us English "scribe," "describe," etc.

The word satiram is the accusative form of satira, "satire," and it is the object of the infinitive: satiram scribere, "to write satire."

The words are from the Roman satirical poet Juvenal, the idea being that in a world filled with outrage and scandal, satire is the only kind of writing that is possible. You can find out more at Wikipedia: Juvenal.


4. Praestat sero quam numquam discere.
To-learn late is-better than never.
praestat sero quam numquam DIS-cere.

You know all the words in this saying already!

The word discere is the infinitive form of the verb discit.

Compare the saying you saw earlier: "Praestat sero quam numquam," "Better late than never." This variation just adapts this to learning a lesson: it's better to learn your lesson late rather than never.


5. Est sanum plane de lecto surgere mane.
(It) is clearly healthy to-rise from bed in-the-morning.
est sanum plane de lecto SUR-gere mane.

The word surgere is the infinitive form of the verb surgit, which you have seen before.

The word lecto is the ablative form of the word lectus, "bed," with the preposition de. You can see this root in the English medical term "lectual," which means something that confines you to bed.

The adverb plane means "clearly" and you can also see this Latin root in English "plainly."
The adverb mane means "in the morning," and you can see from these rhyming adverbs, plane-mane, that this is a medieval Latin saying.

Compare the rhyming English proverb: "Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."


Here's a recap:

• Fallere fallentem non est fraus.
• Amicum perdere damnum est maximum.
• Difficile est satiram non scribere.
• Praestat sero quam numquam discere.
• Est sanum plane de lecto surgere mane.

And here is today's audio:



Plus the LOLCats!

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe.

---