Proverbs/Grammar ~ Grammar/Proverbs: Latin Lesson #134: Wrapping Up Week 32

The focus for today's lesson is one more set of sayings that feature -ere infinitives of the 3rd conjugation. You actually know most of the words in these days, and here is a little slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before:

And now here are today's proverbs:

1. Difficile est longum subito deponere amorem.
(It) is hard to-set-aside suddenly (a) long-standing love.
dif-FI-cile est longum SU-bito de-PO-nere a-MO-rem.

The word deponere is the infinitive of the verb deponit, which you have seen before.

The word amorem is the accusative form of the masculine noun amor. The adjective longum is masculine accusative, agreeing with amorem. Notice how the noun phrase, longum amorem, wraps around the infinitive phrase: subito deponere.
The only word you don't know in this saying is subito, "suddenly, immediately." (If you speak Italian, you'll know this as an Italian word with the same meaning.)

The words are found in the poetry of Catullus.

2. Remedium frustra est contra fulmen quaerere.
(It) is useless to-seek (a) remedy against (the) thunderbolt.
re-ME-dium frustra est contra fulmen QUAE-rere.

You know all the words in this saying already!

The word quaerere is the infinitive of the verb quaerit, which you have seen before.

The word remedium is accusative form of the neuter noun remedium (remember: neuter nouns are always the same in the nominative and the accusative); it is the object of the infinitive quaerere.

The word fulmen is also a neuter accusative, being used here with the preposition contra.

This is another of the sayings of Publilius the Syrian. The idea is that there are some disasters which human beings cannot counteract through their own powers. The fulmen was associated with the sky-god, Jupiter.

3. Ditat, sanctificat, sanat bene surgere mane.
To-get-up at-dawn makes-rich, makes-holy, makes-healthy very.
ditat, sanc-TI-ficat, sanat bene SUR-gere mane.

The word surgere is the infinitive of the verb surgit, which you have seen before. The infinitive is the subject of the three verbs: ditat, sanctificat and sanat. The adverb bene modifies these verbs, although that's a bit hard to convey in the English: it makes you nicely rich, nicely holy, and nicely healthy!
There are two 1st-conjugation verbs in this saying that are new to you: ditat, "makes rich, enriches," and sanctificat, "makes holy," which gives us English "sanctify."

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

4. Legere et non intellegere est tamquam non legere.
To-read and not to-understand is like not reading.
LE-gere et non intel-LE-gere est tamquam non LE-gere.

The word legere is the infinitive of the verb legit, which you have seen before. The word intellegere is the infinitive of the verb intellegit, "understands," is a compound: inter-legit, which you can see in English "intelligent."

The word tamquam means "just as, like." It is a compound word: tam-quam, "just-as."

This saying warns you to slow down while you read to make sure you understand. If you read without understanding what you read, you might as well not read!

5. Vincere cor proprium plus est quam vincere mundum.
To-conquer one's-own heart/mind is more than to-conquer (the) world.
VIN-cere cor PRO-prium plus est quam VIN-cere mundum.

The word vincere is the infinitive of the verb vincit, which you have seen before.

The word cor is the accusative form of the neuter noun cor, and it's the object of the infinitive. The word proprium is a neuter accusative adjective, agreeing with cor. You haven't seen the neuter adjective proprium before, but you have seen the feminine form: propria.

Compare the same metaphor in a saying you saw earlier this week: Effugere cupiditatem regnum est vincere.

The word mundum is the accusative form of the noun mundum, and it is the object of the infinitive.

Here's a recap: