Latin Lesson #140: More practice with potest

The focus for today's lesson is more practice with the word potest and infinitives, and you will learn a new infinitive: esse, "to be," the irregular infinitive of the verb est. Just like in English, this verb is very irregular in Latin. At least in Latin, you can see some connection between est and esse. Trying to see a connection between "is" and "be" in English is much harder!

Keep an eye out for the infinitives with potest in today's sayings — and don't be surprised to see the infinitive esse, "to be."

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

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Odium numquam potest esse bonum.
Hatred can never be (a) good (thing).
O-dium numquam potest esse bonum.

Here's the infinitive esse, "to be," with potest in the phrase protest esse, "can be."

This is one of the propositions of the philosopher Spinoza.


2. Uno nemo potest in pede stare diu.
Nobody can stand for-a-long-time on one foot.
uno nemo potest in pede stare diu.

The word stare is the infinitive form of stat, "stands," a root you can see in English words like "statue" and "stature." You have not seen this verb before, but you have seen the compound praestat.  

The word pede is the ablative form of the masculine noun pes, and uno is the masculine ablative form of unus, agreeing with pede in the phrase: uno in pede, "on one foot."

This is the second line of a Latin epigram, and the first line explains the metaphor: Cur similis similem sibi quaerit, amicus amicum? "Why do friends seek each other, like to like?" So the idea is that just as you cannot stand long on one fit, you cannot live long without a friend.

3. Miles fugiens iterum pugnare potest.
(A) soldier fleeing can fight again.
miles FU-giens I-terum pug-NA-re potest.

The word pugnare is the infinitive form of pugnat, in the phrase pugnare potest, "can fight."

The word iterum is an adverb with pugnare, "to fight again."

The word miles means "soldier," and you can see this root in English "military." You haven't seen this word before, but you see this related word: militia. 

The word fugiens, "fleeing, running away" is a masculine adjective, agreeing with miles. It is a participle of a verb you have seen before: fugit.

Compare the English saying, "He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day."

4. Hic esse et illic simul nullus potest.
No (one) can be here and there at-the-same-time.
hic esse et illic simul nullus potest.

You've seen the word hic, "here," before, and now you can see its opposite: illic, "there."

The adverb simul means "at the same time," as in the English word "simultaneous."

The saying is adapted from the Roman comic playwright Plautus.


5. Plus potest negare asinus quam probare philosophus.
(A) donkey can negate more than (a) philosopher (can) prove.
plus potest ne-GA-re A-sinus quam pro-BA-re phi-LO-sophus.

The word negare is the infinitive form of the verb negat, "deny, say no," which you can see in English "negate."

The verb probare is the infinitive form of the verb probat, which you have seen before. Both of these infinitives go with potest: "can negate," potest negare, and "(can) prove," (potest) probare. 

The idea is that it is far easier to be an ignorant critic (the donkey), denying things you do not understand, as opposed to being a wise man (philosopher) who strives to understand the truth.

Here's a recap:

• Odium numquam potest esse bonum.
• Uno nemo potest in pede stare diu.
• Miles fugiens iterum pugnare potest.
• Hic esse et illic simul nullus potest.
• Plus potest negare asinus quam probare philosophus.

And here is today's audio:



Plus the LOLCats!

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