Proverbs/Grammar ~ Grammar/Proverbs: Latin Lesson #151: Datives for the 2nd declension

Now that you have learned the -ae dative ending for the 1st Declension, it's time for the 2nd declension. The dative ending for the 2nd declension is -o.

And yes, this is also the ablative ending for the 2nd declension. So, just like you had to use context to recognize the genitive-or-dative ending for the 1st declension (ae), you have to use context to recognize the ablative-or-dative ending for the 2nd declension. For example, here are two sayings about smoke, fumus:

ablative: De fumo ad flammam. Out of the smoke, into the fire.
dative: Flamma fumo est proxima. The fire is next to the smoke.

All the sayings for today include datives from the 2nd declension, but first, here's a little slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before, and you've seen almost all of the words in today's sayings before:

So, here are today's proverbs:

1. Alcinoo poma.
Fruits for-Alcinous.
al-CI-noo poma.

The word Alcinoo is the dative form of Alcinous, the name of a mythological king who is an important character in Homer's Odyssey; you can find out more at Wikipedia: Alcinous. What you need to know about King Alcinous for this saying is that he had a beautiful garden full of fruit; the Garden of Alcinous even has a Wikipedia article of its own.

The word poma is the plural form of pomum, "fruit," which can mean apples, pears, figs, grapes, etc. (You haven't officially learned any plural forms yet, but we'll be getting to the plural forms later!) You can see the Latin root in English "pomegranate" and in the name "Pomona."

This Latin saying is the equivalent "Coals to Newcastle." In that saying, the idea is that the city of Newcastle abounded in coal of nearby coal mines; there was no reason to send coals to Newcastle. In the same way, King Alcinous had plenty of fruit from his gardens; there is no reason to send fruits to Alcinous!

2. Et pilo sua umbra.
Even for-a-hair (there is) its-own shadow.
et pilo sua umbra.

You have seen all the words in this saying before.
The word pilo is the dative form of pilus. This use of the dative is called the "dative of possession" and you can actually translate the saying this way: "Even the hair has its own shadow."

The idea is that even though a hair is very small, it does cast its own tiny shadow. This is literally true, and metaphorically it means that every action, no matter how small, has consequences.

3. Servo non est otium.
(There) is no rest for-the-slave.
servo non est O-tium.

You also know all the words in this saying too.
The word servo is the dative form of servus, which can mean either "servant" or "slave." Given that ancient Rome was a slave society, I've translated it as slave here.

You can also understand this as a kind of possession, translating it as "A slave never gets a break."

4. Deo nihil impossibile.
For-God nothing (is) impossible.
deo nihil impos-SI-bile.

Once again: you know all the words in this saying already.
The word deo is the dative form of deus,

Notice how the double negative works: nihil impossibile, "nothing is impossible," means that "everything is possible."

You can find this saying in the ancient Christian writer Tertullian.

5. Flamma fumo est proxima.
The-fire is close to-the-smoke.
flamma fumo est PRO-xima.

The feminine noun flamma, "fire, flame," as in English "flame" and "inflammation."
The word fumo is the dative form of fumus,
Compare the English saying, "Where there's smoke, there's fire." The idea is that if you see smoke, you are bound to find fire next.

Here's a recap: