Mixed declensions. Remember that there are some words, like nullus - nullum - nulla, which look like a typical 1st-2nd declension word in the nominative, but which take -i in the dative, just like a 3rd-declension word. You'll see dative nulli in two of today's sayings.
Dative of possession. Another distinctive feature of the Latin dative is that it is used for possession, especially of things that are abstractions, or family members, or body parts. After all, it's a bit weird how in English we say that "I have two arms" as if "arms" are something you can acquire or give away like other possessions. So in one of today's sayings, you'll see the dative used for a body part: the the os, "mouth," of the vulpes, "fox" — intra os vulpi dormienti, "into the mouth of the sleeping fox." You've already seen another mouth-proverb like this one, but with a horse in the dative: Equo donato noli respicere in os, "Don't look into the mouth of a horse who is given to you."
And here is today's slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before: you know almost all of today's words already!
1. Cineri medicina.
Medicine for-the-ashes.
CI-neri medi-CI-na.
The word cineri is the dative form of the noun cinis. Literally, it means "ashes," but here it metaphorically refers to a dead person: someone who has died and been cremated into ashes.
The idea is that medicine is not going to do a dead person any good; You need to administer to the living, not to the dead!
Compare the English saying, "Closing the barn door after the horse has bolted."
2. Vita morti propior cotidie.
Life (gets) closer to-death every-day.
vita morti PRO-pior co-TI-die.
The word morti is the dative form of the noun mors. It is being used here with the adjective propior, "closer" just like "closer to" in English: morti propior, "closer to death." The adjective propior is feminine, agreeing with vita.
The word cotidie, "every day, daily," is new to you, but you have seen the root noun: dies, "day."
Notice how the flexible Latin word order puts the words for life and death right next to each other, which is the point of the saying, death is right next to life: vita morti.
There is a phrase for this type of saying: memento mori, "remember (that you are going to) die." You can read more about this wisdom tradition at Wikipedia: Memento Mori.
3. Omnis avarus nulli est carus.
Every miser is dear to-nobody.
omnis a-VA-rus nulli est carus.
The word nulli is the dative form of the adjective nullus, which is being used here substantively as a noun, "nobody."
3. Omnis avarus nulli est carus.
Every miser is dear to-nobody.
omnis a-VA-rus nulli est carus.
The word nulli is the dative form of the adjective nullus, which is being used here substantively as a noun, "nobody."
The word carus is a masculine adjective agreeing with avarus. You haven't seen this masculine form before, but you have seen the neuter form: carum.
Notice that the proverb rhymes: avarus - carus. That is a sure sign that it is a medieval saying! Medieval Latin uses lots of rhymes; classical Latin uses hardly any rhymes at all.
Both medieval and classical Latin are very flexible in how negation works; just like free word order, negation can happen anywhere in a sentence. In English, we are usually not that flexible. For this saying, you could shift the negation to make it more like English: "No miser is dear to anybody."
4. Nulli est homini perpetuum bonum.
(A) good-thing is everlasting for-no-person.
nulli est HO-mini per-PE-tuum bonum.
The word nulli is the dative form of the adjective nullus, which is being used here as an adjective, agreeing with homini, the dative form of homo.
4. Nulli est homini perpetuum bonum.
(A) good-thing is everlasting for-no-person.
nulli est HO-mini per-PE-tuum bonum.
The word nulli is the dative form of the adjective nullus, which is being used here as an adjective, agreeing with homini, the dative form of homo.
In this proverb too the negation occurs in a different position than we would use in English, where we would be more likely to say: "No good thing lasts forever for anyone."
5. Dormienti vulpi cadit intra os nihil.
Nothing falls into the-mouth for-the-fox (who is) sleeping.
dormi-EN-ti vulpi cadit intra os nihil.
The word dormienti is the dative form of the participle dormiens, "sleeping," from the verb dormit, which you have seen before. It agrees with vulpi, the dative form of the noun vulpes.
5. Dormienti vulpi cadit intra os nihil.
Nothing falls into the-mouth for-the-fox (who is) sleeping.
dormi-EN-ti vulpi cadit intra os nihil.
The word dormienti is the dative form of the participle dormiens, "sleeping," from the verb dormit, which you have seen before. It agrees with vulpi, the dative form of the noun vulpes.
The idea is that a fox needs to go out and hunt; they can't just lie there asleep and expect a chicken or rabbit to fall into their mouth. So too with human beings: you have to go out and work to get food; it's not just going to fall into your mouth while you sleep.
Here's a recap:
- Cineri medicina.
- Vita morti propior cotidie.
- Omnis avarus nulli est carus.
- Nulli est homini perpetuum bonum.
- Dormienti vulpi cadit intra os nihil.
Plus the LOLCats!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are limited to Google accounts. You can also email me at laurakgibbs@gmail.com