Latin Lesson #169: More Passive Practice

The focus for today's lesson is more practice with passive verbs, plus a set of three sayings to help you see how sayings appear in one variant after another; that's the nature of folklore! People adapt and change the existing proverbs to make new ones. You can do the same thing too if you want!

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

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Vetulus simius non capitur laqueo.
(An) old monkey isn't caught with-a-snare.
VE-tulus SI-mius non CA-pitur LA-queo.

The verb capitur is the passive form of capit. The subject is simius, "monkey." You haven't seen this masculine form before, but you have seen the feminine simia. 

The noun laqueo is the ablative of laqueus, "snare, trap." This is the origin of English "lace" and also "lasso."

The key word here is vetulus: the old monkey has seen all the tricks and has managed to survive them so far, so you are not going to catch that old monkey with the usual snare. A young monkey, perhaps, but not the old monkey!


2. Vetula vulpes laqueo non capitur.
(An) old fox isn't caught with-a-snare.
VE-tula vulpes LA-queo non CA-pitur.

Same verb but a new subject: vulpes. Because vulpes is a feminine noun, it takes a feminine adjective: vetula, "old." You haven't seen this feminine adjective before, but you have seen the masculine vetulus. 

As you can see, this is just a variation on the same idea: both the fox and the monkey are proverbially sly animals, and the same argument about the vetulus simius applies just as well to the vetula vulpes.


3. Vulpes non iterum capitur laqueo.
(A) fox isn't caught a-second-time with-a-snare.
vulpes non I-terum CA-pitur LA-queo.

You already know all the words in this saying! Here is the emphasis is on the idea that the fox can learn from her mistakes: you might be able to catch her once with a snare, but she is not going to fall for that again! So, be like the fox: if you are fooled once, just make sure you do not let yourself be snared again!


4. Saxum volutum non obducitur musco.
(A) rolled stone isn't covered with-moss.
saxum vo-LU-tum non ob-DU-citur musco.

The verb obducitur, "is covered," is the passive form of obducit. You haven't seen this compound verb before, but you have seen the root verb: ducit.

The subject is saxum, a neuter noun, so it takes a neuter adjective, volutum, "rolling."

The noun musco is the ablative form of muscus, "moss."

Compare the English saying, "A rolling stone gathers no moss." 

This is one of those sayings that allows for opposite interpretations. Being a "rolling stone" can be a good thing: you don't want to become overgrown with moss, so keep on moving, don't get stuck in a rut! But it's also possible for this to be a bad thing: the rolling stone who never settles down never has time to get comfortable, all nicely covered with moss, soft and comfortable. The saying has its own Wikipedia article, which includes this Latin version: A rolling stone.


5. Nimium tendendo rumpitur funiculus.
(A) rope breaks (by) too-much stretching.
NI-mium ten-DEN-do RUM-pitur fu-NI-culus.

The verb rumpitur is the passive form of rumpit. This is one of those passive verbs in Latin which can be translated with an intransitive active verb: "breaks."

The subject is funiculus, "rope." You haven't seen this diminutive form before, but you have seen the regular form of the noun funis. 

The noun tendendo is the ablative form of tendendum, "stretching." You haven't seen this noun before, but you have seen the verb that it comes from: tendit.

So, if you don't want to "snap," then take a break and relax!

You've seen a variation on this saying before: Arcus nimium tensus frangitur. The adjective tensus comes from the same root as the noun in this saying, tendendo.


Here's a recap:

1. Vetulus simius non capitur laqueo.
2. Vetula vulpes laqueo non capitur.
3. Vulpes non iterum capitur laqueo.
4. Saxum volutum non obducitur musco.
5. Nimium tendendo rumpitur funiculus.

And here is today's audio:



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Week 49 Vocabulary Review

The quiz-slideshow today covers a whole range of nouns and verbs, while the crossword focuses on passive verbs. Using the slideshow, you can check yourself by looking at the cat slide that follows the slide with the missing word(s). And remember: on the slides that contain the English translation, the English is linked to the original blog post if you want some help in understanding the grammar of the saying.

Here is a link to the full-size show, and the show is embedded in the blog post below. 

If you want to do even more reviewing (you cannot review too much!), here are the vocabulary review slideshows from previous weeks.

And here is the Week 49 Crossword for you to download and print; the answers are all passive verb forms. Screenshots:

And... here's a random cat (with a new cat when you reload the page):

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Latin Lesson #168: More independent ablatives

The focus for today's lesson is more practice with independent ablatives, and also a reminder about 3rd-conjugation and 4th-conjugation verbs. 

In the present tense, both 3rd- and 4th-conjugation verbs end in -it, and in the passive they both end in -itur... but even though they look the same in the passive, they are not the same! The theme vowel in the 3rd conjugation is a short i, but the theme vowel in the 4th conjugation is a long i, so that changes the verb stress in the passive, with the stress on that long vowel:

• 3rd-conjugation. dicit, says. DI-citur, it is said.
• 4th-conjugation. audit, hears. au-DI-tur, it is heard.

There is no way to look at the verb to tell the difference, although some beginning Latin textbooks mark the long vowels like this: audītur. The 3rd-conjugation verbs are far, far more common than the 4th-conjugation verbs, so you can guess 3rd-conjugation, but to be sure, you need to look up verbs you don't know in the dictionary, which will either identify the conjugation. You can use Logeion to look up any verb form, like auditur, and it will show the verb entry, where you will see that it is a 4th-conjugation verb.

To get started, here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before, and you have seen almost all of today's words already:

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Ingenium industria alitur.
Genius is-nourished by-hard-work.
in-GE-nium in-DUS-tria A-litur.

You already know all the words in this saying.

The verb alitur is the passive form of alit. This is a 3rd-conjugation verb, so the stress is on the stem: Alit.

The subject of the verb is ingenium.

The word industria is the ablative from of the noun industria. (Remember, the 1st declension has a short in the nominative, industria, and a long a in the ablative, industriā.)


2. Ignis igne non exstinguitur.
Fire isn't exstinguished by fire.
ignis igne non ex-STIN-guitur.

You know all the words in this one too!

The verb exstinguitur is the passive form of exstinguit. This is a 3rd-conjugation verb, so the stress is on the stem: exSTINguitur.

The subject of the verb is ignis, and the word igne is the ablative form of the noun ignis.

3. Novo amore vetus amor eicitur.
(An) old love is-ejected by-a-new love.
novo a-MO-re vetus amor e-I-citur.

The verb eicitur, "is thrown out, is ejected" is the passive form of eicit. Sometimes this verb is spelled with a j between those two vowels: ejictur / ejicit. You can see that in the English spelling, "eject." This is a 3rd-conjugation verb, so the stress is on the stem: eIcitur.

The subject of the verb is amor, which is a masculine noun, and the adjective vetus, "old," agrees with amor. You haven't seen this adjective before, but you have seen a variant: vetulus.

The word amore is the ablative form of the noun amor. The adjective novo is also in the ablative case, agreeing with amore. 
 

4. Deliberando discitur sapientia.
Wisdom is-learned by-pondering.
delibe-RAN-do DIS-citur sapi-EN-tia.

This is another saying where you know all the words.

The verb discitur is the passive form of discit. This is a 3rd-conjugation verb, so the stress is on the stem: DIScitur.

The word sapientia is the subject of the verb.

The word deliberando is the ablative form of the noun deliberandum, "pondering." You haven't seen this noun before, but you have seen the verb it comes from: deliberat. 


5. Furiosus furore suo punitur.
(The) enraged-man is-punished by-his-wn rage.
furi-O-sus fu-RO-re suo pu-NI-tur.

The verb punitur is the passive form of punit. Unlike the other verbs today, this is a 4th-conjugation verb, so the stress is on the ending: punItur.

The word furiosus, "full of fury, enraged," as in English "furious." This is an adjective being used as a noun: "furious (man)," and it is the subject of the verb.

The word furore is the ablative form of the noun furor, and the ablative suo agrees with furore. 


Here's a recap:

• Ingenium industria alitur.
• Ignis igne non exstinguitur.
• Novo amore vetus amor eicitur.
• Deliberando discitur sapientia.
• Furiosus furore suo punitur.

And here is today's audio:



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Latin Lesson #167: Independent ablatives

The focus for today's lesson is more passive verbs along with a new take on the ablative case: instead of using the ablative with a preposition, you will see the ablative being used on its own, a.k.a. the independent ablative. When the ablative is used on its own, it can mean something like "by" in English (in the sense of "by means of," not in the sense of "next to"), and it can also mean something like "in" or "at" or "from," depending on context. As you see more and more examples of the independent ablative, you'll see more and more ways it can be translated into English.

Also, something you need to remember for today's sayings is the way that a passive verb without an expressed subject can be translated as an impersonal statement with English "it" or with English "one" (in the sense of one person, somebody), or with English "you" (again, in the impersonal sense of someone, anyone). Here's an example from today's sayings:

• Docendo discitur.
  "It is learned by teaching."
  "One learns by teaching."
  "You learn by teaching."

Any of those English translations can work! And now to get started, here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before:

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Docendo discitur.
One-learns by-teaching.
do-CEN-do DIS-citur.

The verb discitur is the passive form of discit. It's an impersonal passive verb without an expressed subject.
The word docendo is the ablative form of docendum, "teaching." You haven't seen this noun before, but you have seen the related verb: docet.

I can personally attest to the truth of this saying. I learn new things with every one of these blog posts that I write!


2. Errando discitur.
One-learns by-making-mistakes.
er-RAN-do DIS-citur.

The word errando is the ablative form of errandum, "making mistakes." You haven't seen this noun before, but you have seen the related verb: errat.

This is another impersonal passive verb without an expressed subject.

I am also a believer in this saying, and it is why I am against the use of grading in school. Instead of punishing people for making mistakes, we should give them the feedback they need to learn from those mistakes. (More about my thoughts un-grading.)


3. Ire docetur eundo.
One-is-taught to-go by-going.
ire do-CE-tur e-UN-do.

The verb docetur is the passive form of docet. This is another impersonal verb. It takes an infinitive complement: ire docetur, "one is taught to go," i.e. "one learns to go."
The word eundo is the ablative form of eundum, "going." You haven't seen this noun before, but you have seen the related verb: it. 

In Latin, as in many languages, the verb "go" is irregular. Sometimes it has an "e" as you see in eundum, but sometimes just an "i" as in it and ire.

The word docetur is another way to say "one learns." The active verb docet means "(someone) teaches," and the passive docetur means "(someone) is taught," i.e. they learn!


4. Vespere laudatur dies.
The-day is-praised at-evening.
VES-pere lau-DA-tur dies.

The verb laudatur is the passive form of laudat. The subject of the verb is dies.
The word vespere is the ablative form of vesper, "evening," which gives us English "vespers."
The idea is that you should not say it's a good day until you've reached the end of the day! Until you see how the day has turned out, you cannot be sure that it really is going to be a good day from start to finish.


5. Lapis molli cavatur aqua.
(A) stone is-hollowed-out by-soft water.
lapis molli ca-VA-tur aqua.

The verb cavatur, "is hollowed out, is carved out" is the passive form of cavat. From this Latin root we get English "excavate." The subject of the verb is lapis.

The phrase molli aqua is in the ablative case, "by (means of) soft water." Notice how the phrase wraps around the verb: molli cavatur aqua.

Remember how the ablative ending of the 1st-declenion nouns is the long -a? It is sometimes written as -ā like this: aquā.

The word molli is the ablative form of mollis, "soft" as in English "mollify." This is the first time (I think) that you have seen the -i ablative ending for the 3rd declension. Usually the ablative ending for the 3rd declension is -e, as you saw in the previous saying with vespere. But there is a subclass of 3rd-declension nouns and adjectives that are called "i-stem" nouns and adjectives, and they have -i as the ablative ending. The adjective mollis is one of those adjectives: molli. You can read more about i-stem forms here.

This saying is literally true because water really does wear away stone, but it is also a great paradox: even though water is soft, it can still wear away stone, which is hard. That's why the word "soft" is included in the saying, just to make sure you notice the paradox.


Here's a recap:

• Docendo discitur.
• Errando discitur.
• Ire docetur eundo.
• Vespere laudatur dies.
• Lapis molli cavatur aqua.

And here is today's audio:



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Week 48 Catch-Up Day

Below is this week's catch-up post to help you review any lesson(s) you missed over the past two weeks of lessons and/or to work on whatever kind of practice is most useful to you. It's another two weeks of passive verbs!

• #163: Passive Verbs and "You" in English
• #164: More passives and prepositions
• #165: Passive verbs, dative nouns
• #166: More passives, more datives

And this is the slideshow with all the sayings from the week. You can read out loud, first with the English to remind you of the vocabulary... and then read out loud again with the cat!

I also made a printable crossword PDF as usual; screenshots below. The answers are all passive verbs, to there is a lot of -tur going on!

And here's a random cat:

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Latin Lesson #166: More passives, more datives

The focus for today's lesson is more practice with the passive verbs (-tur ending) and more practice with the dative case (-ae, -o, and -i endings). And here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before; more and more of the vocabulary is repeating!

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Dum aetatis ver agitur, consule brumae.
While (the) springtime of-life is-happening, ponder winter.
dum ae-TA-tis ver A-gitur, CON-sule brumae.

The verb agitur is the passive form of agit. You can translate agitur as passive in English, "is led, is driven," but you can also translate it as an intransitive active verb in English: "is happening," so ver agitur, "spring is happening." The word aetatis is the genitive of aetas: aetatis ver, "the spring of life."

The word consule is the imperative form (remember the imperative?) of the verb consulit, which gives us English "consult." The verb takes a genitive complement, and brumae is the dative form of the noun bruma, "winter." This word has a very interesting etymology: it is a shortening of the Latin word brevissima, "shortest," in the sense of brevissima dies, "the shortest day," referring to the winter solstice! Hence bruma comes to mean "winter."

This proverb uses the seasons of the year as a metaphor for human life, with spring standing for youth and winter standing for old age.

2. Amare et sapere vix deo conceditur.
To-love and to-be-wise barely is-allowed to-a-god.
a-MA-re et SA-pere vix deo con-CE-ditur.

The verb conceditur, "is yielded, is allowed" is the passive form of concedit, which gives us English "concede" and also "concession." The verb has two subjects, amare and sapere. Even though these are two different infinitives, they are treated as one thing, amare et sapere, "to love and to be wise."

The word deo is the dative of deus.

The implication is that if a god can barely manage to keep his wits when he is in love, then it would be totally impossible for mere mortals like us. You've seen another saying about how lovers lose their minds: Amans amens.


3. Non rete accipitri tenditur nec milvo.
(A) net isn't stretched for-a-hawk nor for-a-kite.
non rete ac-CI-pitri TEN-ditur nec milvo.

The verb tenditur, "is stretched," is the passive form of tendit. From this Latin root, we get English words like "extend" and "tendency." You haven't seen this verb before, but you have seen a related word: tensus. The subject of the verb is rete.

The words accipitri and milvo are both in the dative case: accipitri is the dative of accipiter, a 3rd-declension noun, while milvo is the dative of milvus, "kite (bird)," a 2nd-declension noun. 

This saying is found in the play Phormio by the Roman comic playwright, Terence. The idea is that the law doesn't persecute the big criminals (like hawks and kites who steal our chickens!); instead, only the harmless little birds are trapped and caught in the net (of the law), even though they have committed no crime.


4. Virtuti melius quam fortunae creditur.
(Something) is-entrusted better to-excellence than to-luck.
vir-TU-ti ME-lius quam for-TU-nae CRE-ditur.

The verb creditur is the passive form of credit. This passive verb doesn't have an expressed subject, which makes it hard to translate directly into English, but you can get the same effect in English by using the infinitive: "To trust in excellence is better than to trust in luck."

The words virtuti and fortunae are both in the dative: virtuti is the dative of virtus, a 3rd-declension noun, and fortunae is the dative of fortuna, a 1st-declension noun.

The word melius is a neuter adjective, and here it is being used as an adverb; neuter adjectives often work like adverbs in Latin.

The Latin word virtus has a wide range of meaning in classical Latin, not just limited to the Christian notion of "virtue." I have translated it here as "excellence," but it can also mean "bravery, strength, courage," etc. The root of the word is vir, so literally virtus means "manliness."


5. Mel nimium saturo muri censetur amarum.
Honey is-considered bitter for-the-mouse who-has-eaten too-much.
mel NI-mium SA-turo muri cen-SE-tur a-MA-rum.

The verb censetur, "is judged, is considered" is the passive form of censet. From this Latin root we get English words like "census" and "censor." The subject of the verb is mel, a neuter noun, and the adjective amarum is also neuter, agreeing the noun: mel censetur amarum, "honey is considered bitter." You haven't seen this masculine adjective before, but you have seen its neuter form: amarum.

The word muri is the dative of mus, a masculine noun, and the adjective saturo is the dative of the adjective satur, "full, having eaten," agreeing with muri. You haven't seen this Latin word before, but you have seen a word with the same root: satur.

Notice how this main part of the sentence, Mel censetur amarum, wraps around the dative phrase: nimium saturo muri.

Of course the honey is not bitter; honey is sweet! But because the mouse has stuffed himself on other food and isn't hungry, he disdains the honey, claiming that it is bitter.


Here's a recap:

• Dum aetatis ver agitur, consule brumae.
• Amare et sapere vix deo conceditur.
• Non rete accipitri tenditur nec milvo.
• Virtuti melius quam fortunae creditur.
• Mel nimium saturo muri censetur amarum.

And here is today's audio:



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Latin Lesson #165: Passive verbs, dative nouns

The focus for today's lesson is more practice with passive verbs, plus a review of the dative case. Each of the sayings you will see today features a noun in the dative. Remember, there are three different dative endings that you have seen: -ae for the 1st declension, -o for the 2nd declension, and -i for the 3rd declension. You will see examples of all three endings in today's sayings!

To get started, here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before:

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Redditur terrae corpus.
(The) body is-given-back to-the-earth.
RED-ditur terrae corpus.

You know all the words in this saying already!
The verb redditur is the passive form of reddit.

The word terrae is the dative form of terra, used with the verb redditur: given back to the earth. 

These words are found in the writings of the Roman philosopher Cicero; the idea that the body comes from the earth and returns to the earth is an idea shared by the ancient Romans which also resonates with the Jewish and Christian traditions.


2. Capra haud iungitur aratro.
A-goat isn't joined to-the-plow.
capra haud IUN-gitur a-RA-tro.

The verb iungitur, "is joined," is the passive form of iungit. This is where we get the English word "join" and also "junction."

The word aratro is the dative form of aratrum, used with the verb iungitur: joined to the plow. 

There are various animals that can pull a plow; the goat is not one of them; to attempt to do so would be foolish.


3. Cineri nunc medicina datur.
Medicine now is-given to-the-ashes.
CI-neri nunc medi-CI-na datur.

You also know all the words in this saying too.

The verb datur is the passive form of dat.

The word cineri is the dative form of cinis, which has as its stem ciner-. Remember: with 3rd-declension nouns, you cannot see the stem in the nominative form; you need to learn the stem separately. That's why Latin dictionaries give you the genitive form of the nouns, because you can see the stem in the genitive: cineris. The singular in Latin, "ash," has the same meaning as "ashes" in English; in this case, the ashes are the remains of a person who has been died and cremated.

The dative is being used with the verb datur: given to the ashes. 

The idea is that once someone is dead and gone, it's too late to try medicine to cure them. Compare the English saying about "closing the stable door after the horse has bolted."


4. Male irato ferrum committitur.
(A) sword is-handed to-an-angry-(man) badly.
male i-RA-to ferrum com-MIT-titur.

The verb committitur, "is handed over to, is committed," is the passive form of committit. You haven't seen this verb before, but you have seen the root verb: mittitur.  

The subject of the verb is ferrum, which literally means "iron," but which also comes to mean "sword." You can see this Latin root in English scientific vocabulary like "ferrous."
The word irato is the dative form of iratus, an adjective, "angry," being used as a noun: "angry (man)." It is used with the verb committitur: handed to an angry man.

The use of the adverb male is very natural in Latin, but a bit awkward in English. More colloquially in English you could say: "It's a bad idea to give a sword to an angry man."
 

5. Destinatus cruci non submergitur.
(Someone) destined for-the-cross doesn't drown.
desti-NA-tus cruci non sub-MER-gitur.

The verb submergitur "is submerged, drowns," is the passive form of submergit, which is where we get English "submerge." The English verb "drown" is one of the words that can be transitive (to drown something or something) or intransitive (something or someone drowns). That's why it can be translated either with a passive verb in English, "is drowned" or with an active (intransitive) verb: "drowns."

The word cruci is the dative form of crux, which has as its stem cruc- (genitive crucis). It is being used with the adjective destinatus, "destined" — "destined for the cross." This is a secular Roman cross, not a Christian one: someone who is destinatus cruci is destined to be executed as a criminal on the cross. You can read more about Roman crucifixion at Wikipedia.

Compare the English saying which substitutes a different kind of capital punishment: "If you're born to be hanged, then you'll never be drowned."

Here's a recap:

• Redditur terrae corpus.
• Capra haud iungitur aratro.
• Cineri nunc medicina datur.
• Male irato ferrum committitur.
• Destinatus cruci non submergitur.

And here is today's audio:



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Week 47 Vocabulary Review

The quiz-slideshow today covers a whole range of topics, while the crossword focuses on the passive verbs you have been studying. (Yes, I've added a crossword puzzle to this post; I've heard from several people that they like the crosswords.)

Using the slideshow, you can check yourself by looking at the cat slide that follows the slide with the blank(s). It's a vocabulary review, and now that you know so many different forms of the nouns (all the cases!) and so many different verb forms too (active, passive, imperative, infinitive). And remember: on the slides that contain the English translation, the English is linked to the original blog post if you want some help in understanding the grammar of the saying.

Here is a link to the full-size show, and the show is embedded in the blog post below. 

If you want to do even more reviewing (you cannot review too much!), here are the vocabulary review slideshows from previous weeks.

And here is the Week 47 Crossword for you to download and print; the answers are all passive verb forms. Screenshots:

And... here's a random cat (with a new cat when you reload the page):

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Latin Lesson #164: More passives and prepositions

The focus for today's lesson is more review of passive verbs and more review of prepositions. And remember: most prepositions takes the ablative case, but sometimes they take the accusative, and you will see both kinds of prepositions in today's sayings. I'll make sure to point out in the notes the prepositions that are taking the ablative case and the prepositions that take the accusative.

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

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Amicitia vera in calamitate agnoscitur.
True friendship is-known in (a) disaster.
ami-CI-tia vera in calami-TA-te ag-NOS-citur.

The verb agnoscitur, "is known" is the passive form of agnoscit. You haven't seen this verb before, but you have seen a related verb: cognoscit.

The subject is amicita vera.

The preposition in takes the ablative case; calamitate is the ablative form of calamitas.

Compare a saying you have learned already: Amicus certus in necessitate cernitur.


2. Numquam periculum sine periculo vincitur.
Danger never is-defeated without danger.
numquam pe-RI-culum sine pe-RI-culo VIN-citur.

You already know all the words in this saying!

The verb vincitur is the passive form of vincit, and the subject is periculum. 

The preposition sine takes the ablative case; periculo is the ablative form of periculum.

In other words, it takes danger to fight danger!


3. Nummus honoratur; sine nummo nullus amatur.
Money is-honored; without money, nobody is-loved.
nummus hono-RA-tur; sine nummo nullus a-MA-tur.

You also know all the words in this saying too!

The verb honoratur is the passive form of honorat, and amatur is the passive form of amat. The subject of honoratur is nummus, while the subject of amateur is nullus.

Here's sine again, taking the ablative; nummo is the ablative form of nummus.

Notice that the saying has internal rhyme, honoratur-amatur, which marks it as a medieval Latin saying. Rhyme was not a feature of classical Latin poetry, but rhyme was widely used in medieval Latin.


4. Per multum cras, cras, semper consumitur aetas.
Through many (a) "tomorrow, tomorrow" (a) lifetime is-used-up.
per multum cras, cras, semper con-SU-mitur aetas.

The verb consumitur, "is consumed," is the passive form of consumit, which gives us English "consume." The subject of the verb is aetas, which usually means "age," but it can also mean "lifetime," as it does here. 

The preposition per, "through," takes the accusative case; multum is the accusative form of multum (the nominative and accusative forms of neuter words are identical). 

This saying is all about procrastination, an English word that comes from Latin cras. If you put everything off until tomorrow again and again, you will find your life has passed you by. 
This saying also has internal rhyme: cras cras-aetas.


5. Faenum agri hodie est, et cras in clibanum mittitur.
(The) hay of-the-field exists today, and tomorrow it-is-sent into (the) oven.
faenum agri HO-die est, et cras in CLI-banum MIT-titur.

The verb mittitur, "is sent," is the passive form of mittit, "sends." You can see this same root in many English verbs like "emit" and "commit."

The subject of the verb is faenum, "hay." 

The word agri is the genitive of the noun ager, "field," as in English "agriculture."

The preposition in takes the accusative case here, meaning "into" (instead of the usual meaning "in"); clibanum is the ablative form of clibanus, "oven." 

The words appear in the Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of Matthew. Here is the King James translation of the passage in Luke (where the "hay" is rendered as "grass"): Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?


Here's a recap:

• Amicitia vera in calamitate agnoscitur.
• Numquam periculum sine periculo vincitur.
• Nummus honoratur; sine nummo nullus amatur.
• Per multum cras, cras, semper consumitur aetas.
• Faenum agri hodie est, et cras in clibanum mittitur.

And here is today's audio:



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Latin Lesson #163: Passive Verbs and "You" in English

The focus for today's lesson is more passive verbs, and something I'd like you to think about today is how Latin uses the passive to create an impersonal expression, while in English we often use a generic "you" for the same purpose. Take a look at this saying from today's lesson to see what I mean:

Ab uno bove bina pellis non trahitur. 

 Literal translation:

• A second skin can't be stripped from one cow.

"You" translation:

• You can't strip a second skin from one cow.

It's important to be able to understand the Latin for its own sake, word by word, but it's also helpful to understand how Latin expresses ideas differently than in English. So, sometimes you'll want to translate the Latin literally into English, but sometimes it's better to choose a different style in English to express the same idea as the Latin. I try to stick to very literal translations to help you in understanding the Latin, but you can always do your own, more idiomatic English translations too — and feel free to share those in the comments on this blog if you want!

Here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before:

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Ab uno bove bina pellis non trahitur.
From one cow (a) second skin can't be-stripped.
ab uno bove bina pellis non TRA-hitur.

The word trahitur is the passive form of the verb trahit.

The feminine noun pellis is the subject of the verb, and the adjective bina, "second, double," agrees with the noun. You haven't seen this adjective before, but you have seen the adverbial form bis. 

The phrase uno bove is the ablative form of unus bos, with the preposition a which takes the form ab before a following vowel: ab uno bove. 

This saying is literally true, of course, and it also refers metaphorically to any situation where you've gotten all you can from a situation; compare the English saying, "You can't use the runway behind you."


2. Cattus de caseo tarde depellitur eso.
(The) cat is-chased-away too-late from (the) eaten cheese.
cattus de CA-seo tarde de-PEL-litur eso.

The word depellitur, "is driven away," is the passive form of the verb depellit. You haven't seen this verb before, but you have seen the unprefixed form: pellit.

The subject of the verb is cattus, "cat," a medieval Latin word which gives us English "cat." You've already seen the classical Latin word for cat: feles (which gives us English "feline").

The word caseo is the ablative form of the noun caseus, which gives us English "cheese" and also Spanish queso. The word eso is the ablative form of esum, "eaten." You haven't seen this word before, but you have seen a related word: esuriens. The ablative phrase goes with the preposition de — de caseo eso. Notice how the prepositional phrase wraps around the entire predicate.

The word tarde, "late, too late," a root you can see in English "tardy." 

A more idiomatic English translation might be, "It's too late to chase the cat away after he's eaten the cheese."  Compare the English saying about "shutting the barn door after the horse has bolted."


3. E cocto pullus numquam producitur ovo.
(A) chick never is-produced from (a) cooked egg.
e cocto pullus numquam pro-DU-citur ovo.

The word producitur, "is produced," is the passive form of the verb producit, which gives us English "produce." You haven't seen this verb before, but you have seen the unprefixed form: ducit. 
The word ovo is the ablative form of the noun ovum, and the adjective cocto, the root you see in English "cooked," is also in the ablative, with the preposition e — e cocto ovo. Notice how the prepositional phrase wraps around the whole saying.
A more idiomatic English translation might be, "You won't even get a chick from a cooked egg." That is literally true, and metaphorically applies to any situation where you need to be patient and wait to get what you really want. Don't eat that egg!


4. In tempestate cognoscitur gubernator.
In (the) storm the steersman is-known.
in tempes-TA-te cog-NOS-citur guber-NA-tor.

The word cognoscitur is the passive form of the verb cognoscit.

The word tempestate is the ablative form of the word tempestas, with the preposition in — in tempestate.
The subject of the verb is gubernator, "steersman, helmsman," which gives us English "governor," based on the metaphor of the "ship of state." Just as the steersman steers the ship, a governor steers the ship of state. The Latin word is borrowed from Greek κυβερνήτης (kubernḗtēs), which gives us English "cybernetics."
A more idiomatic English translation might be, "You know the steersman in a storm." The idea is that anybody can steer the ship in calm waters, but you need a skilled helmsman when the storm comes.


5. Amicus certus in necessitate cernitur.
(A) sure friend is-seen in need.
a-MI-cus certus in necessi-TA-te CER-nitur.

The word cernitur, "is seen," is the passive form of the verb cernit. You can see this root in the English verb "discern."  

The masculine noun amicus is the subject of the verb, and the adjective certus, "sure, certain," agrees with amicus. You haven't seen this adjective before, but you have seen its opposite: incertus.

The word necessitate is the ablative form of the noun necessitas as in English "necessity" with the preposition in — in necessitate, "in necessity, in need."

Compare the English saying, "A friend in need is a friend indeed."


Here's a recap:

• Ab uno bove bina pellis non trahitur.
• Cattus de caseo tarde depellitur eso.
• E cocto pullus numquam producitur ovo.
• In tempestate cognoscitur gubernator.
• Amicus certus in necessitate cernitur.

And here is today's audio:



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Week 46 Catch-Up Day

Below is this week's catch-up post to help you review any lesson(s) you missed over the past two weeks of lessons and/or to work on whatever kind of practice is most useful to you. These are the lessons covered in today's review, and these are all your passive verb lessons so far, which makes it a perfect way to review.

• #159: The Latin Passive
• #160: Passives with prepositions
• #161: English "Can" and Latin Verbs
• #162: Agents of passive verbs

And this is the slideshow with all the sayings from the week. You can read out loud, first with the English to remind you of the vocabulary... and then read out loud again with the cat!

I also made a printable crossword PDF as usual; screenshots below. The answers are all passive verbs, to there is a lot of -tur going on!

And here's a random cat:

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Latin Lesson #162: Agents of passive verbs

The focus for today's lesson is more practice with passive verbs and prepositional phrases. You've seen all the prepositions here before, but one of them, a (ab before a vowel), sometimes has a special meaning when used with passive verbs: a / ab can express the agent of the passive verb. Here's what that means, using an example from one of today's sayings:

• Vetulus bos lugetur a nemine.
  The old ox is mourned by nobody.

The old ox is the subject of the passive verb: vetulus bos lugetur. And the phrase a nemine gives you the agent of the passive verb: "by nobody." You could also turn that around, making nemo the subject of the the active verb luget, and making the vetulus bos into the object of that active verb in the accusative case: 

• Nemo luget vetulum bovem.
  Nobody mourns the old ox.

I hope that makes sense! Not all passive verbs have an agent, but when a passive verb does have an agent, that means you can turn the passive verb into an active verb, with the agent now as the subject of that verb. See today's sayings for another example like this one!

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

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Ex cultro cognoscitur coquus.
From (the) knife, (the) cook is-known.
ex cultro cog-NOS-citur coquus.

The word cognoscitur, "is known," is the passive form of the verb cognoscit.  

The word cultro is the ablative form of the masculine noun culter, "knife," which is ultimately the source of English "cutlery." The preposition ex takes the ablative.

Compare the English saying, "A good carpenter is known by his tools."


2. Homo a suo socio cognoscitur.
(A) person is-known by-means-of their associate.
homo a suo SO-cio cog-NOS-citur.

The word socio is the ablative form of the masculine adjective socius, "partner, comrade," and you can see that root in English "associate." The adjective suo is also in the ablative case, agreeing with masculine socio. The preposition a takes the ablative.

Compare the English saying, "Birds of a feather flock together."


3. Vetulus bos lugetur a nemine.
(The) old ox is-mourned by nobody.
VE-tulus bos lu-GE-tur a NE-mine.

The word lugetur, "is mourned," is the passive form of the verb luget. Remember that 2nd-conjugation verbs have their stress on the theme vowel in the passive form: lu-GE-tur.  

The subject is bos, and vetulus, "old," is a masculine adjective agreeing with bos. You haven't see this adjective before, but you have seen an adjective made from the same root: inveteratus, "grown old." 

The word nemine is the ablative form of nemo, and it is the agent of the passive verb; see note above. 

You've seen a saying like this before: Senex bos non lugetur.


4. Invidus a propria roditur invidia.
(An) envious (person) is-gnawed by their-own envy.
IN-vidus a PRO-pria RO-ditur in-VI-dia.

The word roditur, "is gnawed," is the passive form of the verb rodit, "gnaws." This Latin word gives us English "rodent."

The word invidus is a masculine adjective, "envious," being used as a noun: "(an) envious (person)." You have not seen this adjective before, but you have seen the related noun before, which also appears in this saying: invidia, "envy."

The word invidia is in the ablative case, with a long final a: invidiā. The adjective propria is also in the above case, agreeing with invidia. Notice how the prepositional phrase, a propria invidia, wraps around the verb.

Because invidia is the agent of the passive verb, you could turn this into an active statement: Invidia rodit invidum, "Envy gnaws the envious man."


5. Panis non conficitur sine farina.
Bread isn't made without flour.
panis non con-FI-citur sine fa-RI-na.

You already know all the words in this saying!

The word conficitur, "is made," is the passive form of the verb conficit.

The word farina is another feminine noun in the ablative case, with a long final a: farinā, with the preposition sine, which takes the ablative.


Here's a recap:

• Ex cultro cognoscitur coquus.
• Homo a suo socio cognoscitur.
• Vetulus bos lugetur a nemine.
• Invidus a propria roditur invidia.
• Panis non conficitur sine farina.

And here is today's audio:



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