Proverbs/Grammar ~ Grammar/Proverbs: 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: