Proverbs/Grammar ~ Grammar/Proverbs: 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: