Proverbs/Grammar ~ Grammar/Proverbs: Latin Lesson #183: Deponent -atur verbs

The focus for today's lesson is some new deponent verbs. They all belong to the first conjugation, so they have -a- as their theme vowel, ending in -atur. And remember, even though the form is passive, the verb has an active meaning, and sometimes it is even transitive, taking a direct object!

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

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Ars imitatur naturam.
Art imitates nature.
ars imi-TA-tur na-TU-ram.

The new verb here is imitatur, "imitates." You haven't seen this verb before, but you have seen the related noun: imitatio.

The work naturam is the accusative form of natura, and it is the object of the verb. This is one of those deponent verbs that takes a direct object.

You have seen other Latin proverbs like this before about the relationship between art and nature: Ars est simia naturae and Omnis ars naturae imitatio est.

2. Dormiens nihil lucratur.
(While) sleeping, (one) earns nothing.
DOR-miens nihil lu-CRA-tur.

The new verb in this saying is lucratur, "gains, earns." You haven't seen this verb before, but you have seen the related noun: lucrum.

The word nihil here is a neuter noun in the accusative case. It is the object of the verb lucratur, which is another deponent verb that takes a direct object.

Compare a similar saying you've seen before about the sleeping fox: Dormienti vulpi cadit intra os nihil.

3. Cauda de vulpe testatur.
(The) tail provides-evidence (of the) fox.
cauda de vulpe tes-TA-tur.

This new verb is testatur, "attests, provides evidence." You haven't seen this verb before, but you have seen the related noun: testis.

The word vulpe is the ablative form of the noun vulpes, with the preposition de.

The fox is famous for her bushy tail, just as the lion is known by his claw: A digito cognoscitur leo.

4. Nemo cum diabolo iocatur impune.
Nobody plays safely with (the) devil.
nemo cum di-A-bolo io-CA-tur im-PU-ne.

The final new verb for today is iocatur, "joke, jest, play." From this same root we get English "joke."

The word diabolo is the ablative form of f the noun diabolus with the preposition cum.

You might think you can have a good time playing with the devil, but this proverb warns you to watch out! Compare the English saying, "He who sups with the Devil should have a long spoon."

5. Cattus saepe satur cum capto mure iocatur.
Often (a) cat, (when) full, plays with (a) captured mouse.
cattus saepe satur cum capto mure io-CA-tur.

The word cactus, "cat," is a medieval Latin word which eventually replaced the classical word feles, and it gives us English "cat" (while from feles we get "feline").

The word capto is the masculine ablative form of the word captus, "captured." You haven't seen this word before, but you know the verb that it comes from, capio.

The word mure is the ablative form of mus with the preposition cum, and capto agrees with mure in gender (masculine) and case (ablative).

This is one of those medieval rhyming proverbs: satur-iocatur.

Here's a recap: