Latin Lesson #191: Review of 3nd conjugation verbs

The focus for today's lesson is 3rd conjugation verbs. Unlike the 1st and 2nd conjugations, which have a long theme vowel — long a for the 1st, long e for the 2nd — the theme vowel for the 3rd conjugation is a short vowel, which changes the stress in the passive forms. The 4th conjugation also has a long theme vowel (long i), so you can see how the shift in stress works: the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd conjugations have the passive stress on the theme vowel:

• 1: amātur (a-MA-tur): is loved
• 2: mordētur (mor-DE-tur): is bitten
• 4: audītur (au-DI-tur): is heard

But in the 3rd conjugation, the short theme vowel means that the passive form is stressed on the stem:

• 3: capitur (CA-pi-tur): is grabbed

Here are the other 3rd conjugation verb forms you will see today:

• active — capit: grabs
• imperative — cape! grab!
• infinitive — capere: to grab

And here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before — and they are almost all familiar! Just two of the words in today's sayings are new.

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Cede maiori.
Yield to-the-greater (person).
cede mai-O-ri.

The verb cede is the imperative form of the verb cedit, "yields." You haven't seen this verb before, but you have seen a compound form: recedit.  

The word maiori is the dative form of the adjective maior, which is used substantively here as a noun: "greater (person)." The verb takes a dative complement in Latin, just like in English; you "yield to" somebody or something.
This can also mean "yield to the elder person," and it is one of the sayings attributed to pseudo-Cato.


2. Nemo sine crimine vivit.
Nobody lives without fault.
nemo sine CRI-mine vivit.

You know all the words in this saying!

The word crimine is the ablative form of the noun crimen, used with the preposition sine.
This is another one of the sayings attributed to pseudo-Cato, and in a fuller form it reads: Cum culpant alios, nemo sine crimine vivit, "Although they blame others, nobody lives without fault."


3. Ex socio cognoscitur vir.
From (his) company, (a) man is known.
ex SO-cio cog-NOS-citur vir.

You also know all the word in this saying!

The verb cognoscitur is the passive form of cognoscit.

The word socio is the ablative form of socius, used here with the preposition ex.

You've seen a similar saying before: Homo a suo socio cognoscitur. 


4. Patientia laesa fit furor.
Patience, (when) wounded, becomes rage.
pati-EN-tia laesa fit furor.

You haven't seen the feminine noun patientia, "patience," before, but you have seen a relative adjective: patiens. 

The feminine adjective laesa agrees with patientia, and it's easiest to translate this in English as if it were a clause of its own: patientia laesa, "wounded patience" or "patience, when wounded."
You've seen another saying about what happens to long-suffering patience: Laesa saepius repugnat ovis. The sheep is a proverbially patient, and long-suffering, animal.


5. Fortis cadere, cedere non potest.
(The) strong can fall (but) cannot yield.
fortis CA-dere, CE-dere non potest.

You also know all the words in this saying.

The words cadere and cedere are both infinitives, used with the verb potest, "can, be able to," which takes a complementary infinitive. Notice how in Latin you don't have to repeat the word potest for both infinitives; it can be explicit for one, cedere non potest, and then implied for the other: cadere (potest).

The word fortis is an adjective, being used substantively here: "strong (person)."

The charm of the Latin saying depends on the sound-play between the words cadere and cedere. One way to do that in English might be: "The strong person might fall but cannot fail."


Here's a recap:

• Cede maiori.
• Nemo sine crimine vivit.
• Ex socio cognoscitur vir.
• Patientia laesa fit furor.
• Fortis cadere, cedere non potest.

And here is today's audio:



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