Latin Lesson #201: 4th conjugation -io verbs

The focus for today's lesson is the last of the four conjugations like audit. These 4th-conjugation verbs have -io for the 1st-person ending, so here is audit:

• audio: I hear
• audit: she/he hears
• audire: to hear
• audi! hear!

There are not a lot of 4th-conjugation verbs, but there are a few common ones that you have met before. All of today's sayings contain 4th-conjugation verbs!

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

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Nil scio nisi nescio.
I-know nothing except (that) I-don't-know.
nil scio nisi NE-scio.

You already know all the words in this saying.

The verb scio is from the verb scit, and the verb nescio is from the verb nescit. They are both 4th-conjugation verbs.

This is a paradoxical point of view associated with the Greek philosopher Socrates; find out more at Wikipedia: I know that I know nothing. This particular Latin saying was used by the archaic Roman playwright Plautus in one of his comedies.


2. Nihil nimium cupio.
I-desire nothing too-much.
nihil NI-mium CU-pio.

You already know all the words in this saying too.

The verb cupio is from the verb cupit, a 4th-conjugation verb.
This is one of many sayings that you have seen about the dangers of desire, for example: Est servitus cupidinis durissima and Effugere cupiditatem regnum est vincere.

3. Nec cupio nec metuo.
I-desire not nor do-I-fear.
nec CU-pio nec ME-tuo.

The verb metuo, "I fear," is from the verb metuit, a 3rd-conjugation verb. You haven't seen this verb before, but you have seen the related noun, metus.

The idea is that if you don't desire anything (don't desire to get anything, don't desire to keep what you have), then you have nothing to fear! This is the motto


4. Moneo et munio.
I-advise and I-defend
MO-neo et MU-nio.

The verb munio, "I defend," is from the verb munit, as in English "munitions" and "ammunition." This is another 4th-conjugation verb. 

The verb moneo is from monet, a 2nd-conjugation verb.

This is the motto of the British Mining Institute, as you can see in this wooden plaque at the entrance to their headquarters in Newcastle-upon-Tyne:

5. Quo plus in vita dormio, vivo minus.
By-how-much more in life I sleep, I-live (that much) less.
quo plus in vita DOR-mio, vivo minus.

The verb dormio is from the verb dormit, a 4th-conjugation verb.

The verb vivo is from the verb vivit, a 3rd-conjugation verb.
The word quo means "by how much." 

Of course, we do need to sleep; there is no getting around it! But it's sometimes frustrating to think about how we spend one-third of our lives... asleep! (Or we should.)

The saying appears in one of the Latin distichs of the neo-Latin poet John Owen.


Here's a recap:

• Nil scio nisi nescio.
• Nihil nimium cupio.
• Nec cupio nec metuo.
• Moneo et munio.
• Quo plus in vita dormio, vivo minus.

And here is today's audio:



Plus the LOLCats!

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