Proverbs/Grammar ~ Grammar/Proverbs: Latin Lesson #208: The infinitive ferre

The focus for today's lesson is the infinitive form of fert, which is also irregular: ferre. Unlike the other verbs you have studied, with infinitives that end in -are, -ere, and -ire, this infinitive is lacking a theme vowel. But it does still end in -re, so you can let that clue help you recognize it as an infinitive. Each of today's sayings has either the infinitive ferre or a -ferre compound.

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

And now here are today's proverbs:

1. Nemo enim potest personam diu ferre.
Nobody in-fact can wear a-mask for-a-long-time.
nemo enim potest per-SO-nam diu ferre.

You already know all the words in this saying!

The word ferre is an infinitive complementing the verb potest.

The word personam is the accusative form of persona, and it is the object of the infinitive ferre.

The idea here is that the truth will come out sooner or later; eventually, the mask comes off!

The words come from the Roman philosopher and politician Seneca.

2. Necessitatem ferre, non flere addecet.
It-is-appropriate to-endure necessity, not bewail (it).
necessi-TA-tem ferre, non flere AD-decet.

The words fere and flere are both complementing the verb addecet, "it is fitting, is appropriate." The verb is a compound of a verb you have seen before: ad-decet.

The charm of this saying is in the similar-sounding infinitives: ferre and flere. I can't come up with two rhyming words in English to express that similarity: maybe "praise" and "protest"...? They are at least a little bit similar!

This is another one of the sayings of Publilius Syrus.

3. Melius est iniuriam ferre quam inferre.
(It) is better to-endure a-wrong rather-than inflict (it).
ME-lius est in-IU-riam ferre quam in-FER-re.

The word inferre is from the compound verb, in-fert, "bring in, inflict."

The infinitives inferre and ferre are being compared with the phrase melius quam, "better than." The rhetorical charm of the saying is in the contrast between these two verbs; I can't think of a pair of verbs that work the same way in English; endure/inflict was the best I could do, with en-/in-.

The word iniuriam is the accusative form of the noun iniuria, and it is the object of both of the infinitives.

This is similar to a saying you have seen before, but without the wordplay between the two verbs: Melius est iniuriam accipere quam facere.

4. Quid gravissimum est ferre? Cor hominis.
What is the-heaviest-thing to-bear? (A) human's heart.
quid gra-VIS-simum est ferre? Cor HO-minis.

The word gravissimum, "heaviest," is the superlative form of a word you have seen before: grave. The adjective is being used as a noun here, "(the) heaviest (thing)." The word could be nominative or accusative; in this saying, it is in the accusative case, the object of the infinitive ferre.

The word cor is also a neuter noun, either nominative or accusative (remember: those neuter nouns are always identical in the nominative and accusative); it is also the accusative, like gravissimum.

The word quid is also neuter accusative, so all three of the key words here are neuter accusatives: quid ... gravissimum ... cor.

The word hominis is the genitive form of homo, with cor: "the heart of a human," i.e. a human heart.

Although this is more like a riddle than a proverb, you can see how a riddle can rely on metaphor just as proverbs often do. A human heart is, literally, not heavy to carry (you carry your heart with you all the time), but metaphorically, your heart can be very heavy indeed.

5. Disce minori parcere, maiori cedere, ferre parem.
Learn to-show-mercy to-a-lesser-person, to-yield to-a-greater, to-endure an-equal.
disce mi-NO-ri PAR-cere, ma-IO-ri CE-dere, ferre parem.

You have three infinitives here, all of which complement the verb disce, the imperative form of the verb discit. The infinitives are: parere, cedere, and ferre.

The word minori is the dative of minor, with the verb parcit which takes a dative complement: minori parcere.

The word maiori is the dative of maior, with the verb cedit which takes a dative complement: minori cedere.
The word parem is the accusative form of par, "equal, even," which we use as an English word too. It is the direct object of the infinitive ferre.

Here's a recap: