So far, most of the verb forms you've seen have unambiguous endings. That means you can look at the ending and figure out what form of the verb you are looking at: 1st or 2nd or 3rd person (I or you or she/he/it), active or passive, present tense or imperative or infinitive. But it's often the case, as you learn more and more of the verb forms, that they will be ambiguous. To decipher the ambiguity, you do need to know whether a verb belongs to the 1st or 2nd or 3rd or 4th conjugation.
You've been practicing the 2nd-person forms of the 2nd-conjugation which end in -es; some of the forms you've seen are: habes, doces, tenes, misces, and so on. The dictionary form of these verbs shows that they are 2nd conjugation: habeo, doceo, teneo and misceo. The infinitive forms are habere, docere, tenere and miscere.
In today's lesson, you will have some more of these 2nd-conjugation verbs, but you will also have two sayings that use the verb tentes. You might think that is another 2nd-conjugation verb, right? But you've seen these verb before: it's not 2nd-conjugation; it's 1st-conjugation. Tentare non nocet. "It doesn't hurt to try." The dictionary form is tento and the infinitive is tentare; it's a 1st-conjugation verb.
So what is that -es doing on a 1st-conjugation verb? This is a subjunctive ending, a different "mood" of the verb. We don't use the subjunctive mood in modern English; instead, we use what are called modal verbs, which accomplish the same result: would, could, should, might, etc. So to translate tentes, you'll see that I've used the modal verbs "should try" and "would try" in English.
Most English speakers aren't aware of modal verbs and how weird they are (they are WEIRD!), so if you are curious to learn a little bit about English modal verbs now, you can read this article at Wikipedia. Meanwhile, you'll be learning about the Latin subjunctive later on. I just thought this might be a nice moment to give you a sense of things to come!
And here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before:
1. Lucernam adhibes in meridie.
You’re-using (a) lamp at noon.
lu-CER-nam AD-hibes in me-RI-die.
The word adhibes is the 2nd-person form of the verb adhibet, "apply, employ, use." You haven't seen this verb before, but it is a compound of a verb that you do know: ad+habet.
The word lucernam is the accusative form of the noun lucerna; it is the object of the verb.
The word meridie is the ablative form of the noun meridies, "midday, noon." You haven't seen this word before, but it is a compound of words you have seen: medius+dies. (The "d" turns into an "r" in a process called dissimilation, when a word changes in order to prevent two similar sounds occurring next to each other.) The word is in the ablative case with the preposition in.
This is equivalent to the English saying "burning daylight." In other words: it's foolish to use a lamp, and waste lamp oil, when it is broad daylight outside!
2. Animum debes mutare, non caelum.
You-must change (your) mind, not (your) sky.
A-nimum debes mu-TA-re, non caelum.
The word debes is the 2nd-person form of the verb debet, "owe, ought, must." You haven't seen this verb before, but it is a compound of a verb that you do know: de+habet. This Latin word is the root of English "debit" and "debt."
2. Animum debes mutare, non caelum.
You-must change (your) mind, not (your) sky.
A-nimum debes mu-TA-re, non caelum.
The word debes is the 2nd-person form of the verb debet, "owe, ought, must." You haven't seen this verb before, but it is a compound of a verb that you do know: de+habet. This Latin word is the root of English "debit" and "debt."
The word mutare is the infinitive form of the verb mutat, which you have seen before. It is an infinitive complementing the verb debes: "you ought to change," debes mutare.
The word animum is the accusative form of the noun animus, and it is the object of mutare.
The word caelum is also in the accusative, the object of the infinitive: Animum debes mutare, non [debes mutare] caelum.
In other words, you can't run away from your problems! This famous piece of advice comes from the Roman poet Horace.
3. Animum implere debes, non arcam.
You-must fill (your) soul, not (your) money-chest.
A-nimum im-PLE-re debes, non arcam.
The word implere is the infinitive form of the verb implet, "fill." You haven't seen this verb before, but you have seen a related adjective: plena, "full."
The word animum is the accusative object of the infinitive implere, and so is arcam. The sentence pattern is the same as in the previous saying: Animum implere debes, non [implere debes] arcam.
In other words: accumulate treasures of the heart, not money in your bank account.
4. Aut non rem tentes, aut perfice.
Either you-shouldn't-attempt (the) thing, or get-it-done.
aut non rem tentes, aut PER-fice.
You know all the words in this saying already, but there is a form here you have not seen before: tentes. As I explained above, this is the 2nd-person subjunctive form of the verb tentat, "tries, attempts." Because it is subjunctive, I have translated it as "should attempt" here.
4. Aut non rem tentes, aut perfice.
Either you-shouldn't-attempt (the) thing, or get-it-done.
aut non rem tentes, aut PER-fice.
You know all the words in this saying already, but there is a form here you have not seen before: tentes. As I explained above, this is the 2nd-person subjunctive form of the verb tentat, "tries, attempts." Because it is subjunctive, I have translated it as "should attempt" here.
The word perfice is the imperative form of the verb perficit, which you have seen before.
The word rem is the accusative object of the noun rem; it is the object of both the verb tentes and the imperative perfice.
As you've seen before, aut... aut... "or... or...," is equivalent to the expression "either... or..."
Compare the English saying, "Fish, or cut bait."
5. Si leonem iugulare tentes, fortiter apprehende.
If you would-try to strangle (a) lion, grab (him) forcefully.
si le-O-nem iugu-LA-re tentes, FOR-titer appre-HEN-de.
The word iugulare is the infinitive form of the verb iugulat, "strangles." You can see this same Latin root in English "jugular vein."
5. Si leonem iugulare tentes, fortiter apprehende.
If you would-try to strangle (a) lion, grab (him) forcefully.
si le-O-nem iugu-LA-re tentes, FOR-titer appre-HEN-de.
The word iugulare is the infinitive form of the verb iugulat, "strangles." You can see this same Latin root in English "jugular vein."
The word apprehende is the imperative form of the verb apprehendit, a verb you have seen before.
The word leonem is the accusative form of leo; it is the object of the infinitive and of the imperative: Si leonem iugulare tentes, fortiter apprehende [leonem].
The word fortiter, "forcefully, strongly," is the adverbial form of an adjective you have seen before: fortis.
Compare the English saying, "grasping the nettle." Although a lion is much more hazardous than a nettle!
Here's a recap:
- Lucernam adhibes in meridie.
- Animum debes mutare, non caelum.
- Animum implere debes, non arcam.
- Aut non rem tentes, aut perfice.
- Si leonem iugulare tentes, fortiter apprehende.
Plus the LOLCats!
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