Latin Lesson #251: More -ent plural verbs

To pick up again after a week off, I thought I would repeat the focus from the last lesson: -ent plural verbs of the 2nd conjugation. The verbs for today are: docent, "they teach" / implent, "they fill" / latent, "they hide" / silent, "they are silent."

So, here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before — you have seen all the words in today's sayings except for one!

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Exempla docent.
Examples teach.
ex-EM-pla docent.

The word exempla is the plural of exemplum, which you can see in English "exemplary," "example," and "sample."

The verb docent is the plural of docet.

This was one of the functions of Aesop's fables, providing memorable examples, both positive exempla of models to be imitated, along with negative exempla of mistakes to avoid.


2. Dolia plena silent.
Full jars make-no-noise.
DO-lia plena silent.

You know all the words in this saying.

The verb silent is the plural of silet. 

The subject is dolia, the plural of dolium.  This plural noun is modified by a plural adjective: plena.

This is literally true, and metaphorically it applies to talkative people, who are actually "empty," having nothing of substance to say. But they keep on making noise!

Compare the English saying, "Empty vessels make the most sound."

3. Diu non latent scelera.
Crimes do-not hide for-long.
diu non latent SCE-lera.

These words are all familiar as well!

The verb latent is the plural of latet. 

The subject is scelera, the plural of scelus. Remember that to make the plural of a 3rd-declension noun, you need to know the actual stem of the word, which you may or may not be able to see in the nominative form. So, for example, the word scelus has the genitive form sceleris, which gives you the stem, sceler-. Then, because it is a neuter noun, you add the neuter plural ending for the 3rd declension: scelera.

The word diu is an adverb, modifying the verb.

Compare the English saying, "The truth will out."


4. Latent sub melle venena.
Poisons lurk under the-honey.
latent sub melle ve-NE-na.

All words that you know, and the verb is latent once again.

The subject is venena, the plural of venenum.  

The word melle is the ablative form of mel; it's ablative because the preposition sub takes the ablative. This is another 3rd-declension noun, so you need to know the stem to make the ablative form. The genitive of mel is mellis, which gives you the stem, mell-. Then you can add the ablative ending: -e. 

The idea is that something might seem very sweet and appealing, but it can actually be dangerous or even deadly. The warning comes from the poet Ovid in his Amores. 


5. Multae guttae implent flumen.
Many drops fill the-stream.
multae guttae implent flumen.

And this saying is also made up of words you have seen before.
The verb implent is the plural of implet.

The subject is guttae, the plural of gutta.  The adjective multae is also plural, agreeing with guttae. 

The word flumen is one of those sneaky neuter nouns of the 3rd declension: it could be nominative or it could be accusative. But since the sentence already has a subject, then this is the accusative subject of the verb: guttae (subject) implent (verb) flumen (object).

Compare the English saying, "Little by little does the trick."

Here's a recap:

Exempla docent.
Dolia plena silent.
Diu non latent scelera.
Latent sub melle venena.
Multae guttae implent flumen.

And here is today's audio:



Plus the LOLCats!

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe.

---

Week 90 Catch-Up Day

NOTE: I'll be off next week... and I'm excited to say that I will be meeting face-to-face for the first time the very nice person who prompted the Vergil project, which is still going strong: A New Beginner's Latin: THE AENEID. Take a look if you are curious! Then, I'll be back with more Latin cats the week of October 5.

Meanwhile, here is the catch-up day for the past two weeks of plural verbs: sunt, plus -ant verbs in the 1st conjugation and -ent verbs in the 2nd conjugation. As usual, there is a cat-show of those sayings, plus a link to the downloadable crossword and the self-quiz.

Now here are the past two weeks of lessons here:

• #247: Sunt: "(they) are"
• #248: More Sayings with Sunt
• Imber, Desine!
• #249: 1st conjugation -ant
• #250: 2st conjugation -ent

And here's the slideshow with all the sayings. You can read out loud, first with the English to remind you of the vocabulary... and then read out loud again with the cat!

I also made a printable crossword PDF as usual, and the same prompts for the crossword are used in the quiz questions below. Enjoy!

Carmina non ______ panem.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

dant

---

Ubi sunt ______, ibi est invidia.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

divitiae

---

Multae manus onus ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

levant

---

Multi sunt ______ bipedes.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

asini

---

Ubi ______, ibi sunt opes.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

amici

---

Antiqua sunt ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

optima

---

Hic sunt ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

leones

---

______ astra viam.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

monstrant

---

Vestigia ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

terrent

---

Libri muti ______ sunt.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

magistri

---

Iusti ut sidera ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

fulgent

---

Dei ______ sunt omnia.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

plena

---

Amantes amentes ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

sunt

---

______ futura.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

latent

---

______ mea mecum sunt.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

omnia

---

______ vestri ubi sunt?
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

patres

---

Mortui non ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

mordent

---

Scripta ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

manent

---

Fata ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

obstant

---

Verba cutem non ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

lacerant

---

And here's a random cat:

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe.

---

Latin Lesson #250: 2st conjugation -ent

The focus for today's lesson is the 2nd-conjugation plural ending: habet, "has" — habent, "have." The ending is -ent, just as you would expect after sunt and -ant, right?

You are now officially experts in the -nt plural ending. And there will be more to come!

To get ready, here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before:

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Latent futura.
Future-things are-hidden.
latent fu-TU-ra.

You know all the words in this saying!

The verb latent is the plural of latet, which you can translate as "hides" or "is hidden" or "escapes notice." 

The subject is futura, the plural of futurum, an adjective that means "future." The adjective is being used as a plural: futura, "future (things." This can also be translated as "the future" if you prefer!

This saying formed part of the emblem tradition; you can see an example here: Futura latent.


2. Scripta manent.
Writings remain.
scripta manent.

The adjective scripta is the plural of scriptum, "written (thing)," so it means "writings," or just "writing." This adjective is one of those verbal adjectives known as participles. So, just as "written" is from the verb "write" in English, scriptumis from the verb scribere in Latin, a verb you've seen before.

The verb manent is the plural of manet.

This is a very optimistic sentiment, although, sad to say, far more Latin literature perished than survived. But, compared to the spoken word, the written word is looking pretty good! Blog on!

Sometimes the full idea is expressed this way: Verba volant, scripta manent, "Words fly, writing remains." Find out more at Wikipedia.

 

3. Vestigia terrent.
The-traces terrify.
ves-TI-gia terrent.

The verb terrent is the plural of terret, "terrifies, scares," as in English "terrify" and "terrific."

The word vestigia is the plural of vestigium.

This phrase comes from Horace's retelling of the fable of the lion in the cave and the fox who is wise enough to not go inside, when he sees footsteps leading in but not out... because the lion gobbled up the other visitors. Here's Horace's satire.

4. Mortui non mordent.
Dead-people don't bite.
MOR-tui non mordent.

You know all the words in this saying too! 

The verb mordent is the plural of mordet.

The word mortui is the plural of mortuus, "dead," being used substantively as a noun: mortui, "dead (people)."

Compare the English saying, "Dead men tell no tales."


5. Iusti ut sidera fulgent.
People-who-are-just shine like stars.
iusti ut SI-dera fulgent.

The word iusti is the plural of the adjective iustus, "just, righteous," being used as a noun: iusti, "the just (people)." You haven't seen this word before, but you have seen the related noun: iustitia.

The verb fulgent is the plural of the fulget, "shines," as in English "refulgent." 
The word sidera is the plural of the noun sidus, "star." You can see this Latin root in English "sidereal."


Here's a recap:

• Latent futura.
• Scripta manent.
• Vestigia terrent.
• Mortui non mordent.
• Iusti ut sidera fulgent.

And here is today's audio:



Plus the LOLCats!

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe.

---

Latin Lesson #249: 1st conjugation -ant

The focus for today's lesson is the 3rd-person plural ending for the 1st conjugation... and it's -ant. No surprise there! The verb sunt, "they are," already featured the -nt ending, so now you have -a- the theme vowel of the 1st conjugation, which gives you that ending: ambulant, "they walk;" volant, "they fly," and so on.

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

Now you're ready for today's proverbs:

1. Fata obstant.
The-Fates stand-in-the-way.
fata obstant.

You already know all the words in this saying! The verb obstant is the plural form of obstat. The subject is fata, the plural of fatum.

This famous phrase comes from Vergil's Aeneid, an epic that is very much about fate and destiny, with the Fates getting in the way of the plans of both gods and mortals.


2. Monstrant astra viam.
The-stars show the-way.
monstrant astra viam.

The verb monstrant is the plural form of monstrat, "shows, demonstrates." The subject is astra, the plural of astrum.

The word viam is the accusative of via, object of the verb.

The stars, astra, are sometimes read as a kind of destiny or fate, and in this saying, the stars are not in the way but are instead pointing the way.


3. Carmina non dant panem.
Songs don't give bread.
CAR-mina non dant panem.

The verb dant is the plural form of dat. The carmina, the plural of carmen, "song," which also gives us English "charm."
The word panem is the accusative of panis, object of the verb.

In other words, songs (and music and dancing and poetry, etc.) are all very enjoyable, and even valuable, but you cannot live off them. A similar saying declares: Litterae non dant panem, "Letters (i.e. literature, writing) doesn't give bread."

4. Verba cutem non lacerant.
Words don't mangle the-skin.
verba cutem non LA-cerant.

The verb lacerant is the plural form of lacerat, "mangles, tears, shreds," as in English "lacerate." The subject is verba, the plural of verbum.

The word cutem is the accusative of cutis, object of the verb.

Compare the English saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me."


5. Multae manus onus levant.
Many hands lighten the-load.
multae manus onus levant.

The verb levant is the plural form of levat, "mangles, tears, shreds," as in English "lever" and "relieve." The subject is multae manus, the plural of multa manus. Remember manus? It is one of those sneaky feminine 4th-declension nouns.
The word onus is the accusative form of onus; yes, it's one of those sneaky neuter 3rd-declension nouns, with the same form in the nominative and the accusative. It's the accusative of the verb.

This is literally true about a heavy load, and metaphorically it implies to cooperation in any kind of work.

Here's a recap:

• Fata obstant.
• Monstrant astra viam.
• Carmina non dant panem.
• Verba cutem non lacerant.
• Multae manus onus levant.

And here is today's audio:



Plus the LOLCats!

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe.

---

Latin Nursery Rhyme: Imber, Desine

Here's another Latin cantilena to wrap up the week: it's my version of "Rain Rain Go Away," Imber, Desine. You can read about this song at Wikipedia.

Here is one English version:

Rain, rain, go away! Come again another day!

Little Arthur wants to play. Rain, rain, go away!

And here is my Latin version:

Imber, desine! Veni alio die!

Volo solem hodie. Imber, imber, desine!

Rain, stop! Come here another day!

Let the sun return today. Rain, rain, stop!

And now I have a recording of the Latin, thanks to Genesis Staple, a recent graduate of the UT Music School here in Austin. You can hear more of Genesis's Latin recordings at this work-in-progress wiki: Cantilenae.

---

---

illustration by W. Denslow

---

Plus a random cat for your viewing pleasure:

---

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe.

---

Latin Lesson #248: More Sayings with sunt

The focus for today's lesson is more practice with "(they) are" proverbs, using the plural form of est, which sunt. 

As you'll find out next week, the -nt is the sign of the 3rd-person plural across all the conjugations. So, while the verb "to be" is irregular, by practicing with sunt, you are getting ready for all plural verbs to come.

And here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before... which is all the words except for two today!

Then here are today's proverbs:

1. Patres vestri ubi sunt?
Where are your fathers?
patres vestri ubi sunt?

The new word here is vester, "yours, belong to you" (plural). To say "yours" (singular), it would be tuus, but vester is the word you need for speaking to a group of people. 

The word patres is the plural of pater. 

The word vestri is the plural of vester, and notice how the -e- disappears when you add the ending.

The words come from the Biblical book of the prophet Zechariah; here is the complete verse: Patres vestri, ubi sunt? et prophetae numquid in sempiternum vivent? "Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?" Zechariah's message is that the human world passes away; it is only God who is eternal. You can find out more at Wikipedia.

2. Libri muti magistri sunt.
Books are silent teachers.
libri muti ma-GIS-tri sunt.

You know all the words in this saying!

The word libri is the plural of liber.

The word magistri is the plural of magister, and notice againhow the -e- disappears when you add the ending. That often happens with 2nd-declension nouns that end in -er instead of the usual -us.

The word muti is the plural of mutus, agreeing with the word magistri.

As someone who has learned an awful lot from books, I am a fan of this saying. Books may not be able to talk, but they have plenty to say!


3. Multi sunt asini bipedes.
Many are the-donkeys with-two-legs.
multi sunt A-sini BI-pedes.

You even know all the words in this saying. Do you remember when you saw bipes before? Homo animal bipes implume. When Plato defined a human being as a "featherless biped", Diogenes brought Plato a plucked chicken and said, "Here is Plato's man." (Lesson 115)

The word multi is the plural of multus, so it means "many."

The word asini is the plural of asinus. 

The word bipedes is the plural of bipes, agreeing with the asini.

In other words, in addition to all the four-legged donkeys, there are plenty asini bipedes... i.e. homines stulti.

4. Ubi amici, ibi sunt opes.
Where (there are) friends, there are resources.
ubi a-MI-ci, ibi sunt opes.

The new word in this saying is ops, which means "power, strength, ability" in the singular, but in the plural, opes, it means "wealth, resources." You can see this root in English "opulent."

The word amici is the plural of amicus. 

You've seen lots of these ubi...ibi sayings in the past, and now you have one with plural nouns.

The idea is that where you have friends, you have resources, you have help when you are in need it.

5. Ubi sunt divitiae, ibi est invidia.
Where (there are) riches, there is envy.
ubi sunt di-VI-tiae, ibi est in-VI-dia.

You know all these words too.

The word divitiae is one of those special words in Latin that is used only in the plural.

There's an ubi...ibi... saying which has one plural part, sunt, and one singular part, est.

In other words, if you have money, be prepared for the envy that others might feel towards you. 

Here's a recap:

• Patres vestri ubi sunt?
• Libri muti magistri sunt.
• Multi sunt asini bipedes.
• Ubi amici, ibi sunt opes.
• Ubi sunt divitiae, ibi est invidia.

And here is today's audio:



Plus the LOLCats!

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe.

---

Latin Lesson #247: Sunt: "(they) are"

Now that you've gotten familiar with plural nouns — 1st, 2nd, and 3rd declensions! — now it's time for some plural verbs. We'll start with the plural form of est... sunt! So, now, you have a plural verb to go with the plural nouns that you already now.

 
And here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before — which is all the words today except for one.

And here are today's plural proverbs with verbs:

1. Hic sunt leones.
Here (there) are lions.
hic sunt le-O-nes.

You know all these words already.

The word leones is the plural of leo, with that 3rd-declension ending -es (masculine) on the stem leon-.

The word hic is that special locative adverb meaning "here, in this place."

This is a phrase associated with medieval mapmaking: the phrase hic sunt leones can refer to literal lions or to some kind of endemic danger. Another similar phrase: hic sunt dracones, "here there are dragons." For examples, see Wikipedia.


2. Amantes amentes sunt.
Lovers are out-of-their-minds.
a-MAN-tes a-MEN-tes sunt., 

You know all these words too!

The word amantes is the plural of amans, and the word amentes is the plural of amens. Both adjectives are 3rd-declension, with that -es ending.

The word amans is a participle from the verb amat, so it literally means "loving," but when it is used substantively as a noun, it is equivalent to "lover" in English.

The word amens is not really a participle; instead, it is a kind of joking word play: a-mens, "without-mind," i.e. "out of one's mind." The whole point is the how amans sounds like amens, making it basically impossible to really translate into English.

3. Antiqua sunt optima.
Old (things) are (the) best (things).
an-TI-qua sunt OP-tima.

The new word here is the neuter adjective antiquum, which gives us English "antique." You can see the 2nd-declension neuter ending, -a. The root of the word is ante, "before," so "antique" things are the things that came before us in time. You can also see Latin ante in English "ancient."

The word optima is the plural of optimum, agreeing with antiqua.

Roman culture was inherently conservative, strongly favoring antiqua, "the old things," with a great suspicion regarding things that are new, nova. 


4. Dei plena sunt omnia.
All (things) are full of-God.
dei plena sunt OM-nia.

You know these words, and you saw a variation on this saying last week: Iovis omnia plena.

The word omnia is the plural of omne (the focus of yesterday's lesson), and the adjective plena is also plural, agreeing with omnia. Notice that the neuter nouns of the 3rd-declension, like the 2nd-declension nouns. (I don't want to bore everybody with historical linguistics, but neuter nouns and adjectives are just *different* from the masculine and feminine nouns, often with unusual distinguishing features, and not just in Latin, but across the Indo-European languages.)

The word deus is the genitive of dei, equivalent to the genitive Iovis that you saw in the previous saying. The word plena takes a genitive complement, as in English: full of (something)."


5. Omnia mea mecum sunt.
All my (things) are with-me.
OM-nia mea mecum sunt.

And these words are all familiar too! You see omnia again, and the word mea is the plural of meum, agreeing with omnia.

The word mecum is a special kind of compound: me-cum, "me-with," equivalent to cum me, "with me." You can actually see this Latin phrase in "vademecum" in English, which comes from Latin: vade mecum, "come with me."

This phrase is associated with a famous story about the Greek poet Simonides. When he was shipwrecked and seemed to have lost everything, he had no worries because, as he said: omnia mea mecum sunt. In other words, he had his life, his good sense, his abilities; he did not lose any of those things in the shipwreck and would be able to carry on with his life going forward. The Roman poet Phaedrus tells the story of Simonides' shipwreck in one of his fables.


Here's a recap:

• Hic sunt leones.
• Amantes amentes sunt.
• Antiqua sunt optima.
• Dei plena sunt omnia.
• Omnia mea mecum sunt.

And here is today's audio:



Plus the LOLCats!

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe.

---

Week 88 Catch-Up Day

Here is the new catch-up day post for the past two weeks: practicing with lots of plurals! As usual, there is a cat-show of those sayings, plus a link to the downloadable crossword and the self-quiz.

Meanwhile, the very weird but fun Vergil project carries on; we're now on Lesson 64: A New Beginner's Latin: THE AENEID. Take a look if you are curious! 

Now here are the past two weeks of lessons here:

• #243: 2nd-Declension Masculine Plural
• #244: 2nd-Declension Neuter Plural
• Latin Nursery Rhyme: Tres Mures
• #245: 3rd-Declension Plurals
• #246: 3rd-Declension Neuter Plural

And here's the slideshow with all the sayings. You can read out loud, first with the English to remind you of the vocabulary... and then read out loud again with the cat!

I also made a printable crossword PDF as usual, and the same prompts for the crossword are used in the quiz questions below. Enjoy!

Neque mel, neque ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

apes

---

______ furtivae dulciores.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

Aquae

---

Non semper ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

Bacchanalia

---

______ mites.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

Beati

---

Omnia ______ desuper.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

bona

---

Pauci sed ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

boni

---

Nolenti omnia ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

difficilia

---

Tantali ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

horti

---

Montani semper ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

liberi

---

______ Cretenses.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

Mendaces

---

Non ______ sed nove.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

nova

---

______ eodem luto.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

Omnes

---

Beati ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

pacifici

---

Iovis omnia ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

plena

---

Omnia deo ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

possibilia

---

Si radix sancta, et ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

rami

---

Omnia ______ mendacia.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

somnia

---

______ peccati mors.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

Stipendia

---

Ne ______ pro farina.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

verba

---

Vestigia ______ retrorsum.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

nulla

---

And here's a random cat:

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe.

---

Latin Lesson #246: 3rd-Declension Neuter Plural

The focus for today's lesson is more practice with plurals, and this time it's the neuter plural form of the 3rd declension. Here's what's cool: the ending is -a, just like for neuter plurals of the 2nd declension. So, for the 2nd declension, bona means "good things." For the 3rd declension, omnia, means "all things." Every saying today has the word omnia in it!

To get ready, here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before:

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Iovis omnia plena.
All-things (are) full of-Jupiter.
Iovis OM-nia plena.

The word omnia is being used substantively here, "all (things)," and it is the subject of the verb.

The word plena is the plural form of the 2nd-declension neuter adjective plenum; you haven't seen this neuter form of the adjective, but you have seen the feminine form: plena. (And yes, the neuter plural and the feminine singular forms do look the same.)

This adjective takes a genitive complement: Iovis, which is the genitive of Iuppiter. 

These words come from one of the Eclogues by the Roman poet Vergil.


2. Omnia bona desuper.
All good-things (come) from-above.
OM-nia bona DE-super.

The word omnia is being used as an adjective here, modifying the word bona, a 2nd-declension neuter plural being used substantively, "good (things)." Put the phrase together and you have omnia bona, "all good things." 
The word desuper is an adverb, "from above," de-super. 

This is a popular Christian saying, also used in family mottoes.


3. Omnia deo possibilia.
All-things (are) possible for-god.
OM-nia deo possi-BI-lia.

The word omnia is being used substantively here, "all (things)," and it is the subject of the verb. 

The word possibilia is the plural of the 3rd-declension neuter adjective,  possibile, "possible." You haven't seen this adjective before, but you know the verb that it comes from: possum, "I am able, I can."

The word deo is the dative form of deus, explaining for whom all things are possible. It can also be written as Deo in order to emphasize a more specifically Christian usage. You can also find it phrased this way: Cum Deo omnia possibilia, "With God all things are possible."


4. Nolenti omnia difficilia.
All-things (are) difficult for-the-not-willing (person).
OM-nia SOM-nia men-DA-cia.

You know all the words in this saying. Once again, the word omnia is being used substantively, "all (things)," and it is the subject of the verb. 

The word difficilia is the plural of the 3rd-declension neuter adjective,  difficile, "difficult."

The word nolenti is the dative form of nolens, a participle (verbal adjective) being used substantively: "for (the person who is) not-willing." It explains for whom all things are difficult.


5. Omnia somnia mendacia.
All dreams (are) lies.
no-LEN-ti OM-nia diffi-CI-lia.

You know all the words in this saying too! The word omnia is being used as an adjective here, modifying the noun somnia, the plural of somnium. Put the phrase together and you have omnia somnia, "all dreams." 

The word mendacia is the plural of the 2nd-declension noun mendacium. 


Here's a recap:

• Iovis omnia plena.
• Omnia bona desuper.
• Omnia deo possibilia.
• Omnia somnia mendacia.
• Nolenti omnia difficilia.

And here is today's audio:



Plus the LOLCats!

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe.

---

Latin Lesson #245: 3rd-Declension Plurals

The focus for today's lesson is the plural form of 3rd-declension nouns!

You might recall that the 3rd declension is different from the 1st and 2nd declensions. With 1st- and 2nd-declension nouns and adjectives, you can look at the nominative singular form and see the stem, and then use that stem to make the plural. So the 1st-declension noun aqua has as its stem aqu-, so to make the plural, you just put the -ae ending on: aquae. The 2nd-declension masculine noun hortus has as its stem hort-, so to make the plural, you just put the -i ending on: horti. The 2nd-declension neuter noun saxum has as its stem sax-, so to make the plural, you just put the -a ending on: saxa. 

But with 3rd-declension nouns, things are different: sometimes you can see the stem in the nominative form, but sometimes not. To be sure, you need to look at one of the inflected forms (genitive, dative, accusative, ablative) to see the stem; the genitive form is the one that is given in the dictionary. So, after you find the stem of the noun or adjective, you can add the plural ending, which is -es. I've provided the genitive form for each of the 3rd-declension plurals below, and you can always use the wiktionary to look up the stems as well; here is mitis at the wiktionary, for example.

To get started, here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before... and you already know almost all the words in today's sayings!

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Beati mites.
Blessed (are the) meek.
be-A-ti mites.

You know all the words in this saying!

The word mites is the plural form of the adjective mitis (genitive form is also mitis, so the stem is mit-). The adjective is being used substantively, as a noun: mites, "meek (people)."

The word beati is the plural form of the adjective beatus (2nd-declension masculine).

This famous saying comes from the Biblical Gospel of Matthew, in the "Sermon on the Mount." This is the entire verse: Beati mites : quoniam ipsi possidebunt terram, "Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land."

  

2. Omnes eodem luto.
All (people are from the) same clay.
omnes e-O-dem luto.

The word omnes is the plural form of the adjective omnis (genitive form is also omnis, so the stem is omn-). This adjective is also being used substantively, as a noun: "all (people)."

The word luto is the ablative form of lutum, in the sense of origin: all people come from the same clay. The word eodem is a special kind of adjective that you'll learn about later: it is eo-dem, also ablative, meaning "the same."

The idea is that rich or poor, man or woman, from any country, from any time, we are all born from the same clay. 

  

3. Mendaces Cretenses.
Cretans (are) liars.
men-DA-ces Cre-TEN-ses.

The word mendaces is the plural form of the adjective mendax (genitive form is mendacis, so the stem is mendac-).

The word Cretenses is the plural form of the adjective Cretensis (genitive form is also Cretensis, so the stem is Cretens-). This is another adjective being used substantively, as a noun: "Cretan (people)," i.e. "Cretans."

Cretans were proverbial for telling lies in the ancient world, and it was this assumption that gave rise to a philosophical paradox: "Everything I say is a lie." You can read more about the liars' paradox at Wikipedia.

  

 
4. Neque mel, neque apes.
Neither honey, nor bees.
neque mel, neque apes.

You know all the words in this saying too.

The word apes is the plural form of the noun apis (genitive form is also apis, so the stem is ap-).

The pair neque...neque... literally means "and not... and not..." — but it is used just like English "neither... nor..."

This saying refers to people who would rather renounce something pleasant, like mel, because they do not want to cope with the associated discomfort: the apes. Here is a commentary by Taverner, an Elizabethan writer: "I have neither honie, nor bees. As who should say: I have no hony, bycause I have no bees, nor will not take the paines, to kepe and abide the bitinge and stinginge of them." 

  

5. Aquae furtivae dulciores.
Stolen waters (are) sweeter.
aquae fur-TI-vae dulci-O-res.

And these words are all familiar too!

The word dulciores is the plural form of the adjective dulcior (genitive form is dulcioris, so the stem is dulcior-).

The word aquae is the plural form of the noun aqua (1st-declension feminine), and the adjective furtivae is also feminine plural, 1st-declension.

You've seen a variation on this saying before: Furtiva Venus dulcior. This version comes from the Biblical Book of Proverbs: Aquae furtivae dulciores sunt, et panis absconditus suavior, "Stolen waters aer sweeter, and concealed bread tastes more delightful."

Here's a recap:

• Beati mites.
• Omnes eodem luto.
• Mendaces Cretenses.
• Neque mel, neque apes.
• Aquae furtivae dulciores.

And here is today's audio:



Plus the LOLCats!

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe.

---

Latin Nursery Rhyme: Tres Mures

Here's another Latin nursery rhyme to wrap up the week: it's my version of "Three Blind Mice," although, thanks to polysyllabic Latin, these mice don't have to be blind: they are just Tres Mures, "The Three Mice." You can find out more about this traditional nursery rhyme at Wikipedia. 

Here is one English version:

Three blind mice, three blind mice:

See how they run! See how they run!

They all ran after the farmer's wife.

She cut off their tails with a carving knife.

Did you ever see such a thing in your life

As three blind mice!

And here is my Latin version:

Tres mures, tres mures:

Ecce currunt! Ecce currunt!

Hi mures ad feminam volant,

Quae secat has caudas et cachinnat.

Mirabilius umquam quis viderat,

Quam tres mures?

Three mice, three mice:

Behold, they run! Behold, they run!

These mice fly towards the woman,

Who cuts their tails and cackles.

Who ever had seen something more marvelous

Than the three mice?

And here's a YouTube video to inspire you to sing along... it's a jazz version!

---

Plus a random cat for your viewing pleasure:

---

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe.

---

Latin Lesson #244: 2nd-Declension Neuter Plural

So far you have had the plural of feminine nouns and adjectives of the 1st declension: bona, singular, becomes bonae, plural. You have also seen the plural of masculine nouns and adjectives of the 2nd declension: bonus, singular, becomes boni.

For today,  you will learn the plural of neuter nouns and adjectives of the 2nd declension: bonum, "good (thing)," singular, becomes bona, "good (things)." You actually know this neuter ending already because we sometimes use it to make Latin plurals in English: "medium" gives us plural "media," "datum" gives us plural "data, " bacterium" gives us plural "bacteria," and "curriculum" gives us plural "curricula."

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

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Non nova sed nove.
Not new (things), but in-a-new-way.
non nova sed nove.

The word nova is the plural form of novum.
The word nove is an adverb formed from this same adjective: "newly, in a new way."

2. Ne verba pro farina.
Don't (offer) words instead-of flour.
ne verba pro fa-RI-na.

The word verba is the plural form of verbum. It could be either nominative or accusative, and you have to decided based on context. In this saying, it is the accusative object of an implied verb.

The word ne is a conjunction in Latin that goes with an imperative or a subjunctive verb, so even though there is no explicit verb in this saying, you can supply a verb based on the context: "Don't (offer, give, provide, etc.) words instead of flour." In other words: when someone is hungry, words will not fill their stomach.

The word farina, "flour" or "meal" (i.e. cornmeal, oatmeal, etc.) refers metaphorically to bread, and to food in general. The form here is ablative (farinā), the form needed for the preposition pro.

This is one of the sayings that Erasmus included in his Adagia.


3. Stipendia peccati mors.
The-wages of-sin (are) death.
sti-PEN-dia pec-CA-ti mors.

The word stipendia is the plural form of stipendium, which gives us English "stipend."

The word peccati is the genitive form of peccatum, "mistake, error" or, in this Christian saying, "sin." You haven't seen this noun before, but you have seen the verb peccat, and you can see this root in English "impeccable" and "peccadillo."

The words come from the Biblical Letter to the Romans.

4. Vestigia nulla retrorsum.
Not-any footprints going-back-out.
ves-TI-gia nulla retr-OR-sum.

The word vestigia is the plural form of vestigium, "footprint, track," as in English "vestige" and also "investigate." The adjective nulla is neuter plural, agreeing with vestigia.

This saying alludes to a famous Aesop's fable about a lion who pretends to be sick, and when his loyal subjects come to visit their king, he gobbles them up. The fox, however, is skeptical and refuses to come in. When the lion asks why, she says its because vestigia nulla retrorsum; she can see lots of footprints going in, but no footprints coming out.

5. Non semper Bacchanalia.
(It's) not always a-Bacchanalia.
non semper Baccha-NA-lia.

The word Bacchanalia is a noun used only in the plural. It is a wild feast in honor of the the Greco-Roman god Bacchus, who presides over wine. You can read more about this old Roman festival at Wikipedia: Bacchanalia.

The idea is that, sooner or the later, the party's over! Compare the English saying "Christmas comes but once a year."

Here's a recap:

• Non nova sed nove.
• Ne verba pro farina.
• Stipendia peccati mors.
• Vestigia nulla retrorsum.
• Non semper Bacchanalia.

And here is today's audio:



Plus the LOLCats!

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe.

---