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!
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!
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)
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.
Plus the LOLCats!
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