Latin Lesson #260: More Plurals

I'm back from that little break (I had a houseguest!), and it's time for some more plural review. This time you will see examples of 2nd-conjugation plural verbs with the -ent ending, 3rd-conjugation plural verbs with the -unt ending, and 4th-conjugation plural verbs with the -iunt ending, along with the irregular plural verb: sunt.

You also have a variety of plural nouns, including 2nd-declension masculine nouns with the -i plural ending and 2nd-declension neuter nouns with the -a plural ending, plus 3rd-declension masculine nouns with the -es plural, and 3rd-declension neuter nouns with the -a plural ending. Notice how the -a ending for neuter nouns works across the 2nd and 3rd declensions!

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

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Mortui non dolent.
The-dead don't grieve.
MOR-tui non dolent.

The verb dolent is the plural form of dolet, "grieves, feels pain." You haven't seen this verb before, but you have seen the verbal noun formed from it: dolendum, "grieving, feeling pain."

The subject is mortui, the plural of mortuus. 

Compare a saying that you have seen before about death: Finis miseriae mors est.


2. Numeri mundum regunt.
Numbers rule the-world.
NU-meri mundum regunt.

You know all the words in this saying! 

The verb regunt is the plural form of regit. 

The subject is numeri, the plural of numerus. 

The word mundum is the accusative form of mundus, and it is the object of the verb.
This saying is famously inscribed on Sexton's "Omnimetre" Circular Slide Rule; you can see a photo here.


3. Fures clamorem metuunt.
Thieves fear an-outcry.
fures cla-MO-rem ME-tuunt.

The verb metuunt is the plural form of metuit. 

The subject is fures, the plural of fur. 

The word clamorem, "shout, outcry," is the accusative form of clamor, and it is the object of the verb. You haven't seen this noun before, but you have seen a related participle: clamans.

The idea is that because of their guilty conscience, thieves fear that anyone shouting is shouting about them. Compare a line from Shakespeare's Henry VI: "The thief doth fear each bush an officer."


4. Pecuniae oboediunt omnia.
All-things obey money.
pe-CU-niae o-BOE-diunt OM-nia.

The verb oboediunt is the plural form of oboedit, "obeys." It's a compound: ob-audit, "towards-hear." This is the source of English "obey" and "obedient." 

The subject is omnia, the plural of omne. 

The word pecuniae is the dative of pecunia, the indirect object of the verb.
Compare the English saying: "Money makes the world go 'round."


5. Mecum mea sunt cuncta.
All my-things are with-me.
mecum mea sunt cuncta.

The verb sunt is the plural form of est. 

The subject is cuncta, "all (things)," the plural of cunctum. The adjective mea is also neuter plural. 

The word mecum is a variant form of cum me, "with me."

This saying alludes to the story of Simonides, the famous poet who was once shipwrecked. He lost all his possessions in the wreck, but that was not a problem because he had "all his things" with him: his wits and his talent were all he needed to carry on. Here is the Roman poet Phaedrus's version of the story.  Notice the elegant way that mea...cuncta wraps around the verb.


And here's a recap of today's sayings:

• Mortui non dolent.
• Numeri mundum regunt.
• Fures clamorem metuunt.
• Pecuniae oboediunt omnia.
• Mecum mea sunt cuncta.

And here is today's audio:



Plus the LOLCats!

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