Latin Lesson #196: More 1st-conjugation 1st-person

The focus for today's lesson is more practice with those 1st-conjugation verbs and the -o ending for the "I" forms. You know almost all of the words today, like the verbs: amo, "I love," spero, "I hope," vigilo, "I keep watch, stay awake," and exspecto, "I await, expect." You also have one new verb: reformido, "I fear." The Latin root of that verb also appears in the English "formidable."

Because these 1st-person sayings are so commonly found in heraldry, I have some fun art to share today, in addition to the usual LOLcats.

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

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Pacem amo.
I-love peace.
pacem amo.

You already know the words in this saying!

The word pacem is the accusative form of the noun pax, and it is object of the verb, amo.
This is a popular motto, and you can see in all kinds of heraldry, including here in this brewery sign in the England, together with a unicorn:

2. Spe exspecto.
I-await with-hope.
spe ex-SPEC-to.

You also know both of these words!
The word spe is the ablative form of spes, which can mean "with hope, "in hope," etc.

The words spe and exspecto are not related, as the word exspecto has as its root, "spec-," "seeing, watching," as in "spectator," but this saying plays nicely on the similarity in sound between them.


3. Vigilo et spero.
I-keep-watch and I-hope.
VI-gi-lo et spero.

These words are also familiar from before, and this is another popular family motto, appearing in heraldic emblems, as in this Potts family emblem:

4. Supra spem spero.
I-hope beyond hope.
supra spem spero.

And you know all the words in this saying too! 

The word spem is the accusative form of the noun spes, used here with the preposition supra.

The family motto is inspired by the Biblical Letter to the Romans, although the Vulgate text reads contra spem in spem, "against hope into hope."
Here you can see that motto on a Victorian watch:

5. Pacis nomine bellum involutum reformido.
I-fear war rolled-up-in in-the-name of-peace.
pacis NO-mi-ne bellum in-vo-LU-tum re-FOR-mi-do.

There are two new words in this saying. The verb reformido means "I fear," and it's a 1st-conjugation verb, so the infinitive is reformidare.
The word bellum is the accusative form of the neuter noun bellum: "I fear war." The adjective involutum, "wrapped up in," is new, but you know the root verb that it comes from: volvit. This can mean something literally wrapped up in something, but it can also be used metaphorically as in the English word "involve" which comes from this Latin root.

As often with a passive participle like involutum there is an ablative complement: nomine, the ablative form of nomen. So, this is not just about any kind of war, but a war wrapped up "in the name" ... and what name? The name of peace: nomine pacis. The word pacis is the genitive singular of pax.

The words come a speech by the Roman politician Cicero in which, after the assassination of Julius Caesar, Cicero denounced Mark Antony; these are the so-called Philippics.

Here's a recap:

• Pacem amo.
• Spe exspecto.
• Vigilo et spero.
• Supra spem spero.
• Pacis nomine bellum involutum reformido.

And here is today's audio:



Plus the LOLCats!

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe.

---

Latin Lesson #195: 1st-person 1st-conjugation

Now that you have had lots of practice with the 3rd-person (she, he, it) forms of the verbs, it's time to learn the 1st-person forms. The vast majority of the verbs you will encounter in Latin will be 3rd-person forms, but the 1st-person form is also the dictionary form! So whenever you are using the wiktionary or other Latin dictionary, you will see the 1st-person form of the verb listed first, followed by the infinitive. So, that's very useful!

Here is how the 1st-person form works for the 1st-conjugation verbs: the 1st-person form just ends in o! For example:
spero: I hope

The stem is sper- and -o is the ending. 

Next in the dictionary comes comes the infinitive, which has -are as the ending:
sperare: to hope.

You can see how that works at the wiktionary: spero. (Click on the link to find out more.) First comes spero, and then sperare; then comes the perfect form and the supine, which you will learn more about later. Based on the 1st-person form and the infinitive, you can be sure this is a 1st-conjugation verb, but the dictionary also provides that information for you.

All the sayings for today feature 1st-person forms of 1st-conjugation verbs, and here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before:

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Aspiro.
I-aspire.
a-SPI-ro.

The verb aspiro, "I desire, aspire," is the 1st-person form of the verb aspirat; the infinitive is aspirare. It is a compound verb: ad+spirat, "breathes in, breathes at," with many metaphorical meanings based on this literal, physical meaning. You can see the range of meaning at the Logeion Latin dictionary online. This range of meaning is why in English "aspiration" can have the sense of "hope, desire," but can also have the physical meaning of breathing, as when you pronounce aspirated consonants.

For the uncompounded form of this verb, see #3 below.

This is the motto of the Curry family. Many of these 1st-person Latin sayings are mottos. Maybe as we work on all these 1st-person sayings in the coming lessons, you will find a Latin motto you want to adopt as your own motto, or perhaps you will be inspired to compose one of your own.


2. Lucem spero.
I-hope-for the-light.
lucem spero.

The verb spero is the 1st-person form of the verb sperat; the infinitive is sperare. You haven't seen this verb before, but you know the root noun: spes. 

The word lucem is the accusative form of the noun lux, and it is the object of the verb.
You can also find this in a longer form: Post tenebras, spero lucem, "After the darkness, I hope for the light."


3. Dum spiro, spero.
While I-breathe, I-hope.
dum spiro, spero.

The verb spiro, "I breathe," is the 1st-person form of the verb spirat; the infinitive is spirare.

As you can see, this Latin saying depends on word-play between spiro and spero. The words are not linguistically related, but their similar sounds makes it seem as if they must have something to do with each other! The verb spiro is related to spiritus, "spirit," while the verb spero is related to spes, "hope."

This saying is quite famous and has a Wikipedia article of its own; it is motto of the state of South Carolina.

Notice how you can see Spes embodied as a goddess. The other Latin phrase, animis opibusque parati, means "(we are) ready with our minds and resources."

4. Non nimium curo.
(I) don't care overmuch.
non NI-mium curo.

The verb curo is the 1st-person form of the verb curat; the infinitive is curare. 

The word nimium is a neuter adjective which is being used adverbially, as often happens with neuter adjectives in Latin.

You can find this phrase used by the poet Martial. Compare the English cliche, "I couldn't care less."

5. Vento navigo meo.
I-sail by-my-own wind.
vento NA-vigo meo.

The verb navigo is the 1st-person form of the verb navigat; the infinitive is navigare. The root of this verb is the noun navis, "ship."
The noun phrase, vento meo, wraps around the verb, and it is in the ablative case. You haven't seen the masculine form of this adjective before, but you have seen the feminine form: mea.

The idea is that you do not depend on some casual, external wind; you can propel yourself by means of your own wind.


Here's a recap:

• Aspiro.
• Lucem spero.
• Dum spiro, spero.
• Non nimium curo.
• Vento navigo meo.

And here is today's audio:



Plus the LOLCats!

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe.

---

Latin Lesson #194: Fourth Conjugation, cont.

The focus for today's lesson is more practice with 4th-conjugation verb forms: those present-tense forms in -it, passive forms in -itur, plus the imperative in -i and the infinitive in -ire.

Here's a comparison of the four conjugations since you have now had a chance to review them all!

1: amat	2: habet	3: capit	4: audit
amatur	habetur	capitur	auditur
amare	habere	capere	audire
ama!	habe!	cape!	audi!

It's the 3rd conjugation that is the sneakiest: because its theme vowel is a short i, it sometimes looks like the 4th conjugation (capit, capitur) and it sometimes looks like the 2nd conjugation (capere, cape!), but it is different than both of them: the 3rd conjugation vowels are short, which is why the stress is different too: haBEre but CApere, and auDItur but CApitur.

And don't worry: you'll get used to it all after a while, especially because those 3rd-conjugation verbs are the most common. The key is to read out loud every time you are working on Latin, and your ears will learn which verb is which!

And here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before... and you've seen most of the words before!

And here are today's proverbs:

1. I, piger, ad formicam.
Go, lazy (person), to (the) ant.
i, piger, ad for-MI-cam.

The word i is the imperative form of it.

The word formicam is the accusative form of formica with the preposition ad.

The idea is that the ant is a proverbial hard worker, and you've seen a variation of this saying before: Vade ad formicam, o piger!


2. Sic transit gloria mundi.
Thus passes (the) glory of-the-world.
sic transit GLO-ria mundi.

The word mundi is the genitive form of the word mundus, so the phrase gloria mundi means "glory of the world." 

This Latin phrase is so famous that it has its own Wikipedia article, which explains the use of the phrase during the crowning of a new pope starting back in the early 15th century and continuing all the way up until 1963.  


3. Nullum infortunium venit solum.
No misfortune comes alone.
nullum infor-TU-nium venit solum.

The word infortunium, "misfortune," is new, but you know the root word: fortuna.

Compare the English saying: "Troubles never come singly."


4. Potest ex casa vir magnus exire.
(A) great man can emerge from (a) hut.
potest ex casa vir magnus ex-I-re.

The word exire, "to go out, come out, emerge," is the infinitive of the verb exit, a compound: ex+it.
The word casa is the ablative form (casā) of casa, which is a "hut" or "cottage." 

The idea is that a great man can come from humble beginnings.

Of course, this Latin word went on to enjoy a long life in the Romance languages, where casa became the standard word for "house," not just a lowly "hut" or "cottage."


5. Arguendo et disputando veritas invenitur.
(The) truth can-be-found by-arguing and by-discussing.
argu-EN-do et dispu-TAN-do VE-ritas inve-NI-tur.

The word arguendo is the ablative form of arguendum, a verbal noun from arguit, "argues," and disputando is the ablative form of disputandum, a verbal noun from disputat, "discusses."


Here's a recap:

• I, piger, ad formicam.
• Sic transit gloria mundi.
• Nullum infortunium venit solum.
• Potest ex casa vir magnus exire.
• Arguendo et disputando veritas invenitur.

And here is today's audio:



Plus the LOLCats!

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe.

---

Latin Lesson #193: 4th-Conjugation Verb Review

The focus for today's lesson is the 4th — and final — conjugation. These verbs have i (long i: ī) as the theme vowel. You don't notice that in the active or imperative forms, but it is important for the passive and infinitive forms, where the stress is on the theme vowel:

• audi: hear! (audi)
• audit: hears (audit)
• auditur: is heard (au-DI-tur)
• audire: to hear (au-DI-re)

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

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Sic itur ad astra.
So it-is-gone to the stars.
sic itur ad astra.

The word itur is the passive form of the verb it. This is different from the passive verbs you have seen before: instead of turning the object of the active verb into the subject of the passive verb, this is an impersonal construction without a subject. I have translate it as "it is gone," but that really doesn't make much sense in English, right? Another way to translate this would be: "one goes."

The word astra here is a form we haven't work on yet: it is a neuter plural! The neuter singular is astrum. (So, yes, this is how Latin datum becomes plural data, giving us the word "data" in English.) The case is accusative with the preposition ad, meaning "towards (the) stars," ad astra.

This was the personal slogan of Jean-Pierre Blanchard, the 18th-century pioneer of gas balloon flight.


2. Abi in malam crucem.
Go-away to (the) bad cross.
abi in malam crucem.

The word abi, "go away!" from the verb abit, "goes away." This is a compound verb: ab-it, "away-goes."

The word crucem is the accusative form of feminine noun crux, and the accusative feminine malam agrees with the noun. The noun phrase is in the accusative case with the preposition in, meaning "to, towards," expressing the direction of the motion. 

This is a very Roman insult; the cross here is the cross used to crucify criminals, a distinctive Roman form of punishment. You can find it used in the plays of the Roman playwright Plautus (c. 254 – 184 BCE).


3. Cineri gloria sera venit.
Glory comes late to (the) ash(es).
CI-neri GLO-ria sera venit.

You know all the words in this saying!

The subject is gloria, and the adjective sera agrees with gloria, although here it is being used like an adverb — When does the glory come? Glory comes late.

The word cineri is the dative form of the noun cinis, referring literally to "ash" and metaphorically to cremation ashes, i.e. a dead person.

The idea is that when glory comes only after you are dead, it has come too late for you to enjoy it.

These words appear in the epigrams of the Roman poet Martial.


4. Perditum non redit tempus.
Lost time doesn't return.
PER-ditum non redit tempus.

The word redit, "returns," is another compound form: re+it, "back-comes," i.e. "comes back, returns." The letter "d" is inserted between the two vowels: re-d-it.

The word perditum, "lost," is a neuter adjective agreeing with the neuter noun tempus. You haven't seen this adjective before, but you have seen the related verb: perdit.

We speak about "lost time" in the same way as Latin does here. You can find these words in the writings of Thomas a Kempis.


5. Semel in anno licet insanire.
(It's) permitted to-go-crazy once in (a) year.
semel in anno licet insa-NI-re.

The word insanire, "to go crazy," is the infinitive form of the verb insanit. You haven't seen this verb before, but you have seen the related adjective insanus. The phrase used here is like English "go wild" or "go crazy."

The verb licet, "it is permitted," takes an infinitive complement. Technically speaking, the infinitive is the subject of the verb: "Going crazy is permitted."

The word anno is the ablative form of the noun annus, "year," used here with the preposition in. You haven't seen this noun before, but you've seen a related adjective: annosa.

Here's a recap:

• Sic itur ad astra.
• Abi in malam crucem.
• Cineri gloria sera venit.
• Perditum non redit tempus.
• Semel in anno licet insanire.

And here is today's audio:



Plus the LOLCats!

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe.

---

Latin Lesson #192: 3nd Conjugation, cont.

The focus for today's lesson is one more set of sayings featuring the 3rd-conjugation verb forms you have seen so far: the present active, -it, and present passive, -itur, forms, along with the imperative -e form, and the infinitive, -ere.

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

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Alit lectio ingenium.
Reading nourishes genius.
alit LEC-tio in-GEN-ium.

The word lectio, "reading," is new to you, but you have seen the verb that it comes from: legit. You can see Latin lectio in the English word "lectionary."

The word ingenium is the accusative form of ingenium (remember: neuter nouns have identical nominative and accusative forms), and it is the object of the verb, alit.

The saying comes from a letter by the Roman philosopher Seneca.

2. Disce parvo esse contentus.
Learn to be satisfied with-little.
disce parvo esse con-TEN-tus.

The adjective contentus gives us "content," and it takes an ablative complement. The word parvo is the ablative form of parvum, so parvo contentus means "content with a little."

The word disce is an imperative, and it takes an infinitive complement: esse, which is the infinitive of the verb est.

These words come from Seneca also!


3. Diluculo surgere saluberrimum est.
It's healthiest to-get-up at-dawn.
di-LU-culo SUR-gere salu-BER-rimum est.

The word diluculo is the ablative form of the word diluculum, "dawn, daybreak." This is a new word, but you know the root noun: lux.

The word saluberrimum means "the most healthy," and it can also be translated "very healthy, extremely healthy." You haven't seen this word before, but you have seen the root noun: salus.

The word surgere is the infinitive of the verb surgit. That's why there is a neuter adjective here; infinitives are like neuter nouns, so the neuter adjective saluberrimum agrees with the infinitive, surgere.

An abbreviated version of this saying is quoted by Sir Toby in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.


4. Mens alitur discendo et cogitando.
(The) mind is-nourished by-learning and by-thinking.
mens A-litur dis-CEN-do et cogi-TAN-do.

The word alitur is the passive form of the verb alit.

The word discendo is the ablative form of discendum, and the word cogitando is the ablative form of cogitandum, "thinking." You haven't seen this word before, but you have seen the root verb: cogitat.

These words come from the Roman statesman and philosopher, Cicero, and the meaning is very similar to the alit saying above: Alit lectio ingenium.

5. Nil melius laetam quam semper ducere vitam.
Nothing (is) better than always to-lead (a) happy life.
nil ME-lius laetam quam semper DU-cere vitam.

The word vitam is the accusative form of vita, and it is the object of the infinitive ducere. The word laetam is the accusative form of the feminine adjective laeta, "happy," agreeing with the feminine noun vitam. You haven't seen this adjective before, but you have seen a related noun: laetitia.

The word melius is a neuter adjective, agreeing with the neuter noun nil. It is a comparative adjective, and quam explains the comparison: nil est melius quam, "nothing is better than..."

This is a medieval saying, as you can see from the near-rhyme: laetam... vitam...


Here's a recap:

• Alit lectio ingenium.
• Disce parvo esse contentus.
• Diluculo surgere saluberrimum est.
• Mens alitur discendo et cogitando.
• Nil melius laetam quam semper ducere vitam.

And here is today's audio:



Plus the LOLCats!

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe.

---

Latin Lesson #191: Review of 3nd conjugation verbs

The focus for today's lesson is 3rd conjugation verbs. Unlike the 1st and 2nd conjugations, which have a long theme vowel — long a for the 1st, long e for the 2nd — the theme vowel for the 3rd conjugation is a short vowel, which changes the stress in the passive forms. The 4th conjugation also has a long theme vowel (long i), so you can see how the shift in stress works: the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd conjugations have the passive stress on the theme vowel:

• 1: amātur (a-MA-tur): is loved
• 2: mordētur (mor-DE-tur): is bitten
• 4: audītur (au-DI-tur): is heard

But in the 3rd conjugation, the short theme vowel means that the passive form is stressed on the stem:

• 3: capitur (CA-pi-tur): is grabbed

Here are the other 3rd conjugation verb forms you will see today:

• active — capit: grabs
• imperative — cape! grab!
• infinitive — capere: to grab

And here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before — and they are almost all familiar! Just two of the words in today's sayings are new.

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Cede maiori.
Yield to-the-greater (person).
cede mai-O-ri.

The verb cede is the imperative form of the verb cedit, "yields." You haven't seen this verb before, but you have seen a compound form: recedit.  

The word maiori is the dative form of the adjective maior, which is used substantively here as a noun: "greater (person)." The verb takes a dative complement in Latin, just like in English; you "yield to" somebody or something.
This can also mean "yield to the elder person," and it is one of the sayings attributed to pseudo-Cato.


2. Nemo sine crimine vivit.
Nobody lives without fault.
nemo sine CRI-mine vivit.

You know all the words in this saying!

The word crimine is the ablative form of the noun crimen, used with the preposition sine.
This is another one of the sayings attributed to pseudo-Cato, and in a fuller form it reads: Cum culpant alios, nemo sine crimine vivit, "Although they blame others, nobody lives without fault."


3. Ex socio cognoscitur vir.
From (his) company, (a) man is known.
ex SO-cio cog-NOS-citur vir.

You also know all the word in this saying!

The verb cognoscitur is the passive form of cognoscit.

The word socio is the ablative form of socius, used here with the preposition ex.

You've seen a similar saying before: Homo a suo socio cognoscitur. 


4. Patientia laesa fit furor.
Patience, (when) wounded, becomes rage.
pati-EN-tia laesa fit furor.

You haven't seen the feminine noun patientia, "patience," before, but you have seen a relative adjective: patiens. 

The feminine adjective laesa agrees with patientia, and it's easiest to translate this in English as if it were a clause of its own: patientia laesa, "wounded patience" or "patience, when wounded."
You've seen another saying about what happens to long-suffering patience: Laesa saepius repugnat ovis. The sheep is a proverbially patient, and long-suffering, animal.


5. Fortis cadere, cedere non potest.
(The) strong can fall (but) cannot yield.
fortis CA-dere, CE-dere non potest.

You also know all the words in this saying.

The words cadere and cedere are both infinitives, used with the verb potest, "can, be able to," which takes a complementary infinitive. Notice how in Latin you don't have to repeat the word potest for both infinitives; it can be explicit for one, cedere non potest, and then implied for the other: cadere (potest).

The word fortis is an adjective, being used substantively here: "strong (person)."

The charm of the Latin saying depends on the sound-play between the words cadere and cedere. One way to do that in English might be: "The strong person might fall but cannot fail."


Here's a recap:

• Cede maiori.
• Nemo sine crimine vivit.
• Ex socio cognoscitur vir.
• Patientia laesa fit furor.
• Fortis cadere, cedere non potest.

And here is today's audio:



Plus the LOLCats!

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe.

---

Latin Lesson #190: 2nd Conjugation, cont.

The focus for today's lesson is more practice with the 2nd conjugation, which has e as its theme vowel, as you can see in the endings -et and -etur for the active and passive, -ere for the infinitive, and -e for the imperative. You'll see examples of all those verbs forms in today's sayings!

Plus, you know almost all of the words in today's sayings; here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before:

And here are today's sayings:

1. Ultimam time.
Fear (the) l, iast (hour).
UL-timam time.

You know all the words in this saying, and you also know the implied word that is the key to its meaning: hora. 

The word ultimam is the accusative form of the adjective ultima, and it is feminine to agree with the implied horam.

The verb time is the imperative form: "fear!" The idea is to fear the last hour, which means the last hour of life, which means: death. 

This is a memento mori saying, and it is one you can find inscribed on sundials, as you can see here. For another sundial motto, see #3 below.


2. Mons cum monte non miscetur.
Mountain doesn't mix with mountain.
mons cum monte non mis-CE-tur.

The verb miscetur is the passive form of miscet, and mons is the subject.

The word monte is the ablative form of mons with the preposition cum.

Erasmus included this in his book of Adagia, explaining that the mountain here stands for a great person, a lofty person, and the idea is that when people are extremely powerful, they are loners; they cannot mingle with others of equal power.


3. Transit hora sed lux permanet.
(The) hour passes, but (the) light remains.
transit hora sed lux PER-manet.

The verb permanet means "remains, lasts," as in English "permanent." You haven't seen this verb before, but you have seen the uncontracted form: manet.
This is another sundial motto: in the case of a sundial, it literally means that the hour (or time) passes, but the light, i.e. the sunlight, remains. Metaphorically, it also suggests that while the mortal things of the world pass away in time, the light of the spirit, the divine light, remains.


4. Noli de mortuo inimico tuo gaudere.
Don't rejoice about your dead enemy.
noli de MOR-tuo ini-MI-co tuo gau-DE-re.

The word gaudere is the infinitive of gaudet, and it is used here with noli to create a negative imperative: don't rejoice.

The word inimico is the ablative form of inimico with the preposition de. The adjectives mortuo and tuo agree with the masculine ablative inimico.

The words come from the Biblical Book of Ecclesiasticus (also known as the Book of Sirach).


5. Fructus amarus avi saturatae saepe videtur.
Fruit often seems bitter to-the-bird (who is) well-fed.
fructus a-MA-rus avi satu-RA-tae saepe vi-DE-tur.

The verb videtur is the passive form of videt, and as you may recall, it has a special meaning: "seem." The subject is fructus, and the predicate is amarus: "fruit seems bitter," fructus videtur amarus.

The word avi is the dative form of avis, used with videtur: "seems to the bird."

The adjective saturatae, "full, well-find," is also dative, and it is feminine, agreeing with avi. You haven't seen this adjective before, but you have seen the related masculine adjective: satur, as in a similar saying you have seen before: Mel nimium saturo muri censetur amarum.

Here's a recap:

• Ultimam time.
• Mons cum monte non miscetur.
• Transit hora sed lux permanet.
• Noli de mortuo inimico tuo gaudere.
• Fructus amarus avi saturatae saepe videtur.

And here is today's audio:



Plus the LOLCats!

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe.

---

Latin Lesson #189: Review of 2nd conjugation verbs

The focus for today's lesson is a review of 2nd conjugation verbs. Last week, you review the 1st conjugation, which had a as its theme vowel. The 2nd conjugation has e as its theme vowel, and you will see all of these forms in today's sayings: the present active form, passive form, imperative, and infinitive.

• mordet — she bites / he bites / it bites
  
• mordetur — is bitten
  
• morde! — bite! (command)
  
• mordere — to bite

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

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Ave atque vale.
Be-well and be-strong.
ave atque vale.

This is a famous Latin phrase which is often rendered in English as "Hail and farewell."

The word ave is the infinitive form of the verb avet, "be well." So the infinitive means "be well!" and it was also used as a salutation in Latin, either as a greeting or as a goodbye. This word famously appears in the Christian phrase Ave, Maria ("Hail, Mary!"), which you can read about at Wikipedia: Ave Maria.
The word vale is also an imperative of a verb you have seen before: valet.

The Roman poet Catullus used these words to close a poem in which he mourned the death of his brother; you can find the poem in Latin and English at Wikipedia: Catullus 101.

2. Fortunam reverenter habe.
Hold (your) luck with-respect.
for-TU-nam reve-REN-ter habe.

The word habe is the imperative form of the verb habet. 

The word Fortunam is the object of the verb, and reverenter is an adverb meaning "respectfully, with respect." This same Latin root gives us English words like "revere" and "reverend." You've also seen the Latin verb based on this same root: veretur; in the Roman world, the basis of respect was fear! 

The phrase comes from a poem by the Roman poet Ausonius, writing about Agathocles of Syracuse, who was born as the son of a potter but rose to immense power and wealth; even when he was wealthy, he kept reminders of his poverty around him so that he would treat his good luck with respect. You can see Ausonius's poem here: Exhortation to Modesty.


3. Etiam tacere est respondere.
Even to-be-silent is to-reply.
ET-iam ta-CE-re est respon-DE-re.

The word tacere is the infinitive form of the verb tacet, and the word respondere is the infinitive form of respondet, "answers, responds." You haven't seen this noun before, but you have seen a related noun: responsio.

As often, the infinitive is more like a verb than a noun, so you could also render this saying in English as: "Silence is also an answer."


4. Rara barba facile tondetur.
(A) thin beard is-shaved easily.
rara barba FA-cile ton-DE-tur.

The verb tondetur is the passive form of the verb tondet. The word facile, "easily," is an adverb modifying this verb. You haven't seen this adverb before, but it is the neuter form of an adjective you have seen before: facilis.
You've also seen the adjective rara before, meaning "uncommon, rare," but in this saying it has a slightly different meaning: "sparse, thin. " A beard that is not thick with hair is a rara barba.

Metaphorically, then, this means that something that is not fully developed is easily managed or even undone. If you wait until a beard gets thick and long, it is going to be a lot harder to shave!


5. Plus valet passer in dextra quam quattuor extra.
(A) sparrow in the-hand is-worth more than four outside (the hand).
plus valet passer in dextra quam QUAT-tuor extra.

The only new word in this saying is passer, which means "sparrow." You can see this Latin root in the scientific word "passerine," and Latin passer is also the origin of Spanish pájaro, meaning "bird."

The verb valet is the same verb whose imperative you saw above: Ave atque vale.

You've already seen another version of this same saying in Latin already: Est avis in dextra melior quam quattuor extra, both equivalent to the English "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." 

The dextra...extra rhyme shows that this is a medieval Latin proverb (the ancient Romans did not like rhyme, but it is frequently found in medieval Latin poetry and proverbs).


Here's a recap:

• Ave atque vale.
• Fortunam reverenter habe.
• Etiam tacere est respondere.
• Rara barba facile tondetur.
• Plus valet passer in dextra quam quattuor extra.

And here is today's audio:



Plus the LOLCats!

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe.

---

Latin Lesson #188: 1st Conjugation, cont.

The focus for today's lesson is one more review day for the 1st conjugation — the active and passive verbs, plus the imperative and the infinitive — which has a as its theme vowel. (Next week, we'll do a review of the 2nd conjugation, which has e as its theme vowel.)

And here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before; almost all the words today are familiar ones:

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Fricantem refrica.
Scratch-in-return (the one) scratching (you).
fri-CAN-tem RE-frica.

You've seen the verb fricat, "scratches," before, and both of these words are formed from that verb. 

The word fricantem is the accusative form of the participle fricans, "scratching."

The word refrica is the imperative form of the verb refricat, "re-scratch, scratch in return."

The scratching here is all good, as in the English saying, "You scratch my back; I'll scratch yours." Or, in other words, "One good turn deserves another."

2. Dormitat et Homerus.
Even Homer nods.
DOR-mitat et Ho-ME-rus.

You've seen the verb dormit before, and dormitat is a variation on that verb: it means "naps, nods, feel sleepy."

The word et here is being used adverbially, like English "too, also, even."

Homer, of course, was the great founding poet of the European tradition, the composer of the Iliad and the Odyssey. But just because he was a great poet does not mean that his compositions were perfect, and this phrase refers to how Homer has his weak points, inconsistencies, etc. The words come from the Roman poet Horace; you can find out more about this saying at the Wiktionary, where it has its own entry.


3. Caritas non cogitat malum.
Love doesn't think evil.
CA-ritas non CO-gitat malum.

You already know all the words in this saying!

The form malum is a neuter adjective being used substantively as a noun: "(a) bad, evil (thing)." It could be either nominative or accusative because those forms are identical for all neuter nouns and adjectives, so it could be either the subject or the object of the verb. In this saying, however, you can tell from context that it must be the object: caritas is unambiguously in the nominative case, so it is the subject of the verb, while malum is the object.

I found this photograph of a mosaic from a church in Brighton, England which displays these words:

4. Mel nulli sine felle datur.
Honey without bile is-given to-nobody.
mel nulli sine felle datur.

You also know all the words in this saying already, and you've seen other Latin sayings that depend for their appeal on the sound-play of mel and fel, for example: Ubi mel, ibi fel, and Mel in ore, fel in corde.

The verb datur is passive: "is given" (from dat, "gives"). The word nulli is the dative form of nullus, "to nobody." The subject of the verb is mel.
It makes sense to give the dative case used with the verb datur, right? That is what gives the "dative" case its name.

The form felle is the ablative form of fel used here with the preposition sine.


5. Nobilitare potest virtus, doctrina coronat.
Excellence can ennoble (you); learning crowns (you).
nobili-TA-re potest virtus, doc-TRI-na co-RO-nat.

You have two new verbs in this saying, but they are both related to words you have seen before.

The word nobilitare is the infinitive form of the word nobilitat, "makes noble, ennobles," from the adjective nobilis. The infinitive is being used here with the verb potest.

The verb coronat you can recognize from the noun corona.

Here's a recap:

• Fricantem refrica.
• Dormitat et Homerus.
• Caritas non cogitat malum.
• Mel nulli sine felle datur.
• Nobilitare potest virtus, doctrina coronat.

And here is today's audio:



Plus the LOLCats!

---

Click here to subscribe/unsubscribe.

---