Latin Lesson #153: 3rd-Declension Dative

**I'll be away for the coming week, but will be back on October 8 with the next lesson.**

The focus for today's lesson is the dative ending for the third declension. The ending is -i and, remember, the ending goes on the stem of the word. With the 1st and 2nd declension, you can see the stem in the nominative form, but with the 3rd declension, you have to learn the stem from the genitive form of the noun, which is always listed in the Latin dictionary. Just remove the genitive -is ending, and you get the stem.

Here is a review of the genitive forms and stems of the 3rd-declension words in today's sayings:

• sus. genitive: suis stem: su- 
• homo. genitive: hominis stem: homin- 
• sapiens. genitive: sapientis stem: sapient- 
• leo. genitive: leonis stem: leon- 
• cupiditas. genitive: cupiditatis stem: cupiditat- 

So, you'll see the dative forms of these words in today's sayings: sui, homini, sapienti, leoni, and cupiditati.

Here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before... and for the very first time, you have seen ALL the words in today's sayings already. There is no new vocabulary, just old friends!

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Sus sui pulcher.
Pig (is) beautiful to-a-pig.
sus sui pulcher.

The word sui is the dative form of sus.

The dative here has the sense of to someone's way of thinking, in their opinion, etc. So you could even translate this as "One pig thinks another pig is beautiful." 

This is part of a larger saying, and you've seen the first part before: Asinus asino et sus sui pulcher. 


2. Homo homini lupus.
Man (is) a-wolf to-man.
homo HO-mini lupus.

The word homini is the dative form of homo.

This famous saying even has its own article at Wikpedia: Homo homini lupus.


3. Verbum sat sapienti.
(A) word to-the-wise (is) enough.
verbum sat sapi-EN-ti.

The word sapienti is the dative form of sapiens.

You haven't seen the word sat before, but it is just a shortened form of satis, which you have seen many times. 

Compare the English saying, "A word to the wise." The full form of the English say is just like the Latin saying: "A word to the wise is enough." Over time, however, the English saying was so popular that it got shortened. The idea is that if you are a wise person, you will take good advice when it is offered to you. A fool, however, ignores good advice... and gets into trouble as a result.


4. Somnum ne rumpe leoni.
Don't disturb (the) lion's sleep.
somnum ne rumpe le-O-ni.

The word leoni is the dative form of leo. This is the possessive dative, which is often used instead of the genitive when something is not a material possession, not something you can hold in your hand — like sleep.

The word somnum is the accusative form of the noun somnus, and it is the object of the verb.

The word rumpe is the imperative form of the verb rumpit, being used here as a negative command: ne rumpe.

This saying appears in a 17th-century emblem book; you can see the foolish dogs about to wake the sleeping lion.


5. Cupiditati nihil satis est.
Nothing is enough for-greed.
cupidi-TA-ti nihil satis est.

The word cupiditati is the dative form of cupiditas.

You can find these words in Seneca's dialogue On Consolation, and you have seen other sayings about boundless desires which cannot be satisfied, such as Res immoderata cupido est and Habendi cupido inexplebile dolium..


Here's a recap:

• Sus sui pulcher.
• Homo homini lupus.
• Verbum sat sapienti.
• Somnum ne rumpe leoni.
• Cupiditati nihil satis est.

And here is today's audio:



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Week 41 Vocabulary Review

Like last time, this vocabulary review includes all kinds of noun and verb forms, and you can check yourself by looking at the cat slide that follows. Then repeat the saying out loud (with the English prompt), and finish by repeating out loud one last time, but with no English on the slide. Alternatively, you can view the slides backward, starting from the end, which gives you the "quiz" slide at the end of each set.

And don't forget: on the slides with the English translation, the English is linked to the original blog post if you want some help in understanding the grammar of the saying.

Here is a link to the full-size show, and the show is embedded in the blog post below. 

If you want to do even more reviewing (you cannot review too much!), here are the vocabulary review slideshows from previous weeks.

And... here's a random cat:

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Latin Lesson #152: More -o datives

The focus for today's lesson is more practice with the 2nd-declension dative ending, -o. To get ready, here are the dative sayings you saw yesterday:

• Alcinoo poma.
• Et pilo sua umbra.
• Servo non est otium.
• Deo nihil impossibile.
• Flamma fumo est proxima.

You already know most of the words in today's sayings, as you will see in today's slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before:

So, now you're ready; here are today's proverbs:

1. Ne puero gladium.
Don't (give a) sword to-a-boy.
ne PU-ero GLA-dium.

You already know all the words in this saying! 

The word puero is the dative form of the noun puer.

Notice that the verb is missing, but the use of the dative phrase puero, "to a boy," makes it clear that the missing verb is "give."

The negative ne is used with negative commands, as in a saying you say previously: Canem sopitum ne excita, "Don't arouse a sleeping dog." You'll see another ne example in the next saying.

Here's a version in English without a verb: "No sword for a boy." 

2. Caelo ne fide sereno.
Don't trust (the) clear sky.
caelo ne fide se-RE-no.

The word caelo is the dative form of caelum, which you have seen before. 

The word sereno is the dative form of the neuter adjective serenum, "clear, fair, bright," agreeing with caelum. This Latin word gives us English "serene." 

Notice how the noun phrase caelo sereno wraps around the entire sentence.

The word fide is the imperative form of the verb fidit, "trust, have faith in," which takes a dative complement. You haven't seen this verb before, but you have seen a related adjective: fida.

The idea is that while the weather might look good now, it cannot be trusted: a clear sky can turn to stormy weather without warning (remember: the ancient Romans did not have The Weather Channel). This saying is literally true, and it can also apply metaphorically to any changeable situation.


3. Asinus asino pulcher est.
(A) donkey is beautiful to-a-donkey.
A-sinus A-sino pulcher est.

You also know all the words in this saying. The word asino is the dative form of asinus.

The idea is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder: to one donkey, another donkey might look very good indeed. 

A fuller version of the saying is Asinus asino et sus sui pulcher, "Donkey to donkey is beautiful, and pig to pig." The word sui is a dative from the 3rd declension; you'll be learning that 3rd-declension dative ending soon.


4. Aegroto dum anima est, spes est.
While (there) is life to-a-sick (person), (there) is hope.
ae-GRO-to dum A-nima est, spes est.

The word aegroto is the dative form of the adjective aegrotus, "sick, ill." The adjective is being used as a noun here: "a sick (person)." 

Remember how the dative can be used for possession? That is the idea here: aegroto dum anima est, "while the sick person still has life..." 

Compare a similar saying that you've already seen: Dum vita est, spes est.

5. Equo donato noli respicere in os.
Don't look (a) donated horse in (the) mouth.
equo do-NA-to noli re-SPI-cere in os.

It's a long saying, but you know all the words in this one too. And you know a famous English version of the saying also: "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth." In other words, don't look at the horse's teeth to see how old the horse is; just be grateful for someone giving you a horse no matter how old the horse might be.

The word equo is the dative form of the masculine noun equus, and the masculine adjective donato agrees with equo. This is another example of the dative of possession. Whose mouth? The horse's mouth! Latin regularly uses the dative of possession with body parts.

The word os is the accusative form of the neuter noun os used with the preposition in, meaning "in, into."


Here's a recap:

• Ne puero gladium.
• Caelo ne fide sereno.
• Asinus asino pulcher est.
• Aegroto dum anima est, spes est.
• Equo donato noli respicere in os.

And here is today's audio:



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Latin Lesson #151: Datives for the 2nd declension

Now that you have learned the -ae dative ending for the 1st Declension, it's time for the 2nd declension. The dative ending for the 2nd declension is -o.

And yes, this is also the ablative ending for the 2nd declension. So, just like you had to use context to recognize the genitive-or-dative ending for the 1st declension (ae), you have to use context to recognize the ablative-or-dative ending for the 2nd declension. For example, here are two sayings about smoke, fumus:

• ablative: De fumo ad flammam. Out of the smoke, into the fire.
• dative: Flamma fumo est proxima. The fire is next to the smoke.

All the sayings for today include datives from the 2nd declension, but first, here's a little slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before, and you've seen almost all of the words in today's sayings before:

So, here are today's proverbs:

1. Alcinoo poma.
Fruits for-Alcinous.
al-CI-noo poma.

The word Alcinoo is the dative form of Alcinous, the name of a mythological king who is an important character in Homer's Odyssey; you can find out more at Wikipedia: Alcinous. What you need to know about King Alcinous for this saying is that he had a beautiful garden full of fruit; the Garden of Alcinous even has a Wikipedia article of its own.

The word poma is the plural form of pomum, "fruit," which can mean apples, pears, figs, grapes, etc. (You haven't officially learned any plural forms yet, but we'll be getting to the plural forms later!) You can see the Latin root in English "pomegranate" and in the name "Pomona." 

This Latin saying is the equivalent "Coals to Newcastle." In that saying, the idea is that the city of Newcastle abounded in coal of nearby coal mines; there was no reason to send coals to Newcastle.  In the same way, King Alcinous had plenty of fruit from his gardens; there is no reason to send fruits to Alcinous!

2. Et pilo sua umbra.
Even for-a-hair (there is) its-own shadow.
et pilo sua umbra.

You have seen all the words in this saying before.
The word pilo is the dative form of pilus. This use of the dative is called the "dative of possession" and you can actually translate the saying this way: "Even the hair has its own shadow."

The idea is that even though a hair is very small, it does cast its own tiny shadow. This is literally true, and metaphorically it means that every action, no matter how small, has consequences.


3. Servo non est otium.
(There) is no rest for-the-slave.
servo non est O-tium.

You also know all the words in this saying too.
The word servo is the dative form of servus, which can mean either "servant" or "slave." Given that ancient Rome was a slave society, I've translated it as slave here.

You can also understand this as a kind of possession, translating it as "A slave never gets a break."


4. Deo nihil impossibile.
For-God nothing (is) impossible.
deo nihil impos-SI-bile.

Once again: you know all the words in this saying already.
The word deo is the dative form of deus, 

Notice how the double negative works: nihil impossibile, "nothing is impossible," means that "everything is possible."

You can find this saying in the ancient Christian writer Tertullian.


5. Flamma fumo est proxima.
The-fire is close to-the-smoke.
flamma fumo est PRO-xima.

The feminine noun flamma, "fire, flame," as in English "flame" and "inflammation."
The word fumo is the dative form of fumus, 
Compare the English saying, "Where there's smoke, there's fire." The idea is that if you see smoke, you are bound to find fire in close proximity.

Here's a recap:

• Alcinoo poma.
• Et pilo sua umbra.
• Servo non est otium.
• Deo nihil impossibile.
• Flamma fumo est proxima.

And here is today's audio:



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Week 40 Catch-Up Day

Below is this week's catch-up post to help you review any lesson(s) you missed over the past two weeks and/or to work on whatever kind of practice is most useful to you. These are the lessons covered in today's review:

• #147: Noli + infinitive
• #148: More noli+infinitive
• #149: Dative case / ae
• #150: More -ae datives

And this is the slideshow with all the sayings from the week. 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; screenshots below.

And here's a random cat:

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Latin Lesson #150: More -ae datives

The focus for today's lesson is more practice with the dative of the first declension, ending in -ae. Here are the dative sayings you learned yesterday:

• Industriae nil impossibile.
• Naturae convenienter vive.
• Pecuniae imperare oportet, non servire.
• Homo vitae commodatus, non donatus est.

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

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Urticae proxima saepe rosa est.
(The) rose is often near to-the-nettle.
ur-TI-cae PRO0xima saepe rosa est.

The word urticae is the dative form of urtica, "nettle," which gives us "urticaria" in English. 

The dative is being used with the feminine adjective proxima, "neighboring on, next to." You've seen the masculine form, proximus, before.

The word rosa gives us English "rose" (the flower), and because rosa is a feminine noun, it takes a feminine adjective: proxima.

The idea is that just as you might find a rosebush next to nettle, you might also find that something lovely and desirable (the rose) can be accompanied by pain and trouble (the nettle). The saying is found in the Roman poet Ovid.


2. Bubo canit lusciniae.
(The) owl is-singing to-the-nightingale.
bubo canit lus-CI-niae.

The word bubo means "owl," and it is a third-declension masculine noun in the nominative case, the subject of the verb canit. This name of the owl is onomatopoeic, imitating the sound of the owl: in English we say the owl goes "hoo-hoo," but in Latin the owl sounded like "bu-bu," hence the name bubo.

The word lusciniae is the dative form of luscinia, a word you have seen before. This is the indirect object of the verb: canit lusciniae, "sings to the nightingale."

So, the saying is making fun of the owl, whose song is not beautiful, singing to the nightingale, whose song is among the most beautiful of the bird songs. Metaphorically, it implies to someone without talent foolishly believing in their own excellence.


3. Noctuae pullus suus pulcherrimus.
To-the-owl, her chick (is the) most-beautiful.
NOC-tuae pullus suus pul-CHER-rimus.

The word noctuae is the dative form of noctua, another name for "owl" in Latin, "night-bird" (from nox, "night"). The dative here means "to the owl's way of thinking, for the owl."

The word pulcherrimus, "most beautiful," is a masculine adjective, agreeing with pullus. You haven't seen this superlative form before ("most"), but you have seen the base adjective, pulcher.
Again, the proverb is making fun of the owl: an owl chick was notoriously ugly-looking, but to the owl, her chick is the most beautiful chick of all.


4. Monedulae semper monedula assidet.
Jackdaw always sits-next to-jackdaw.
mo-NE-dulae semper mo-NE-dula AS-sidet.

The word monedulae is the dative form of monedula, "jackdaw." 

The dative is being used with the verb assidet, which means "sits next to," which is a compound verb: ad-sidet, "toward-sit." You haven't seen this verb before, but you have seen the related noun, seeds.
Compare the English saying, "Birds of a feather flock together."


5. Cicada cicadae cara, formicae formica.
Cricket (is) dear to-cricket, ant (is dear) to-ant.
ci-CA-da ci-CA-dae cara, for-MI-cae for-MI-ca.

The word cicadae is the dative form of cicada, "cicada, cricket," and the word formicae is the dative of formica, which you have seen before.
The dative is being used with the feminine adjective cara, "dear (to)." You haven't seen this form of the adjective before, but you have seen the neuter form, carum. 

The adjective is feminine because it agrees with cicada and with formica.

This is a variation on the previous saying, but this time with insects instead of birds, and it is included by Erasmus in his Adagia. Notice the elegant word order, which is called chiasmus (X-style): nominative-dative || dative-nominative.


Here's a recap:

• Urticae proxima saepe rosa est.
• Bubo canit lusciniae.
• Noctuae pullus suus pulcherrimus.
• Monedulae semper monedula assidet.
• Cicada cicadae cara, formicae formica.

And here is today's audio:



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