Questions tagged [grammar-choice]
When asking which choice (case, tense, mood etc.) is grammatical in a given situation, use this tag.
346
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Is "fatigando" a Gerund or a Gerundive in this Quote from Sallust?
Sallust, Jugurthine 3. 3-4:
"frustra autem niti neque aliud se fatigando nisi odium quaerere extremae dementiae est; nisi forte quem inhonesta et perniciosa libido tenet potentiae paucorum decus ...
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1
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Why is this indirect command not expressed with "ut" + subjunctive?
In chapter XXVII of Lingua latina per se illustrata. Familia Romana I've learned that indirect commands are expressed with ut + subjunctive. For instance, in lines 109–110, we find
Colōnō imperat ut ...
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3
votes
1
answer
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Haud sciō an ego ita dīxerim
In the line 84 page 264 of Lingua Latine per se illustrata, Gubernātor says
Haud sciō an ego ita dīxerim, sed pro
fectō lībertās mihi vītā cārior est. ...
The part I am interested is
Haud sciō an ...
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1
answer
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¿Qué significa "quoniam igitur"? / What's the meaning of "quoniam igitur"?
En la pagina 262, linea 16, de Lingua latina per se illustrata, la linea empieza con
Quoniam igitur ...
Según el diccionario ilustrado Vox, quoniam significa puesto que o después que, y igitur ...
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5
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2
answers
623
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Mysterious use of accusative instead of nominative in " delphīnus, cantū allectus, repente hominem natantem subiit eumque in dorsō suō..."
Around the line 100 of the page 236 of Lingua Latina per se illustrata, there is the sentence
Tum vēro nova et mīra rēs accidit: delphīnus, cantū
allectus, repente hominem natantem subiit eumque in
...
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4
votes
1
answer
157
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How can I avoid ambiguity when using terms with declinations included in phrases?
By the question Nested genitive?, it is possible to say "gas mask of my friend" as persona gasi amící meí, but this kind of nested genitives are prone to ambiguity in the general case, so is ...
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5
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1
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Sub specie precariae linguae or sub specie linguae precariae?
This is a rather small doubt, but I'm currently a bit confused regarding the proper word order of an adjective-noun under a genitive form of the sort "sub specie..." Am I correct in assuming ...
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2
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2
answers
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What does Una Excelsior mean?
I'm looking for a good phrase to encapsulate "ever upward, together" and i'd like to use Una, Excelsior
Any thoughts or other suggestions?
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5
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2
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Why is "ad eum" and not a dative pronoun used in this sentence?
This is a sentence in lines 153-154 of chapter XVIII of Lingua latina per se illustrata. Familia Romana:
Cum pater tuus abest, oportet tē epistulās ad eum scribere.
Is there any reason why ad eum (...
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8
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2
answers
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Why "suam" and not "eius" is used in this sentence?
In lines 63-70 of chapter XVIII of Lingua latina per se illustrata. Familia Romana, one reads:
Discipuli magistro tabulās suas dant. [...] Magister suam cuique discipulō tabulam reddit, prīmum Sexto, ...
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7
votes
1
answer
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Do we use "satis multum" + genitive to convey "a sufficient amount of"?
The following sentence comes from lines 126-128 of chapter XVI of Lingua latina per se illustrata. Familia Romana:
Nāvis aquā implērī incipit, neque enim nautae satis multum aquae haurīre possunt.
...
- 1,662
7
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1
answer
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Why is accusative pronoun "te" used in this construction?
In lines 137-138 of chapter XIII of Lingua latina per se illustrata. Familia Romana one can read:
Iam necesse est tē dormire.
I don't understand why the accusative pronoun tē is used in the above ...
- 1,662
3
votes
1
answer
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Usage of pronouns in chapter VIII of Lingua latina per se illustrata
This excerpt comes from lines 138-139 of chapter VIII of the 2003 edition of Lingua latina per se illustrata:
Quis saccum portat? Servus saccum portat. Quī servus?
Servus quī saccum portat est ...
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4
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816
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How can I express "to make a wish"?
I want a phrase for "to make a wish" instead of a single verb "to wish", in order to make the line of lyrics long enough for the music.
The noun for "wish" may be optatum,...
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1
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1
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Why isn’t the phrase “quid nomen tibi es” instead of “quid nomen tibi est”
Same with “quid nomen mihi est.” why isn’t it “quid nomen mihi sum”? Does it have to do with mihi and tibi?
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1
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1
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What does "vestem scindebat" mean?
In LLPSI (CAP. XXV, line 111), Ørberg wrote the following:
multīs cum lacrimīs capillum et vestem scindēbat
I would have expected "vestem scidit", since the action of tearing clothes is ...
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6
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1
answer
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"neuter e duobus pueris" vs "neuter puer"
In LLPSI, there is the following sentence:
Iam neuter ē duōbus pueris dormit.
I was wondering if it was equivalent to
Neuter puer jam dormit.
If so, is there any reason to add "e duobus"?...
- 523
8
votes
1
answer
374
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"redire ad" or "redire in"
In LLPSI, one can read:
Medus, qui Graecus est, in patriam suam redire vult.
I would have expected
Medus, qui Graecus est, ad patriam suam redire vult.
Indeed Cicero uses "redire ad se atque ...
- 523
4
votes
1
answer
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On the mechanics of reality
How would you say "on the mechanics of reality"
I'm not happy with my own translation but I can't quite put the finger of what im doing wrong
Help!
7
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1
answer
2k
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How to have my hair cut?
I am looking for an expression for "I am having my hair cut".
When I have my hair cut, I ask someone to cut my hair, instead of cutting my hair by myself. With secare for to cut, I think of ...
- 2,439
3
votes
1
answer
351
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Why does the conjugation of Ēsse (Edere) vary dictionary-wise?
I am using LLPSI to learn latin. I came across the word "ēst" meaning "He/She/It eats". I looked further to see the whole conjugation table.
I found that there are some differences ...
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4
votes
1
answer
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Is the expression "ut poësis pictura" formally correct?
I'm writing an essay in which I'd like to use the expression "ut poësis pictura" with the intent of flipping the original expression by Horace "ut pictura poësis". I never studied ...
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8
votes
2
answers
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What is the difference between "in umerīs" and "in umerōs"?
In chapter 6 of LLPSI, we have the following sentence
Syrus et Lēander duōs saccōs in umerīs portant
While in chapter 9, we have:
Pāstor laetus ovem in umerōs impōnit.
Why the ablative in the ...
- 337
4
votes
4
answers
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Why the use of "eum" instead of "eius" in
The following sentence is from the book "Fabellae latinae", chapter 9 "Ōrnāmentae dominae",
Nam ānulus ad eum digitum convenit.
What I cannot understand is the use of "eum&...
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6
votes
1
answer
120
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Translation of "I am made from the dust of the stars"
I am looking to have something embodied that says:
"I am made from the dust of the stars"
The quote is for a man, and I rather keep the to-be verb in the present tense (I am, not I was) if ...
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3
votes
0
answers
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"Most of the books are already written"
What are some ways to say "Most of the books are already written" (and preferably avoid ambiguity with many)?
This question was triggered by this sentence from Seneca (Moral Letters 79):
...
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7
votes
2
answers
833
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Why is "astra" in plural in this sentence?
I've found this sentence in an Italian book for Latin learners (emphasis mine):
Mathematici Graeci saepe lunam astraque intuiti sunt
You can read the whole text here.
If "astra" refers to &...
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3
votes
3
answers
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Translation for attributive "one-day"
What is the best translation for the attributive "one-day" (i.e. "that lasts one day)?
For example, consider:
one-day tour
one-day conference
Additional:
How about "two-day",...
- 2,439
3
votes
0
answers
84
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What tense stops Latin imperfect ("action continuing in the past")
Can Latin imperfect be "stopped" in the past or only in the present?
from A&G 471.b:
b. With iam diū, iam dūdum, and other expressions of duration of time,
the imperfect denotes an ...
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0
votes
1
answer
62
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Any idea what's going on with the middle term of this dedication?
So I think the words are clear enough—Nobilissimo Principi FREDERICO GEORGII ffilio Celsissimi, GEORGII Nep: Augustissimi, CAESARI destinato, M. BRITANNIAE spei, Delicijs, Animaq. desideratissimae, ...
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1
answer
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Use of 'suus' in 'ignoranti quem portum petat nullus suus ventus est'
Seneca, Epistolae LXXI: ignoranti quem portum petat nullus suus ventus est
commonly translated as 'he who does not know which port he is heading to has no favourable wind'.
Could anyone explain what ...
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votes
1
answer
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Why does Latin show some adverbs as conjunctions?
Some words in Latin are shown as being adverbs, yet they have the meaning of conjunctions, at least I guess. The word "quapropter" can be an example. I don't know if I'm mistaken, but I find ...
user11898
5
votes
1
answer
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Chosing between the different ways to make an adverb
I was thinking of translating “That is not dead which can eternal lie” into Latin for fun, thinking it was not only applicable to Cthulhu, but to the Latin language itself :)
But I got stumped trying ...
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5
votes
1
answer
128
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Why is regenerationis genitive in lavacro regenerationis?
Context: ...quae quidem translatio post Evangelium promulgatum sine lavacro regenerationis aut eius voto fieri non potest...
I understand that lavacro is in the ablative case because sine is paired ...
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4
votes
1
answer
84
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Expansion of medical Latin abbreviation (ventric. later. dextr.)
I don't know enough Latin grammar to properly expand this abbreviation: ventric. later. dextr.
I am aware that it means the right lateral ventricle in the brain, the lateral ventricles as a whole ...
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9
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2
answers
157
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"nemo aliquid facit nisi qui" + indicative or subjunctive
In another question, a reference was given to Varro:
De subus nemini ignotum, nisi qui apros non putat sues vocari.
which was translated as:
As to swine, everybody knows — except those who think ...
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votes
3
answers
229
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How do you use a numeral as a genitive substantive?
In English, you can use a bare numeral as a substantive and refer to a group as something like "The Nine." You can then say something like, "The House of the Nine."
How would you ...
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6
votes
1
answer
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Why is 'cum' followed by the dative in this sentence?
Look at the following sentence from Orberg's Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata - Familia Romana (ch. 18).
Consonans per se syllabam non facit, sed semper cum vocali in eadem syllaba iungitur.
The word ...
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1
answer
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In "I saw the women crying" would femina be accusative?
If you translate "I saw the women crying" would it be feminas with the accusative? The women are both the object of the seeing and the subject of the crying which is confusing me. I am new ...
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votes
1
answer
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3rd declension accusative plurals
I am being driven round the bend by people’s insistence on “playing Horace on original instruments” and I need some way out of the morass.
At school the 3rd declension accusative plural ending was -es ...
- 1,448
9
votes
2
answers
232
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Can we use the gerund passively?
In a recent question it was pointed out that there is no passive gerund, and cupido amandi can't mean the desire of being loved. But I'm not sure that this is the case. I tend to view the gerund as ...
- 10.4k
4
votes
1
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80
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What is it about?
I believe "liber de bellō est" would mean "the book is about/concerning war". What question would elicet that as a response? I.e. how would I say "what is the book about/...
5
votes
1
answer
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Translation of "The ant labors for the good of the nest"
I'm looking to translate "The ant labors for the good of the nest", or to rephrase, "The ant works for the benefit of the nest/hive/colony".
So far I've come up with:
formica ...
- 53
2
votes
0
answers
67
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What numbers (e.g. 0, -1, or 1.0) are plurals in Latin?
The basic question is: With which numbers should I use a plural form of the noun?
Background: English
In English it seems to me that the only singular number is 1 (and maybe -1), but everything else ...
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7
votes
1
answer
380
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General question about nouns and adjectives (can nouns be adjectives and how to decline)
I know that in Latin, adjectives can act as nouns (substantives) e.g.
Romani urbem petiverunt.
The Romans attacked the city.
However, can nouns act as adjectives?
For example, stone (lapis, m) and ...
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5
votes
0
answers
72
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Why "absolute" instead of "absolutam"?
There's a famous piece of mathematics by János Bolyai, originally published in Latin, under the title Scientiam Spatii Absolute Veram Exhibens: A Veritate Aut Falsitate Axiomatis XI Euclidei, A Priori ...
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6
votes
2
answers
475
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Analysis of sentence "hunc Dātamēs vīnctum ad rēgem dūcendum trādit Mithridātī"
I am confused by the grammar (or rather wikipedia's analysis) of the sentence
Hunc Dātamēs vīnctum ad rēgem dūcendum trādit Mithridātī. (Nepos)
It appears in a wikipedia article where its ...
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3
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1
answer
653
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Signing your name: vocative or nominative?
When signing your name at the end of a letter, should you use the vocative case or the nominative case?
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2
votes
1
answer
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Is Titus-Livy's "ab Urbe Condita" 26.1.9 an Example of Informal Indirect Speech?
Livy's "ab Urbe Condita" (26.1.9) is a complete sentence which includes three (numbered) relative "qui"-clauses:
"C. Sulpicio (i) cui Sicilia evenerat duae legiones (ii) quas ...
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3
votes
1
answer
54
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Meaning and grammar of ‘ōrātiōnī aspergere salēs’
The phrase ‘ōrātiōnī aspergere salēs’ literally means ‘to sprinkle [grains of] salt on the oration’. The grammar in itself is simple enough:
ōrātiōnī: in the dative, presumably because of the verb ...
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