17
votes
Accepted
Why does Catullus use "odi" instead of "odio" in Catullus 85?
The verb Catullus uses is odisse, not odire (from which you would get an imperative odi).
This verb only has forms in the perfect system but the meaning is that of the present system.
That is, what is ...
- 116k
14
votes
Why does Catullus use "odi" instead of "odio" in Catullus 85?
Joonas's answer is entirely correct, but to give a slightly different explanation:
Some verbs in Latin are defective. Some of their forms are outright missing, for no obvious reason. For example, the ...
- 69.3k
10
votes
Accepted
How do I know if there's an "invisible yod"?
To my knowledge, the compounds of jaciō are the only words where this complication occurs. And in Imperial Latin, these words frequently scan with a light initial syllable, indicating loss of /j/ and ...
- 30.1k
9
votes
Why is omne ablative in Catullus 1?
It's a regular neuter accusative singular form, modifying aevum:
...you alone of the Italians ventured to unroll all of time...
The ablative singular form would be omnī.
'Alone (out) of all the ...
- 20.8k
5
votes
Alternative translation of poem 4 from Catullus
You are correct that celerrimus can and should be translated as a noun. Allen & Greenough has a section dedicated to Adjectives used substantively.
You don't make it explicit in your question, but ...
- 42.9k
4
votes
Accepted
Sapphic metre in Catullus 51.10
As a first note, the third and fourth lines of a Sapphic stanza tend to be closely connected—it's not uncommon to have a word split between them—so let's add that fourth line in here.
tintinant aurēs,...
- 69.3k
3
votes
Translating "venustiorum" in Catullus 3
The Latin comparative and superlative are often translated as "more/-er" and "most/-est" in English, but not always. Sometimes it's a matter of absolute degree, what in English are ...
cmw♦
- 58.2k
3
votes
Are there linguistic arguments for the claim that "Odi et amo" in Catullus (LXXXV) cannot be simply translated as 'I hate and I love'?
In English any verb which syntactically takes a subject can be reassumed by “do”. “I hate cod but she doesn’t” is perfectly natural even though no actual doing is involved.
Indeed one of the puzzles ...
- 1,609
2
votes
Accepted
What is libelli doing in Catullus 1
Libelli is in the genitive of quantity, used after a noun of quantity to specify "of what." In addition to strict quantities like libra ("pound"), Latin uses this genitive with ...
- 42.9k
1
vote
Translating "venustiorum" in Catullus 3
By using the absolute degree venustī, doctī to describe a group of people, we say that they're more beautiful or learnèd than most others. The others may be beautiful or learnèd in their own right, ...
- 6,014
1
vote
Alternative translation of poem 4 from Catullus
It appears as if celerrimus is adjectival, in apposition to phaselus, but it's often argued that this is a mistake of transcription : that it should in fact have been celerrimum, as the accusative to ...
- 18.2k
1
vote
Accepted
Caesuras in Phalaecian verses
To me the most natural positions for caesuras in hendecasyllabic verse are before either of the consequent short syllables: - - - | u | u - u - u - u.
This is similar to how caesuras work in hexameter,...
- 116k
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