Latin for Beginners Part 10

[Footnote A: The genitive singular masculine of adjectives in <-ius>> ends in <-ii>> and the vocative in <-ie>>; not in <-i>>, as in nouns.]

<91.>> > In early Latin all the masculine nouns of the second declension ended in <-os>>. This <-os>> later became <-us>> in words like >, and was dropped entirely in words with bases ending in <-r>>, like

>, _boy_; >, _man_. These words are therefore declined as follows:

<92.>>

>, m., _boy_ >, m., _man_ BASE

> BASE >

SINGULAR TERMINATIONS _Nom._ puer ager vir ---- _Gen._ pueri agri viri -i _Dat._ puero agro viro -o _Acc._ puerum agrum virum -um _Abl._ puero agro viro -o

PLURAL _Nom._ pueri agri viri -i _Gen._ puerorum agrorum virorum -orum _Dat._ pueris agris viris -is _Acc._ pueros agros viros -os _Abl._ pueris agris viris -is

_a._ The vocative case of these words is like the nominative, following the general rule (--74.a).

_b._ The declension differs from that of > only in the nominative and vocative singular.

_c._ Note that in

> the > remains all the way through, while in

> the > belongs to the base, but in <-er>> are declined like

> _or_

<93.>> Masculine adjectives in <-er>> of the second declension are declined like nouns in <-er>>. A few of them are declined like

>, but most of them like

MASC. FEM. NEUT.

liber libera liberum (_free_) is like

> pulcher pulchra pulchrum (_pretty_) is like

For the full declension in the three genders, see --469._b._ _c._

<94.>> Decline together the words >, >, >,

>,

>, >

<95.>> ITALIA[1]

First learn the special vocabulary, p. 286.

Magna est Italiae fama, patriae Romanorum, et clara est Roma, domina orbis terrarum.[2] Tiberim,[3] fluvium Romanum, quis non laudat et pulchros fluvio finitimos agros? Altos muros, longa et dura bella, claras victorias quis non laudat? Pulchra est terra Italia. Agri boni agricolis praemia dant magna, et equi agricolarum copiam frumenti ad oppida et vicos portant. In agris populi Romani laborant multi servi.

Viae Italiae sunt longae et latae. Finitima Italiae est insula Sicilia.

[Footnote 1: In this selection note especially the emphasis as shown by the order of the words.]

[Footnote 2: >, _of the world_.]

[Footnote 3: >, _the Tiber_, accusative case.]

<96.>> DIALOGUE

MARCUS AND CORNELIUS

C. Ubi est, Marce, filius tuus? Estne in pulchra terra Italia?

M. Non est, Corneli, in Italia. Ad fluvium Rhenum properat c.u.m copiis Romanis quia est[4] fama Novi belli c.u.m Germanis. Liber Germaniae populus Romanos Non amat.

C. Estne filius tuus copiarum Romanarum legatus?

M. Legatus non est, sed est apud legionarios.

C. Quae[5] arma portat[6]?

M. Scutum magnum et loricam duram et galeam pulchram portat.

C. Quae tela portat?

M. Gladium et pilum longum portat.

C. Amatne legatus filium tuum?

M. Amat, et saepe filio meo praemia pulchra et praedam multam dat.

C. Ubi est terra Germanorum?

M. Terra Germanorum, Corneli est finitima Rheno, fluvio magno et alto.

[Footnote 4: >, before its subject, _there is_; so >, _there are._]

[Footnote 5: >, _what kind of_, an interrogative adjective p.r.o.noun.]

[Footnote 6: What are the three possible translations of the present tense?]

[Ill.u.s.tration: LEGIONARIUS]

LESSON XIV

THE POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVE p.r.o.nOUNS

[Special Vocabulary]

NOUNS >, n., _fort_ (castle); plur., _camp_ (lit. _forts_) >, m., _food_ >, n., _plan_ (counsel) >, f.. _diligence, industry_ magister, magistri, m., _master, teacher_[A]

ADJECTIVES >, _frequent_ >, _wretched, unfortunate_ (miser)

[Footnote A: Observe that >, as distinguished from >, means _master_ in the sense of _owner_.]

<97.>> Observe the sentences

_This is my shield_ _This shield is mine_

In the first sentence _my_ is a possessive adjective; in the second _mine_ is a possessive p.r.o.noun, for it takes the place of a noun, _this shield is mine_ being equivalent to _this shield is my shield_.

Similarly, in Latin the possessives are sometimes _adjectives_ and sometimes _p.r.o.nouns_.

<98.>> The possessives _my, mine, your, yours_, etc. are declined like adjectives of the first and second declensions.

SINGULAR _1st Pers._ meus, mea, meum _my, mine_ _2d Pers._ tuus, tua, tuum _your, yours_ _3d Pers._ suus, sua, suum _his (own), her (own), its (own)_ PLURAL _1st Pers._ noster, nostra, nostrum _our, ours_ _2d Pers._ vester, vestra, vestrum _your, yours_ _3d Pers._ suus, sua, suum _their (own), theirs_

NOTE. > has the irregular vocative singular masculine >, as >, _O my son_.

_a._ The possessives agree with the name of the _thing possessed_ in gender, number, and case. Compare the English and Latin in

_s.e.xtus is calling > boy_ > } > _Julia is calling > boy_ > }

Observe that > agrees with

>, and is unaffected by the gender of s.e.xtus or Julia.

_b._ When _your, yours_, refers to _one_ person, use >; when to _more than one_, >; as,

_Lesbia, your wreaths are pretty_ > _Girls, your wreaths are pretty_ >

_c._ > is a _reflexive_ possessive, that is, it usually stands in the predicate and regularly refers back to the _subject_. Thus, > means _The man calls his (own) slaves._ Here _his_ (>) refers to _man_ (>), and could not refer to any one else.