Chapters 1–21. Mottos at Penn

2. Nouns

3. Verbs

4. Conjunctions

5. A more sophisticated motto

1. Mottos at Penn

Yours?

1. Mottos at Penn

Mine?

consilium iuvant litterae

1. Mottos at PennHarnwell College House

http://www.pennlatinproject.com/campus-and-philadelphia-

inscriptions.html

1. Mottos at PennHarnwell College House (cont.)

monstrat sol viam

monstrat viam sol

sol viam monstrat

sol monstrat viam

viam sol monstrat

viam monstrat solHow is is possible for Latin to vary the order without changing the basic meaning?

How is it possible for Latin to say in three words what English needs five to say?

2. Nounsmonstrat sol viam

monstrat viam sol

sol viam monstrat

sol monstrat viam

viam sol monstrat

viam monstrat sol

The grammatical function is indicated by a noun’s word-ending. (Latin’s an “inflected language” …)

Latin has no definite or indefinite article:

sol = sun, the sunviam = a path, the path

2. NounsCases

lūna viam monstrat / The moon shows a path

lūnam via monstrat / The path shows the moon

-a = nominative case (subject function)

-am = accusative case (direct object function)

2. NounsCases (cont.)

lūna, ō rēgīna Rōmae, viam nautae nātūrā monstrat

The moon, o queen of Rome, by nature shows a path to the sailor.

-a = nominative case (subject function)

-a = vocative case (used for direct address)

-ae = genitive case (“of” etc.)

-ae = dative case (“to” etc.)

-am = accusative case (direct object function)

–ā = ablative case (“by” etc.)

2. Nouns1st “declension”

singular pluralnominative

lūn-a lūn-ae

genitive lūn-ae lūn-ārum

dative lūn-ae lūn-īs

accusative

lūn-am lūn-ās

ablative lūn-ā lūn-īs

Same endings for all nouns with principal parts in -a, -ae regardless of gender.

Vocative = same as nominative.

Some forms are ambiguous (sorry about that …).

2. Nouns2nd declension masculine

singular pluralnominative

domin-us domin-ī

genitive domin-ī domin-ōrum

dative domin-ō domin-īs

accusative domin-um domin-ōs

ablative domin-ō domin-īs

singular pluralnominative

ager agr-ī

genitive agr-ī agr-ōrum

dative agr-ō agr-īs

accusative agr-um agr-ōs

ablative agr-ō agr-īs

Vocative singular = domin-e

2. Nouns2nd declension neuter

singular pluralnominative

bell-um bell-a

genitive bell-ī bell-ōrum

dative bell-ō bell-īs

accusative

bell-um bell-a

ablative bell-ō bell-īs

Note ambiguity for all neuter nouns: nominative and accusative identical!

2. NounsCases

lūna, ō rēgīna Rōmae, viam nautae nātūrā monstrat

The moon, o queen of Rome, by nature shows a path to the sailor.

vir, ō amīce dominī, agrum puerō consiliō monstrat.

Meaning?

2. NounsFive declensions

declension defining characeristic

examples

1 a rēgīna, -ae f. queenpoēta, -ae m. poetNO NEUTER

2 u(originally o)

cf. Greek phil-os)

amīcus, -ī m. friendFEW FEMININE (humus, -ī f. ground)consilium, -iī n. advice

3 consonant sol, sōlis m. sunvōx, vōcis f. voiceanimal, animālis n. animal

4 u currus, -ūs m. chariotNO FEMININEcornū, -ūs n. horn

5 e speciēs, speciēī f. sightNO MASCULINE OR NEUTER

3. VerbsSentence patterns corresponding to different verb-types

verb type example translationintransitive verb lūna lūcet The moon shines

transitive verb taking direct

object

lūna viam monstrat The moon shows a path

transitive verb taking two accusatives

lūna nautam fortūnam docet The moon teaches the sailor (his) fortune

transitive verb taking

complementary infinitive

lūna viam monstrāre dēbet The moon ought to show a path

3. VerbsInflection by person and number

person number example meaning1st

singular

lūnam videō I see the moon

2nd vidēs lunam? You seen the moon?

3rd monstrat viam! It shows a path

1st

plural

viam habēmus We have a path

2nd lūnam amātis? You love the moon?

3rd viam habent. They have a path

Why does Latin need fewer words to say this?

Because no explicit subject is needed: it’s indicated by the person

endings.

3. Verbs1st and 2nd conjugations: present active indicative

person

numbe

r

1st conjugatio

n

2nd conjugation translations

1st

sing.

am(a)-ō habe-ō I — / am —ing

2nd amā-s habē-s You —/ are —ing

3rd ama-t habe-t He/she/it —s / is —ing

1st

pl.

amā-mus habē-mus We — / are —ing

2nd amā-tis habē-tis You (y’all) — / are —ing

3rd ama-nt habe-nt They — / are —ing

Stem is derived from 2nd principal part: amā-re, habē-re Note variation in stem-vowel length: shortened before -ō, -t, -nt

3. VerbsIdentifying a verb form

person

number tense voice mood

1st

2nd

3rd

singularplural

presentimperfect

future

perfectpluperfect

future perfect

activepassive

indicativesubjuncti

veimperativ

einfinitiveparticiple

E.g. monstrat: “3rd person singular present active indicative”

Note: infinitive forms are “non-finite” and have no person or numberE.g. monstrāre: “present active infinitive”

3. VerbsSentence types for indicative and infinitive

mood sentence type example question

indicativestatement puellae clāmant The girls are

shouting

question puellae-ne clāmant?

Are the girls shouting?

infinitive complementary construction

puellae clāmāre audent

The girls dare to shout

4. Conjunctionsconjunction structure example

andx et y puerī et puellae

x y-que puerī puellaeque

both … and et x et y et puerī et puellae

but (x) sed y puerī clāmant, sed puellae tacent

5. A more sophisticated motto?The moon shows a path, but the sailors are doubtful.

The farmers both work and choose war.

Fortune, are you silent? You teach wisdom.