Schaum's Outline of Latin Grammar - Alan Fishbone [30]
The ship arrives.
Therefore, it is called a subjective genitive.
GENITIVE OF CHARACTERISTIC, OR PREDICATE GENITIVE
Hominum est pecuÅniam amaÅre
It is characteristic of men to love money
This genitive is almost always used in sentences of this kind, often with an in®nitive as the subject, saying that a certain type of action is ``characteristic of' someone or something. Such a sentence has the form X Y, i.e., PecuÅniam amaÅre
est
hominum
X
5
Y
The genitive functions as the predicate, and so this type of construction is also called a predicate genitive.
GENITIVE OF DESCRIPTION
vir magnae avaÅritiae
a man of great avarice
This genitive together with an adjective makes a phrase that describes another noun.
GENITIVE OF INDEFINITE VALUE
Illud coÅnsilium magnõÅ aestimoÅ.
I reckon that advice of great (value).
As the name suggests, this genitive is used to make an unspeci®ed judgment of value.
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CHAPTER 6 Syntax of the Noun
GENITIVE WITH CERTAIN VERBS
Certain verbs, such as some impersonal verbs (see p. 167) and those denoting remembering or forgetting, take the genitive case.
PecuÅniae taedet poeÅtam.
The poet feels disgust of money.
OblõÅviscaÅminõÅ belloÅrum.
Let us be forgetful of wars.
These should be learned as a matter of vocabulary with such verbs.
Exercises
1. Translate the following. Then identify the case and usage of the italicized word(s).
1. Puer est fõÅlius nautae.
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2. AvaÅritia est amor pecuÅniae.
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3. Gaudium amõÅcoÅrum est magnum.
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4. Gaudium magnum amõÅcoÅrum audioÅ.
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5. gladius fõÅliae
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6. spõÅritus deõÅ
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7. dolor servoÅrum caecoÅrum
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8. FõÅlioÅrum est patreÅs amaÅre.
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9. animal cornuum magnoÅrum
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10. cornua animaÅlium
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11. Illam reÅgõÅnam nihilõÅ aestimoÅ.
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2. Translate the following sentences.
1. Ut igitur in seÅminibus est causa arboÅrum et stirpium, sõÅc huius luctuoÅsissimõÅ bellõÅ tuÅ seÅmen fuistõÅ.
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CHAPTER 6 Syntax of the Noun
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2. Ut Helena TroÅianõÅs sic iste huic reõÅ puÅblicae bellõÅ causa, causa pestis atque exitõÅ fuit.
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3. Et noÅmen paÅcis dulce est et ipsa reÅs saluÅtaÅris; sed inter paÅcem et servituÅtem pluÅrimum interest. Pax est tranquilla lõÅbertaÅs, servituÅs postreÅmum maloÅrum omnium, noÅn modo belloÅ sed morte etiam repellendum.
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4. Maximus võÅnõÅ numerus fuit, permagnum optimõÅ pondus argentõÅ. . .
HoÅrum paucõÅs dieÅbus nihil erat.
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5. NoÅn minus est imperaÅtoÅris coÅnsilioÅ superaÅre quam gladioÅ.
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6. IuÅcundioÅrem faciet lõÅbertaÅtem servituÅtis recorda