Schaum's Outline of Latin Grammar - Alan Fishbone [69]
4. QuandoÅ deÅnique fuit ut quod licet noÅn liceÅret?
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5. Ad mortem teÅ, CatilõÅna, duÅcõÅ iussuÅ coÅnsulis iam prõÅdem oporteÅbat; in teÅ conferrõÅ pestem quam tuÅ in noÅs maÅchinaÅris.
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6. Quid reÅfert utrum voluerim ®erõÅ an gaudeaÅm factum?
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Vocabulary
tantus, -a, -um
so great
laetitia, -ae, f.
happiness
cunctus, -a, -um
all, the whole
cõÅvitaÅs, -taÅtis, f.
citizenry, state
tristis, -e
depressed, sad
vel
even
CHAPTER 9 Syntax of the Complex Sentence
171
inconditus, -a, -um
unpolished, rough
rudis, -e
crude, un®nished
voÅx, voÅcis, f.
voice
memoria, -ae, f.
memory, record
prior, prius
earlier, prior
servituÅs, -tuÅtis, f.
slavery
testimoÅnium, õÅ, n.
testimony
praeseÅns, -ntis
present, at hand
compoÅnoÅ, compoÅnere, composuõÅ, compositus
compose, write
dux, ducis, m.
leader
deÅnique
®nally
mors, mortis, -ium, f.
death
CatilõÅna, -ae, m.
Catiline
duÅcoÅ, duÅcere
lead
iussuÅ (abl.)
by order of ( gen.)
coÅnsul, coÅnsulis, m.
consul
iam prõÅdem
for a long time already
conferoÅ, conferre
bring, bestow, confer
pestis, pestis, f.
pestilence, destruction
maÅchinor, maÅchinaÅri, maÅchinaÅtus sum
devise, contrive
gaudeoÅ, gaudeÅre, gaÅvõÅsus sum
be happy
The In®nitive
The in®nitive is a verbal noun, and as such it may be the subject of a sentence: Placet dormõÅre.
It is pleasing to sleep.
VõÅdisse lõÅbertaÅtem bonum est.
It is good to have seen liberty.
Note that the adjective bonum takes the neuter singular. As nouns, in®nitives are treated as neuter singular.
The in®nitive may be the object of a transitive11 verb: PoeÅta canere optat.
The poet chooses to sing.
MorõÅ praeferimus.
We prefer to die.
Some intransitive12 verbs, such as possum, take the in®nitive: HomineÅs eÅrectõÅ ambulaÅre possunt.
Men are able to walk upright.
11 A transitive verb is one that takes a direct object.
12 An intransitive verb is one that cannot take a direct object.
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CHAPTER 9 Syntax of the Complex Sentence
Such an in®nitive is felt to complete the meaning of the verb and is called a complementary in®nitive.
The in®nitive may take a nominative subject and act as the main verb of a sentence:
MiliteÅs claÅmaÅre, fugere, capõÅ.
The soldiers shouted, ¯ed, were
captured.
Because such usages of the in®nitive occur most often among writers of historical narrative, they are called historical in®nitives. Usually they appear in groups.
Gerund and Gerundive
The gerund serves as the verbal noun in the genitive, dative, and ablative cases, and in the accusative with certain prepositions. It will have the normal syntax associated with these different cases.
PoeÅtae est amor canendõÅ.
The poet has a love of singing.
Here the gerund canendõÅ is an objective genitive.
Inter®ciendoÅ reÅx cõÅveÅs terret.
The king terri®es the inhabitants by
killing.
Here the gerund inter®ciendoÅ is an ablative of means.
Although it is a verbal noun, the gerund tends not to govern a direct object. To express a direct object relationship, Latin uses the gerundive. The gerundive is a verbal adjective that, instead of governing a direct object in the accusative case, agrees with its noun in gender, number, and case:
Inter®ciendõÅs poetõÅs reÅx cõÅveÅs terret.
The king will terrify the citizens by
killing poets.
The phrase inter®ciendõÅs poeÅtõÅs is in the ablative case as an ablative of means. It expresses the means by which the king will terrify the citizens. Though ``the poets''
would normally be expressed as a direct object in any other type of verbal expression, with the gerundive such