BY HARRY FLETCHER SCOTT, PROFESSOR OF CLASSICAL LANGUAGES IN
OHIO UNIVERSITY, ATHENS, OHIO With Selections for Reading
from Decem Fabulae
PREFACE (please read carefully)
The fact that the work of the first and second years of the
high school Latin course should give value in itself , apart from
being merely a preparation for later study, has come to be
generally recognized. The number of Latin pupils whose
study of the subject does not go beyond these first two years
is very large in proportion to the total number studying Latin,
and probably this has always been the case. But in the
efTort to provide for those whose capacities and opportunities
make it possible for them to continue the study of Latin
through the high school and into the college, the needs of the
larger group whose opportunities were certain to be more
narrowly limited have not always been taken into account.
Further, the fact that the values which we recognized were
so f ar in the distance has probably tended to diminish the
number who chose to continue beyond the two-year stage.
Evidently one of the chief values to be gained from two
years’ study of Latin is a better knowledge of the English
language. This should involve on the one hand a clearer
comprehension of grammatical structure and on the other
an enlarged vocabulary and an increased accuracy in the
use of words. If these are to be among the major objectives,
they should be recognized in the organization of the material
which is first presented.
But young pupils will not study patiently mere lists of
words for any long time. Words must be employed in the
expression of thought if they are to make an impression on
the mind of the boy or girl which is sufhciently vivid to add
to the store of memory. The exercises through which the vocabulary
of the Latin language is to be made familiar should
have something of the same kind of appeal as that made by
the reading material employed in the first steps of learning
to read the student’s own language.
The material presented in this book has been prepared in
accordance with the point of view above stated. Its dis-
tinctive f eatures are the f ollowing :
1. The study of English derivatives is introduced from the
first through exercises which illustrate the use of the words
given.
2. The principles of English grammar are presented in
connection with the early Lessons in such a way that they
may be reviewed or studied if necessary, while they may
easily be omitted with classes which have mastered them.
3. Connected paragraphs for translation are employed
instead of isolated sentences, in order to make possible the
more rapid acquisition of vocabulary.
4. The vocabularies and study of forms have been so
arranged as to lead up to the reading of easy plays dealing
with classical stories and myths, which are likely to make a
more natural appeal to the beginner than Caesar or Viri
Romae.
5. Regularly only one new principle or set of forms is
introduced in a Lesson.
6. The Lesson vocabularies are small, never exceeding
ten words and often not reaching that number.
7. A relatively small number of English sentences to be
written in Latin has been given. In their place completion
exercises have been employed, through which the pupiPs
attention can be concentrated on the specific usage to be
taught.
8. Most of the irregular inflections have been postponed
to the second year.
9. Only the indicative, imperative, and infinitive moods of
the verb are given. The forms and uses of the subjunctive
are presented in A Junior Latin Reader, the second book of
this same series.
10. The small amount of syntax or form study given in
each lesson, and the simplicity of the reading matter will
commonly make it possible to complete a lesson in a single
recitation. Naturally no such plan can be made to meet
the needs of every class, and the teacher may sometimes
choose to omit or leave for later review part of the exercises
of a lesson.
The plays “Horatius”, “Circe”, “Polyphemus”, “Reditus
Ulixis”, and “Medicus” are used by the kind permission of
Miss Ryle, the only survivor of the co-authors of Decem
Fabulae, from which they are taken. 1 A few changes have
been made in the text of the plays, chiefly for the purpose of
decreasing the vocabulary or avoiding idioms which seemed
likely to prove difficult for young pupils.
The character j has been used to represent the consonant
value of i in the spelling of Latin words in order to enable
the young pupil to recognize more easily the relation between
Latin words and their English derivatives. The origin of
such words as injury, juvenile, conjunction, and the like is more
leadily seen by the beginner when the Latin words from
which these words are derived are spelled injuria, juvenis,
conjunctus, than when the classical spelling is used. Other
variations from the classical spelling have been made for the
same reason. Among them are afficio, appropinquo, expecto.
The uncontracted genitive of filius and nouns in -ium is given
to avoid confusion. The standard of spelling (including the
use of j) represents in general the prevalent usage in Latin
textbooks in this country and in England until a compara-
tively recent period. If the pupil should at a later time in
his course use textbooks which employ a slightly different
spelling he will have little difficulty in becoming accustomed
INTRODUCTORY LESSON
PRONUNCIATION (please study)
I. The Latin alphabet is the same as the English, except
that the Latin has no w.
a. The letter j was not introduced until long after the
time of the great Roman writers. Its sound was repre-
sented by i, which was used both as a vowel and as a
consonant. But since j was used in the spelling of Latin
words during the period in which the greater number of the
English derivatives from Latin were brought into the Eng-
lish language, and since its use is helpful to beginners in
learning the pronunciation of new words, it is retained in
this book. The sounds of u and v were also represented
originally by one letter.
VOWELS AND CONSONANTS
II. The vowels, as in English, are a, e, i, o, u, and y. 1 The
other letters are consonants.
THE ROMAN METHOD OF PRONUNCIATION
SOUNDS OF THE LETTERS
III. The vowels in Latin are either long or short. In this
book long vowels are indicated by a mark placed above them.
A vowel which is unmarked is short. The vowel sounds are
indicated in the following table :
a = a as in father
e = a in fade e = e in net
i = i in machine
i = i in this
o = o in domain
u = u in rude u = u in full
*y is seldom used. Its sound is the same as that of u in the French language
or ue in German.
IV. The consonants have in general the same sounds as
in English. The following exceptions are to be noted:
c and ch have the sound of k.
g has only one sound, that heard in go.
j is equivalent to y in yes.
s has only the sound heard in say.
t always has the sound heard in top. It does not corn-
bine with i to give the sound of sh as in nation.
v has the sound of w.
x has only the sound of ks, as in exercise.
bs and bt are equivalent to ps and pt.
ph and th are nearly equivalent to p and t.
DIPHTHONGS
A diphthong is a combination of two vowels in one syl-
lable. The diphthongs are ae, au, ei, eu, oe, and ui. Their
sounds are as follows:
ae = ai in aisle or a as in and
eu = eu in moist
au = ou in out
oe = oi in Cloe
ei = ei in vein
SYLLABLES
VI. A syllable is either a group of letters the sounds of
which are taken together in pronunciation, or a vowel or
diphthong which is taken by itself in pronunciation. The fol-
lowing words are divided into syllables by hyphens : ac-ci-dent,
re-li-a-ble. A syllable must always have a vowel or a diphthong.
The rules for the division of Latin words into syllables are
as follows:
(1) A consonant between two vowels is taken with the vowel
which follows it: po-no, ha-be-o.
(2) Two consonants between two vowels are divided, one
going with the vowel which precedes and one with the vowel
which follows. But if the second of two consonants is 1 or r,
the u is shorter than in the EngUsh word, and the vowels are more closely blended.
If the combination can be pronounced at the beginning of
a word, as bl, br, etc, the two are taken with the vowel which
follows, like a single consonant 1 : man-da-re, car-do; but fe-bris,
a-cris.
LENGTH OF SYLLABLES
(1) A syllable is long if it contains a long vowel or a
diphthong: do-num, cau-tus.
(2) A syllable is regularly long if its vowel is followed by
two consonants: con-do, mit-to.
a. But if the two consonants consist of a mute 2 fol-
lowed by 1 or r the syllable is short, unless it has a long
vowel or a diphthong: pa-tris.
(3) All other syllables are short : me-mor, a-gri.
x and z have the value of two consonants because
they represent a combination of sounds. A syllable is long
if its vowel is followed by either of these double consonants.
ACCENT
VIII. In pronouncing a word of two or more syllables we
make one of the syllables more prominent than any other.
Thus in the word mem-o-ry we make the first syllable prominent.
This prominence in pronunciation given to a syllable is called
accent. In the word memory the accent is said to fall on the
first syllable. The accent of Latin words is determined by the
following rules:
In a word of two syllables the accent falls on the
first syllable: hVmen.
In a word of more than two syllables the accent falls
on the syllable before the last, if it is long, otherwise on the
second syllable from the last: au-di’re, con-ten’tus, me’mi-ni.
a. The syllable before the last is called the penult; the
second from the last is called the antepenult.
1 In the division of a compound verb into syllables in writing or printing, the preposi-
tional element is separated f rom the simple verb : ad-it.
2 The mutes are b, p, c, k, q, g, d, t, ph, th, ch.
ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES OF GRAMMAR
THE NOUN
(1) Words which are used to denote persons or things are
called nouns. Thus the words boy, girl, house, Iree, city are
nouns. Nouns are also used as the names of qualities or ideas,
such as bravery, kindness, happiness, truth, love, patriotism.
THE VERB
(2) In the sentences The boy walks and The tree has fallen
the words walks and has fallen denote actions. Such words
are called verbs. Some verbs denote mere existence or con-
tinuance in a place rather than action. In the sentences He
is in the city and We shall stay here, is and shall stay are verbs.
THE ADJECTIVE
(3) We often use some other word with a noun to tell some-
thing about the appearance or character of the person or thing
to which the noun refers. Thus, in the expressions tall trees
and brave men the words tall and brave tell something about
the trees and the men. Such words are called adjectives.
a. There are a few adjectives which merely show
what person or thing is meant without telling any qual-
ity of the person or thing. Such are this, that, other,
same. The, a, and an belong to this class. These last
three words are called articles.
THE PRONOUN
(4) In the sentence The man saw the boy, but did not speak to
him, the word him is used instead of boy. A word which is used
instead of a noun is called a pronoun. Pronouns, as well as
nouns, are used as subjects or as direct objects.
(5) The word instead of which a pronoun is used is called
its antecedent. In the sentence given above boy is the antece-
dent of him.
CLASSES OF PRONOUNS
The pronouns you, he, she, it, we, and they are called
personal pronouns.
When who, which, and what are used to introduce questions
they are called interrogative pronouns. When they are used
in sentences which are not questions they are called relative
pronouns. Thus, in the sentence Who gave you a knifef who is
an interrogative pronoun. In the sentence It was my mother
who gave me a knife, who is a relative pronoun. Sometimes that
is used instead of who or which. Thus, The man that just came
is my uncle. When so used, that is a relative pronoun.
Point out the nouns, adjectives, pronouns, and verbs
in the following sentences:
1. The heavy storm had injured many trees. 2. My
father has read this book. 3. The horses draw a heavy load.
4. Your uncle built a new house. 5. My letter has been
sent. 6. Where was the money found? 7. This picture
has often been admired. 8. Why did these men leave their
homes? 9. Columbus discovered a new continent. 10. These
books contain many interesting stories.
LESSON I
IMPORTANCE OF LATIN
LATIN IN ANCIENT TIMES
1. Latin is the language which was spoken by the Romans.
After they conquered the nations living in the region which
is now occupied by Spain, Portugal, France, Switzerland, and
part of Austria, Latin began to be known here as well as in
Italy, and it finally replaced in large measure the languages
formerly spoken throughout this entire region.
MODERN LATIN, OR ROMANCE LANGUAGES
2. When the Roman empire gradually lost its power, and
when the barbarians drove back the Roman armies, the in-
fluence of the Latin language still remained. The Spanish,
French, Portuguese, Italian, and Rumanian languages are
simply modern Latin. Many changes have taken place in the
spelling and pronunciation of the Latin words which appear
in these Romance languages, as they are called, and words
have been introduced from other sources. But in the main
these languages are Latin, and their relation to the language
spoken by the Romans can easily be traced.
3. Many words in common use in French, Spanish, and
the other Romance languages, have been very slightly changed
from the original Latin form. Thus, the French word arbre,
meaning tree, is from the Latin arbor; terre, meaning land, is
from the Latin terra; and vendre, meaning to sell, is from the
Latin vendere.
The Spanish agua, meaning water, is from the Latin aqua;
mar, meaning sea, is from the Latin mare; amar, meaning to
love, is from the Latin amare.
4. In the greater part of Austria and in part of Switzerland,
Latin was displaced by other languages. But the extension
of the Romance languages over South America and part of
North America has more than made up for this loss.
The Spanish language is used throughout the whole of South
America, with the exception of Brazil. In Brazil the language
is Portuguese. Spanish is also the language of Mexico and is
spoken extensively in parts of Texas, New Mexico, and Ari-
zona, and to some extent in southern California. French is
the language of part of Canada and is also spoken in some
portions of Louisiana.
THE LATIN ELEMENT IN ENGLISH
5. In addition to the importance which Latin has through
the Romance languages, it has also given us a great many
of our English words. Latin had borrowed a number of words
from Greek and many of these have come into English, so that
it is difficult to decide in the case of some words whether their
use in English is due to Latin or Greek influence. More than
half the words in an English dictionary are derived from Latin
and Greek.
NEW WORDS FROM LATIN
6. The greater number of the new words which are being
added to our language from time to time come from Latin or
Greek. This is especially true of the names of new inventions.
Such words as submarine, automobile, telephone, tractor, motor,
turbine, are of this class. Further, the special terms used in
chemistry, botany, physics, and other scientific studies, are of
Latin or Greek origin.
LATIN TERMS IN LAW AND MEDICINE
In the study of law, words derived from Latin are of
very great importance. Such words as jury, court, legal, con-
viction, acquittal, and a great many other important words and
expressions which lawyers must understand come from Latin.
In the study of medicine also a great many Latin and Greek
words or derivatives are used. The words medicine, sanator-
iuniy hospital, invalid, doctor, patient, come from Latin. When
a doctor writes a prescription he generally uses Latin words or
their abbreviations.
THE FORMS OF ENGLISH DERIVATIVES FROM LATIN
Some Latin words which have been taken into the
English language have the same spelling in English as in
Latin. Such are census, terminus, stimulus, veto, [momentum,
animal. The meanings have in some instances changed, but
the greater number of such words retain the same, or nearly
the same, meaning as in the original Latin.
But most English words of Latin origin have been somewhat
changed in their form. We shall see later that the spelling
of many English words is explained by the development of the
Latin words f rom which they have come, and that a knowledge
of Latin aids one in remembering how to spell these words.
The following Latin words have familiar English deriva-
tives or related words:
Insula, island insular, insulation
non, not non-conductor, non-in-terference
patria, native country, patriot, patriotic
terra, land territory, terra firma
Britannia, Great Britain, Britannic
Hibernia, Ireland, Hibernian
Italia, Italy, Italian
America, American
Europa, Europe, European
There is a Latin word territorium, meaning territory, which is derived from terra,
and from this word territory has come into English.
LESSON II
SUBJECT, OBJECT, AND PREDICATE (SINGULAR NUMBER)
READING EXERCISE
10. 1. America patria mea est. America patria tua est.
Americam amo. Americam amas.
2. Hibernia Insula est. Britannia Insula est. America non
est Insula. Italia non est Insula.
3. Hibernia non est patria mea. Italia non est patria
mea. Soror mea Italiam amat. Soror tua quoque Italiam
amat. Italia est terra pulchra.
4. Hibernia est Insula pulchra. Britannia quoque est
Insula pulchra. Britannia est magna Insula. Hibernia est
magna Insula.
VOCABULARY
amas, you love
mea, my, mine
amat, loves
pulchra, beautiful
amo, I love
quoque, also
est, is soror, sister
magna, large
tua, your, yours
SUBJECT AND OBJECT FORMS, SINGULAR NUMBER:
PREDICATE NOUNS
In the exercise above, the forms America, Hibernia,
Britannia, and Italia are subjects, Americam and Italiam are
direct objects; patria, Insula, and terra are predicate nouns,
and have the same form as subjects. All these nouns are in
the singular number.
THE PARTS OF THE SENTENCE: THE SUBJECT
When we make a statement or ask a question, there is some word
which indicates the person or thing about whom or about which we wish
to say or ask something. Thus, in the sentences The boy runs and The
THE ARTICLE
Latin has no word for the definite article the or for the
indefinite article a or an. The Latin equivalent for The boy
has a book or A boy has a book means literally Boy has book. In
translating a Latin sentence into English we supply the, a, or
an whenever the sense requires.
WORD ORDER, VERB AND ADJECTIVE
The Latin verb commonly stands at the end of its sen.
tence, as in the reading exercise above. The Latin adjective
often follows its noun. Thus in section 10 the Latin equiva-
lent for a beautiful island is Insula pulchra. But the adjective
magna and other adjectives denoting size commonly stand
before their nouns, as in English.
letter was sent, we say something about the boy and the letter. In the
question When did the storm beginf we ask something about the storm. A
word which is used in this way in a sentence is said to be the subject of the
sentence. In the sentences given above boy, letter, and storm are the
subjects.
THE PREDICATE
What we say or ask about the subject is called the predicate. In
the sentences which have been given, runs, was sent, and did begin are the
predicates.
A noun or adjective which is joined to the subject by a form of to be
(is, are, was, were, will be, has been, etc.) is called a predicate noun or a
predicate adj^ctive.
In the sentence My brother is a teacher the word teacher is a predicate
noun. In the sentence Your friend is unhappy the word unhappy is a
predicate adjective.
THE DIRECT OBJECT
Often the subject of a sentence is said to do something which
directly affects a person or thing. In the sentence The man helps his
brother the act which the subject does directly affects the brother. A word
which is used to denote a person or thing directly affected by an act is
said to be the direct object. In the sentence above, brother is the direct
object. In like manner, in the sentences My father built a house and The
fire destroyed the city the words house and city are direct objects.
EXERCISES FOR WRITING
Copy the following sentences, putting the proper ending (-a or -am) in place of the hyphens:
1. America est terr— pulchra.
2. Soror tua Americ— amat.
3. Soror mea Britanni— amat.
4. Patria mea terr— pulchra est.
5. Patria tua insul— est.
6. Insul— amo.
SUGGESTED DRILL
1. Write two English sentences containing direct objects.
2. Write two English sentences containing predicate nouns.
3. Point out the nouns in section
ROMAN FARMER WITH PLOW
LESSON III
AGREEMENT OF ADJECTIVES
READING EXERCISE
16. 1. Agricola parvam flliam habet. Parva filia agrico-
lam amat. Agricola parvam f lliam amat. Soror mea quoque
parvam puellam amat.
2. Agricola casam pulchram habet, sed casa non magna
est. Casa mea quoque parva est. Parvam casam meam amo.
3. Parva puella epistulam habet. Epistula mea est. Cur
parva puella epistulam meam habet?
4. Patriam meam amo, sed patriam tuam non amo. Soror
mea patriam tuam amat. Ciir patriam meam non amas?
Patria tua non est America.
5. Britannia Insula magna et pulchra est. Hibernia quoque
est magna et pulchra. Fllia tua Britanniam et Hiberniam
amat.
17. VOCABULARY
agricola, farmer
filia, daughter
casa, cottage
habet, has
cur, why
parva, small, little
epistula, letter
puella, girl
et, and
sed, but
DIFFERENT ENDINGS FOR ADJECTIVES
In the reading exercise above, the adjectives which
modify subjects or predicate nouns end in -a; those which
modify direct objects end in -am.
A predicate adjective modifies the subject.
a. The Latin words for your or yours and my or mine
are adjectives, and their endings, like those of other ad-
jectives, depend on the words with which they are used.
THE USE OF “DO” IN NEGATIVE SENTENCES
19. In English sentences containing the adverb not we com-
monly have do or did. Thus, I do not work; he does not see;
they did not go. In Latin there is no word corresponding to
this use of do. I do not love is in Latin Non amo (I love not).
20. EXERCISES FOR WRITING 1
1. Soror mea casam pulchr— habet.
2. Casa est pulchr— sed parv— .
3. Cur patri— me— non amas?
4. Parv— puell— est soror mea.
5. Parv— puell— amo.
ENGLISH DERTVATIVES FROM LATIN
21. 1. What English word is suggested by agricola? 2. In
“The Courtship of Miles Standish,” John Alden is said to
have been “writing epistles important to go next day by the
May Flower”; what are epistlesf 3. Find from a dictionary
the meaning and source of the abbreviation etc.
SUGGESTED DRILL
1. Write two English sentences containing direct objects which are
modified by adjectives. 2. Write two English sentences containing pred-
icate adjectives. 3. Point out two predicate nouns in section 16.
THE ADVERB
We often use a word with a verb to tell how an action is done. In
the sentence He runs swiftly the word swiftly tells how the act of the verb
runs is done. Such words are called adverbs. Adverbs are also used to
tell something about adjectives and even about other adverbs. In the
expressions too small and very swiftly the adverbs too and very tell some-
thing about the adjective small and the adverb swiftly.
1 In this exercise and, unless otherwise specified, in the exercises of the same character
which are found in the lessons following, the sentences are to be copied by the pupil, with
the proper endings supplied in place of the dashes.
LESSON IV
PLURAL NUMBER, NOMINATIVE AND ACCUSATIVE
READING EXERCISE
22. 1. Soror tua non multam pectiniam habet. Sed soror
mea multam pectiniam habet. Soror tua pecuniam amat.
2. Agricola parvas filias habet. Parvae flliae agricolam
amant. Agricola parvas filias amat. Soror mea quoque
parvas puellas amat.
3. Epistulae meae non longae sunt. Sed soror mea epis-
tulas longas scrlbit. Soror tua quoque epistulas longas
scrlbit. Soror mea et soror tua epistulas longas amant.
4. Britannia et Hibernia magnae Insulae sunt. Italia et
Hispania terrae pulchrae sunt. Hispania et Italia non sunt
Insulae.
5. Europa multas Insulas habet. Europa terras pulchras
habet. ‘Europam saepe laudamus, sed Americam amamus.
VOCABULARY
amamus, we love
amant, (they) love
Hispania, Spain
laudamus, we praise
longa, long
multa, much (multae, many)
pecunia, money
saepe, often
scrlbit, writes
sunt, (they) are
ROMAN CHILDREN AT PLAY
SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN THE PLURAL
24. In the sentences of section 22, the nouns in the plural
which are used as subjects or as predicate nouns end in -ae;
those used in the plural as direct objects end in -as.
FORMS OF ADJECTIVES WITH PLURAL NOUNS
25. In the sentences of section 22, adjectives which modify
plural subjects or predicate nouns end in -ae ; those which modi-
fy plural direct objects end in -as.
CASE NAMES
26. The subject is said to be in the nominative case, and the
direct object is said to be in the accusative case. The predicate
noun is also in the nominative case.
NUMBER
We have different forms of pronouns and also of nouns to show
whether we are referring to one person or thing or to more than one. Thus
/ refers to one person, we refers to more than one. This distinction is
called number. I is in the singular number, and we is in the plural number.
In the same way, book is in the singular number, and books is in the plural
number.
CASE
Such pronouns as he, she, and who have different forms to show
how they are used in sentences. We say He walks, I see him, and / have
his ball. In these sentences he is subject, him is direct object, and his
refers to a person as possessing something. In like manner we use she and
who as subjects, her and whom as direct objects of a verb or as objects of a
preposition, and her (or hers) and whose to denote the person possessing
something.
A noun has the same form for the subject as for the object of a verb or
a preposition, but it has a different form to refer to a person as possessing
something. Thus we say The boy walks, I see the boy, I have the boy’s ball.
These different forms and uses of nouns and pronouns in sentences are
called cases or case-uses. The subject is in the nominative case, the direct
object is in the accusative case, and the word referring to the possessor is
in the genitive case (sometimes called possessive).
11
EXERCISES FOR WRITING
27. 1. Parva puella epistul— (letters) me— habet. 2. Casae
sunt parv— sed pulchr— . 3. America Insul— (islands)
pulchr— habet. 4. Soror mea et soror tua sunt puell—
pulchr— . 5. Patri— me— amo. 6. Patri— tu— amas.
ENGLISH DERIVATIVES FROM LATIN
28. 1. What is meant by a laudable action? 2. What are
pecuniary losses? 3. What is meant by inscribef Find other
English words suggested by scribit.
SUGGESTED DRILL
1. From paragraph 2, section 22, give the singular form of the object
in the first sentence and the plural form of the object in the second sen-
tence. 2. Write the accusative singular of Hispania and the accusative
plural of casa. 3. Point out the subjects, objects, and predicate nouns in
paragraphs 3 and 4 of section 22.
AN ARCH OVER A ROMAN ROAD
LESSON V
GENITIVE CASE
READING EXERCISE
1. Agricola est amlcus nautae (o/ the sailor). Nauta
est amlcus poetae. Poeta est amlcus f Iliarum tuarum (o/ your
daughters). Flliae tuae poetam amant.
2. Poeta incola Americae est. Sed Italia est patria poetae.
Poeta f Iliam habet. America est patria f Iliae poetae. Poeta
Italiam amat. Fllia poetae Americam amat.
3. Incolae Insularum sunt agricolae et nautae. ulta agri-
colarum ulta bona est. Poetae saepe vltam agricolarum
laudant. ultam nautarum interdum laudamus. Nautae mul-
tas terras vident. Sed ulta nautarum perliculosa est.
30. VOCABULARY
amicus, friend nauta, sailor
bona, good periculosa, dangerous
incola, inhabitant poeta, poet
interdum, sometimes vident, (they) see
laudant, (they) praise vita, life
LATIN NOUNS DENOTING POSSESSION OR OWNERSHIP
31. Latin nouns which end in -a in the nominative singular
and in -am in the accusative singular have a f orm ending in -ae
in the singular to denote ownership or possession and certain
other ideas. The corresponding form in the plural ends in
-arum. This form is translated either by the Enghsh genitive
(possessive) form, or by of and the noun. Thus, epistula
puellae means the girVs letter or the letter of the girl. Soror
puellarum means the sister of the girls. In translating a sen-
tence with a form of this sort we should use whichever of the
two translations makes the better sense.
THE GENITIVE CASE
32. The Latin nouns which are described in section 31 are
said to be in the genitive case.
An adjective modifying a noun in the genitive is also in the
genitive, and is in the same number as its noun.
EXERCISES FOR WRITING
33. 1. Nauta amicus agricol — (of the farmer) est. 2. Soror
mea epistulam puell — (the girVs) habet. 3. Hibernia patria
naut — (the sailor’s) est. 4. Soror parvarum puell — epistulas
scrlbit. 5. Incolae Insul — (of the island) nautae sunt. 6. In-
colae multarum Insul — agricolae sunt.
ROMAN WRITING MATERIALS
ENGLISH DERTVATrVES FROM LATIN
34. 1. What is meant by the statement “They lived on
amicable terms with each other”? 2. Find from a dictionary
the derivation of amiable. 3. What is an aeronautt 4. What
is meant by great vitalityl
SUGGESTED DRILL
1. Give the genitive singular of incola, nauta, poeta, vita. 2. Give the
genitive plural of casa, terra, and epistula. 3. Write the nominative,
genitive, and accusative, singular and plural, of the words for girl, land,
and island.
LESSON VI
INDIRECT OBJECT: DATIVE CASE
READING EXERCISE
35. 1. Mater mea epistulam scrlbit et epistulam parvae
puellae (to the little girl) dat. Parva puella epistulam agricolae
dat. Agricola epistulam legit. Agricola mihi epistulam dat.
Pecuniam agricolae do. Agricola parvae puellae peciiniam
dat. Parva puella pecuniam Corneliae dat. Cornelia est
mater parvae puellae.
2. Mater mea donum parvis puellls (to the little girls) dat.
Parvae puellae laetae sunt. Mater mea parvas puellas amat.
3. Nautae epistulas do. Nauta epistulas incolls Insularum
dat. Incolae Insularum pecuniam nautae dant. Nauta mihi
pecuniam dat.
36. VOCABULARY
Cornelia, Cornelia laeta, happy
dant, (they) give legit, reads
dat, gives mater, mother
do, I give mihi, to me, me (as indirect
donum, gift, present object)
LATIN NOUNS AS INDIRECT OBJECTS
37. In the reading exercise above, the forms puellae and
agricolae in the first and second sentences of 1, and puellls
in the first sentence of 2 are indirect objects.
Nouns which end in -a in the nominative singular and in -ae
in the genitive singular have the ending -ae in the singular and
-Is in the plural when used as indirect objects.
THE INDIRECT OBJECT
(14) A noun or pronoun which is used to denote the person to whom
something is given, said, or shown is said to be an indirect object. In the
sentences He gave his sister a picture and My brother told me an interesting
story the words sister and me are indirect objects.
15
PHRASES WITH TO EQUIVALENT TO INDIRECT OBJECTS
38. Instead of saying I gave the girl a letter we may express
the same idea by saying I gave a letter to the girl. In the second
sentence to the girl takes the place of the indirect object girl
in the first. A phrase consisting of to and a noun, when used
in the place of an indirect obj ect, is translated in Latin by the
same form as the indirect object. That is, either girl in the
first of the sentences above or to the girl in the second will be
translated puellae.
THE DATIVE CASE
39. A Latin noun used as an indirect object is said to be in
the olative case.
An adjective modifying a noun in the dative is also in the
dative, and is in the same number as its noun.
EXERCISES FOR WRITING
40. Translate the following sentences into Latin:
1. The farmer gives a letter to the poet.
2. The poet gives money to the farmer.
3. I give a present to the little girls.
4. The little girls give me a letter.
5. Your daughter gives money to the sailor.
ENGLISH DERIVATIVES FROM LATIN
41. 1. What connection can you see between the word
dative and any Latin word in the vocabulary of this lesson?
2. What is a donationf 3. What is legible handwriting?
4. What is maternal care?
SUGGESTED DRILL
1. Point out the indirect objects in 1 of section 35. 2. Write two English
sentences each containing a direct and an indirect object. 3. Write the
nominative, genitive, dative, and accusative, singular and plural, of the
Latin words for letter and cottage.
16
LESSON VII
INDIRECT OBJECT: DATIVE CASE (Continued)
READING EXERCISE
42. 1. Mater tua Corneliae donum dat. Cornelia flliae
agricolae donum ostendit. Fllia agricolae quoque donum
cupit, sed mater tua f Tliae agricolae donum non dat.
2. Agricolae epistulas do, et agricola mihi pecuniam dat.
Agricola epistulas legit. Agricola epistulas flliae ostendit, sed
fllia epistulas non legit.
3. Puella mihi casam poetae monstrat. Casa est parva.
Poetam non video, sed filiam poetae interdum video. Fllia
poetae parvam casam amat.
4. Poeta flliae picturam dat. Fllia poetae mihi picturam
ostendit. Picttiram laudo et poetam laudo. Fllia poetae
est laeta puella.
5. Nauta mihi fabulam narrat. Mater mea quoque mihi
interdum fabulas narrat. Soror mea multas fabulas legit et
saepe parvls puellls fabulas narrat. Parvae puellae fabulas
amant.
43. VOCABULARY
cupit, wishes, desires narrat, tells
fabula, story ostendit, shows
laudo, I praise pictura, picture
monstrat, points out video, I see
OMISSION OF PRONOUN AS SUBJECT
44. We have seen that amo is translated I love, without a
separate word for I. In the same manner amat, which is
translated loves when used with a noun as subject, may be
translated he loves or she loves when the preceding sentence
makes it perfectly clear who the subject is. When we have
17
been talking about a man we may say patriam amat, meaning,
he loves his country.
EXERCISES FOR WRITING
45. 1. Mater mea fili — tu — (your daughter) donum dat.
2. Epistulas saepe naut — (to the sailors)’ do. 3. Agricola
poet — (the poet) pecuni — dat. 4. Poeta agricol — (thefarmer)
epistul — me — ostendit. 5. Puella naut — (to the sailor) cas —
me — monstrat. 6. Soror tua agricol — (the farmer) epistul —
(the letters) ostendit.
ROMAN SWORD AND SCABBARD
SUGGESTED DRILL
1. Write two English sentences containing phrases with to which are
equivalent to indirect objects. 2. Rewrite the last sentence in 4 of section
42, changing the subject to the plural, and making any other necessary
change. 3. Point out the indirect objects in section 42. 4. Rewrite the
last sentence of 5, section 42, changing the subject to the singular and
making any other changes which are necessary.
THE CONJUNCTION
(15) The words and, but, and or are used to join words or parts of
sentences. In the sentence Your father and mother are not in the city the
word and is used to join the words father and mother. In like manner, in
the sentence The train is late, but it will soon arrive the word but joins the
two parts of the sentence The train is late and it will soon arrive. Such
words are called conjunctions. Conjunctions of a somewhat different kind
are because, although, if, and some other words. In the sentence / shall
go if I receive the letter the conjunction if is used to join the verb shall go
and / receive the letter.
18
LESSON VIII
DATIVE WITH ADJECTIVES
READING EXERCISE
46. 1. Epistula mea agricolae (to the farmer) grata est.
Agricola mihi pecuniam dat. Pecuniam nautae do. Peciinia
nautae grata est.
2. Fllia tua parvae puellae benigna est. Parva puella f Iliam
tuam amat. Fllia tua parvae puellae rosam dat. Rosa
puellae grata est.
3. Poetae Italiam saepe laudant. Italia poetls cara est.
Sed patria mea mihi cara est.
4. Epistulam flliae tuae non laudo. Epistula longa est,
sed mihi non grata est. Fllia tua non bene scrlbit. Sed
epistula tibi grata est.
5. Fenestram casae tuae video. Fenestra parva est. Casa
agricolae multas fenestras habet.
6. America multas silvas habet. Silvae Americae magnae
sunt. Hibernia magnas silvas non habet.
47. VOCABULARY
bene, well grata, pleasing
benigna, kind rosa, rose
cara, dear silva, forest
fenestra, window tibi, to you
ADJECTIVES WHICH TAKE THE DATIVE
48. In the first sentence of the reading exercise above,
agricolae, to the farmer, is in the dative. With adjectives
meaning dear, pleasing, kind, friendly, near, and the like, the
dative is often used to express an idea which is expressed in
English by to and a noun or pronoun.
POSITION OF THE GENITIVE AND DATIVE
49. (1) The genitive commonly stands after the word on
which it depends, even though the corresponding English word
19
denoting possession would stand first. Thus the poeVs cottage
may be translated casa poetae.
(2) The dative commonly stands before the word on
which it depends. The words kind to me translated into Latin
would take the order to me kind.
EXERCISES FOR WRITING
50. 1. Pecunia agricol — (to thefarmer) grataest. 2. Italia
poet— (to the poet) cara est. 3. Soror mea fili — tu — (io
your daughter) benigna est. 4. Epistul — tu — mihi non gratae
sunt. 5. Rosae parv — puell — (to the little girls) gratae sunt.
6. Rosam parv — puell — (to the little girl) do.
ENGLISH DERIVATIVES FROM LATIN
51. 1. Give two English words of which bene is a compo-
nent part. 2. What is meant by a benignant influence?
3. What connection in meaning can you see between grata and
gratifyf 4. Complete the following formula: rose : rosa : :
fame : x; that is, replace x by a word which bears the same
relation to fame which rosa bears to rose.
SUGGESTED DRILL
1. Point out all the datives in section46. 2. Rewrite the first sentence
in 2 of section 46, changing the subject to the plural. 3. Rewrite the third
sentence in 2 of section 46, changing the direct and indirect objects to the
plural.
PERSON
(16) The pronoun / and its plural we refer to the person or persons
speaking, and are said to be in the first person; you refers to the person
to whom one is speaking and is said to be in the second person; he,
she, and it (plural they) refer to a person or thing spoken of, and are said
to be in the third person. Nouns are ordinarily in the third person.
20
LESSON IX
PREPOSITIONS: ABLATIVE CASE
READING EXERCISE
52. 1. Poeta casam in Insula habet. Casa mea quoque
ibi est, et saepe poetam video. Ex fenestrls casae meae silvam
video. Silva pulchra est, et saepe ibi ambulo. Saepe cum
poeta in silva ambulo. Poeta silvam amat.
2. Soror mea et soror tua nunc in viis ambulant. Mater
tua et mater mea interdum cum puellis ambulant. Sed nunc
mater tua in casa est. Mea mater in America non est.
3. Mater mea nunc in Hispania est. Soror poetae in
.Britannia est cum fllia Corneliae. Cornelia in Hibernia quo-
que flliam habet. Mater mea epistulas ex Hispania scribit.
53. VOCABULARY
ambulant, (they) walk ibi, there, in that place
ambulo, I walk in, in, on
cum, with nunc, now
ex, from via, street, road, way
THE EXPLETIVE “THERE”
54. As seen above, there, meaning in that place, is in Latin
ibi. But in such sentences as There is no danger we use there
merely to introduce the sentence, and no idea of place is ex-
pressed. When thus used there is called an expletive. Latin
has no equivalent for this expletive use of there, and the sen-
tence There is no danger will be translated as if it read No
danger is. In such sentences the Latin verb usually stands
before the subject.
LATIN NOUNS GOVERNED BY PREPOSITIONS
55. In the reading exercise above, Insula in the first sen-
tence of 1 is governed by in; inthe second sentence of 2 puellis
21
is governed by cum, and in the third sentence of 1 fenestris is
governed by ex. The letter a, in which Insula ends, is long,
while the form of the nominative ends in (short) a.
THE ABLATIVE
56. Latin nouns or pronouns governed by prepositions
meaning from, in, or with are said to be in the ablative case.
An adjective modifying a noun in the ablative case is also
put in the ablative, and is in the same number as its noun.
EXERCISES FOR WRITING
57. 1. Casae in Insul — (the islands) sunt. 2. Parv —
puell — in vi — (the street) ambulant. 3. Soror mea cum
parv — puell — (the little girls) ambulat. 4. Insul — (islands)
ex me — fenestr — (window) video. 5. Cornelia non est in
Hispani — cum flli — (the daughter) poetae.
ENGLISH DERIVATIVES FROM LATIN
58. 1. What is a perambulator? 2. Find the literal mean-
ing of the name Pennsylvania (English words derived from
silva usually have syl- for the Latin sil-) . 3. What is the mean-
ing of via as used in railroad time tables?
SUGGESTED DRILL
1. Write the nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, and ablative of
silva in the singular number. 2. Write all the case forms of puella in the
plural number, following the order of cases given above. 3. Point out the
ablatives and the datives in section 52.
THE PREPOSITION
(17) There is a class of small words such as of, in, with, by, from, which
are used with nouns or pronouns. The combination of one of these words
and the noun or pronoun which is used with it serves to tell something
about an act or about a person or thing. These words are called preposi-
tions. The noun or pronoun which follows a preposition is called its
object, or the preposition is said to govern the noun or pronoun which
follows it. In the sentence / live in the city the word city is the object
of in.
22
LESSON X
FIRST DECLENSION
THE CASE FORMS OF ROSA
59. The different case forms of the noun rosa with their
meanings are as f ollows :
Singular Number
Nom. rosa, a rose (as subject or predicate)
Gen. rosae, of a rose, rose’s
Dat. rosae, to a rose, rose (as indirect object)
Acc. rosam, rose (as direct object)
Abl. rosa, (from, with, in, on) a rose
Plural Number
Nom. rosae, roses (as subject or predicate)
Gen. rosarum, of roses
Dat. rosls, to the roses, roses (as indirect object)
Acc. rosas, roses (as direct object)
Abl. rosis, (from, with, in, on) roses
60. The following sentences illustrate the use of the Latin
cases :
The rose (rosa) is beautiful.
The fragrance of the rose (rosae) is delightful.
The sunshine has given color to the rose (rosae).
The girl is carrying a rose (rosam).
The butterfly is on the rose (in rosa).
The roses (rosae) are beautiful.
The fragrance of the roses (rosarum) is delightful.
The sun has given color to the roses (rosis).
The girl is carrying roses (rosas).
The butterflies are on the roses (in rosis).