LATIN COURSE.

CHAPTER I.

LAW OF THE VERB, OR FIRST CONCORD.

A. The Verb agrees with its subject-word (Int. 4) in number and person: as,

B. In simple sentences the verb is almost always in the Indicative or Imperative mood.

The Indicative mood is used in making statements and asking questions: as, "I am walking,' 'John walks,'' Are you walking?' The Imperative in giving orders: as, 'Go thou.'

1. Beside the forms 'walk,' 'walkest,' 'walks,' &c., we have also in English for the present tense the Compounds, 'I am walking,' 'You are walking,' 'He is walking,' &c.; and the Compounds, 'I do walk,' 'You do walk,' He does walk,' &c. Ambulat, for instance, is the Latin for 'walks, is walking,' and 'does walk;' ambulant for 'walk,' are walking,' and 'do walk.'

2. In modern English the old forms 'walkest' and 'walketh' and Sye' are hardly ever used. In the second person singular the plural

B

pronoun 'you' is used by courtesy for the singular 'thou.' In translating therefore from English to Latin, 'you' may be considered singular, unless it is marked as plural, or it is clear from the context that it is meant to be plural.

CHAPTER II.

NOMINATIVE CASE.

A. The noun naming the subject of the sentence, or the Subject-word, is in the Nominative case: as,

Dominus ambulat.

The lord walks.

B. If the subject-word be a Pronoun, it is commonly omitted, unless required for distinction or emphasis : as,

Ambulo.
I walk.

But,

Ambulas.
You walk.

Ego ambulo, tu equitas,

I walk, you ride.

Ambula.
Walk.

C. There are many verbs in Latin, called Static1 verbs, which have to be translated into English by adjectives with the copula 'be': as,

Aqua calet.

The water is hot

1. They are called static, because they denote states rather than actions. They belong for the most part to the e conjugation: as tepe-o, 'I am warm ;' rube-o, I am red.' Sometimes an English verb with a similar sense may be found: as, puella rubet, 'the girl is red,' or

'blushes.'

Most of these e stems have also imperfect tenses formed by adding the affix sc, with the sense of getting' or 'becoming:' as, cale-sc-o, 'I am getting hot;' tepe-sc-o, 'I am becoming warm.' They are sometimes called Inceptive verbs. As far as construction is concerned, all these verbs come under the head of verbs like ambulo, 'walk' (App. F. I.).

CHAPTER III.

VOCATIVE CASE.

The noun naming the object addressed is in the Vocative case: as,

Balbe, dominus ambulat.

O Balbus, the lord walks.

CHAPTER IV.

ACCUSATIVE CASE.

A. The noun naming the object, to which motion is directed, is in the Accusative case,1 commonly with a preposition (Int. 16): as,

Dominus ad Italiam venit.

The lord comes to Italy.

B. The noun naming the object, which is operated on directly, is in the Accusative case,2 without a preposition: as,

Dominus puerum portat.

The lord carries the boy.

1. Rule A gives the primary idea of the accusative, motion to. For further instances of this Rule see Chapter IX.

2. Rule B flows from Rule A. If I operate directly on an object, the action passes into it, causing it to move the 'carrying' passes into the boy. This, though not the primary, is the most familiar use of the accusative, no preposition being required to make the sense clear; whereas with the sense of motion to' a preposition is cominonly required.

CHAPTER V.

DATIVE CASE.

A. The noun naming the object, at or about which an action operates, was originally, and still is occasionally, in the Dative case:1 as, Dominus Carthagini habitat, The lord dwells at Carthage.

B. The noun naming the object, which is operated on indirectly, is in the Dative case:1 as, a. Dominus mulieri cedit.2

The lord yields to the woman. 3

Dominus mulieri paret (a).
The lord obeys the woman.

Mulieri est5 liber (B).

The woman has a book.

b Dominus dat6 librum puero.
The lord gives a book to the boy.

c. Dominus carus est puero.
The lord is dear to the boy.

1. Rule A gives the primary idea of the dative-operation at. Rule B with all its instances flows from it. The dative, as opposed to the accusative, denotes that the action operates at, or round, the object, instead of passing into it; that the object therefore is operated on indirectly, not directly, by the action; that it is affected by, or concerned in, not moved by, the action. If the lord carries the boy, as in IV. B, the action of carrying passes into the boy, causing him to move : hence puerum is in the accusative. If the lord yields to the boy, as in this Chapter, the action of yielding operates at, or round the boy, without moving him; hence puero is in the dative.

2. Verbs are either Transitive or Intransitive. Verbs like porto, 'carry;' that is, verbs denoting actions which operate directly on an object; are called Transitive, because the action passes into (transit) the object. All other verbs are called Intransitive, because the action does not pass into the object. Such are verbs like ambulo,' walk,' and cedo, 'yield.' See Appendix A-D.