Grammar Handouts #2 - Case Usage

 
To be completed by September 6, 8 AM

Case Usages - A Brief Primer

 
Below you will a primer on the usage of the five major cases in Latin. Please jot down any questions that come to mind as you read through the sections below. It is worth noting that some of the terms that I use may not be the ones that you have used in previous classes - I have tried explicitly to simplify the vast terminology frequently used to discuss case usage. Moreover, this primer is not comprehensive, I have focused on usages that you are likely to see in the course of your reading.

Nominative

 
The nominative case is used to provide more information about the subject of a finite verb. There are two main usages of the nominative case in Latin.

  1. The nominative can be used to specify the subject of a finite verb:
    • Caesar Rhenum transire decreverat (Caesar had decided to cross the Rhine).
  2. It can also be used predicatively (the so-called predicate nominative) to in conjunction with a linking verb to define the subject:
    • Caesar magnus dux erat (Caesar was a great leader).

Genitive

 
The genitive case can be thought of as the case of explanation. The genitive never appears on its own, it is always connected to another word whose meaning it clarifies. Words in the genitive case most commonly are used in conjunction with nouns, but can also appear with adjectives, prepositions, and verbs. It can almost always be translated by using the preposition “of”. Below are some of the major usages of the genitive.

  1. The genitive can be used to specify the characteristics of another noun:
    • coniuratio Catilinae (the conspiracy of Catiline)
    • desiderium oti (the desire of leisure)
    • unus tribunorum (one of the tribunes)
    • vir summae virtutis (a man of the highest courage)
  2. The genitive also can be used to complete the meaning of adjectives that express strong emotions (desire, knowledge, memory, fullness, power, sharing, guilt):
    • avidi laudis (greedy of praise)
    • plenus fidei (full of faith)
    • participes coniurationis (sharing in the conspiracy)
  3. The genitive can be used to complete the meanings of verbs which express strong emotions (e.g. remembering, forgetting, reminding, accusation or charge, condemnation, pity):
    • Humanae infirmitatis memini (I am mindful of human weakness).
    • Miserescite regis (Pity the king).
  4. The prepositions causa and gratia take the genitive case:
    • legendorum librorum causa (for the sake of reading books)

Dative

 
The dative case can be thought as the winners and losers case. That is, the dative case generally specifies who is affected by the action or existential state of the sentence or clause (hence, the “to” or “for” translation). Thus, the dative frequently provides further context for verbal action, but it can be used with adjectives as well. Below are the four most frequent uses of the dative case.

  1. The dative case can be used to indicate to whom or what something is given, granted, entrusted, or refused (the indirect object):
    • Do tibi librum (I give the book to you).
    • Commendo tibi eius omnia negotia (I entrust all his affairs to you).
    • Interdixit histrionibus scaenam, (He forbade the actors the stage).
  2. The dative can be also used to indicate the person/thing for whom the main idea of the sentence refers (dative of reference or possession):
    • Erit ille mihi semper deus (That one will always be a god to me).
    • Non tibi placet (It is not pleasing to you).
    • Nomen puellae Iulia est (The name for the girl is Julia/The girl’s name is Julia).
  3. The dative can be used to indicate the person/thing which an adjective applies to:
    • Nihil est tam naturae aptum (Nothing is so fitted to nature).
    • Sedes non importuna nostro sermoni (A place no unsuited to our conversation).
  4. It can be used with a passive periphrastic to clarify who must perform the action of the verb (dative of agent):
    • Haec vobis provincial est defendenda (This province is to be defended by you).

In addition to these four usages of dative, there are two less frequent but still note-worthy uses of the dative.

  1. The dative can be used to specify the purpose of the sentence’s core idea (dative of purpose, translate “a source of [dative noun]”):
    • Rei publicae cladi sunt, “They are a source of ruin to the state”
  2. The dative can also be used to complete the meaning of a intransitive “compound” verb (a verb that contains a prepositional prefix like ad, ante, con, in, sub):
    • Virtutes semper voluptatibus inhaerent (Virtues always cling to vices).
    • Nec umquam succumbet inimicis (Never will he succumb to enemies).

Accusative

 
The accusative can be thought of primarily as a “target” case - it is frequently used to indicate an aim or movement and/or action towards/against a particular person/place/or thing. Accusatives are used primarily with verbal constructions and prepositions, though we will see a couple other usages below.

  1. The accusative is most commonly used as the direct object of a transitive verb:
    • Amo meum puerum (I love my son).
    • Transivit flumen (He crossed the river).
  2. It can also function as the object of certain prepositions (ad, ante, contra, in, trans, ob) to indicate motion towards, action against, reason for, or purpose (w/the gerundive):
    • Cucurrit ad agrum (He ran towards the field).
    • Ob id exemplum laeta erat (She was happy on account of this example).
    • In Verrem Cicero dixit (Cicero spoke against Verres).
    • Ad legendos libros adsedit (He sat down to read books).
  3. The accusative is used as the subject of an indirect statement:
    • Dixit suam puellam canem eius amare (She said that her own daughter loved her dog).
  4. The accusative can stand alone to express an exclamation (accusative of exclamation):
    • Me miserum! (Wretched me!)
    • O fortunatam rem publicam! (Oh, fortunate republic!)
  5. Latin expresses the duration of space and time using the accusative:
    • Progressus milia passuum circiter duodecim (having set around twelve miles)
    • Dies triginta (for thirty days)

Ablative

 
The ablative is often thought of as a do-it-all or the adverbial case in Latin. However, we can categorize all the different usages of the ablative in four major ways:

A. It can be used to describe the relationship between people and things (usually translated with the word from):

  1. It can indicate from where something comes (e.g. the source, the cause):
    • Rhenus oritur ex Lepontiis (the Rhine rises from the country of the Lepontii)
    • factum de cautibus antrum, (a cave formed of rocks)
    • Neglegentia amabamur (We were loved because of our negligence).
  2. It can be used to indicate a lack of something or distance from it (often with verbs of deprivation):
    • voluptātibus carere (to lack enjoyments)
    • soluti a cupiditatibus (free from desires)
    • abstinere iniuria (to abstrain from harm)
    • Ab insula ibat (He was going away from the island).

B. The ablative can be used to explain how the main action/statement/state of the sentence is accomplished (usually translated as with).

  1. It can indicate who or what is aiding/participating the completion of an action:
    • Deus bonis omnibus explevit mundum (God filled the world with good things).
    • Mundus ab deo factus est (The world was made by God).
    • Ambulabam cum amico meo (I was walking with my friend).
  2. It can be used to add further information about the circumstances of the action/state of the sentence:
    • Dixit versum Graecum eadem sententia (He spoke a Greek verse with the same voice).
    • Virtute praecedunt (They excel with respect to courage).
    • Agrum vendidit pecunia (He sold land for money).
    • De virtute dixit (She spoke about virtue).

C. The ablative can be used to indicate a specific point when and when something happens (usually translated with in):

  1. The ablative can be used in conjunction with a preposition to indicate place where:
    • Vivit in urbe (He lives in the city).
  2. The ablative is used without a preposition to indicate time when:
    • prima hora vigilo (I awake at the first hour).
    • secunda die Romam ibant (They were going to Rome on the second day).

D. The ablative can be used to indicate a form of comparison.

  1. The ablative can be used in conjunction with a comparative adjective to denote what a particular noun is being compared to:
    • Puella puero fortior erat (The girl was stronger than the boy).
    • Populus Romanus felicior Hannibale fuerunt (The Roman people were luckier than Hannibal).
  2. An ablative can be used to indicate the difference between things being compared:
    • Puella puero multo fortior erat (The girl was stronger than the boy by much).

Exercises

 
Translate the following sentences and identify all the case usages in the following sentences.

  1. Hann. 2.1: Hunc tantā cupiditāte incendit bellandī, ut ūsque ā rubrō marī arma cōnātus sit īnferre Italiae. Commentary and Vocabulary

  2. Hann. 2.3: Eīque cum multa dē fidē suā et odiō in Rōmānōs commemorāsset, hoc adiūnxit…. Commentary and Vocabulary

  3. Hann. 3.2: Sīc Hannibal, minor quīnque et vīgintī annīs nātus imperātor factus, proximō trienniō omnēs gentēs Hispāniae bellō subēgit; Saguntum, foederātam cīvitātem, vī expugnāvit; trēs exercitūs maximōs comparāvit. Commentary and Vocabulary

  4. Hann. 4.3: Hōc itinere adeō gravī morbō adficitur oculōrum, ut posteā numquam dextrō aequē bene ūsus sit. Commentary and Vocabulary