Download Noun Case Uses - Rossview Latin

A. Nominative
1. Subject of the sentence
2. Predicate nominative with a linking verb
- linking verbs include sum, fiō, and passive forms of videō, creō, and appellō
B. Genitive
1. The genitive is for telling us more about a noun by tying it to another noun. “of” will
almost always work in English.
2. Possession
- tells who or what owns another noun
- “of” or the endings ‘s and s’ in English
- filia regis – the daughter of the king or the king’s daughter
3. Partitive
- tells the whole from which a part is taken
- Plus vinī – more (of) wine
- pars patriae – part of the country
4. Description
- tells us more about a person’s character or non-physical qualities
- vir summae prudentiae – A man of highest prudence
- can be reworded into an adjective – A very prudent man
5. Indefinite price or value
- tells us the cost/value of something without knowing a number
- praemium minimī aureī est – It is a prize of very little gold
- id minimī momentī est – That is of very little importance.
C. Dative
1. Indirect Object
- receiver of direct object with a verb with the general meaning of give/show/tell
- to or for in English – these may also be omitted
- dā mihi pecuniam! – Give the money to me! Or: Give me the money!
2. Object of a special verb
- favor, help, please, trust, believe, persuade, command, obey, serve, resist, envy,
threaten, pardon, spare, endure, harm, indulge, marry
- faveō, credō, placet, persuadeō, mandō, imperō, pareō, serviō, resistō, invideō,
parcō, noceō
- NOT iubeō or (ad)iuvō – they take an accusative like normal
3. Possession
- alternate way of showing possession with a form of sum as the main verb
- Quid nōmen tibi est? – What name is there for you? Or: What is your name?
4. Reference
- tells who benefits or is harmed by an action
- tibi donum habeō – I have a gift for you.
- mihi pecuniam abstulit – He stole money from me
5. Purpose
- often paired with a dative of reference and the main verb sum to create the
“Double Dative”
- militēs Caesarī auxiliō erant. The soldiers were a help to Caesar.
- auxiliō – purpose; Caesarī - reference
6. Agent
- paired with a gerundive of obligation and the main verb sum to create the
Passive Periphrastic or Second Periphrastic (periphrastic – roundabout
way of saying something)
- “by” in literal English; becomes the subject when reworded into natural English
- mihi festināndum est. – It must be hurried by me. Or: I must hurry.
D. Accusative
1. Direct object of an action verb
2. Object of prepositions not included in SID P SPACE (see Ablative use #1)
- notable prepositions: ad, trāns, prope, circum, contrā, inter, iuxtā, ob, per, post,
extrā, ultra, and sub/in when showing motion (translate in as into/onto
instead of in/on if it’s with the accusative)
3. Place to Which
- tells where someone or something is going
- uses preposition ad in Latin; to/towards in English
- ad Britanniam navigāvimus – We sailed to Britain
4. Extent of Time
- tells for how long something occurred
- no preposition in Latin; for in English
- in villā duās horās manēbit – He will remain in the house for two hours.
5. Extent of Space
- tells how far something went
- no preposition in Latin; for in English, which can be omitted
- militēs dua milia passuum iter faciēbant – The soldiers marched (for) two miles.
E. Ablative
1. Object of SID P SPACE prepositions
- sub, in, dē, prō, sine, prae, ab/ā, cum, ex/ē
- sub & in can take an accusative with a motion verb; in must then be translated as
into, onto, or against.
2. Place Where
- tells where something happens using in or sub
- in Britanniā pugnat. – He is fighting in Britain.
3. Place from Which
- tells where someone or something has come from
- uses ab/ā, dē, or ex/ē
- puer dē carrō incidit. – The boy fell down from the cart.
4. Accompaniment
- tells who went with or also participated
- uses cum to mean with
- Marcus cum fratre cucurrit. – Marcus ran with his brother.
5. Manner
- tells the manner in which someone did something
- usually an idea word – speed, care, etc.
- with in English
- use cum in Latin only if there is an adjective modifying the idea word.
- “nest” cum between the adjective and idea word.
- poeta celeritate scripsit. – The poet wrote with speed.
- poeta magnā cum celeritate scripsit – The poet wrote with great speed.
6. Description
- tells us more about a person’s physical characteristics
- no preposition in Latin; with in English
- coquus erat vir maximīs oculīs – The cook was a man with very big eyes.
7. Means
- tells us how (by what means) something happened
- no preposition in Latin; by or with in English (other prepositions can work with
special nouns, like in chains or on a horse instead of by a horse)
- never a person or place – typically an item or force of nature
- hostem pugione vulneravit. – He wounded the enemy with a dagger.
8. Agent
- tells who performed a passive verb (would be the subject of an active sentence)
- Active sentence: Anna Iuliam pulsat. Anna hits Julia.
- Passive sentence: Iulia ab Annā pulsatur. Julia is hit by Anna.
- preposition in Latin: ab/ā (by)
- always a person
9. Time When
- when something happened
- no preposition in Latin; in or on in English
- always a time word – day, month, year, hour, minute, etc.
- example: tertiō diē, advēnit. On the third day, he arrived.
10. Time Within Which
- tells us the window for an action to be completed
- no preposition in Latin; within or in in English
- unō diē ad urbem contendimus. (With)in one day we hurried to the city.
10. Respect
- specifies in what respect something is true
- architectus nomine Haterius est. He is an architect named (by name) Haterius.
11. Source/Origin
- tells us the origin of someone or something
- iuvenis, humilī locō natus, pecuniam accēpit. The youth, born from/of lowly
stature/place/origin, received money.
12. Ablative Absolute
- sets the circumstances for the main sentence
- pair of words: ablative noun/pronoun + ablative adjective/participle/noun
- cut off from (absolutus) the rest of the sentence
- neither ablative is renaming a part of the rest of the sentence
- many translations based on what kind of words they are
- noun + participle = with noun having been verbed, after the noun
was/had been verbed, when the noun was/had been verbed,
when/as/while the noun is/was verbing
- noun + noun = with noun 1 as noun 2, when noun 1 is/was noun 2,
because noun 1 is/was noun 2
- Examples:
1. Quintō interfectō, Metella lacrimavit.
With Quintus having been killed, Metella cried.
After Quintus was killed, Metella cried.
Because/When Quintus had been killed, Metella cried.
2. mē consule, Rōmānī laetī erant.
With me as consul, the Romans were happy.
When/Because I was consul, the Romans were happy.
3. urbe incensā, barbarī victī sunt.
With their city having been burned, the barbarians were conquered.
After their city was burned, the barbarians were conquered.
Because/When their city had been burned, the barbarians were
conquered.
4. sole occidente, civēs ad forum ambulavērunt.
With the sun setting, the citizens walked to the forum.
While/As/When the sun was setting, the citizens walked to the
forum.