Download THE CASES

THE CASES
NOMINATIVE
• Subject of a sentence
– Caecilius aquam bibit
• Complement (i.e. used after a verb acting like an
`equals’ sign)
– Petrus est senātor
• Singular and plural endings are:
–
–
–
–
–
1st decl: - a and –ae
2nd decl: - us and –ī (neuter nouns: -um and -a)
3rd decl: - ?? and –ēs (neuter nouns: ? and –(i)a)
4th decl: - us and –ūs (neuter nouns: u and –ua)
5th decl: - ēs and –ēs
VOCATIVE
• Used for addressing someone and almost
always exactly the same as the nominative
except in the 2nd declension where e is used in
the singular. The e is dropped after i.
– Marce, ad fenestram ambulā
– Iūlia, surge.
– Caecilī, mēcum venī
• The particle `ō’ is often placed in front (as in very
formal English)
– Ō Caesar, nōs servā!
ACCUSATIVE
•
Used for the direct object of the verb
–
–
–
Servus aquam bibit.
Mīles amīcum videt.
Metella mercātōrem vocat.
•
Also for length of time or distance
•
(In poetry) Used with a participle or adjective to refer to the affected part of the thing or
person described
–
–
–
•
Paulus sex mēnsēs Romae habitāvit
Quattuor chiliometra ambulāvimus
Arbor tremefacta comam nūtat (`The tree, made to tremble in its foliage, sways’)
Singular and plural endings
–
–
–
–
–
1st decl: -am and -ās
2nd decl: -um and –ōs (neuter nouns: -um and -a)
3rd decl: –em and –ēs (neuter nouns: ?? and –(i)a)
4th decl: –um and –ūs (neuter nouns: u and –ua)
5th decl: –em and –ēs
ACCUSATIVE (contd.)
•
For motion towards (normally with a preposition such as ad, but on its own with
names of cities and small islands, and with rūs, domum)
–
–
Ad urbem contendimus
Rūs īre volumus
GENITIVE
• Showing possession
– Grumiō est servus Caeciliī
• Showing a relationship of part to whole
– Sex amīcorum meōrum sunt in tabernā
• In an adjective-noun phrase describing another noun
– Maria est fēmina maximae sapientiae
• Expressing value
– Mihi tantī est
(It is worth so much to me)
• Singular and plural endings
•
•
•
•
•
1st decl: -ae and -ārum
2nd decl: -ī and ōrum
3rd decl: -is and –(i)um
4th decl: -ūs and –uum
5th decl: -eī and -ērum
DATIVE
• Used for indirect object or person for whom something is
done
– Deīs multa dōna dedērunt
– Metella Quīntō togam emit
• Also used for a person affected or involved
– Necesse est mihi cum Caesare manēre
– Difficile est mercātōrī in vīllā dormīre
– Tibi est puella laudanda.
• Singular and plural endings
– 1st decl:
– 2nd decl:
– 3rd decl:
-ae and -īs
-ō and -īs
-ī and -ibus
DATIVE (contd.)
• Used with many verbs including especially verbs formed
from a preposition plus simple verb (e.g. appropinquō
(approach), crēdō (believe, trust), imperō (order),
invideō (envy), parcō (spare), pāreō (obey), resistō
(resist)). This is really a special case of the dative of
involvement.
– Graeciae appropinquābāmus
– Nōlī Salviō crēdere!
– Mīlitēs imperātōrī pārēre dēbent
ABLATIVE
• Used to indicate the accompanying circumstances of an
action, including the starting point or location or the
means of doing something. Often used with a preposition
–
–
–
–
–
Lupus in silvā habitat
Marcus et Quīntus Graecum gladiīs pulsāvērunt
Ab urbe discēdimus
Quīntā hōrā cēnāmus
Magnā cum diligentiā labōrāvit
• Singular and plural endings
–
–
–
–
–
1st decl:
2nd decl:
3rd decl:
4th decl:
5th decl:
-ā and -īs
-ō and -īs
-e (less often –ī) and –ibus
-ū and -ibus
-ē and - ēbus
USES OF ABLATIVE
• Place where (with in, sub etc.)
– in Britanniā
in Britain
• Accompaniment (with cum)
– cum amīcīs meīs ambulābam
I was walking with my friends
• Personal agent (with ā/ab)
– lūna ab mīlitibus vidētur
The moon is seen by the soldiers
• Place from which (with ā/ab, dē, ē/ex except with names of cities
and small islands, rūre, domō)
– Marcus ab urbe ad vīllam currit
– Sextus Londiniō profectus est
Marcus runs from the city to the villa
Sextus set off from London
USES OF ABLATIVE
• Manner (indicating how something is done, usually, but not always,
with cum)
– magnā (cum) difficultāte with great difficulty
• Separation (with or without ā/ab or ē/ex)
– Rhēnus flūmen Gallōs (ā) Germānīs dīvidit
The Rhine divides the Gauls from the Germans
• Cause (= because of; with or without ā/ab, dē or ē/ex)
– (ex) vulnere dolēbat
He was in pain from his wound
USES OF ABLATIVE
• Time when
– mēnse Septembrī ad scholam redībit
In December he will return to school
• Time within which
– ad Centrālem decem minūtīs perveniēmus
We will reach Central within ten minutes
• Means (= by, with)
– Mīles hostem gladiō vulnerāvit
The soldier wounded the enemy with his sword
USES OF ABLATIVE
• Comparison
– Rōma ōlim maior erat Londīniō
Rome was once bigger than London
• Degree of difference
– Rōma ōlim multō maior erat Londīniō
Rome was once much bigger than London
• Description (in a noun-adjective phrase)
– Erat vir magnā fortitūdine
He was a man of great courage
USES OF ABLATIVE
•
Respect (= according to, with regard to)
– Meā sententiā, Graecī vincēbunt
In my opinion, the Greeks will win
•
With some verbs (e.g. fruor (enjoy), potior (take posession), ūtor (use), careō
(lack, be without), vescor (feed on))
– Fruēbāmur fēstō Nativitātis
We were enjoying Christmas
•
Ablative absolute
– Hostibus superātīs, ad castra revēnimus
When the enemy had been defeated, we returned to camp
– Iohanne canente, omnēs aurēs tēxērunt
While John was singing, all covered their ears
USES OF ABLATIVE
•
•
With a number of adjectives (contentus, dignus, indignus, frētus (relying on), orbus
(deprived of), praeditus (endowed with)):
–
Dēlectāmenta sunt pretiōsa sed digna pretiō
–
Contenta erat verbīs eius
The pleasures are costly but worth the cost
She was content with his words
To express the price at which something was bought or sold etc.
–
Librum illum tribus sēstertiīs vēndidī
I sold that book for three sesterces
Fundum parvō [pretiō] ēmī
I bought the farm at a low price
LOCATIVE
• This case is used only with names of cities and
small islands and with the nouns domus
(home), humus (ground) and rūs (coutryside) to
indicate location:
– Petrus Londiniī nātus est
– Rūre habitāre iūcundum est
– Multī philosophī Athēnīs discipulōs docent
• Singular and plural endings
– 1st decl:
– 2nd decl:
– 3rd decl:
-ae and -īs
-ī and -īs
-e or –ī and –ibus