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Rule 67: The Infinitive as a Subject

In Latin, the infinitive is used in several different ways. In this video, I will discuss how the infinitive can be used as the subject of a verb, in the neuter gender. This works primarily with the verb sum, esse, but there are several other verbs that regularly take an infinitive subject. And in addition, there are many instances where the infinitive doesn't appear to be a subject, as in Horace's famous quote, dulce et decorum est pro patria mori, "it is sweet and proper to die for your country."

91 rules of grammar infinitives

Coniunx, Spouse and Conjugation

The noun coniunx means spouse, and is used for both the male and female component of a marriage, although it’s more frequently used for wife than husband, and it’s perfectly acceptable to translate this as wife or husband, whichever one is best given the context. This video discusses the origin of the word.

culture minutiae

Rule 43: The Ablative of Cause

The ablative case can be used to show the cause of the action, in the sense of "we were praised because of our kindness". This stems from the ablative of separation, where the cause originates "from" a specific act, characteristic, etc. Also part of this ablative are the prepositions causā and grātiā, which take a preceding genitive, e.g., exemplī grātiā.

91 rules of grammar cases nouns

Rule 46: Comparisons with Quam

We will take a break from our review of the ablative case to look a bit more closely at comparisons. We previously had learned about how the ablative case can be used to show comparison, but quam, meaning "than", is much more common and useful in this regard. This video covers all the uses of quam with the comparative, and is meant to be paired with rule number 45, on the ablative of comparison.

91 rules of grammar adjectives cases nouns

Two Sayings by Augustus on Vegetables

Augustus may have left the urbane city of Rome made of marble, but he had a very folksy way of speaking. This new minutiae explores two different sayings by Rome's first emperor on the theme of ... vegetables.

culture minutiae

Rule 53: The Ablative of Description

Most uses of the ablative case are adverbial - that is, they function in ways similar to adverbs. Not so with the ablative of description, which is more like an adjective. This use is pretty similar to the genitive of description, but much more common and used more with physical characteristics.

91 rules of grammar cases nouns

Mappa, the Ancient Napkin

A mappa is a piece of linen used at dinner parties and chariot races alike. In the middle ages, maps were written on linen, hence the modern English derivative of this word.

culture minutiae

Rule 86: Indirect Statement

If you want to read ancient works of Latin, you need to understand the concept of indirect statement - when the author reports speech in an indirect way. Latin will put the subject of the indirect speech into the accusative case, and the action will be an infinitive. Any subordinate clause in indirect speech puts its verb in the subjunctive mood. This video explores this idea in a very basic way, and the videos that follow in the 91 Rules series will go more in depth with indirect discourse (oratio obliqua).

91 rules of grammar infinitives

Synchysis (Figures of Speech)

Synchysis (Synchesis, Synchisis) is the disarrangement of words, often in A-B-A-B order. Latin can do this because cases matter far more than word order. Synchysis is similar to chiasmus (A-B-B-A order), and often the two are confused on tests. Oh, and never underestimate the power of the Golden Line.

figures of speech

Rule 59: Relations of Place with the Ablative and Accusative

For the most part, Latin shows relations of place like location and motion with different prepositions. There is a pattern, though. Prepositions that show motion toward take the accusative case, while those that show location and motion from take the ablative case.

91 rules of grammar cases nouns

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