Latin I / Intro to Latin

A study of the Latin language and the history, culture, and geography of

ancient Rome

Conversational LatinSalve:

Greetings! Hi! (to one person)

Salvete: Greetings! Hey y’all! (plural)

Vale: Farewell! Goodbye! (to one person)

Valete: Farewell! Bye y’all! (plural)

Give the plural of…

• antenna• larva• formula• amoeba• nebula• vertebra• alga

Give the plural of…

• antenna• larva• formula• amoeba• nebula• vertebra• alga

• antennae• larvae• formulae• amoebae• nebulae• vertebrae• algae

First Declension EndingsSingular

Nom

Gen

Dat

Acc

Abl

Plural

- ae- ārum- īs- ās- īs

- a

- ae- ae- am- ā

Nom

Gen

Dat

Acc

Abl

Decline “girl”Singular Plural

Nominative puella puellaeGenitive puellae puellārumDative puellae puellīsAccusative puellam puellās Ablative puellā puellīs

Decline “farmer”Singular Plural

Nominative agricola agricolaeGenitive agricolae agricolārumDative agricolae agricolīsAccusative agricolam agricolās Ablative agricolā agricolīs

Decline “daughter”Singular Plural

Nominative filia filiaeGenitive filiae filiārumDative filiae filiīsAccusative filiam filiās Ablative filiā filiīs

Verbs – Personal EndingsSingular

1st

2nd

3rd

Plural

- mus

- tis

- nt

1st

2nd

3rd

- ō

- s

- t

or - m

Conjugate “call”

Singular Plural1st Person vocō vocāmus2nd Person vocās vocātis3rd Person vocat vocant

Conjugate “love”

Singular Plural1st Person amō amāmus2nd Person amās amātis3rd Person amat amant

Conjugate “give”

Singular Plural1st Person dō damus2nd Person dās datis3rd Person dat dant

Definition 1st 2nd 3rd 4th

walk ambulō ambulāre ambulāvī ambulātuslove amō amāre amāvī amātusshout clāmō clāmāre clāmāvī clāmātuscrown corōnō corōnāre corōnāvī corōnātusgive dō dare dedī datuspraise laudō laudāre laudāvī laudātuschoose optō optāre optāvī optātusprepare parō parāre parāvī parātuscarry portō portāre portāvī portātusfight pūgnō pūgnāre pūgnāvī pūgnātuscall vocō vocāre vocāvī vocātus

The boy poked his mother’s eye with his finger.

Nom Gen Dat Acc Abl

The boy poked his mother’s eye with his finger.

Nom

Gen Acc

Abl

I donated money to the firefighters’ fund by means of a check.

Nom Gen Dat Acc Abl

DatGen

I donated money to the firefighters’ fund by means of a check.

Nom Acc

Abl

With a megaphone, the band’s director called instructions to the band.

Nom Gen Dat Acc Abl

NomGen

Dat

Abl

With a megaphone, the band’s director called instructions to the band.

Acc

Use “feather” or “feathers” in 5 English sentences so you have one sentence to illustrate each case. Give the correct Latin form of feather for each sentence.

FEATHER CHALLENGE

The mask’s feathers tickled my nose.

Case & Number:

Latin word:

Nominative Plural

pinnae

Quills were popular pens because the

hollow shaft of the feather acted as an

ink reservoir.Case & Number:

Latin word:

Genitive Singular

pinnae

The worker applied soap to the bird’s feathers to

remove the oil.Case & Number:

Latin word:

Dative Plural

pinnīs

The man collected feathers for his

headdress.Case & Number:

Latin word:

Accusative Plural

pinnās

The girl tickled the boy with a feather.Case & Number:

Latin word:

Ablative Singular

pinnā

Be VerbsThe verb “To be” is said to be the most protean word of the English language, constantly changing form, sometimes without much of a discernible pattern.

What does PROTEAN mean?

Proteus was a Greek god of the sea. Like the sea, he could change his form – a lion, a serpent, a tree, running water.

What does PROTEAN mean?

When Aristaeus needed an answer from Proteus, he had to grab him and hold on to him no matter what form he took. Eventually, Proteus got tired and gave him the answer he needed.

Ummm…so what does it mean?

protean: able to change frequently or easily; versatile

So the verb “to be” changes frequently, it is hard to get hold of.

To Be – Present TenseI am

You are

He/she/it is

We are

You (pl) are

They are

To Be – Past TenseI was

You were

He/she/it was

We were

You (pl) were

They were

sum, esse: to beI am: sum

You are: es

He/she/it is: est

We are: sumus

You (pl) are: estis

They are: sunt

Be Verb vs Personal Endings

Singular

1st

2nd

3rd

Plural

- mus

- tis

- nt

1st

2nd

3rd

- ō

- s

- t

or - m sum

es

est

sumus

estis

sunt

To Be

In English, be verbs can be used as “helpers” to another verb, in passive constructions, or stand alone as a verb.

To Be – Helping Verb

She paints a picture.no be verb

She is painting a picture.

To Be – Helping Verb

He punched the boy.no be verb

He was punching the boy.

To Be – Helping Verb

There is no “helping” be verb in Latin. The subtlety of difference in meaning is conveyed in their use of 6 tenses.

To Be – Passive Verbs

The boy kicked the ball.active verb – subject performs the verb action

The ball was kicked by the boy.passive verb – subject receives the verb action

To Be – Passive Verbs

The girl cut the yarn.active verb – subject performs the verb action

The yarn was cut by the girl.passive verb – subject receives the verb action

To Be – Passive Verbs

There is no be verb in passive constructions in Latin. Instead, personal endings on the action verb are changed to indicate the passive translation.

To Be – Stand Alone

I am your teacher.

The boys are happy.

The girl is beautiful.

Our vacation was fantastic!

Hector is not here this morning.

To Be – Stand Alone

No action is being performed – the be verb just links the subject and the predicate.

You do use be verbs for this reason in Latin!

Which of the following sentences would use sum, esse?

1. I am talking to you.

2. You are my friend.

3. She was hit by a foul ball.

4. She is an accountant.

5. The baby was having a temper tantrum.

6. The farmer is not a poet.

7. I was helped by a passing motorist.

Which of the following sentences would use sum, esse?

1. I am talking to you.

2. You are my friend.

3. She was hit by a foul ball.

4. She is an accountant.

5. The baby was having a temper tantrum.

6. The farmer is not a poet.

7. I was helped by a passing motorist.

New Vocab

aqua, aquae, F:

Ītalia, Ītaliae, F:

lavō, lavāre, lāvī, lautus:

natō (1):

patria, patriae, F:

Rōma, Rōmae, F:

servō (1):

stō, stāre, stetī, status:

terra, terrae, F:

toga, togae, F:

via, viae, F:

vīta, vītae, F:

Water

Italy

Wash

Swim

Country

Rome

Preserve, save guard

Stand

Land, earth

Toga

Way, road

Life

Translate these sentences with be verbs.

I am a poet.

You are a farmer.

The sailor’s daughter is not a sailor.

We are scribes.

You are (female) servants.

The women are servants.

The servant and the queen are women.

Translate these sentences with be verbs.

I am a poet.

You are a farmer.

The sailor’s daughter is not a sailor.

We are scribes.

You are (female) servants.

The women are servants.

The servant and the queen are women.

Sum poeta.

Es agricola.

Fīlia nautae non est nauta.

Sumus scribae.

Estis servae.

Fēminae sunt servae.

Serva et rēgīna sunt fēminae.