Latin Idioms (Pages 221 – 222)

Idiom = ( from a Greek word meaning one’s own, peculiar)

An idiom is an expression peculiar to a language. Every language has its own idioms. Good-by, which is a contraction of God be with you, is one of many idioms in English.

Important idioms in Latin must be memorized.

It is not always desirable to reproduce in English the exact translation of the idiom. The translation should represent the thought of the original rather than the grammatical construction.

Latin Idiom Exact Translation Idiomatic Translation

bellum gerere to carry war to wage warcastra movere to move camp to break campcastra ponere to place camp to pitch campconsilium capere to take a plan to adopt a plangratias agere to drive favors to thankgratiam habere to have a favor to feel gratefulin fugam dare to give into flight to put to flightin fugam se dare to give oneself into flight to fleein matrimonium ducere to lead into marriage to marryinter se dare to give among themselves to exchangeiter dare to give a route (journey) to give right of wayiter facere to make a (route) journey to marchmemoria tenere to hold by memory to rememberorationem habere to have a speech to make a speechpoenam dare to give the penalty to suffer punishmentproelium committere to commit battle to begin battleverba facere to make words to make a speechviam munire to fortify a road to build a road

Verbs with Two Accusatives (Page 221)

In Latin, as well as in English, some transitive verbs take a second accusative in addition to their direct object. This second accusative is either a predicate accusative or a secondary object.

1. Verbs of naming, choosing, appointing, making, showing, considering, and the like in the active voice may take two accusatives denoting the same person or thing. The second accusative may be an adjective. This use is known as the predicate accusative.

Ciceronem consulem creaverunt. They elected Cicero consul.

Ciceronem clarum habent. They consider Cicero famous.

2. Some verbs of asking and teaching may take two accusatives, one of the person (direct object) and the other of the thing (secondary object).

Regem auxilium rogavit. He asked the king for help.

Regem multa docuit. He taught the king many things.

3. Verbs compounded with circum and trans may take two accusatives, one depending on the verb, the other on the preposition.

Flumen impedimenta transportaverunt They carried the baggage across the river.