Ch. 17-18

HW: 17A 1,4,7,12; 17B 3; 18A 7,11,14; 18B 11 (Due Wednesday, so you can wait till after test)


Translation of Abstract Nouns

The point of this chapter is to get you to think about different ways to express abstract ideas in Latin since Latin uses abstract nouns far less than English. You will not always know when Latin can use an abstract noun (i.e. truth, cause, position, quality), but you can follow the examples in your book as models. When in doubt about whether Latin would permit an abstract noun, change it into some other kind of expression.

Below I give examples of an original English sentence with one or more abstract nouns. Then I change it into an English sentence without abstract nouns, and finally I translate that into Latin. This is what you should do. Note that your book has many more good examples for each of the following points, but it does not always show the intermediate step (revised English).

Here are several ways of translating an English abstract noun:

1) Use an indirect question.

He knows the reason.
change to} He knows why it's happening.
Scit quare fiat.
I understand his intentions.
change to} I understand what he is going to do.
Intellego quae facturus sit.

2) Use a Latin verb that includes the idea of the noun.

They had hope in victory.
change to} They hoped that they would win.
Sperabant se victuros esse.
They received justice at the hands of the jury.
change to} They were treated justly by the jurors.
Ab iudicibus aeque tractati sunt.

3) Use a Latin verb that includes the idea of the noun and then add a neuter pronoun or adjective as its object.

He had the same opinion.
change to} He thought the same thing.
Idem putabat.
We had the same idea.
change to} We too thought that. Id etiam putavimus.

4) Use an infinitive (if noun is nom./acc.) or gerund/gerundive (if noun is not nom.). Indirect statements may be useful.

He hated life.
change to}
He hated that he was alive.
(Is) vivere se oderat.
She hoped for mercy.
change to} She hoped that she would be spared. (..it would be spared to her)
(Ea) sibi parcendum esse sperabat.
I appreciated their enthusiasm.
change to} I gladly recognized that they they were rejoicing.
Libenter intellexi eos gaudere.
You talked about the destruction of the city.
change to} You talked about the city being destroyed.
De urbe delenda loquebaris.

5) Use a relative clause.

He knew the outcome.
change to} He knew everything that/which had happened.
Omnia quae facta essent noverat.
What is his business?
change to} What is it that/which he does?
Quid est quod facit?

6) Use a participle phrase.

With Caesar's help, Pompey will win.
change to} Caesar helping, Pompey will win.
Caesare adiuvante (ablative absolute), Pompeius vincet.
Under Numa's rule, Rome grew more civilized.
change to} Numa (being) king, Rome became more civilized.
Numa rege (ablative absolute), Roma humanior facta est.


7) Before and after. Latin will avoid using abstract nouns as the object of post and ante. Use participles with concrete nouns as the object or change to a temporal clause or ablative abslolute.

Before the destruction of the city, I left.
change to} Before the city having been destroyed, I left.
Ante urbem deletam discessi.
or change to} The city not yet having been destroyed, I left.
Urbe nondum deleta, discessi. (ablative absolute)
or change to} Before the city was destroyed, I left.
Antequam urbs deleta est, discessi. (temporal clause)
After the allies' arrival at the camp, I was happy.
change to} After the allies having entered the camp, I was happy.
Post socios in castra ingressos laetus eram.

8) Avoid abstract subjects and predicate nominatives in any possible way: with adjectives, with ablative absolute, with participles, with infinitives, and with clauses.

The death of the king made us all sad.
change to} The king being dead, we all became sad.
Rege mortuo, maesti omnes facti sumus. (ablative absolute)
The love of a good woman is every Roman man's desire.
change to} Every Roman man wants to be loved by a good woman.
Romanus quisque a bona amari vult. (infinitive and main verb)
Patience is a virtue.
change to} It is honorable to suffer.
honestum est pati.


Ablative uses

This covers many regular uses of the ablative case.

ablative of agent (with a passive verb)-- a/ab +abl.

He was killed by me. A me interfectus est.

ablative of means/instrument-- no preposition in Latin, just ablative

He is fighting with a sword. Gladio pugnat.
NOTE: Do not write "Cum gladio pugnat." This actually means that he and the sword are fighting each other!

ablative of manner-- usually with preposition cum, then ablative

The cum is not necessary if the ablative noun has an adjective with it.
This tells how or in what manner something is done.
He spoke with wisdom (wisely). Cum sapientia dixit.

ablative of accompaniment (not in your book, but very common)-- cum + ablative

This tells with whom someone does something.
I am walking to the city with my sisters. Cum sororibus ad urbem ambulo.

ablative of respect-- no preposition in Latin, just ablative

This tells in what way or what respect something is true.
He surpasses us in (with respect to) courage. Virtute nos superat.
He is great only in fame, not in virtue. Magnus tantum fama, non virtute est.

ablative of comparison-- no preposition, used with comparative adverbs and adjectives

You are more intelligent than all the rest. Omnibus reliquis es intellegentior.

ablative of degree/measure of difference-- no preposition, used with comparatives

The ablative of degree/measure will be a word of quantity in the ablative: multo, nihilo, paulo, tribus pedibus (three feet as measurement)
She is taller by four inches. Ea altior quattuor unciis erat.
He is much shorter. Is multo brevior erat.

ablative of time when-- no preposition, just ablative

At the fifth hour we started out. Quinta hora, profecti sumus.

ablative of time within which-- no preposition, just ablative

Within three days he will come. Tribus diebus, veniet.


Ablative as object of any of these deponent ablative verbs: utor, fruor, fungor, potior, vescor (all of these are 3rd conjugation except potior which is 4th).
I am enjoying the book. Libro fruor.

Ablative as the complement for any of these (and other) adjectives which take an ablative: dignus, fretus, contentus, indignus, pareditus.

NOTE: Sometimes this case makes sense to us, but not always.
We say "content with that" and "with that" sounds ablative, but we say "worthy of better" which sounds like "of better" would be genitive but Latin uses ablative.

She is unworthy of such (such great) pain. Indigna est tanto dolore.
They are relying on you. Ei te freti sunt.