Sept. 3

Chapters 2 & 3

Infinitives

Remember infinitives are neuter singular verbal nouns, so adjectives and participles that agree with them must be neuter singular: Bonum est legere posse. (It is good to be able to read.)

complementary infinitive- completes the meaning of an intransitive verb such as possum or soleo.

objective infinitive or object infinitive- acts as direct object of a transitive verb such as volo or coepi.

subject infinitive- acts as the subject of certain verbs and verbal expressions such as placet or necesse est.

Usually infinitives take an accusative subject: abire te veto. (I forbid you to go.)

Infinitives used with certain verbs require dative subjects (really the dative is a dative of interest with the main verb): Venire mihi placet. (It pleases me to come.)


Participles

Latin uses participles far more than English, so often an English adjectival clause may be the equivalent of a Latin participial phrase:
The men who set out never arrived.
Viri profecti numquam advenerunt.

Remember that participles are verbal adjectives, so they must agree with what they modify in gender, number, and case: Muri cadentes (m. nom. pl.) viam operuerunt. (The walls, falling, covered the road.)

Remember that participles and infinitives show relative time. Thus perfect participles show a time earlier than the main verb, while present participles show the same time as the main verb, and future participles show later time.

Perfect passive participles (4th principal part) can be translated "verbed" or "having been verbed"; however, perfect passive participles of deponent verbs are active in meaning, so they mean "verbing" or more accurately "having verbed." Note only deponent verbs can have these kind of perfect active (in meaning) participles.

Present participles are formed from the present stem (with -ie- vowels for -io verbs) plus -ns, -ntis. Though it is always translated "verbing," your book is right to point out that an English present participle does not always equal a Latin present participle because Latin is more particular about representing relative time.

Going to town, he sang along the way.
SAME TIME (needs Latin present participle)
Iens ad oppidum, per viam canebat.
Going to town, he bought a sword.
EARLIER TIME (needs Latin deponent perfect active participle)
Ingressus in oppidum, gladium emit.

Future participles (4th principal part - us/um + urus) may be translated "going to verb," "likely to verb," or "intending to verb."

I am intending to leave today.
Discessurus hodie sum.
About to run, he decided to stay.
Cursurus, manere constituit.

HW: 2. 1,4,8,10 & 3a. 1,3,9 & 3b. 3,8,10 (on syllabus)