Ch. 33 & 34

HW: 33A 1,7,11; 33B 1; 34A 1,3,7; 34B 6

GERUNDS AND GERUNDIVES

The gerund is a verbal noun made from the neuter singular forms of the gerundive. It has no nominative, and it is never used as a subject, a direct object, or a complement to an intransitive verb that takes an infinitive (like possum or soleo).
Examples: amandi (gen.), amando (dat.), amandum (acc.), amando (abl.)

In English we can sometimes use infinitives (to see) and gerunds (seeing) interchangeably.
To see is to believe./Seeing is believing.

Latin is more particular. Infinitives are reserved for subjects, predicate nominatives, direct objects, and verb complements.

Examples:
To see is to believe.
Videre (subject) est credere (predicate nominative).
He dared to come.
Venire (direct object) audebat.
We are able to leave.
Possumus discedere (verbal complement).

Gerunds may be used as an objective genitive or genitive complement to a noun or adjective. They are often found with a following causa or gratia (for the sake/purpose of) to show purpose.

Examples:
desirous of loving
cupidus amandi
opportunity for leaving
occasio/facultas discedendi
time for coming
tempus veniendi
to help/for the sake of helping
adiuvandi causa/gratia

They may be dative as the dative complement to a verb or other word (some adjectives take dative). These are often akin to a dative of purpose (for/for the purpose of).

Examples:
suitable for fighting
aptus/idoneus pugnando
He is eager to go.
Studet eundo.

In accusative gerunds are typically the object of ad or occasionally in. They usually show purpose and can be used in many of the same ways as ad + accusative gerund.

Examples:
He sent them to help.
Eos ad adiuvandum misit.
The book is suitable for reading.
Liber est idoneus ad legendum.

In ablative, a gerund may be used as an ablative of means/instrument without a preposition or sometimes with in or de + ablative.

Examples:
They destroyed the city by burning (it).
Incendendo urbem deleverunt.
We talked about leaving.
De discedendo loquebamur.

Gerundives are often used in place of gerunds when a gerund would have an accusative direct object, but keep the gerund with verbs that are intransitive or take other cases (e.g. Kevin's "amor pugnandi cum ursis", "love of fighting with bears" because pugno is intrasitive). The gerundive, when used in place of a gerund and direct object, does not show necessity and is usually translated in English by a gerund (verbing) or infinitive (to verb). In Latin the noun and the gerundive go into the same gender, number, and case--the case being subject to the function in the sentence just as with a gerund.

Examples:
He came to see you all.
Ad vos videndos venit.
He fought for the sake of saving his country.
Patriae servandae gratia pugnavit.
The pen/quill is suitable for writing books.
Idonea penna ad libros scribendos (or "libris scribendis") est.
By defeating the enemy we have acquired freedom.
Hostibus vincendis libertate potiti sumus.

Beware that you should not use a gerundive however, if it would agree with a neuter pronoun in the genitive, dative, or ablative case when the gender would be ambguous.

It is suitable for helping those things (things/not people).
Ambiguous, Bad Latin: Idoneum est adiuvandis eis*. *could be masc. or neuter
Good Latin 1: Idoneum est ad ea adiuvanda. {Gerundive avoids ambiguous case.
Good Latin 2: Idoneum est ea adiuvando. {Gerund with accusative pl. neuter object.

The Romans, and especially Caesar, also often avoided the jingling two syllable rhyme of phrases like "eORUM videndORUM causa" and "puellARUM puniendARUM occasio" by substituting a gerund with accusative object, "eos videndi causa" and "puellas puniendi occasio".

Genitives of personal pronouns used with gerundives must be the objective forms: mei, tui, sui, nostri (not nostrum which is for partive genitive), vestri (not vestrum which is for partive genitive).

A noun and gerund may be the object of a verb that means to manage or undertake an action. Curo, curare is the verb most often used this way.

Examples:
I see to it that the fort is built. ...that the fort be built.
Castrum aedificandum curo.
He managed to have the town destroyed. ...that the town be destroyed.
Oppidum delendum curavit.
They will undertake to defeat us. ...that we be defeated.
Suscipient nos vincendos.