Ch 3 · Lesson 25Latin · Chapter 3 · Lesson 25 · Grammar primer
Enim, eheu, edepol: replies, feelings and oaths
, and always sit second. and for grief, for bravo, and the mild oaths: for men, for women, for both.
The short version
.
Why?Hide
(for) opens its clause, but in classical prose , , and usually second. So , but . A Ciceronian sentence that starts with or is a sure sign of an English speaker.
Linking a reply: second-place words
(for) stands first. (for, you see), (but, and now), (but, indeed) and (so) do not: in classical prose they sit second in their clause, after the first word or phrase ( does open sentences in Sallust and Livy).
.- But I am staying..- For I know this..- So you are coming.
More on how these join clauses in Latin connectors.
Feelings: eheu, vae, euge, papae
| Word | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| , ? | Oh dear, what have I done? |
| ! | Woe to the conquered! |
| ! . | Well done! |
| ! ! | Wow! What a big ship! |
takes the dative of whoever will suffer: , woe is me. (An accusative, me, turns up in comedy and Seneca, but the dative is the rule.) is a Gaul's taunt in Livy (5.48.9).
and are both alas. Horace's ode on growing old opens fugaces, Postume, Postume, labuntur (Odes 2.14): alas, Postumus, the fleeting years slip by.
Mild oaths: hercle, ecastor, edepol
Romans swore by gods the way English says honestly. Which god depended on who was speaking:
| Oath | By | Who says it |
|---|---|---|
| Hercules | men |
| Castor | women |
| Pollux | men and women |
Aulus Gellius records the rule: in neque Romanae per Herculem deiurant neque Castorem, in old writings Roman women do not swear by Hercules, nor men by Castor ( Atticae 11.6).
.- I really don't know., !- Honestly, you did well!
Common mistakes
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
! | ! | |
Marcus! | Marce! | |
. | . | |
. | . | |
? . | ? . | |
Going further: Calling and pointing and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
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One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end.
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