Translation
from; by
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Examples
.
He was sent by his father.
.
He is a long way from the city.
.
I said this from the beginning.
.
The book was read by the boy.
.
From that day nothing has changed.
"ab" takes the ABLATIVE and means "away from", starting at the outside of something, in contrast to "ex", which starts inside it, and "de", which comes down off it. It also marks a starting point in time, as in "ab initio", from the beginning.
Its other job is the important one for reading: with a PASSIVE verb, "a" or "ab" plus the ablative names the person doing the action. "A patre missus est" is "he was sent by his father". If the doer is a thing rather than a person, Latin drops the preposition and uses the bare ablative instead, so a city destroyed by fire is "igni deleta" with no "ab" in sight.
The short form "a" stands before consonants and "ab" before vowels and h, with "abs" surviving in a few fixed phrases.
Where this fits
Used in
Stories
(6)Grammar articles
(8)The Latin Ablative Case and Its Many Uses
Biblical Latin: How to Read the Vulgate as a Learner
Latin cum Clauses: when, since and although
Latin Fero: ferre, tuli, latum, Its Meanings and Compounds
Latin Indirect Commands: ut and ne with the Subjunctive
Latin Indirect Questions: Question Word plus Subjunctive
Latin Passive Periphrastic: Carthago delenda est
The Latin Passive and Deponent Verbs: amatur, locutus sum
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ab: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Latin word "ab" (from; by): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
This word is taught in chapter 1, lesson 4: ab, ex, per and 11 more words.