Dictionary formcausa, causae(feminine)
Translation
cause; reason; case at law
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Grammar
Cases
| Case | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominativethe subject | causa | causae |
| Vocativecalling someone: O ... | causa | causae |
| Accusativethe direct object; after ad, in (into), per | causam | causas |
| Genitiveof | causae | causarum |
| Dativeto, for | causae | causis |
| Ablativeby, with, from; after a, ab, cum, de, e, ex, in (in), sine | causa | causis |
Examples
?
What was the reason?
.
This was the cause of the war.
.
He is afraid for no reason.
.
He pleaded the case before the judges.
.
This was done for the sake of honour.
Causa, causae is a first declension feminine noun, entirely regular, and it means a cause, a reason, a pretext, or a case in court. Causam agere is to plead a case; causam dicere is to speak in your own defence.
The form that earns the word its rank is the ablative causa used as a postposition. It follows a GENITIVE and means "for the sake of": honoris causa, exempli causa, mea causa, rei publicae causa. Note the word order, because it is the reverse of what Latin normally does with prepositions and it is a reliable marker: if you meet a bare genitive with causa sitting behind it, that is what is happening. Gratia does the same job in the same position, which is where exempli gratia and its abbreviation come from.
It gives cause, accuse, excuse and because. Its most surprising descendant is French chose, Italian cosa and Spanish cosa, all meaning simply "thing": the Romance languages picked the legal "matter" up and wore it down into the vaguest noun they have.
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Latin · Free printables
causa: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Latin word "causa" (cause; reason; case at law): 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 2, lesson 2: causa, frater, mox and 11 more words.