Dictionary formcertamen, certaminis(neuter)
Translation
contest, struggle; battle
Test yourself on certamen
Three quick questions. No account needed.
Know this word? Create a free account to track it.
Grammar
Cases
| Case | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominativethe subject | certamen | certamina |
| Vocativecalling someone: O ... | certamen | certamina |
| Accusativethe direct object; after ad, in (into), per | certamen | certamina |
| Genitiveof | certaminis | certaminum |
| Dativeto, for | certamini | certaminibus |
| Ablativeby, with, from; after a, ab, cum, de, e, ex, in (in), sine | certamine | certaminibus |
Examples
.
A contest arose between the leaders.
.
They defended the city with a great struggle.
.
Horse races please the people.
.
He was unwilling to enter the contest.
.
The end of the struggle had not yet come.
Certamen, certaminis, n. Third declension neuter, from certo, certare, to contend, with the -men suffix that turns an action into a thing, the same one that makes flumen out of fluo.
Its range is wider than the military words. Proelium and pugna are strictly fighting; certamen keeps the underlying image of two sides straining against each other, so it serves equally for the games, a lawsuit, a debate in the senate and a pitched battle. It looks like certus, "certain", and the two are genuine cousins through cerno, to decide, but a certamen is the fight over a decision rather than the settled result. Nothing about it is certain until it ends.
Where this fits
Add to review queue
Track this word in your spaced-repetition queue and be tested on it at the right interval.
Meet this word in a story
Every course has graded stories written only with words you have been taught, plus grammar drills, a games arcade and printable worksheets. Chapters 1 and 2 are free.
Chapters 1 and 2 free, forever. Plus: 7 days free, then $5 a month for all eleven languages.
Latin · Free printables
certamen: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Latin word "certamen" (contest, struggle; battle): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
Free for members
The printable worksheets, infographics and PDFs are free with an account. Start a free week and download as many as you like.
Start your free weekThis word is taught in chapter 6, lesson 2: certamen, refero, desertum and 7 more words.