Dictionary formgladius, gladii(masculine)
Translation
sword
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Grammar
Cases
| Case | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominativethe subject | gladius | gladii |
| Vocativecalling someone: O ... | gladi | gladii |
| Accusativethe direct object; after ad, in (into), per | gladium | gladios |
| Genitiveof | gladii | gladiorum |
| Dativeto, for | gladio | gladiis |
| Ablativeby, with, from; after a, ab, cum, de, e, ex, in (in), sine | gladio | gladiis |
Examples
strinxit pugnavit.
He drew his sword and fought.
vulneravit.
He wounded the enemy with his sword.
armati .
The soldiers were armed with swords.
.
The edge of the sword was hard.
.
He did not go into battle without a sword.
Gladius, gladii is second declension masculine: the short stabbing sword of the legions, the gladius Hispaniensis, and the reason a fighter in the arena is a gladiator. Probably a Celtic loan rather than native Latin.
One declension point saves confusion. Second declension nouns in -ius regularly contract the genitive singular -ii to -i, so the corpus form gladi is a genitive, not a scribal slip; the same happens with fili from filius. As for register, gladius is the prose word and ensis the poets'. What actually reached the Romance languages was neither: the later Empire fought with the long spatha, which gives French epee and Spanish espada, while gladius survives only in gladiator and in gladiolus, the little sword named for its leaves.
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gladius: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Latin word "gladius" (sword): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is taught in chapter 8, lesson 2: gladius, argentum, leo and 7 more words.