Dictionary formtenebrae, tenebrarum(feminine plural)
Translation
darkness, gloom; shadows
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Grammar
Cases
| Case | plural |
|---|---|
| Nominativethe subject | tenebrae |
| Vocativecalling someone: O ... | tenebrae |
| Accusativethe direct object; after ad, in (into), per | tenebras |
| Genitiveof | tenebrarum |
| Dativeto, for | tenebris |
| Ablativeby, with, from; after a, ab, cum, de, e, ex, in (in), sine | tenebris |
Examples
texerunt.
Darkness covered the whole earth.
.
They walked for a long time in the darkness.
.
Light conquers darkness.
.
He came through the darkness to the gate.
.
Fear of the dark grips the boys.
Tenebrae, tenebrarum is first declension feminine and plurale tantum: there is no singular. English "the darkness" is one thing, Latin tenebrae is grammatically several, so the verb agrees in the plural - tenebrae erant, never tenebra erat. Get that wrong and the sentence stops parsing.
Beyond literal dark it covers blindness, obscurity, ignorance and death, which is why the liturgy works it so hard; the Holy Week office called Tenebrae takes its name from the candles being put out one by one. Nox is the time of night, umbra is a particular shadow, tenebrae is the condition of being unable to see. English keeps tenebrous and the painters' tenebrism; Italian has tenebre.
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tenebrae: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Latin word "tenebrae" (darkness, gloom; shadows): 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 3, lesson 12: tenebrae, aetas, articulus and 10 more words.