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enclitic

An enclitic is a suffix which is added to a word to change the meaning of a phrase or sentence. See -ne later in this chapter.

irregular verbs

An irregular verb is one that doesn't follow the rules of a particular conjugation, so we have to learn its forms by rote. An example in English would be the verb to be: I am, you are, he is….

macrons

Traditionally, many Latin textbooks placed macrons over the long vowels (ā), as a pronunciation aid. These were never used in written Latin, only in modern textbooks. I've decided to leave them out in these lessons except when introducing the words in the Vocabulary sections, since they're difficult to type and won't match the un-accented words when people search for them. I will soon add a pronunciation section which will have more details on this.

Sum is an irregular verb, so we have to memorize its forms. The endings of sum in the present tense are similar to the personal endings we saw in the last chapter, though, so that helps. Here is sum in the present tense:

We learned in the first chapter that the nominative is used in the predicate with linking verbs like sum. (The same thing is true in correct English: we say, “It is I,” not, “It is me.”) For example:

• Gallia est provincia. - Gaul is a province.
• Feminae sunt poetae. - The women are poets.
• Sum agricola. - I am a farmer.

The first and second person forms normally have no subject, since the subject (I, you, we) is implied in the verb itself. When the third person forms (est or sunt) are used without a subject, they can declare the existence of something:

• Est aqua. - There is water; water exists.
• Sunt litterae. - There are letters; letters exist.

When used this way, the verb normally comes first, instead of at the end of the sentence as it usually does.

To say that something is at a particular place, we use the preposition in with the ablative case. This may be translated in English as at, in, on, or other prepositions, depending on the context.

• In insula est. - He is on the island.
• Poetae in Gallia sunt. - The poets are in Gaul.

To turn a statement into a yes-or-no question, we add the enclitic -ne to the first word.

• Poeta in Gallia est. - The poet is in Gaul.
• Poetane in Gallia est. - Is the poet in Gaul?

Remember that this is only for yes-or-no questions. Questions begun with interrogatives like which or where are constructed differently, and we'll learn those later.

Latin has no words for yes and no, so questions asked with -ne are answered by repeating part of the sentence, adding non to negate it for a no answer:

• Puellaene insulam spectant? - Are the girls looking at the island?
• Spectant. - Yes. (They are looking.)
• Non spectant. - No. (They are not looking.)

• Eurōpa, -ae, f., Europe
• Germānia, -ae, f., Germany
• Hispānia, -ae, f., Spain
• hōra, -ae, f., hour
• nauta, -ae, m., sailor
• porta, -ae, f., gate
• Rōma, -ae, f., Rome
• terra, -ae, f., earth, land
• tuba, -ae, f., trumpet
• via, -ae, f., road, way
• vīlla, -ae, f., farmhouse, country house

• sum, I am

• -ne, (enclitic interrogative participle)

a. Translate:

1. Poetae sumus.
2. Puella in insula est.
3. Estisne feminae?
4. Agricola in silva est.
5. Sum in Europa.
6. Non sumus feminae.
7. Suntne puellae in villa?
8. Non sunt litterae in villa.
9. Agricolae vias parant.
10. Spectantne poetae puellas?

b. Translate:

1. The girls are in Europe.
2. We are on the island.
3. Is the poet in the province?
4. The farmer is looking at the trumpet.
5. Are the women carrying water?
6. The sailors are on the island.
7. Are they in the forest?
8. You are not on the road.
9. The farmers are not in the farmhouse.
10. He is not a poet.

c. Find an English word that derives from each Latin word in the vocabulary.

This was a short chapter, but sum is such a common word that it is important to learn its forms well. The ablative of place is also used very often. Remember that in with the ablative can be translated as on, in, or at, depending on the word it goes with.

Next chapter, the genitive case and the second declension.

a. Translate:

1. Poetae sumus. - We are poets.
2. Puella in insula est. - The girl is on the island.
3. Estisne feminae? - Are you women?
4. Agricola in silva est. - The farmer is in the forest.
5. Sum in Europa. - I am in Europe.
6. Non sumus feminae. - We are not women.
7. Suntne puellae in villa? - Are there girls in the farmhouse?
8. Non sunt litterae in villa. - The letters are not in the farmhouse.
9. Agricolae vias parant. - The farmers are preparing roads.
10. Spectantne poetae puellas? - Are the poets watching the girls?

b. Translate:

1. The girls are in Europe. - Puellae in Europa sunt.
2. We are on the island. - In insula sumus.
3. Is the poet in the province? - Estne poeta in provincia?
4. The farmer is looking at the trumpet. - Agricola tubam spectat.
5. Are the women carrying water? - Portantne feminae aquam?
6. The sailors are on the island. - Nautae in insula sunt.
7. Are they in the forest? - Suntne in silva?
8. You are not on the road. - Esne non in via.
9. The farmers are not in the farmhouse. - Agricolae in villa non sunt.
10. He is not a poet. - Non poeta est.

c. Find an English word that derives from each Latin word in the vocabulary.

• Eurōpa, Europe
• Germānia, Germany
• Hispānia, Hispanic
• hōra, hour
• nauta, nautical
• porta, portal
• Rōma, Roman
• terra, terrestrial
• tuba, tuba
• via, via
• vīlla, villa

• sum, ???

Discuss or ask questions about this lesson here on my blog.