Review Of The Ablative Case (Pages 23-25; 434-437) Ablative With a Preposition:
10. Object of Certain Prepositions (pro for, on behalf of, in front of; sine without) pro liberis sine pecunia for the children without money 11. Place Where (in in, on; sub under) in terra sub imperio on the earth under the power 12. Place from Which (a, ab from, away from; e, ex out of, from; de down from, concerning, about) ab aqua ex taberna de caelo from the water out of the shop down from heaven 14. Manner (cum with) magna cum diligentia cum studio with great care with desire 15. Accompaniment (cum with) cum pueris with the boys 12. Review of the Ablative of Separation
The Ablative of Separation emphasizes the state of being apart. Sometimes the separation is figurative, with such verbs as those meaning to set free, deprive, sustain, and the preposition is omitted. If the word in the ablative refers to a person, a preposition is regularly used.
Patriam periculo liberavit. He freed his country from danger.
Patriam ab hostibus liberavit. He freed his country from the enemy.
The preposition ab with the Ablative of Agent always means by; with the Ablative of Separation it means from, away from. 14. Ablative of Manner = how something is done preposition cum + ablative noun (abstract)
He worked with great diligence. with joy. Verb Prep. Adj. Noun Prep. Noun 3 Sing. Ablative Ablative Perfect Manner Manner Active Fem. Fem. Indicative Sing. Sing.
Magna cum diligentia laboravit. cum laetitia 15. Ablative of Accompaniment = with whom something is done preposition cum + ablative noun (living being)
He worked with many slaves . with (his) friend. Verb Prep. Adj. Noun Prep. Noun 3 Sing. Ablative Ablative Perfect Accompaniment Accompaniment Active Mas. Mas. Indicative Pl. Sing.
Cum multis servis laboravit. cum amico. Ablative Without a Preposition
Ablative of Means The ablative is used without a preposition to express the means or instrument with which some act is done.
Dominus tuba servum vocabat.
The master was calling the servant with (by means of) a trumpet.
This ablative is called the ablative of means and is translated into English thus: by, by means of, with. It always answers the question: With what? By means of what? The noun in the ablative of means is usually a concrete noun, never a person. Don’t confuse (Nolite confundere) the following:
He fought with diligence. with the enemy with weapons Verb Prep. Noun Prep. Noun Noun 3 Sing. Ablative Ablative Ablative Perfect Manner Accompaniment Means Active Fem. Masc. Neuter Indicative Sing. Plural Plural
Cum diligentia pugnavit. cum inimicis telis Expressions of Time
1. Ablative of Time When (Within Which)
No preposition in Latin
the same summer in the winter in the year of the Lord Adj. Noun Noun Noun Noun Abl. Time When Abl. Time When Abl. Time When Possess. Fem. Fem. Mas. Gen. Sing. Sing. Sing. Mas. Sing. eadem aestate hieme Anno Domini
A.D. Ablative of Respect
An ablative noun without a preposition is used to show in what respect or in what specification a noun, adjective, or verb applies.
Latinus was a friend in name and in deeds. Noun Verb Noun Noun Conj. Noun Subject 3 Sing. Pred. Nom. Respect (Specification) Nom. Imp. Nom. Abl. Mas. Act. Mas. Neu. Neu. Sing. Indic. Sing. Sing. Pl.
Latinus erat amicus nomine et factis. Ablative of Description
1. The ablative modified by an adjective may be used to describe a person or thing: homo magna virtute a man of great courage a man with great courage Review of Comparison with the Comparative Degree
1. Comparison with quam (conjunction = than)
In English we use the adverb than in comparisons; and the two persons, places, or things being compared are in the same case. The same rule is true in Latin with the adverb quam (than).
Honor mihi major est quam vita. Honor is greater to me than life.
2. Ablative of Comparison
In Latin quam is sometimes omitted. The word being compared, which follows than in English, is placed in the ablative case in Latin. This use is called the Ablative of Comparison. This ablative may be used only when the persons, places, or things being compared would be in the nominative or accusative case if quam were used.
Honor mihi major est vita. Honor is greater to me than life. Ablative of Degree of Difference
Latin = No Preposition
When two things are compared, the amount of difference between them is often specified. This amount of difference is expressed by the ablative, called the Ablative of Degree of Difference. This ablative is usually expressed by paulo, multo, or some phrase containing a. number.
Study these sentences:
1. The journey was a little less difficult (less by a little = minus paulo). 2. This journey was much harder (harder by much = difficilius multo). 3. The river rose three feet higher (higher by three feet altius tribus pedibus). 4. We rose a little before daybreak (before by a little ante paulo). 5. We rose a little after daybreak (after by a little = post paulo). Ablative Absolute
No preposition in Latin
In English we sometimes say: Such being the case, we shall not go on. Such being the case is grammatically independent of the rest of the sentence. This construction is called the nominative absolute because the noun or its substitute is in the nominative case and, with the participle, is independent of all other parts of the sentence.
In Latin this construction is frequently used, but the words are in the ablative instead of the nominative case.
Hence, the phrase is called ablative absolute. An Ablative Absolute may consist of:
1. A noun or pronoun and a participle.
Obsidibus datis, Caesar pacem faciet.
(With) Hostages having been given, Caesar will make peace.
2. A noun or pronoun and an adjective.
Militibus fortibus, urbs servata est.
(With) The soldiers (being) brave, the city was saved.
3. Two nouns.
Caesare duce, milites fortiter pugnaverunt.
(With) Caesar (being) leader, the soldiers fought bravely. Ablative of Cause
Latin = no preposition
The ablative without a preposition may be used to express the cause or reason of an action, state, or feeling. It is generally used with adjectives or verbs of emotion.
Propter (because of, on account of) and ob (because of, on account of) with the accusative may be used instead of the Ablative of Cause.
Filii Corneliae virtute laudati sunt.
The sons of Cornelia were praised because of their bravery.
Filii Corneliae propter virtutem laudati sunt.
The sons of Cornelia were praised because of their bravery. Ablative With or Without a Preposition
1. Ablative of Manner: The cum drops out (sometimes) when an adjective is added: _ _ Summa celeritate fugit. He fled with very great speed. _ But c.f.: summa cum laude …with the highest praise…
2. Ablative of Separation (see supra).
3. Ablative of Cause: Is sometimes expressed with a preposition: (de, ex) _ _ _ Qua de causa fugit. For this reason he fled. Review of Place Constructions
Ablative Case
1. Place Where (in in, on; sub under) in terra sub imperio on the earth under the power
2. Place from Which (a, ab from, away from; e, ex out of, from; de down from, concerning, about) ab aqua ex taberna de caelo from the water out of the shop down from heaven Review of Special Place Constructions
The names of cities, towns, small islands, the nouns domus (house) and rus (country) do not use prepositions for the Accusative of Place to Which or the Ablative of Place From Which.
Romam (not ad Romam) = to Rome Roma (not ab Roma) = from Rome
With these same nouns the Ablative of Place Where is replaced with the Locative of Place Where.
Locative Singular 1st declension = Genitive Singular Locative Plural 1st Declension = Ablative Plural
Romae (not in Roma) = in Rome, at Rome Athenis (not in Athenis) = in Athens, at Athens Ex or de with the ablative case is generally used instead of the genitive with numerals, especially cardinal numbers (except milia and with quidam, a certain one.) Compare-- Ordinals generally take the partitive genitive.
1. pars montis, part of the mountain 2. unus ex liberis, one of the children 3. duo milia militum, two thousand soldiers 4. primus omnium, first of all 5. quidam ex legatis, certain of the legates 6. quis nostrum?, who of us? 7. pulchrior puellarum, the prettier of (two) girls 8. horum fortissimi, the bravest of these Case Review
Ablative:
15. Object of Certain Prepositions (pro for, on behalf of, in front of; sine without), 16. Place Where (in in, on; sub under), 17. Place from Which (a, ab from, away from; e, ex out of, from; de down from, concerning, about) 18. Means or Instrument (no preposition), 19. Manner (cum with), 20. Accompaniment (cum with), 21. Respect (no preposition), 22. Time When/Within Which (no preposition), 23. Agent (a/ab by), 24. Separation (a/ab from or no preposition), 25. Comparison (no preposition), 26. Cause (no preposition) 27. Degree of Difference ( with comparative degree word) 28. Ablative Absolute (noun + participle, noun + noun, noun + adjective) 29. Description (no preposition) Helvetii undique fluminibus, montibus, lacu continebantur. The Helvetians were hemmed in on all sides by rivers, mountains, and a lake. 18.
Prima luce proelium commiserunt et hostibus diu resisterunt. The began battle at first light and resisted the enemy for a long time. 22.
Numa rege, portae templi Jani clausae sunt. When Numa was king, the gates of the temple of Janus were closed. 28.
Caesar ab urbe profectus est et ad Genavam pervenit. Caesar set out from the city and arrived at Geneva. 17.
Socii ejus comprehensi paucis post diebus sine judicio interfecti sunt. His allies, having been seized a few days afterwards, were killed without a trial. 27. 15. O dei immortales! In qua urbe vivimus? O immortal gods! In what city do we live. 16.
Num incolae Carthaginis Romanos fortitudine superaverunt? The inhabitants of Carthage have not surpassed the Romans in bravery, have they? 21.
Haec fossa est latior quam illa; hoc flumen est altius illo. This ditch is wider than that; this river is deeper than that. 25.
Regulus igitur ab hostibus crudelissimis interfectus est. Regulus therefore was killed by a very cruel enemy. 23.
Romani magno periculo liberati sunt. The Romans were freed from great danger. 24. Legatos insignes mittunt qui cum Caesare loquantur. They are sending distinguished ambassadors to speak with Caesar. 20.
Romani magna cum caede in fugam ab hostibus dati sunt. The Romans with great slaughter were put into flight by the enemy. 19.
Timore milites fugerunt. Because of fear the soldiers fled. 26.
Scipio erat homo magna virtute. Scipio was a man of great courage. 29. Ablative of Agent