Latin Help

Well, if you knew the sentence structure and the functions of the words in the setence or phrase, it's a lot easier to make out what the phrase means.

L~
Just started to read this thread. Nice work.
How did you come by your Latin?

Lucifer, those are very helpful and I cannot thank you enough. In the prose construction these will all become invaluable.

From a website at http://www.archangelruined.com, but for some reason, it's been taken off the Internet. And I also have a friend who knows Latin (that's where I learned to pronounce it), but I haven't taken any Latin courses in university before.

BTW, if your students are looking for a good Latin/English, English/Latin
dictionary, I would recommend Cassell's.

I think he is a man with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge who taught himself.

You learned Latin from a website?
I'm impressed!

Yes, but probably not everything. I still don't think I know all the forms of the conjugations, how superlatives work, and how to conjugate words like "loqui" for "to speak".

Well, "loquor" is deponent verb, with only a passive form, but only an active meaning.

I meant if you could conjugate it so you can use it in second or third person.

Meh, I've got a final on Monday, I need the practice. Anyway, Latin's not really a language where you can just whip out a phrasebook and say "where's the bathroom" in anyway.

A passive verb with only an active meaning? Stop making my head hurt. I already have to deal with a tense called the "pluperfect subjunctive passive". I'm only half sure what series of modals that translates to in English.

I've heard of pluperfect, but not subjunctive passive.

Hmm...well, let's see here...whip out my etymology book and...

subjunctive

adjective

sub/JUNCT/ive

sub- prefix
JUNCT- base
-ive adjective suffix

sub- under, up from under, somewhat
JUNCT- to join
-ive tending to, inclined to

Latin

"tending to join up from under"

passive

adjective

PASS/ive

PASS- base
-ive adjective suffix

PASS- to suffer, to endure
-ive tending to, inclined to

Latin

"tending to endure"

subjunctive passive
(that which) "tends to join up from under and endures"

That might help me remember what it means, but only after I find out what it means in a pluperfect form.

Well I know:
pluperfect - "had done"
past - "did"
true perfect - "has done"
passive - "was done (by someone)"
(present) subjunctive - "may do"

past/true perfect subjunctive - "might have done"
passive past/true perfect subjunctive - "might have been done (by someone)"

Just the concept of passive pluperfect subjunctive escapes me at the moment.

Third Declension

The third declension is the most common declension, and has more irregular forms than the other declensions. It is masculine, feminine or neuter. Both the masculine and feminine form share the same forms, but the neuter is slightly different.

masculine/feminine (c.)*

(singular | plural)
nominative: (irregular) | stem + "es"
genitive: stem + "is" | stem + "um"
dative: stem + "i" | stem + "ibus"
accusative: stem + "em" | stem + "es"
ablative: stem + "e" | stem + "ibus"
vocative: (irregular, same as nominative singular) | stem + "es"

*in a dictionary, "c." means the gender could be both, but the one you use depends on the context. Not all third declension words will be both genders.

Example: rex, regis - king

nominative: rex, reges
genitive: regis, regum
dative: regi, regibus
accusative: regem, reges
ablative: rege, regibus
vocative: rex, reges

Neuter

(singular | plural)
nominative: (irregular) | stem + "a"
genitive: stem + "is" | stem + "um"
dative: stem + "i" | stem + "ibus"
accusative: (irregular) | stem + "a"
ablative: stem + "e" | stem + "ibus"
vocative: (irregular, same as nominative and accusative singular) | stem + "a"

As with the second declension neuter, the nominative and accusative cases are the same.

Example: tempus, temporis - time

nominative: tempus, tempora
genitive: temporis, temporum
dative: tempori, temporibus
accusative: tempus, tempora
ablative: tempore, temporibus
vocative: tempus, tempora

There are also strange third declension neuter words that don't follow this pattern exactly. Mare, maris for "sea" is a neuter third declension that includes the "i" after the stem, so instead of mare, mara, maris, marum, mari, maribus...you get mare, maria, maris, marium, mari, maribus...Sometimes, the extra "i" is optional when you already have an "i", as in maris, mari and maribus.

Next: Fourth Declension

Oddly, I am actually grasping some of this....

lol, went over my head a long time ago

If you have questions, just ask. Now I'll just post some third declension words for practice.

dolor, doloris - pain
pax, pacis - peace
dux, ducis - leader
miles, miletis - soldier
canis, canis - dog
felis, felis - cat
nomen, nominis (n) - name
lumen, luminis (n) - light
mons, montis - mountain
flumen, fluminis (n) - river
pons, pontis - bridge
caput, capitis (n) - head
nox, noctis - night
sol, solis - sun
genus, generis (n) - race
dens, dentis - tooth
senex, senis - old man
aer, aeris - air
avis, avis - bird
os, ora (n) - mouth
auris, auris - ear
mens, mentis - mind
mus, muris - mouse
turris, turris - tower
homo, hominis - mankind
opus, operis (n) - work
civis, civis - citizen

One thing I do so love about you posting here...I can always go back and revisit and study again and again and again. At some point, I will print out the pages, so I can read them before sleep or when I go to the park or anytime else.

can you suggest a good place to start for someone with no knowledge or latin or learning other languages? *pleads*

There was a really good site where I got my stuff from, but it's gone now. It used to be at http://www.archangelruined.com, but for some reason, it's been taken down.

Did I already post that?