Latin Sentences
Latin sentences are not like English sentences: whereas English sentences must usually follow a specific order, Latin sentences don't. Let us consider the following:
However, in Latin, these sentences are all grammatically correct and convey the desired meaning.
How does Latin do this? Let us first consider the following:
So, what are these cases? Latin distinguishes five common cases and two rare cases. These are:
Let's go back to Latin sentence structure. Even though a sentence could be jumbled up and still make sense, a Roman wouldn't intentionally jumble up sentences for fun. In Latin, just as in English, emphasis is placed at the beginning and at the end of a sentence -- for this reason, the subject usually appears at the beginning and the verb at the end of a Latin sentence, because the subject and the verb are usually the two most important parts of a sentence. This order is generally known as SOV -- subject, followed by object, followed by verb. However, let us consider the following:
These are the basics of Latin sentences.
Latin sentences are not like English sentences: whereas English sentences must usually follow a specific order, Latin sentences don't. Let us consider the following:
- My cat eats fish.
- *My fish eats cat.
- *Fish my eats cat.
- *Eats cat my fish.
- *Cat fish eats my.
However, in Latin, these sentences are all grammatically correct and convey the desired meaning.
How does Latin do this? Let us first consider the following:
- My cat eats fish.
- *My fish eats cat.
- *Fish my eats cat.
- *Eats cat my fish.
- *Cat fish eats my.
- My-a cat-a eats fish-am.
- *My-a fish-am eats cat-a.
- *Fish-am my-a eats cat-a.
- *Eats cat-a my-a fish-am.
- *Cat-a fish-am eats my-a.
So, what are these cases? Latin distinguishes five common cases and two rare cases. These are:
- the nominative case, marking the subject (I ate the pie.)
- the accusative case, marking the direct object (I ate the pie.)
- the genitive case, marking an "of phrase" (I ate the pie of my mother. / I ate my mother's pie.)
- the dative case, marking the indirect object (I will never give the pie to my sister.)
- the ablative case, marking the object of some prepositions (Ants came out from within the pie.)
- the vocative case, marking the object being called (Pie, I will eat you! / Mother, bake me another pie!)
- the locative case, marking a phrase of location (I am arriving at the land of pie!)
Let's go back to Latin sentence structure. Even though a sentence could be jumbled up and still make sense, a Roman wouldn't intentionally jumble up sentences for fun. In Latin, just as in English, emphasis is placed at the beginning and at the end of a sentence -- for this reason, the subject usually appears at the beginning and the verb at the end of a Latin sentence, because the subject and the verb are usually the two most important parts of a sentence. This order is generally known as SOV -- subject, followed by object, followed by verb. However, let us consider the following:
- Up rose the dog (into the air).
- The dog rose up (into the air).
These are the basics of Latin sentences.