HUM 493 / REL 493 - Intermediate Latin
Course Notes - Week 10
The Locative
There are a few more words which use a locative :
"bellum" (war) uses "bellī" = "at war"
"mīlitia -ae" (f) (military service, war, the army) uses "mīlitiae" = "on military service"
Impersonal Verbs
Impersonal Verbs are mentioned briefly on page 264 of Wheelock (note 1 at foot of page)
Impersonal verbs only exist in the third person singular and the infinitive and a gerund (see chapter 39), though they can occur in all active tenses.
English also has some impersonal verbs, though it usually expresses them in the form "it is" with a participle, eg. "it is raining", "it is allowed", "it was necessary"
The Cambridge Course has already introduced us to the impersonal verb "placet" - "it is pleasing"
In the Wheelock vocabulary for chapter 37 we meet "licet" - "it is permitted"
Often the literal translation gives a rather stilted English, and a more flexible translation is necessary
Some other verbs can be used in an impersonal sense in addition to their normal transitive or intransitive sense, and will be included here for completeness
Impersonal verbs, and other verbs used in an impersonal construction, can be divided into several classes, which are translated in various ways
- est (it is) can be used in an impersonal sense, with an infinitive and an adjective
eg. dulce et decorum est pro patriā mori = It is (a) sweet and fitting (thing) to die for one's country. - opus est - "est" can be used with the noun "opus" (work) to express a need, with the dative of the person in need, and an ablative for the thing needed
eg. opus est mihi pecuniā (there is a need to me with money) = I need money - Verbs used for weather or time of day
fulgerat - it lightens (there's lightning striking)
lucescit - it is dawning (day is dawning)
ningit - it snows (it's snowing)
pluit - it rains (it's raining)
tonat - it thunders (it's thundering)
vesperascit - it grows late (it's getting late)
eg. heri ninguit = it snowed yesterday - Verbs taking an accusative of person and an infinitive of action :
decet - it is seemly
dedecet - it is unseemly
fallit - it is overlooked
fugit - it escapes notice
iuvat - it delights
oportet - it is necessary (one ought)
praeterit - it passes by
eg. decet Romanōs pācem conservāre = It is seemly for Romans to keep the peace.
NB - note that although "Romanōs" is plural, "decet" remains singular. - Verbs taking an accusative of person with a genitive of cause or an infinitive of action :
miseret (and miseritum est) - it causes someone to pity
paenitet - it causes someone to repent
piget (and pigitum est) - it causes someone vexation
pudet (and puditum est) - it causes someone shame
taedet (and pertaesum est) - it causes someone weariness or boredom
eg. paenitet me erroris (it causes me to repent of the error) = I repent of my mistake. - Verbs taking a dative with or without an infinitive :
contingit - it befalls
convenit - it suits
evenit - it turns out
expedit - it is expedient
libet - it is pleasing
licet - it is allowed
liquet - it is clear
placet - it is pleasing
videtur - it seems (good) - "it seems good to me" = "I have decided" (videtur is a deponent verb)
eg. nōn licet vōbis in triclinium intrāre (it is not allowed to you to enter into the dining room) = You are not allowed to enter . . or You may not enter . . . - Verbs taking "ad" and an accusative :
attinet - it is of concern, it belongs, it matters (to someone)
pertinet - it is of concern
eg. nihil ad me attinet (it matters nothing to me) = it doesn't concern me at all - refert (it matters, it concerns) is derived from rēs, reī f. (thing, matter) and ferō (carry, bear). refert takes the feminine (becasue rēs is feminine) singular ablative of the relative possessive pronouns, with an accusative of the person, and an infinitive of the action
eg. meā refert vōs discere (it is my thing - it concerns me - you to learn) = It is important to me that you learn - interest (it matters, it concerns) is from intersum, interesse, interfūi (to be between, to take part in). interest is used in an impersonal sense similarly to refert, with the feminine (rēs understood) singular ablative of the relative possessive pronouns, with a genitive of the person, and an infinitive of the action
eg. meā interest tuī discere ( my thing/matter/concern your to learn) = It is a concern to me that you learn - Other verbs which can be used in an impersonal sense, usually with an infinitive, are :
accedit - it is added
accidit - it happens
apparet - it is obvious
coepit - it begins
constat - it is agreed
debet - it owes = someone ought
delectat - it charms
desinet - it stops
potest - it is possible = someone can
restat - it remains
solet - it is customary = someone usually
eg. potest Germānīs resistāre (It is possible to resist the Germans) = We can resist the Germans - A construction which does not have a parallel in English is to use the third person singular of the passive of an intransitive verb (a verb which does not take a direct object
eg. Britanniam a Quinto ventum est (it was gone to Britain by Quintus) = Quintus went to Britain
pugnatum est in foro (it was fought in the forum) = There was a fight in the forum
a feminis ventum est ad theatrum (by the women it was gone to the theater) = the women went to the theater
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Copyright © 1999 Shirley J. Rollinson, all Rights Reserved
