Review of Case Uses

Review of Case Uses

Latin IIDec. 9-13, 2013

What Are Cases?

• A CASE is how a noun is used in a sentence.• Latin CASES correspond to English

grammatical uses.• Latin CASES are identified by their endings.• A declension chart shows the CASE endings

of a Latin noun.

NominativeGenitive

Dative AccusativeAblative

Does English Use Cases?

• Yes! Just not as much.• Certain English pronouns uses cases: I, he/she/it, who.

• I love him.• He is my friend.• That’s his book.• Who loves you?• From whom did you take the book?• Whose book is that?

Nominative Case• The nominative case is used for subjects and

predicate nominatives/ predicate adjectives.• Predicate nom’s/adj.’s are words that follow

is, was, will be, etc.

• The girl loves the farmer.• The girl is my friend.• The girl is tall.

Genitive Case

• Remember Jen’s house? • The genitive case shows possession.• The house OF JEN.• It can also be used as a partitive genitive: to

show the part OF something.• A piece OF PIE.• Translate with “OF” and you’ll never go

wrong!

Dative Case• The dative case is used for indirect objects.• Indirect objects tell to whom or for whom

something is shown, told, or given.• “Give, show, tell” are light bulb verbs. A light

bulb should go off: LOOK FOR A DATIVE!• I told the girl a story.• I gave the beggar money.• I showed the child the picture.

Accusative CaseUse #1

• The accusative case is used for direct objects.• Direct objects receive the action of an action

verb.

• He kicked the ball.• He likes macaroni.

Accusative CaseUse #2

• The accusative case is also used for objects of some prepositions.

• ad, ante, circum, contra, in, inter, per, post, prope, trans

• I walked through the field. (per agrum)• I walked into the house. (in casam)• I walked across the street. (trans viam)

Ablative CaseUse #1: Objects of Prepositions

• Ablatives are used as the object of the prepositions ab, cum, de, ex, in, pro, sine, sub.

• Sine---without• In---meaning “in, on”• De---down from, about, concerning• Sub---under• Pro---in front of, before, for• Ab---(a, ab) away from, from, by• Cum---with• Ex---out from, out of, from

Ablative CaseUse #2: Accompaniment

• Ablatives are used as the object of “cum” (“with”) to tell who accompanies someone.

• I went to Mars with Sid Space.

Ablative CaseUse #3: Means

• Ablatives are used without a Latin preposition to show the means by which (instrument) something is done.

• “Cum” (“with”) is not written in the Latin, but you’ll use “with” in English.

• The soldier threatened him with a sword.• Miles gladio eum denuntiavit.

Ablative CaseUse #4: Manner

• Ablatives are used with the Latin preposition “cum” (“with”) to tell the manner in which something is done.

• He fought with glory. Cum gloriā pugnavit.• Magnā gloriā pugnavit. He fought with great

glory. (2 words, no “cum” used)• Or put the “cum” in the middle:• Magnā cum gloriā pugnavit.

Ablative CaseUse #5: Agent

• Ablatives are used with the Latin preposition “a/ab” (“by”) to tell by whom something is done…look for a passive voice verb.

• I was abducted by aliens.• The girl will be seen by the farmer.• Puella ab agricolā videbitur.

Vocative Case(the forgotten case!)

• The vocative case is used for direct address.• The vocative case is usually the same ending

as the nominative case.• The only exceptions are nouns ending in –us

and –ius:– -us nouns change to –e– -ius nouns change to -i

Vocative Case(the forgotten case!)

• Filia, amo te. Daughter, I love you.• Fili, amo te. Son, I love you. (filius=son)• Esne amicus, Marce? Marcus, are you my

friend?