Chapter 6

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Rule 1: The base of esse in the future and imperfect tenses is er-.

Rule 2: pot- + sum/esse = "to be able, can"

Rule 3: -t + s- = -ss-

I. Grammar

Future and Imperfect Forms of Sum. The future and imperfect forms of sum must be memorized. As we saw in the last chapter, the imperfect tense shows continuous, repeated, in-progress or habitual action in the past and can be rendered in English several ways: "was/were X-ing", "used to X", "kept (on) X-ing," "often/usually X-ed" and even just "X-ed."

Possum. The Latin verb possum is a compound of the prefix pot- added onto the verb sum, es, est, etc. Note that -t- plus -s- becomes -ss-, seen, for instance, in the infinitiveposse, a conflated form of pot + esse. Possum means literally "I am able", the best translation to use since this translation requires a complementary infinitive in English, just as possum does in Latin. The alternate translation "I can" can be more confusing, since "can" in English is a modal verb and does not require a complementary infinitive. All in all, it's best to use "be able" rather than "can" when translating possum either into English or into Latin.

II. Vocabulary

liber: The adjective līber ("free") does not contract (cf. liberty), but the noun liber ("book") does (cf. library).

Graecus: As listed by Wheelock here, Graecus is a substantive (noun).

vester: Like noster, this adjective contracts.

-que: Like -ne, an enclitic. Note the pattern: X et Y et Z = X Yque Zque.

ubi: The correlative (answer) of ubi ("where") is ibi ("there," also in this chapter's vocabulary). The Romans conceived the world in four dimensions, such that a question with ubi implied to them both "at what place" and "at what time." From an English speaker's perspective, then, it appears that ubi means two things: "when" and "where."

insidiae: A plural noun in Latin corresponding to a singular one in English is a difference seen more than once. The Romans frequently expressed abstract concepts in the plural, cf. animi (Chapter 5), whereas we use the singular. Here, insidiae (literally, "sittings on") corresponds to treachery, presumably because treacherous people "sat in" wait to ambush their foes.

III. Sentences

Practice and Review:

7. sapientiae is a partitive genitive.

11. Remember to put igitur in the postpositive position.

12. "Men" can be translated using vir or a masculine substantive.

14. Make sure to put -que on the back of the second noun.

IV. Test 1: Review