🏛️Elementary Latin Unit 6 – Prepositions and Cases

What Are Prepositions?

• Prepositions are words that show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in a sentence
• Indicate the spatial, temporal, or logical relationship of a noun or pronoun to the rest of the sentence
• Usually placed before the noun or pronoun they modify (hence the term "pre-position")
• Can be used to express location, direction, time, manner, or purpose
• Examples of prepositions in English include "in", "on", "under", "over", "before", and "after"
  • "The book is on the table" (location)
  • "She walked through the park" (direction)

Latin Cases: The Basics

• Latin is an inflected language, meaning the endings of nouns, pronouns, and adjectives change to show their grammatical function in a sentence
• These different forms are called cases, and Latin has six main cases: Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative, Ablative, and Vocative
  • Nominative: subject of a sentence or clause
  • Genitive: indicates possession or relationship
  • Dative: indirect object, the recipient of an action
  • Accusative: direct object, the target of an action
  • Ablative: expresses separation, instrument, or location
  • Vocative: used for direct address
• The case of a noun or pronoun is determined by its role in the sentence and its relationship to other words, such as prepositions

Common Prepositions in Latin

• Latin has many prepositions, each with its own meaning and usage
• Some common prepositions include:
  • ad (to, toward)
  • ante (before)
  • apud (near, at the house of)
  • cum (with)
  • de (down from, about)
  • ex (out of)
  • in (in, on)
  • inter (between, among)
  • per (through)
  • post (after, behind)
  • prō (in front of, on behalf of)
  • sub (under)
• Prepositions are typically followed by a noun or pronoun in a specific case, depending on the meaning and context

How Prepositions Affect Case

• The case of the noun or pronoun following a preposition is determined by the preposition itself
• Most prepositions in Latin take either the Accusative or Ablative case
  • Prepositions that indicate motion towards something usually take the Accusative (ad, in, sub)
  • Prepositions that indicate location or motion away from something usually take the Ablative (ab, cum, dē, ex)
• Some prepositions can take different cases depending on their meaning
  • "in" with Accusative means "into", while "in" with Ablative means "in" or "on"
• Memorizing which case each preposition takes is crucial for correctly forming prepositional phrases

Accusative vs. Ablative: When to Use Which

• The Accusative case is used for the direct object of a verb and with prepositions that indicate motion towards something
  • Prepositional phrases with ad, ante, apud, in, inter, ob, per, post, and trans take the Accusative
  • Example: "Puella ad urbem ambulat" (The girl walks to the city)
• The Ablative case is used to express separation, instrument, location, or time and with prepositions that indicate motion away from something or location
  • Prepositional phrases with ā/ab, cum, dē, ē/ex, in, prō, sine, and sub take the Ablative
  • Example: "Puella cum amicis ludit" (The girl plays with friends)
• Some prepositions, like "in" and "sub", can take either the Accusative or Ablative depending on the meaning
  • "in" with Accusative means "into", while "in" with Ablative means "in" or "on"

Prepositional Phrases in Sentences

• Prepositional phrases consist of a preposition and its object (a noun or pronoun) in the appropriate case
• These phrases function as adjectives or adverbs, modifying nouns, pronouns, verbs, or other parts of the sentence
• The position of prepositional phrases in a Latin sentence is relatively flexible, but they typically come after the word they modify
  • "Vir in urbe habitat" (The man lives in the city)
  • "Puella librum ad bibliothecam portat" (The girl carries the book to the library)
• Prepositional phrases can also be used to express time, manner, or purpose
  • "Post bellum, pax venit" (After the war, peace comes)
  • "Cum cura labora" (Work with care)

Tricky Exceptions and Special Uses

• Some prepositions have special meanings or idiomatic uses that don't follow the general rules
  • "tenus" (up to, as far as) follows its object and takes the Genitive or Ablative case
  • "versus" (towards) follows its object and doesn't affect the case
• Certain verbs, such as "ūtor" (to use), "fruor" (to enjoy), "fungor" (to perform), and "potior" (to obtain), take their object in the Ablative case without a preposition
• The prepositions "ā/ab", "ē/ex", and "dē" can also be used with the Ablative to express the agent or means by which something is done, especially with passive verbs
  • "Liber ā puellā lectus est" (The book was read by the girl)
• Some prepositions, like "in" and "sub", have different meanings depending on the case they take
  • "in" with Accusative means "into", while "in" with Ablative means "in" or "on"
  • "sub" with Accusative means "under" or "to the foot of", while "sub" with Ablative means "under", "at the foot of", or "at the time of"

Practice and Application

• To master the use of prepositions and cases in Latin, it's essential to practice regularly with a variety of exercises
  • Translate sentences containing prepositional phrases from Latin to English and vice versa
  • Fill-in-the-blank exercises where you provide the correct form of the noun or pronoun based on the preposition
  • Compose original Latin sentences using prepositional phrases to express different relationships and meanings
• Pay attention to the context and meaning of the sentence when choosing the appropriate preposition and case
• Regularly review the common prepositions, their meanings, and the cases they take
• Analyze Latin texts, such as excerpts from classical authors or inscriptions, to identify and understand the use of prepositional phrases in authentic contexts
• Engage in conversation or writing practice with other Latin learners or instructors to apply your knowledge of prepositions and cases in a communicative setting