Latin case

Case is used to distinguish the syntactic role of a noun or pronoun in the sentence. In Latin, Greek, German, Finnish and many other languages, case is marked morphologically using word endings. The paradigmatic expression of these endings is grouped into declensions, discussed separately on this site under “nouns,” “pronouns” and “adjective.”

The nominative

The nominative is the case of the subject of the verb in the main clause or the principal noun in the sentence.

Remus Romuli frater erat. (Remus was Romulus’ brother.)

 

The vocative

The vocative is the case of the noun (person, place or thing) addressed.

Sancta Maria: ora pro nobis. (Holy Mary, pray for us.)

 

Pie Jesu Domine: Dona eis requiem. (Holy Jesus, Lord: give them eternal rest.)

 

The accusative

The accusative has two essential values, first as direct-object complement and second, the extension of the action through space and time. Italics note the accusative including any preposition.

direct-object complement:

Romulus condidit Romam. (Romulus founded Rome.)

 

Romam is the direct object of the verb, condo (I establish).

 

extension of space and time:

In Italiam Aeneas peruenit. (Aeneas reached Italy.)

 

Intactum multos annos intactum permansit Forum. (The Forum survived whole for many years.)

 

Romulus multos annos regnauit. (Romulus ruled for many years.)

Essential values of the genitive

[determiner/determinee?]

The genitive indicates that a relationship exists between two words, usually nouns, or the “determiner” and the “determinee.” In the end, the determinee is most often a noun (including a pronoun), but may also be an adjective or even a verb.

The genitive expresses, among other things, ...

possession:

animos Romanorum (the spirits of the Romans)

liber Petri (Peter's book)

 

quality:

uir magnæ prudentiæ (a man of great wisdom)

puer egregiæ indolis (an unexcelled child)

is magnæ prudentiæ erat (this one was of great wisdom)

 

one of a collection or a whole, related to the partitive in French:

Sabinorum quietissimus (the most peace-loving among the Sabines)

 

diverses relations after certain adjectives or verbs more or less learned on a per-word basis:

auidos belli (eager to wage war)

peritus belli (adept at waging war)

beneficiorum memini (I remember the good times)

If the accusative case in Latin has a more obvious and direct relationship with the verb and its object, the relationship of the genitive is, of course, more vague and indirect. Consequently, there exist two sorts of genitives within one ambiguous expression as illustrated by the phrase amor matris.

In the case where amor designates an emotion that a woman has for her child is termed subjective genitive whereas when amor is what I feel for my mother, it is an objective genitive.

Essential values of the dative

The dative is the case of the indirect object. It is the case of finality whether it indicates the goal of the action, or the person or thing interested in the action.

The dative expresses, among other things, ...

indirect object (or dative of attribution):

The dative indicates the object of something given, attributed and even taken away (more rare, but finds its echo in Romance languages like French).

Latinus filiam duci dedit (Latinus gave his daughter to the chief)

 

do uestem pauperi (I am giving this article of clothing to a poor man)

dative of interest:

The dative indicates in whose or even what interest something is done.

Romulus Romanis maxima gesserat (Romulus had brought to pass great things for the Romans)

 

There exists also a dative of possession, derived from the dative of interest, used with the verb sum:

fuit Romulo tota potentia (Romulus had total power [to Romulus was all the power])

 

mihi est liber (the book is mine)

After certain intransitive verbs that express attachment, proximity, interest or detriment, there is often a dative complement:

feminis pepercerunt (they spared the women)

 

studeo grammaticæ (I study grammar)

 

Note: studeo means “to have a taste for”.

aderant Sabinæ ludis (the Sabines attended the games)

 

Note: composites of sum behave this way

Some adjectives in this last sense also take their complement in the dative:

Romanis utilissima (things of the greatest utility to the Romans)

 

Romanæ amicus (a friend to [of] the Rome)

 

utilis ciuitati (things useful to the state)

 

Original values of the ablative

The ablative properly speaking indicates the point of departure, origin and separation. Italics note the ablative including any governing preposition. The ablative expresses:

origin, often employing a preposition like ex and sometimes not:

E patria fugit (He fled from his homeland)

Terra accepit (He received from land)

—this latter example can still be read in the example:

E singulis tribubus cooptati sunt (They were chosen from among each tribe)

 

cause:

multis de causa (for many reasons)

 

agency, expressed after a verb in the passive voice, in which case, the object in the ablative is governed by the preposition a (ab):

Perspicio Romulum a populo deum factum esse (I see that Romulus was made a god by the people)

 

separation, in that the object of verbs implying separation, deprivation and need is in the ablative

deorum auxilio egere (to have need of aid from the gods)

 

(Irrelevant note: the notion of separation is created with the genitive in Greek which has no ablative.)