(Grammar)Ablative+Case

= Ablative Case =

The ablative case is another multi-purpose case, and once again we will look at just a few examples of how it is used. Some involve certain prepositions, some involve the ablative case noun by itself. When translating from Latin to English, ablative nouns always need some kind of preposition to convey their meaning, even if Latin doesn't use one.

Usage:


 * Means/Instrument- When you want to talk about what you use to perform an action, bring out the ablative of means or instrument. This uses the ablative noun by itself in Latin, while English requires the words "with" or "by" to get across the meaning.

Example: Agricola frumentum ad urbem **carro** fert. - The farmer brings his grain to the city **by cart**.

Example: Gladiatores **gladiis** pugnant. - Gladiators fight **with swords**.


 * Object of the Preposition- like the accusative case, ablative nouns can follow certain prepositions. Unlike the accusative case, many of the phrases have grammatical labels to distinguish their functions.

1. Ablative of Accompaniment- This phrase uses the preposition //cum//, which means "with." It tells who performs the action alongside another person.

Example: Marcus **cum amica** ambulat. - Mark walks **with his girlfriend**.

Many Latin students often confuse the "with" of the ablative of means with the "with" of the ablative of accompaniment, and so either use //cum// when it isn't required or don't use //cum// when it is required. Here's an example that I use to illustrate the difference.

Marcus amicum **baculo** verberat. - Mark hits his friend **with a stick**. Based on the Latin, Mark is using the stick to hit his friend. Don't know what his friend did to deserve it, but... This, by the way is the correct Latin expression for the English sentence.

Now, lets look at it written as an ablative of accompaniment.

Marcus amicum **cum baculo** verberat. - Mark hits his friend **with a stick**. Now, how is this any different from the example above? The ablative of accompaniment indicates someone acting alongside another person. And so, based on the Latin, Mark is beating his friend (some friend), but the stick,__on its own power__, is beating Mark's friend too. Now, if this were a Harry Potter book, sure, it could happen. However, you're not going to find many situations like this in Latin literature. Thus, this is an incorrect usage.

2. Ablative of Place/Where- This phrase uses the preposition //in//, meaning "in," "on," or "upon." It also uses //sub//, meaning "under." You may be asking, "Didn't we see //in// and //sub// on the accusative list?" Yes, you did. Here's the difference: when //in// and //sub// take the accusative, the verb usually shows motion; when they take the ablative, the verb is usually one of staying put. Below are some examples: Patricius **in villam** ambulat.- Patrick walks **into the house**. Walking is a verb of moving, and //in// is followed by an accusative object, so //in// means "into."

Patricius **in villa** sedet.- Patrick is sitting **in the house**. Sitting is a verb of staying put, and //in// is followed by an ablative object, so //in// means "in."

3. Ablative of Place/From Which- This phrase uses the prepositions //ab/a// meaning "(away) from"; //de// meaning "(down) from"; and //ex/e//, meaning "(out) from" or "out of." It's the only ablative phrase that shows motion. Example: Anna **e silva** currit. - Anna runs **out of the forest**.

Example: Petrus **ab insula** navigat. - Peter is sailing **away from the island**.

Why are there two forms for //ab// and //ex//? It's like using the articles "a" and "an" in English. If the word after the preposition starts with a vowel, you use the long version (//ab// and //ex//). If the word after the preposition starts with a consonant, you use the short version (//a// and //e//).

Other prepositions that take the ablative include //de// meaning "about," or "concerning"; //sine// meaning "without"; and //pro// meaning "for" or "on behalf of."


 * Ablative of Manner- This phrase expresses "how" or "in what way" the action is done. In prose, an expression of means involving just a noun uses //cum//, while one that has an adjective and a noun can go with or without //cum//. Whether or not //cum// is present, the translation into English uses "with." The best known examples would be the college honors.


 * cum laude** - **with praise**


 * magna (cum) laude** - **with great praise**


 * summa (cum) laude** - **with the highest praise**

Another example: Anna **magna voce** clamat. - Anna shouts **with a loud voice**.

Endings:


 * || Singular || Plural ||
 * 1st || a* || is* (abus*; long "a") ||
 * 2nd || o* || is* ||
 * 3rd || e || ibus ||
 * 4th || u* || ibus ||
 * 5th || e* || ebus* (long "e") ||

In the singular, note that all the endings, save the 3rd declension's, consist of a single long vowel sound. As for the plural, look familiar? These are the exact same endings as are in the dative case plural chart. The dative and ablative plural forms are **ALWAYS** the same.

Placement: Ablative nouns and phrases can go anywhere in a sentence, but since these typically act like adverbs, they often go right before the verb.