The order of words in a Latin sentence depends partly on emphasis, partly on sound; but in a simple sentence the natural order is Subject, Object, Verb. Thus we write

Ego te amo; tu me amas.

Magister puerum docet.

Cervus rivum petit.

NOTE. The Subject gains emphasis by being put at the end of the sentence, the Object by being put at the beginning.

DATIVE.

34. The simplest use of the Dative is to denote the person for whom an action is performed. Thus we may have a sentence consisting of a verb and three nouns, which denote respectively The subject performing the action-Nominative.

The object on which the action is performed-Accusative. The person for whom the action is performed-Dative. The Dative cases of the Pronouns of the First and Second Persons in Latin are-Mihi, for me; Tibi, for thee; Nōbis, for us; Vobis, for you.

The usual position of the dative in a simple sentence is next to the subject, so as to bring into sharper contrast the person performing the action and the person affected by it. Thus we write

Mihi puella coronam portat.

Servus* domino poculum tradit.

Pueris magister praemia dabit.
Poeta vobis fabulam narrabit.

*N. B. The possessive pronouns my, thy, his, etc., are not expressed in Latin when they are unemphatic.

GENITIVE.

35. A Noun in the Genitive usually qualifies another Noun, the two together expressing a single notion.

This relation is in English generally expressed

(1.) By the preposition of, as "The anger of the queen;" (2.) By the possessive case, as "The queen's anger.”

In Latin, ira reginae expresses the same notion.

The position of the genitive, before or after the noun on which it depends, seems to have been chiefly determined by sound, but the natural position is after the noun that it qualifies.

Servus iram domini timet.

Belli pericula vitamus.

Umbrae silvarum puellas terrent.
Curas animi lenit somnus.

ABLATIVE.

36. The simplest use of the Ablative is to express the instru ment with which an action is performed, or the means by which an effect is produced. In this usage it may be rendered in English by the prepositions with and by. Its position is usually in the middle of the sentence.

Regina gemmis comam decorat.
Agricola campos aratro secat.

by name.

Antra musco virebant.
Gallina pullos alis fovebit.

Populus umbram foliis praebet.

VOCATIVE.

37. The Vocative is used when a person or thing is spoken to The form of the vocative is the same as that of the nominative in all Latin nouns, except in the singular of the O declension.

Te, regina, laudamus.
Aura, veni.

Vos, ancillae, domina vocat.
Te, Bacche, canam.

PREPOSITIONS.

38. The use of Prepositions is chiefly to indicate with accuracy local relations, such, for example, as those in which the speaker refers to motion from, to, in, or about a certain place.

In Latin, Prepositions are used with the Accusative and Ablative cases, and of those in common use we may here notice the following:

WITH AN ACCUSATIVE.
Ad, of motion to.

In, of motion into.

Per, of motion through.

WITH AN ABLATIVE.

A or ab, of motion from.
E or ex, of motion out of.
In, of rest or motion in.

Nuntios ad Pompeium mittemus.

Via in Britanniam patet.

Per lucum rivus fluit.

Regina in thalamo dormiebat.

Fumus ab aris surgit.

E silvis cervos agemus.

In oppido manebo.

Cenam in hortis servi parabant.

NOTE.—The Prepositions a and e are never used before vowels, but ab (or abs) and ex are frequently used before consonants.

39. In answer to the question Whither? names of towns and small islands are put in the accusative without a preposition.

Nuntios Romam mittam.

Legatos Sardiniam ad Pompeium mittemus.

40. To express

THE LOCATIVE CASE.

at a place," the Latin writers use a form of the noun called the locative case, which in the A and O Declensions is the same as the Genitive for singular nouns, and as the Ablative for plural nouns, thus:

and, as contrasted with domi, the words militiae, in the field, and belli, at war.

ADJECTIVES WITH STEMS IN A AND 0.

41. Adjectives are words implying attributes. When joined to nouns they usually express some quality belonging to the persons, places, or things of which the nouns are the names, as, A good man, A handsome city, A lofty tree. Like nouns in Latin, they have inflexions to express differences of gender, number, and case.

42. Adjectives in which all three genders are distinguished are called adjectives of three terminations. In the most important class, of which Dūrus, hard, is a type,

the masculine is declined like Dominus,

the feminine is declined like porta,

the neuter is declined like signum.

Declension of the adjective TENER, tender.

43. The masculine is declined like Puer; the feminine like porta; the neuter like signum.

and some compounds from the verbs fĕro, I bring, and gĕro, I bear, as, frugifer, fruitful, and corniger, horned.

Sătur, satura, saturum, full or glutted, is similarly declined.

Declension of the adjective ATER, black.

44. The masculine is declined like Magister; the feminine like porta; the neuter like signum.

Dexter, on the right, lucky, is declined sometimes like Tener

and sometimes like Ater.