One of the more idiomatic uses of the Latin accusative is a part for whole construction, the synechdochical (συνεκδοχή) accusative, wherein the accusative subject specifies the range of the verb or adjective. This is also called the Greek Accusative, or the Accusative of Specification.
The Essential AG: 397b
The Vocative is the case of direct address, and may be interspersed with other cases in poetic language.
Where a noun is placed in apposition to a vocative with the imperative, it may be apposited in the nominative.
Where the implied subject is tū or vōs, a vocative adjective may take the place of a vocative noun.
The Essential AG: 340a-b
A&G define the vocative as “the case of Direct Address.” (35f)
Generally speaking, the vocative and the nominative are the same.
However, in certain nouns of the second declension (those with nominative -us or -ius) have two exceptional variations. All nouns in -us feature an -e in the vocative (mūrus…mūre). Those ending in -ius (Vergilius, fīlius, genius, etc.) take a vocative -ī (Vergilī, filī, genī).
That’s how it stands for nouns. There’s a slight variation in policy for adjectives, though luckily the same general rule (same as the nominative) holds true for all but the second declension (bonus…bone). However, the one catch is that adjectives ending in -ius change to -ie and not -ī. Therefore, when calling to a Spartan son, we might say O fīlī Lacedaemonie! (not *Lacedaemonī).
If anyone has a better understanding of vocative plurals, which I assume are all identical to their nominative forms, feel free to say more in the comments below. A&G are totally silent on this issue, which I assume signals that listing the vocatives would be redundant (with respect to the nominatives).
The Essential AG: 38a
Pardon the vacation, everyone. I’ve spent the last week cramming for and completing the GRE.
Direct Objects are “immediately affected by the action of a verb” within a standard sentence.
Indirect Objects are less than immediately affected by the action of the verb
The accusative is the case proper to direct objects, yet an English sentence containing a direct object, where translated to Latin, may feature the other cases as well.
Direct and Indirect in Latin
The following sentences, in English, all feature ‘girl’ as direct object, yet in Latin receive either direct or indirect variations, dependent on the particular syntax of the Latin verb:
Note that the dative usage holds the regular ‘recipient of gift’ formula that we’d imagine in English, yet the genitive and ablative examples feature non-active verbs, which couldn’t take any object in English without a preposition.
Indeed, the conservative structure of Latin syntax allows Latin to omit many English prepositions when constructing subject-verb-direct object units:
Where the direct object/subject transition, in English, requires a preposition, Latin merely requires a shift in case:
The Essential AG: 274-5
Again, I’ve grown curious about the Locative, so now that I’ve discussed how to form it, I’d like to pick through all the ways to use it. A&G have no single section on the case; they drizzle it throughout the grammar.
Where’d It Come From?
Here’s a story of three cases: there were originally the ablative (case from where), the instrumental (case how or by what) and the locative (case whereat).
Things look trickier with the dative cause. Some argue that dative is directly related to or descended from the locative, where it originally noted the place to which. I’m no master of historical Latin linguistics, so this is all the research I’m going to bother with.
Locative Adverbs
The following adverbs are all archaic locatives: ubi, where; hīc, here; ibi, there; illī, there; peregrī, abroad; prīdiē, yesterday; hōdiē, today; postrīdiē, tomorrow; perendiē, the day after tomorrow
Locative in Apposition
The locative may be placed in apposition to an ablative
Mind and Soul
The archaic animī are mentis are common locatives.
Exhausitve List of Ablative
A&G appears to offer an exhaustive list of all remaining locatives in section 427.3. However, elsewhere they imply that you could make a locative of any word using the basic rules of formation. I don’t know whether Romans did or did not freely form the locative where they needed it (for place names). I’m not sure A&G do either.
The list:
Rōmae, at Rome; Rhodī, at Rhodes; Samī, at Samos; Tīburī/Tībure, at the Tibur; Philippīs, at Philippi; domī/domuī, at home; Athēnīs, at Athens; Lānuvī, at Lanuvium; Cyprī, at Cyprus; Cūribus, at Cures; Capreīs, at Capri; rūrī, in the country; bellī, at war; mīlitae, at war; humī, on the ground; vesperī/vespere, in the evening; forīs, outdoors, animī, in the soul, mentis, in the mind; temperī, at a time; herī/here, yesterday; īnfēlīcī arborī, on the barren tree; terrā marīque, by land and sea
If the list is short a few words, these may be the locative adverbs mentioned above.
But… that’s it? I suppose if you wrote these out five times you would have an entire case memorized.
The Essential AG: (again, scattered) 215.5; 282d; 358; 398; 421; 426.3; 427a
Famous Phrase: nec mē animī fallit quam sint obscūra [nor am I deceived by how dark it is]
Lucretius, Dē Rērum Natūrā 1.922
(he’s discussing the intimidating depth of the universe–a fear which study overcomes)
My last post left me curious about the precise use and character of the Locative case, so I took to milling around A&G for just about every line I could find on the matter. There’s more than the might imagine for a case so rare–
Let’s start with the formation of the locative case (post 1) and then I’ll search out all the things we can do with it (post 2).
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Formation for First Declension
singular genitive; plural dative
(Rōmae; Athēnīs)
[remember that only place names which are already plural, like Athēnae, will appear with a plural locative]
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Formation for Second Declension
singular genitive; plural dative
[Corinthī; Philippīs]
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Formation for Third Declension
singular dative or ablative (-ī or -e); plural dative
[Carthāginī or Carthāgine; Trallibus]
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Formation for Fourth Declension
The only locative offered by A&G is that for domus, house: it’s either domī or domuī
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Formation of the Fifth Declension
Here, the locative only appears in a few fixed expressions of time, where it always ends in the singular ablative:
hodiē, today; diē quārtō (etc.), on the fourth day; postrīdiē, tomorrow; perendiē, the day after tomorrow; prīdiē, yesterday
Review
1 —> gen/dat; 2 —> gen/dat; 3 —> dat or abl/dat; 4&5 —> just a few words!
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The Essential AG: (scattered, I know) 43c; 49a; 80; 93 n1; 98b
Famous Phrase: in locō parentis [in place the parent]
This is a legal term describing a state of non-parent custody of children; a teacher or your aunt (while you’re staying at her cottage) are in locō parentis figures
Summary of Forms
There are particular rules for relations of place associated with the proper names of (i) cities and (ii) islands, as well as the words (iii) domus and (iv) rūs [the countryside]
Again, this system of relations of place and case forms is distinct from the archetypes discussed in this earlier post.
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Review of the Locative
In the first and second declensions (think Eurōpa and Ephesus), the locative is:
In the third (and I assume fourth and fifth?) declension (think Carthāgō), the locative is:
[note the the plural of all these examples are superfluous–plural datives only apply to place names that are already plural, such as Philippī –> Philippīs]
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Place to Which (abl.)
He was absent from Rome: Rōmā abfuit.
He left home yesterday: prīdiē domō abiit.
Place from Which (acc.)
She arrived in Rome on the sixth day: Rōmam sextō diē vēnit.
I will go into the country: rūs ībō.
They will sail from Delos (abl.) to Rhodes (acc.): Dēlō Rhodum nāvigābunt.
Place at Which (loc.)
There are three hundred statues at Samos: Samī trecenta signa sunt.
The temple had been at Athens: Athēnīs aedem erat.
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The Essential AG: 427
Famous Phrase : ūnus papa Rōmae, ūnus portus Ancōnae, ūna turris Crēmōnae, una ceres Rācōnae
(one pope in Rome, one port in Ancona, one tower in Cremona, one beer in Rakovnik)
[motto of the Rakovnik Brewery]
Ok, not so famous, and dripping with neo-Latinisms, but it’s got a lot of locatives!
Latin for Addicts 