Plūrālia Aliēna

The follow is a list of nouns whose standard semantic meaning is altered when the noun is made plural.

• aedēs, is (f) temple —> aedēs house
• aqua, ae (f) water —> aquae mineral springs, watering hole
• auxilium, -ī (n) help —> auxilia auxiliary forces
• bonum, ī (n) a good —> bona goods, property
• carcer, -ēris (m) dungeon, prison —> carcerēs race course barriers
• castrum, -ī (n) fort —> castra military camp
• comitium, -ī (n) place of assembly —> comitia election
• cōpia (f) plenty —> cōpiae stores, troops
• fidēs, -is (f) harp-spring —> fidēs, um lyre
• fīnis, -is (m) end —> fīnēs boundaries
• fortūna, -ae (f) fortune —> fortūnae possessions
• grātia, -ae (f) favor —> grātiae thanks, the Graces
• hortus, -ī (m) garden —> hortī pleasure-grounds
• impedīmentum, -ī (n) hindrance —> impedīmenta baggage
• literra, -ae (f) letter —> litterae literature, epistle
• locus, -ī (m) place —> locī topics (but loca (n) places)
• mōs, mōris (m) habit, custom —> mōres character
• nātālis, -is (m) birthday —> nātālēs descent, origin
• opera (f) work —> operae day-hands
• ops, -is (f) help —> opēs resources, wealth
• pars, -tis (f) part —> partēs stage role, party
• rōstrum, -ī (n) beak of a ship —> rōstra speaker’s platform
• sāl (m/n) salt —> salēs (m) witty jokes
• tabella (f) tablet —> tabellae records

The Essential A & G: 107

Alternatives to the Ablative of Agent

There are two: per + accusative and operā + genitive.

• Recall that operā (sans ā/ab) is operating as an Ablative of Instrument
• These are constructions where the agent/instrument sense breaks down: with per, animate agents seems to work as instruments, and with operā, the (instrumental) labor of an agent take the place of that agent.

Agents with Per Construction

• Caesar was informed by scouts: Caesar ab explōrātōribus certiorātus est.
• Cesar was informed by scouts: Caesar per explōrātōrēs certiorātus est.

• He was trampled by charioteers: ab origīs compressus est.
• He was trampled by charioteers: per origās compressus est.

Agents with Operā Construction

• Caesar was informed by scouts: Caesar ab explōrātōribus certiorātus est.
• Caesar was informed by the work of scouts: Caesar operā explōrātōrum certiorātus est.

• The walls were cleaned by a slave: mūrī ab famulō lōtī sunt.
• The walls were cleaned by slave’s labor: mūrī operā famulī lōtī sunt.

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While we’re at it, note the odd forth principle part of wash: lāvō, lāvāre, lāvī, lōtum.

• Really, it varies: it can also be lautum or lāvātum, depending on the author.

The Essential AG: 405b