Lectio duodecima
Facilius in eō pōnitur pōculumFacílius in eō pṓnitur pṓculum
It is easier to put the glass on it
Mūsicus clārus, sed satis ad pōtiōnem1 prōnus, ā diurnāriō interrogātur2.Mū́sicus clārus, sed satis ad pōtiṓnem1 prōnus, ā diurnā́riō interrogā́tur2.
A famous musician, but quite (enough) prone to drink, is interviewed by a journalist (by journalist is-questioned).
Unde orta est, Magister, perītia tua?Unde orta est, Magíster, perī́tia tua?
Where did your expertise come from, maestro (from-where [whence] has-arisen, master, expertise yours[sg.])?
Ab avō meō, sine ūllō dubiō3, nam fidiculīs perītissimē canēbat4.Ab avō meō, sine ūllō dúbiō3, nam fidículīs perītíssimē canḗbat4.
From my grandfather, without any doubt, for he played the violin most expertly (by-violin very-expertly he-sang).
Tū vērō, cūr clavichordium potius ēlēgistī?Tū vērō, cūr clavichórdium pótius ēlēgístī?
Yourself though, why did you rather choose the piano (you truly, why piano rather you-chose)?
Quia facilius in eō quam in fidiculīs pōnitur pōculum!Quia facílius in eō quam in fidículīs pṓnitur pṓculum!
Because it is easier to put the glass on it than on the violin (more-easily on it than on violin is-put beaker)!
Ē Vīta Latīna (Septembris 1961, Ā. Rodot)Ē Vīta Latī́na (Septémbris 1961, Ā. Rodot)
From Vita Latina (september 1961, A. Rodot)
Clavichordium est īnstrūmentum mūsicum cujus chordae malleīs percutiuntur5.Clavichórdium est īnstrūméntum mū́sicum cujus chordae málleīs percutiúntur5.
A piano is a musical instrument whose strings are struck by hammers.
Mūsicus bibulus facile pōculum in clavichordīō pōnit.Mū́sicus bíbulus fácile pṓculum in clavichordī́ō pōnit.
The boozy musician rests (puts) his glass easily on the piano.
Pōculum ā mūsicō bibulō in fidiculīs difficulter pōnitur.Pṓculum ā mū́sicō bíbulō in fidículīs difficúlter pṓnitur.
The glass is put on the violin with difficulty by the boozy musician.
Sōl in oriente oritur. Jūlius Caesar ē gente nōbilī ortus est.Sōl in oriénte óritur. Jū́lius Caesar ē gente nṓbilī ortus est.
The sun rises in the East. Julius Caesar was born from a noble family (having-arisen he-is).
Ēligō, ēligis, ēligere. — Elegī, ēlēgistī, ēlēgit, ēlēgērunt, ēlēgisse.Ḗligō, ḗligis, ēlígere. — Élegī, ēlēgístī, ēlḗgit, ēlēgḗrunt, ēlēgísse.
I choose, you choose, to choose — I chose/have chosen, you chose/have chosen, he chose/has chosen, they chose/have chosen, to have chosen.
Pōnō, pōnis, pōnere. — Posuī, posuistī, posuisse;Pōnō, pōnis, pṓnere. — Pósuī, posuístī, posuísse;
I place, you place, to place — I (have) put, you (have) put, to have put.
Pōnor, pōneris, pōnī. — Positus sum6.Pōnor, pṓneris, pōnī. — Pósitus sum6.
I am placed, you are placed, to be placed — I have been placed.
Notes
Potare, to drink (poto, potas, etc.); potio, the drink (subject); which, if it is a direct object, becomes: potionem. Poculum, the cup, the beaker, forms also part of the same family.
Interrogatur: passive voice; in the active voice, we would have: interrogat, he questions; similarly ponitur, he is placed and ponit, he places. You will compare phrase 2 of the exercise with phrase 1 of the lesson.
A diurnario, ab avo meo, sine ullo dubio: all these forms in o correspond to adverbial phrases. Note that the preposition a becomes ab in front of a vowel, similarly e, which indicates extraction, becomes ex in front of a vowel.
Cano, I sing, or I play an instrument; infinitive: canere; present indicative: cano, canis, canit, canimus, canitis, canunt. Canebat is an imperfect tense.
Chordae malleis percutiuntur (passive). By changing the verb to the active voice, the sentence transforms into: mallei chordas percutiunt, the hammers strike the strings. If we put all the words into the singular, we shall have: chorda malleo percutitur and malleus chordam percutit. Do not seek to memorize all of these variations yet: just know that they exist.
The passive verbs and those which are conjugated in the passive form, form their perfect tense by means of the perfect participle and of the verb sum, I am. It is very easy, but you will not have to forget after that that the participle agrees in the same way as an adjective. A woman will say therefore: posita sum, I was placed.
The excerpts from magazines and from books which we shall give you from time to time sometimes depart from the original text. You will find further references on the works cited in the Bibliography which is found at the end of the volume.
Have you noticed that phrases 5, 6 and 7 of the exercise are examples of what is pointed out in note 6? You can at the same time deduce from that that fidiculae is feminine (plural), bulga, feminine, and clavichordium, neuter.
Exercitatio
Mūsicus nōn ēsurit, sed pōtiōnem bibere vult.Mū́sicus nōn ḗsurit, sed pōtiṓnem bíbere vult.
The musician is not hungry, but wants to drink [something] (a-drink).
Diurnārius mūsicum bibulum interrogat.Diurnā́rius mū́sicum bíbulum intérrogat.
The journalist interviews (questions) the boozy musician.
Mūsicus fidiculās in raedā pōnit.Mū́sicus fidículās in raedā pōnit.
The musician puts the violin(s) in the car.
Fidiculae in raedā pōnuntur.Fidículae in raedā pōnúntur.
The violin(s) [is] (are) [placed] (put) in the car.
Fidiculae in raedā positae sunt.Fidículae in raedā pósitae sunt.
The violin(s) [has] (have) been/[was] (were) placed in the car.
Bulga in raedā posita est.Bulga in raedā pósita est.
The suitcase has been / was put in the car.
Clavichordium in cubiculō parvō difficulter positum est.Clavichórdium in cubículō parvō difficúlter pósitum est.
[It has been / was difficult to put] the piano in the small room (with-difficulty has been / was put).
Quantī cōnstant fidiculae? Cōnstant mīlle francīs.Quantī cōnstant fidículae? Cōnstant mīlle francīs.
How much does (do) the violin(s) cost? [It] (they) costs (cost) a thousand francs.
Cūr cubiculum vīcēsimum tertium ēlēgistī? Quia dē fenestrā portum vidēre possum.Cūr cubículum vīcḗsimum tértium ēlēgístī? Quia dē fenéstrā portum vidḗre possum.
Why did you choose room 23? Because from the window I can see the port.