Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Lesson 4i - Summary of Prepositions


University of Santo Tomas Ecclesiastical Faculties
Institute of Latin
SUMMARY OF COMMONLY USED LATIN PREPOSITIONS


Prepositions are words placed before nouns to create phrases that express adverbial meanings. They answer questions such as Where? Why? How? When? It may take the accusative case or the ablative case. Some may take both.


I.               COMMON PREPOSITIONS WITH THE ACCUSATIVE CASE

ad               -           to, towards                                           ad Asiam (toward Asia)
-                for[1], with a view of                              ad pacem (for peace)
-                at                                                         ad horam (at the hour)

adversus     -           opposite, against                                  adversus haereses (against the heretics)

ante           -           before (in time or space)                      ante bellum (before the war)

apud           -           at, near, beside                                     apud Rhenum (at the Rhine)
                  -           at the house of                                     apud Caesarem (at the house of Caesar)

circum        -           around                                                  circum mundum (around the world)

contra        -           against                                                 contra hostes (against the enemies

extra          -           outside, beyond                                                extra terram (outside the land)

inter           -           among                                                  inter nos (among us)
-                between                                                inter meam opinionem ac tuam
(between my opinion and yours)

intra           -           within, among, inside                           intra silvam (inside the forest)

juxta          -           near, along, next to                              iuxta imperatorem (next to the emperor)
-                according to                                         iuxta imperatorem (according to the emperor)

ob              -           on account of, because of                     ob metum (because of fear)

per             -           through                                                            per maria (through the seas)

post           -           behind                                                  post montes (behind the mountains)
-                after                                                     post mortem (after death)

praeter       -           beyond, past                                         praeter insulas (beyond the islands)

propter      -           on account of, because of                     propter amorem (on account of love)

secundum   -           according to                                         secundum reginas (according to the queens)

trans          -           across                                                   trans flumen (across the river)

ultra           -           beyond                                                 ultra mundum (beyond the world)

II.             COMMON PREPOSITIONS WITH THE ABLATIVE CASE

a (ab, abs)[2] -           from, away from                                  a Britannia (away from Britain)
                  -           by                                                        interfectus est a Caesare
(He was killed by Caesar)

coram        -           in the presence of                                coram rectore (in the presence of the rector)

cum            -           with                                                     cum amicis (with friends)

de               -           from, down from                                  de montibus (down from the mountains)
                  -           about, concerning                                 de anima (concerning the soul)

e (ex)[3]        -           out of                                                   ex amore (out of love)

pro             -           for, on behalf of                                               pro amico meo (for my friend)

sine                        -           without                                                            sine pugna et sine vulnere
(without a fight and without injury)
           
                                     
III.           PREPOSITIONS THAT TAKE BOTH ACCUSATIVE AND ABLATIVE CASES

IN + ACCUSATIVE
in (+acc)    -           into, onto                                            in Asiam (into Asia)
in (+acc)    -           against                                                 oratio in Caesarem (a speech against Caesar)
in (+acc)    -           for (the purpose of)                             in puellam (for the girl)

IN + ABLATIVE
in (+abl)     -           in, on                                                   in Asia (in Asia)
in (+abl)     -           among                                                  in hostibus (among the enemies)
in (+abl)     -           by means of, with                                 in gladio (by means of a sword)

SUB + ACCUSATIVE
sub (+acc)   -           under (implying motion)                      sub portam venient (They will come under the gate)

SUB + ABLATIVE
sub (+abl)   -           under (stationary)                                quidquid sub terra est (Whatever is under the earth)

SUPER + ACCUSATIVE
super (+acc)           above, upon; over                                super montem (above the mountain)

SUPER + ABLATIVE
super (+abl)                        about, concerning                                 super monte (concerning the mountain)                                              





Nota Bene: This note must be used only by the class of Fr. Coronel, OP.



[1] “For” in the sense of purpose (ie “I did it ‘for money.’” --- not in the sense of “a gift ‘for you.’”)
[2] a is used before all consonants; ab before vowels; abs only before t (if at all)
[3] e is used only before a consonant; ex may be used before either vowels or consonants (especially p)

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