Ablatives Flashcards
Ablative of Means or Instrument
Definition: A noun or pronoun that answers the question “by means of what?” or “by what/with what?” is the action of the verb performed.
Recognition: a noun/pronoun in the ablative without a preposition
Ex: Litteras stilo scripsit.
He wrote the letter with a pencil. (Note: there is no ‘cum’ to indicate the ablative, and it appears alone)
Ablatives of Accompaniment and Manner
Definition: An ablative noun/pronoun (usually a person) that answers the question “In whose company/with whom is the action performed”
Recognitions: an ablative with the preposition cum (with)
Ex: Cum agricola laborat
He was working with the farmer
Ablative with Cardinal Numbers
With cardinal numbers and with quidam (a certain one) and sometimes pauci (small, little) the idea of the whole is expressed by ex or de and the ablative.
Ex: tres ex eis
Ex: Quinque ex eis
Ablative of Time When or Within Which
Definition: An action occurred by using the ablative without a preposition. When translating you must supply “at”, “on”, “in”, or “within” depending on the English idiot
Recognition: No ablative, but not an ablative of means/manner
Ex: Eo tempore non poteram id facere. At that time I could not do it.
Ablative of Personal Agent
Definition: The personal agent by whom the action of passive verb is performed by.
Recognition: Indicated by the preposition a/ab. (From, out of, by, since)
Ex: Di Caesarem admonent. The Gods are warning Caesar.
Ex: Caesar a dis admonetur. Ceasar is warned by the gods. (Agent)
Notice the difference between the two sentences. The Gods being the subject versus Caesar being the subject.
Ablatives of Place from Which
Definition: Involves a verb of active motion from one place to another.
Recognition: governed by one of the prepositions “ab” (from, out of, by, since), “de” (from, away from, down from), or “ex” (by which, from, out of, by)
Ex: Graeci a patria sua ad Italiam navigaverunt. The Greeks sailed from their (own) country to Italy.
Ex: Flumen de montibus in mare fluxit. The river flowed down from the mountain to the sea.
Ablatives of Separation
Definition: Implies that some person or thin is separate from another. There is no movement from one place to another.
Recognition: sometimes there is no preposition, especially with verbs meaning “to free”, “to lack,” and “to deprive” which take an ablative of separation.
Ex: Cicero hostes ab urbe prohibuit. Cicero kept the enemy away from the city.
Ex: Eos timore liberavit. He freed them from fear.