Learn Latin!

[Juggernaut]

When I say my name, should the name be in 1st person or 3rd person?
eg: should it be Meus nomen est Caecilius(is this sentence correct) or Caecilio?

[Blau&Gruen]

nomen meus Caecilius est.
nomen mihi Caecilius est.

[Juggernaut]

nomen mihi Caecilius est.


meus nomen est Caecilius, was: mine, the name is Caecilius.

But isn't mihi dative form of "me"?
Why is it in dative when you are talking about yourself?

[felicissimus]

But isn't mihi dative form of "me"?
Why is it in dative when you are talking about yourself?

Quite correct .It should be "nomen meus Caecilius est " .

[Blau&Gruen]

a) nomen meus Caecilius est.
b) nomen mihi Caecilius est.

a) My name is Caecilus.
b) I have Caecilius as name.

[Blau&Gruen]

But isn't mihi dative form of "me"?
Why is it in dative when you are talking about yourself?

You are correct. mihi is dative. Dative plus "esse" is "to have".

[LLXerxes]

When I say my name, should the name be in 1st person or 3rd person?
eg: should it be Meus nomen est Caecilius(is this sentence correct) or Caecilio?

Your name (when the subject of a subject) will always end with -us, IE Caecilius, Marcus, Crassus, etc.

There are two ways it can be Caecilio, which would be in the dative (in dativo) or in the ablative (in ablativo). For anything in the second declension (such as all guy names, bascially anything ending in -us) anything in the dative or ablative will end with -o (Caecilio, Marco, Crasso, Lecto, etc)

Sed Magistre, quid dativus et ablativus sunt?

Simple!
The dative is used for indirect objects. The dative is used any time a verb involving exchanging is used. For example: I gave the ball to Marcus.
That would be translated as Pilam Marco dedi. As you can see, Marcus' name ends with -o. The dative is also used for a couple odd verbs that just require the dative. For example, appropinquo, appropinquare, to approach, always require a dative word when you use it. For example, The tired girl approaches the bed. is Puella defessa lecto appropinquat. Notice how bed (lectus) is in the dative because of the verb.
The ablative is used for prepositional phrases. For masculine nouns (-us) the ablative is also -o. Any time you are in a place or leave that place, you are in the ablative case. Notice I did not say going towards an object. If you are going towards anything, you are in the accusative case. If you want, I can cover that later. Prepositions that you can use in the ablative are in (in, on) e or ex (from, out of) cum (with, when) and prae (before). If you wanted to say Father talks in sleep, sleep (somnus) is in the ablative because it is in a prepositional phrase inside a thing. The translation would be Pater in somno dicit..

So there's a little mini lesson. If you want I can update this thread regularly with random tidbits and things.

[Juggernaut]

Your name (when the subject of a subject) will always end with -us, IE Caecilius, Marcus, Crassus, etc.

There are two ways it can be Caecilio, which would be in the dative (in dativo) or in the ablative (in ablativo). For anything in the second declension (such as all guy names, bascially anything ending in -us) anything in the dative or ablative will end with -o (Caecilio, Marco, Crasso, Lecto, etc)

Sed Magistre, quid dativus et ablativus sunt?

Simple!
The dative is used for indirect objects. The dative is used any time a verb involving exchanging is used. For example: I gave the ball to Marcus.
That would be translated as Pilam Marco dedi. As you can see, Marcus' name ends with -o. The dative is also used for a couple odd verbs that just require the dative. For example, appropinquo, appropinquare, to approach, always require a dative word when you use it. For example, The tired girl approaches the bed. is Puella defessa lecto appropinquat. Notice how bed (lectus) is in the dative because of the verb.
The ablative is used for prepositional phrases. For masculine nouns (-us) the ablative is also -o. Any time you are in a place or leave that place, you are in the ablative case. Notice I did not say going towards an object. If you are going towards anything, you are in the accusative case. If you want, I can cover that later. Prepositions that you can use in the ablative are in (in, on) e or ex (from, out of) cum (with, when) and prae (before). If you wanted to say Father talks in sleep, sleep (somnus) is in the ablative because it is in a prepositional phrase inside a thing. The translation would be Pater in somno dicit..

So there's a little mini lesson. If you want I can update this thread regularly with random tidbits and things.

Thanks for the detailed answer.
I already knew about the dative but ablative was new to me.
I also thank you for the offer, but I'm attending a Latin course atm and I'd prefer to learn it in my own pace, but I appreciate your offer none the less.

[Ummon]

Id, non latinum viris est, sed pueris. Perpaulum eniteri necesse.

[Blau&Gruen]

Id, non latinum viris est, sed pueris. Perpaulum eniteri necesse.

pridem puer iste adulescentiam vidit. lascivia pueris eum incitat. interdum, quam aliis apparet, nescit.

*set was fine (old lat. or poetic) for sed

Yes, though if it comes to Latin I may better hold myself a bit back.

[Ummon]

Nondum senex, non amplius puer. Sed non tibi alloquor!

Anyway, indeed, a linguist doesn't qualify! :wink:

[Juggernaut]

There's one thing I was wondering.
I've always heard that the roman javelin is sing.pilum and plur.pila.
But shouldn't it be sing.pilus and plur.pili or sing.pila and plur.pilae?

[Ummon]

It's a neuter, thus it is pilum,a (singular and plural, nominative + accusative).

[Juggernaut]

It's a neuter, thus it is pilum,a (singular and plural, nominative + accusative).

Yes I forgot the neuter

[Turk]

Salve TWC!

Ego Turk est(What means i can speak a bit Latin again? )

[iudas]

Ego Turcus sum*.

Wee, my first post in this thread!
It was a nice read though.

[John I Tzimisces]

Armenia patrias vestri devincebit...


Oh man I hope I got that right.

[Mathias]

I'm under the impression that c is mostly pronounced k in latin, Caesar is pronounced Kæsar, veni vidi viki and so on, but is it always so? I'm asking because I've got an reputation in my class for saying alot latin phrases, but I want to make sure I pronounce them as correct as possible.

[John I Tzimisces]

actually, veni vidi vici is pronounced weni widi wiki (long I's on all of them).

[Mathias]

actually, veni vidi vici is pronounced weni widi wiki (long I's on all of them).

I was concerned about hos to pronounce the "c"s. Besides, I pronounce it in more of a Norwegian way than english.