First Lesson

First Declension

Singular

1. Nominative; Corōn-a, the crown

2. Genetive; Corōn-ae, of the crown

3. Dative; Corōn-ae, to the crown

4. Accusative; Corōn-am, the crown

5. Vocative; Corōn-a, o crown

6. Ablative; Corōn-ā, by or with the crown

Plural

1. Nominative; Corōn-ae, the crowns

2. Genetive; Corōn-arum, of the crowns

3. Dative; Corōn-īs, to the crowns

4. Accusative; Corōn-ās, the crowns

5. Vocative; Corōn-ae, o crowns

6. Ablative; Corōn-īs, by or with the crowns

First conjugation; laudāre, to praise.

Present Active

Laudo, I praise, laudamus, we praise, laudas, you praise,

Laudatis, you praise, laudat, he praises, laudant, they praise.

The personal pronouns of the first and second person are expressed only when emphasized: the personal pronoun of the third person is not expressed in the nominative.

Vocabulary

Nouns:

• Europa Europe
• Asia Asia
• Italia Italy
• Graecia Greece
• ancilla slave-girl, servant
• anima soul
• aqua water
• corona crown, wreath
• ecclesia church
• filia daughter
• femina woman
• gratia grace, loviliness, gratitude
• modestia modesty
• poenitentia penance
• puella girl, maiden
• patria country
• provincia province
• regīna queen
• terra land, earth
• via way, street
• vita life
• stella star
• poëta poet

Verbs:

• amare to love
• ambulare to walk
• cantare to sing
• clamāre to call, to cry
• delectāre to amuse, delight
• donāre to give
• laborāre to work
• laetificāre to make glad
• orāre to pray
• ornāre to adorn
• regnāre to rule
• sanctificare to sanctify
• triumphāre to triumph
• est (he, she, it) is
• sunt (they) are

Little Words

• et and
• ex out of (preposition with Ablative)
• pro for (preposition with Ablative)
• cum with (preposition with Ablative)
• non not

In Latin there is no article; corōna may mean therefore; the crown; a crown; coronae, the crowns or crowns.

A Sentence

A sentence is a complete expression of a thought and contains a subject and a predicate. The subject is that of which something is affirmed.

The predicate expresses whatever is affirmed.

The subject is either a noun or pronoun or their equivalents, but is not always expressed; it may be implied in the verb inflection. The subject is in the nominative case. The predicate may be an independent verb, The verb agrees with the subject in number and person. If the predicate represents no independent verb, then the auxiliary verb esse is used in connection with a substantive or adjective. Esse (to be), like every other verb, agrees with the subject in number and person. The substantive of the predicate agrees with the subject in case only; namely, in the nominative. Translating from Latin into English, one should look for the predicate first and then for the subject.

Exercises

a.

1. Anima orat.
2. Ancilla laborat.
3. Ancillae laborant.
4. Regina regnat.
5. Reginae regnant.
6. Nos laboramus, vos oratis.
7. Oramus pro patria.
8. Oro et laboro.
9. Gratis triumphat.
10. Gratia regnat.

b.

1. Europa est terra.
2. Asia est terra.
3. Europa et Asia sunt terrae.
4. Italia est terra.
5. Graecia est terra.
6. Italia et Graecia sunt terrae.
7. Iudaea est provincia.
8. Samaria est provincia.
9. Galilaea est provincia.
10. Iudaea et Galilaea et Samaria sunt provinciae.

c.

1. Gratia sanctificat animam.
2. Viam gratiae ambulamus.
3. Pro patria et ecclesia oratis.
4. Modestia puellas ornat.
5. Aquae gratiae animas laetificant.
6. Stellae reginam delectant.
7. Puellae reginae coronas donant.
8. Puellae reginam corona (with) ornant.
9. Aqua delectat filiam.
10. Regina laudat filias poetäe.