Is this right?

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pmda
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Is this right?

Post by pmda »

Q. 10 in exercitium 4 in Cap. XL is an exercise showing the equivalent forms: 'x mihi est' and 'x habeo..'

He gives:

Quot caelo stellae, tot sunt tuae Romae puellae = ?


...to which my answer would be (to use the equivalent 'habere' form)

Quot caelum stellas, tot habes tua Roma puellas.

I'm taking it that 'tua Roma' is vocative....

As many stars has the sky, you Rome have girls.

But Orberg gives the answer as:

Quot caelum stellas, tot habet tua Roma puellas.

Qimmik
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Re: Is this right?

Post by Qimmik »

tuae Romae is dative -- the "X (nom.) mihi est" construction, = habeo X (acc.).

So tuae Romae must be converted into the nominative, and the correct form of habere is 3rd person singular, agreeing with Roma, habet.

pmda
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Re: Is this right?

Post by pmda »

Yes....but what is 'tua' if it's nominative and not vocative. Why must it be nominative in any case?

pmda
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Re: Is this right?

Post by pmda »

Yes....but what is 'tua' if it's nominative and not vocative. Why must it be nominative in any case?

Qimmik
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Re: Is this right?

Post by Qimmik »

In the converted version, tua is nominative because it agrees with Roma (just as in the original version, tuae is dative because it agrees with Romae); in the converted version Roma is nominative because it's the subject of habet. Both versions mean: "Your Rome--that Rome of yours--has as many girls as the sky has stars."

pmda
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Re: Is this right?

Post by pmda »

I get it. 'Your Rome' rather than vocative 'You Rome'.

I take it that 'You Rome' would be 'Tu Roma' rather than 'Tua Roma' - tua being an adjective.....

Qimmik
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Re: Is this right?

Post by Qimmik »

'You Rome' would be 'Tu Roma' rather than 'Tua Roma' - tua being an adjective
Yes, exactly.

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