Ch. 2 Wheelock's Sentence Translation

Are you learning Latin with Wheelock's Latin 6th Edition? Here's where you can meet other learners using this textbook. Use this board to ask questions and post your work for feedback.
Post Reply
User avatar
meirad
Textkit Neophyte
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 7:35 pm
Contact:

Ch. 2 Wheelock's Sentence Translation

Post by meirad »

I was working through Ch. 2 and I came across one sentence that doesn't seem to translate to what the answer key says. I've checked my grammar etc But I cannot figure out where I went wrong.

Sentence #10: Sanam formam vitae conservate.

My translation: The beautiful sound preserves life.

Actual Answer: Maintain (preserve) a healthy (sound) form of life.


*I realize that I may be misinterpreting something here. Could someone explain this sentence a bit?

User avatar
bedwere
Global Moderator
Posts: 5101
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 10:23 pm
Location: Didacopoli in California
Contact:

Re: Ch. 2 Wheelock's Sentence Translation

Post by bedwere »

What was the reasoning behind your translation?

User avatar
meirad
Textkit Neophyte
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 7:35 pm
Contact:

Re: Ch. 2 Wheelock's Sentence Translation

Post by meirad »

It was based on the limited definitions that were provided. Conservate was obviously preserves / conserves. However, Sanam was defined as sane / sound. Formam was defined as form / beauty etc. I think if I'm not mistaken, these are not the only definitions for these words. But they are what I had to work with.

User avatar
bedwere
Global Moderator
Posts: 5101
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 10:23 pm
Location: Didacopoli in California
Contact:

Re: Ch. 2 Wheelock's Sentence Translation

Post by bedwere »

It seems to me that you don't know the first declension and the first conjugation. You must go back to the grammar part and learn those first. Otherwise your effort is useless.

User avatar
jeidsath
Textkit Zealot
Posts: 5332
Joined: Mon Dec 30, 2013 2:42 pm
Location: Γαλεήπολις, Οὐισκόνσιν

Re: Ch. 2 Wheelock's Sentence Translation

Post by jeidsath »

The endings of the words provide some information about them:

Sanam formam vitae conservate

English signals "direct object of the verb" by putting the word after the verb. "Maintain a ... form..." Latin signals it with an accusative ending, here formam.

English puts an adjective before a noun to signal that it is modifying that noun, "healthy form", but Latin has the word ending agree instead (really the case), "sanam formam".

English uses the word "of" to signal genitive of material, "form of life", but Latin uses the ending instead "formam vitae".

English states the subject of a verb, or uses position to signal that it's an imperative, "Maintain...". But Latin does this with the ending instead, "conservate". (Here said to multiple people.)
“One might get one’s Greek from the very lips of Homer and Plato." "In which case they would certainly plough you for the Little-go. The German scholars have improved Greek so much.”

Joel Eidsath -- jeidsath@gmail.com

donhamiltontx
Textkit Member
Posts: 105
Joined: Tue Jul 28, 2015 5:27 pm

Re: Ch. 2 Wheelock's Sentence Translation

Post by donhamiltontx »

meirad wrote: Thu May 16, 2019 11:53 pm I was working through Ch. 2 and I came across one sentence that doesn't seem to translate to what the answer key says. I've checked my grammar etc But I cannot figure out where I went wrong.

Sentence #10: Sanam formam vitae conservate.

My translation: The beautiful sound preserves life.

Actual Answer: Maintain (preserve) a healthy (sound) form of life.
1. You overlooked the possibility that 'conservate' can be imperative.
2. 'sanem' means sound as in 'healthy,' never as something you can hear with your ears.

User avatar
meirad
Textkit Neophyte
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 7:35 pm
Contact:

Re: Ch. 2 Wheelock's Sentence Translation

Post by meirad »

donhamiltontx wrote: Tue May 21, 2019 3:25 pm
meirad wrote: Thu May 16, 2019 11:53 pm I was working through Ch. 2 and I came across one sentence that doesn't seem to translate to what the answer key says. I've checked my grammar etc But I cannot figure out where I went wrong.

Sentence #10: Sanam formam vitae conservate.

My translation: The beautiful sound preserves life.

Actual Answer: Maintain (preserve) a healthy (sound) form of life.
1. You overlooked the possibility that 'conservate' can be imperative.
2. 'sanem' means sound as in 'healthy,' never as something you can hear with your ears.
point 1: Thank you! That never even occurred to me.
point 2: I finally got a dictionary and apparently the text forgot to add 'healthy' as a possible translation.

Thanks again!

donhamiltontx
Textkit Member
Posts: 105
Joined: Tue Jul 28, 2015 5:27 pm

Re: Ch. 2 Wheelock's Sentence Translation

Post by donhamiltontx »

Glad you got it worked out. Good luck with Latin.

Post Reply