I'm confused about the correct way to say 'three days ago'. My Longmans' book says abhinc plus accusative. N&H also shows an example with abhinc followed by the accusative: 'three days ago - abhinc tres dies' but in the key to the exercises, the time is in the ablative: (36.9)'I saw my friend at Carthage three months ago - Tribus abhinc mensibus Carthagini meum amicum vidi'
Should the time be ablative or accusative?
using abhinc
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Re: using abhinc
L&S says either accusative or ablative can be used. There appear to be more examples with the ablative though.phil wrote:I'm confused about the correct way to say 'three days ago'. My Longmans' book says abhinc plus accusative. N&H also shows an example with abhinc followed by the accusative: 'three days ago - abhinc tres dies' but in the key to the exercises, the time is in the ablative: (36.9)'I saw my friend at Carthage three months ago - Tribus abhinc mensibus Carthagini meum amicum vidi'
Should the time be ablative or accusative?
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abhinc takes the accusative typically, and almost always in Classical Latin, though occasionally the accusative is replaced by an ablative of difference, perhaps to emphasise the time span. i have seen sich a construction in Cicero's Pro Q. Roscio, and a completely different use of abhinc adverbially in Lucretius.
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