Laocoonta

Here you can discuss all things Latin. Use this board to ask questions about grammar, discuss learning strategies, get help with a difficult passage of Latin, and more.
Post Reply
phil
Textkit Fan
Posts: 254
Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2003 2:01 am
Location: Wellington, New Zealand

Laocoonta

Post by phil »

Wheelock introduces 'Laocoon, -ontis (m)' as the character in a story. However in the text, the form 'Laocoonta' appears. The -is genitive ending means that it is 3rd declension no? With endings in -em, -is, -i, -e, -es, -um and -ibus. So how can a masculine 3rd decl noun end in '-a'?

bingley
Textkit Enthusiast
Posts: 640
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2003 10:04 am
Location: Jakarta

Post by bingley »

Following Greek?

User avatar
klewlis
Global Moderator
Posts: 1668
Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2003 1:48 pm
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Contact:

Post by klewlis »

oh yeah, i guess that would make sense since the story's actually a homeric one... but i don't have the greek text handy to verify.

Lisa
Textkit Neophyte
Posts: 27
Joined: Thu May 22, 2003 8:38 pm
Location: Somerville, MA
Contact:

Laocoonta

Post by Lisa »

It's a Greek noun: see Allen & Greenough sections 81 through 83.

"Greek accusative" was always one of those answers it was fun to pull out of the hat back in the day.....

Lisa

phil
Textkit Fan
Posts: 254
Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2003 2:01 am
Location: Wellington, New Zealand

Post by phil »

Greek nouns? Klewlis, we haven't encountered them yet have we? Is that another chapter I slept through?

vinobrien
Textkit Member
Posts: 143
Joined: Mon Sep 09, 2002 9:05 am
Location: Maidenhead, England

Post by vinobrien »

The so-called Greek declension crops up when a Latin writer is using a Greek name or loan word and is trying to look literary. It looks like a declension in Greek, the -a is an accusative if it comes from a third declesion word, but the declension in Latin is a mess and depends on the whim of the writer. The accusative of Aeneas can be Aeanan or Aeneam for example.

Emma_85
Global Moderator
Posts: 1564
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2003 8:01 pm
Location: London

Post by Emma_85 »

This so-called Greek declension also happens to be one of the only Latin declension I'm good at :wink: . Well ok, the o and a aren't that bad, but everything else is just too confusing...

User avatar
klewlis
Global Moderator
Posts: 1668
Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2003 1:48 pm
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Contact:

Post by klewlis »

phil wrote:Greek nouns? Klewlis, we haven't encountered them yet have we? Is that another chapter I slept through?
no, no, i doubt it's anywhere in our book. i just know that from my koine greek studies ;) lots of greek names are brought into latin, and vice versa.

Post Reply