Adler: Quid + partitive genitive

Latin Learning Latin
1

Salvete,

The above (munera) would expand to the sentence “Quid munera accepisti?”, which is obviously wrong. So the translation should be either one of the following, I guess:

  • Quid donorum (munerum) accepisti?
  • Quid donorum (Quae munera) accepisti?

Are both equally okay, or should one of these be preferred (most likeley the second one)?

Actually, I am rather wondering about the construction quid + partitive genitive because I would have expected “quid” in this construction to be followed by the genitive of a noun denoting a measure or weight (as Adler says in Lesson 65 A). In addition Cassell’s Latin Dictionary translates “quid + partitive genit.” as how much, how many, not has “what”. Am I missing something obvious?

Valete,

Carolus Raeticus

2

quid + gen. is a common construction in Latin, more than just words of measure/weight: quid novi? “what’s new?” quid mali tibi accidit? “what evil befell you?” vis aliquid cibi? “Want some food?” All of these are common uses of this construction. Both quid munerum and quae munera would be fine, I’m not sure which would be more idiomatic.