cuncta

Latin Learning Latin
1

In LLPSI Cap XXXVIII hoc scribitur:

Cuncta classis remis ventisque laevam petivit.

Cur ‘cuncta’ et non ‘cuncti’ scribitur? Classis singularis…

This is usually translated as ‘all’ but it only makes sense if it means ‘each’…?

2

‘Classis’ est feminini generis… :slight_smile:

3

“The whole fleet” is the subject.

4

ah..of course. partitive genitive. I was thinking of cuncta as an adjective rather than a noun: cuncta, -ae (f)

Thanks.

5

Classis et cuncta sunt in casu nominativo.

6

Salve pmda!

Cunctus is an ordinary adjective in the nominative case (feminine, singular) belonging to the noun classis which is also in the nominative (feminine, singular).

The adjective cunctus does mean “all”, but with a slightly different emphasis. Look at Lewis & Short’s entry for cunctus:

Or the respective entry from Cassell’s Latin Dictionary:

cunctus > -a - um (contr. from coniunctus > or > coiunctus), > all, > all collectively, the whole> ; sing.: Gallia, Caes.; senatus; Cic.; orbis terrarum, Verg.; plur. cuncti cives, Cic.; in poet. sometimes with genit.: hominum conctos; esp. in n. pl.: cuncta terrarum, Hor.

So cuncta classis means “the whole fleet,” “the fleet as a whole”.

Another way to look at it is from the point of view of synonyms, in this case taken from Robert WM. Douthat’s “Latin Synonyms” (1907):

Vale,

Carolus Raeticus

7

Carolus Raeticus, Many thanks. I think I was making it too complicated.