I have just started studying Latin and I was wondering if anyone could explain a couple of questions about the grammar of Horace’s Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori. Firstly, I assume ‘mori’ is some form of infinitive, but I can’t find which form it is.
Secondly, if anyone knows the Latin for ‘to spy’ would they be so kind as to provide it in the same infinitive form as ‘mori’ is in in the aforementioned sentence.
Cheers.
This is the passive infinitive. mori is from a group of verbs known as the deponents, which use only passive forms but express active meanings through them (the opposite of what one should expect). Thus, mori means “to die”, but if it had the true passive meanings and were not deponent, it would mean “to be died”, which of course makes no sense with this verb.
Secondly, if anyone knows the Latin for ‘to spy’ would they be so kind as to provide it in the same infinitive form as ‘mori’ is in in the aforementioned sentence.
one word that can mean “to spy” is explorare. You would not want to put it into the same infinitive form as mori, which would be explorari, because that would mean “to be spied” (since explorare is not deponent, the passive forms DO carry passive meanings).
Thanks heaps. After reading your reply I found the verb ‘speculari’. Does this reflect the meaning of spy that we usually understand?
yes, and that’s even better than exploro in my opinion.
If the above suggestions for to spy seem doubtful, you couldn’t go wrong with furto observare=to observe secretly.
Cheers, thanks everybody.