Passive plural or singular for lists?

Latin Learning Latin
1

Why is it permissible to say, with the singular passive verb (conjunctive in this case):

Laudetur Iesus et Maria.

as opposed to with the plural verb:

Laude> n> tur Iesus et Maria.

? Thanks

2

Actually, they’re both correct. The singular verb agrees with the nearest subject.

3

Sure, but do they mean exactly the same thing?

Here’s another example, with an even longer list but singular verb:

…ómnium Sanctórum universitáti > sit > sempitérna laus, honor, virtus et glória…

So, instead of sit I could just as easily say sint? Thanks again

See, in English there is no problem because all these passives and/or conjunctive verbs would use “be”, which is still “be” for singular or plural.

4

Actually, Bennett’s New Latin Grammar does have a section on verb agreement:

    1. Agreement in Number. With two or more subjects the verb is regularly plural; as,—

pater et fīlius mortuī sunt, the father and son died.

  1. But sometimes the verb agrees with the nearest subject; viz.,—

a) When the verb precedes both subjects or stands between them; as,—

mortuus est pater et fīlius;

pater mortuus est et fīlius.

b) When the subjects are connected by aut; aut … aut; vel … vel; neque … neque; as,—

neque pater neque fīlius mortuus est, neither father nor son died.

  1. When the different subjects are felt together as constituting a whole, the singular is used; as,—

temeritās ignōrātiōque vitiōsa est, rashness and ignorance are bad.

a. This is regularly the case in senātus populusque Rōmānus.