pusilli ad elementa et syllabes dinumeravit

Latin Learning Latin
1

Can anyone help me understand this Sermones Romani Orberg p 6

Inter haec iussū magistrī
surgunt pusillī ad elementa,
et syllabās dīnumerāvit eīs ūnus dē māiōribus.

While these things are (going on =the students were arguing),
they (the students) rise at the command of the teacher, one of the older students enumerated little letters (of the Alphabet) and syllables to the younger students

Thank you
Jim

2

There’s a ad before elementa so it cannot be the object of dinumeravit, like syllabas is.

Literally: “the young ones stand up to/for the alphabet/elements/basics and one of the…”.

I’ll leave the search for an idiomatic translation to a native speaker :smiley: