Salvete omnes!
What exactly does “-dam” do to a word in Latin?
For example, “quibusdam.”
Here is a sample sentence from the Venerable Bede:
“uineas etiam quibusdam in locis germinans…”
My translation is something like this:
“vines were also sprouting forth in places”
I’m not sure what to do with “quibusdam.” I know its either dative or ablative and plural.
Is it “in which?”
Thanks for any help.
Gratis vobis ago.
Valete!
Forms of ‘quidam’, including quibusdam mean something like ‘some’ or ‘(a) certain’.
In your case quibusdam in locis means ‘in some places’, or ‘in certain places’.
Man, you guys make it look easy!
Gratias tibi ago et vale!
The most important step to progress, i have found, is to stop thinking it hard. 
A quick hint (which I used to confuse): make sure not to confuse quidam and quidem, the latter an adverb meaning “indeed/certainly.”
Thanks a lot!
Salve Quis ut Deus
Since “vineas” is accusative plural and “germinans” nominative singular, the participle “germinans” qualifies the subject “insula”. So strictly, I think, it’s…
Participium praesens “germinans”, quià nominativo casu et singulariter non accusativo et pluraliter, ad “insula” subjectum adicitur. Ideò adstrictè, ut opinor, sit:
[the island] also producing (or shooting forth) vines here and there (or in certain places)
Adrianus,
Gratias tibi ago!
Thanks for the correction.
I’m working on it night and day, but sometimes I miss those little things!
Vale!
Just to add to what the others have said, quidam, quaedam, quodam is an indefinite pronoun used by the speaker or writer when he has some definite instances in mind of whatever he’s talking about, but does not wish to specify them to the listener or reader, either out of politeness or because he doesn’t wish to reveal anything or feels it unimportant. It is often translated “certain” or “a certain” (singular), though that sometimes sounds over-translated in English. You may instead translate it with the word “some”, but when doing so you have to keep in mind that the meaning is more particular in Latin than in English. You would not use quidam when “some” means “some or other”, i.e. when the speaker/writer is himself not referring to anyone/thing as definite, as in “some men are evil” = “there are men who are evil”, as opposed to “certain men (but I won’t mention their names) are evil”. Here you would instead use aliquis, quispiam (somewhat rare), or for special emphasis nescio quis.
It should also be carefully distinguished from the use of “some” = “a few”, as in “I have some money”. In such case you would instead use a double negative form in Latin, as non nulli “some/a handful of men” or non nihil pecuniae “some money [literally something of money]”.
The force of quidam is sometimes so weak that it may be accurately translated with nothing more than the English indefinite article (in the singular), or not at all (in the plural).
@Imber Ranae,
Thanks for the in depth info. I’m sure in a few months I’ll be ready to incorporate it!
Gratias tibi ago.
Vale!