Question on the gerund....

Latin Learning Latin
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  1. Many Latin descriptive adjectives have a stem in -ac (long a) and a nominative singular in -ax. Is the “a” in this “-ax” ending a long vowel by nature or a short vowel? The reason for my doubt is that the “ac” in the stem may be long, as it is, but by reason of compensatory lengthening. I need to know this in order to mark correctly the nominative with or without a macron.


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  2. Is it correct to use the gerund in the ablative to render “by doing something”, independentally of the subject of the sentence (i.e., no grammatical concordance) but with it understood that the subject of the sentence is also the performer of the action of the gerund? Here is the sentence which I have in mind:



    Lingvam latinam facilius discimus hanc linqvam ad colloqvia habenda adhibendo.



    We learn Latin all the easier by using this language for holding conversations in.

Evan.

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ad secundam quaetionem: You could also use the present participle in concordance with the subject, linking the action more closely to the subject.

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Ago tibi gratias, quod respondeas.

Very helpful.

I remembered seeing something in Bennet about this, but did not have the text to look at.

Evan.

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Much better would be this:

Linguam Latinam facilius discimus colloquiis habendis.

Or better still:

Linguam Latinam facilius discimus colloquendo [Latine].


Also, pugn?x, yes, and the others all have an inherent long vowel. Otherwise, it would be púgnăcis in the genetive.

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Salvete omnes
According to several grammarians in Kiel, the “a” in “pax” is short in the nominative.
Dicunt nonnulli antiqui grammatici (Kiel, Grammatici Latini) in “pax” verbo monosyllabo (casu nominativo) vocalem brevem esse.

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What about this travesty of an old saying:

Linguam Latinam discimus non vi sed saepe (col)loquendo.

Cheers,
Int

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Heh, travesty?

Adriane, could you cite those sources for us? Or trascribe if you might where this is said?

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Salvete
The grammarians in Kiel use the example “pax” as a monosyllable with a short vowel and acute accent, but they are referring to the “comic” adverb used by Terence (that I wrongly referred to as a nominative). I distantly remember either Cicero or Quintilian mentioning specifically that “pax” of pax, pacis has a long vowel.
“Nominativo casu” in dicendo, malè dixi, quià de dictione “pax”, adverbio comico quo Terentius utitur, grammatici antiqui dicunt, quod brevem accentum habet. Ut confusè memini, specialiter dicit Cicero vel Quintilianus vocalem in “pax” dictione longam esse.