BeLLaToRpOETA

Can someone explain to me why in the above phrase the ending on Infernis is 'is'?? This is confusing the hell out of me. I know 'hell' is ablative because of 'Ex'... but isn't 'is' a plural ablative ending?? is hell plural? Also what is the nominative case.. infernus? Thanks :?

henni

Hello BeLLaToRpOETA,

----> infernus is the adjectif - p.ex: partes infernae

Nom: inferna, gen: orum
-> lower world, under world the parts below "Hades" (poet.)

Dat: infernis

Abl: ex + Abl: infernis

ex: local out of
"liberia te ex infernis"
" deliver you from the hell"

Carolus

UnderINK

I'd also like to inquire about the matter of 'liberate'. I've taken two years of Latin but didn't dwell long on cases involving direct address, namely the vocative. I heard someone say on another forum that 'libera' was the proper term to use in the matter of address with 'te' and that 'liberate' was incorrect. I'd like some verification on this, for or against.

Cloelia

Salve UnderINK!
I don’t know if the thread starter understood the answer she got because she never gave any feedback. Anyway the answers are: Yes, hell is a plural noun in Latin belonging to the second declension. It is neuter. Thus based on infernum – the singular form not used- the plural nominative case is inferna. Inflections Nominative inferna Genitive infernorum Dative infernis Accusative inferna Ablative infernis. Vocative is the same as Nominative. (There is also a masculine nominative plural inferni meaning those who have died.)

Now to your question about commands. I take it as you want to know how to say "You, free yourself". The Romains always used ‘te’ addressing each other so they said "libera te tutemet". "Libera te" is sufficient but in speech, Libera te would sound exactly the same as "Liberate" - which means "You (plural) free yourselves!" That’s why "tutemet", an emphatic form of "tu" - you, one person- is added to make it clear that it means, "Free yourself." (It’s a little complicated because in English there is no difference between the 2nd.singular and the 2nd.plural of you, but Latin uses different endings.)

Thus, libera and liberate are both good Latin. Free! = libera (2nd.person singular, imperative of liberare) / liberate (2nd.person plural). The title of this thread Libera te (tutemet) ex infernis is "Free yourself from hell" said to one person. This command indicates the process of liberating. If you start the sentence with "Ex infernis" you emphasize the location, Hell.

The expert in this forum is mcmg so if there is a mistake above she will correct it.

UnderINK

Thanks for that. : ) And salve, Cloelia. Haven't used that since my jabbering professor said it the first week of class . . . . Lol!