FIRST LESSONS IN LATIN. Learn (1) Am-o = = (Any other person) loves, or is loving. (1) Am-amus = We love, or we are loving. (2) Am-atis Ye love, or ye are loving. (3) Am-ant = (Any other persons) love, or are loving. Explanation 1 = This tells us that somebody does something. This is therefore called a verb; becauseDefinition 1 A verb is a word which tells us either Voice (1) What a thing or person does. (2) What a thing or person is. (3) What a thing or person is done to. This verb amo tells us what somebody does it tells us that some one performs an action; it is therefore said to be Active, or in the Active voice. It indicates to us (i.e. tells us) of something actually happening. Mood It is therefore said to be Indicative, or in the Indicative mood. It tells us that something happens or is happening now, to-day, or at the present time. Tense It is therefore said to be in the Present tense, because tense means time. We notice that the first part of the word remains the same all through the tense, but that the ending changes; and that each time the ending of the Latin word changes, the person mentioned before the word 'love' in the English changes also: and so we learn that this Latin verb has different endings to express different persons. It is therefore called a Finite verb. Definition 2 A Finite verb is a verb which has different endings to express different persons. Person From this it follows that each of the six words in a tense is called a person. We also notice that each of the first three Latin words speaks of only one single person as the doer of the action. Number The first three persons are therefore said to be Singular, or of the Singular number. Each of the last three Latin words speaks of more than one person as the doers of the action. The last three persons are therefore said to be Plural, or of the Plural number. Lastly, we notice that in all the persons, except the first, the letter 'a' appears just before the part which changes. Conjugation This verb and all like it are therefore said to be A verbs, and to belong to the First or A conjugation. Learn by heart— Laudo = Lavo = Servo Orno = = I praise, or am praising. I wash, or am washing. Trucido I slay, or am slaying. To sum up = The Active voice of a verb tells us that the subject performs an action. The Indicative mood tells us that something actually is happening, has happened, or is going to happen. The Tense tells us whether it is happening, has happened, or will happen. |