- tive Pronouns precede the Verbs or Adjectives to which they belong.
- Adverbs (including non) and Oblique Cases precede the Verbs or Adjectives to which they belong.
- Prepositions always precede the Cases[1]
- In phrases consisting of a Noun with an Adjective and other Complements, the Adjective is generally put first, the Noun last, and the other Complements in between.
These rules are illustrated by the following sentence:—
1
Līvĭŭs, 2 impĕrātor 2 fortīssĭmus, quamquam adventŭs 2 hostĭum 4 nōn ŭbĭ 1 ŏportŭit nūntĭătŭs 1 est, pĕrīcŭlum 3 iliā 6 sŭā 5 in rēbus dŭbĭŭīs 6 audācĭā 4 făcĭlĕ 1 ēvāsĭt. |
Livius, a most excellent commander, although the enemy's arrival was not reported when it should have been, easily escaped the danger by his well-known daring in perilous positions. |
§ 437. Notice that the order of words in a sentence is not affected if its form is changed through its becoming part of another sentence.
Hence we have Līvĭŭs . . . pĕrīcŭlum ĭliā suā ĭn rēbus dŭbĭīs audācĭā făcĭlĕ ēvāsissĕ dīcĭtūr (is said to have escaped); Livĭŭs . . . pĕrīcŭlum iliā sŭā in rēbus dŭbĭīs audāciā făcĭlĕ ēvādendō laudem mĕrŭĭt (won credit by escaping), etc.
§ 438. Order and Emphasis.—Emphasis is often expressed by Order in Latin when in English we have to express it by laying stress on a word in pronouncing, or by underlining it in writing.
Emphasis is expressed:
(1) By placing a word in an unusual position, especially if that is also a prominent one. Thus the sentence Clōdĭŭs sĕnātum irrīdĕt may have any of its parts made emphatic as follows:
Sĕnātum Clŏdĭŭs irrīdĕt It is the Senate that Clodius is mocking.
Irrīdĕt Clōdĭŭs sĕnātum Clodius is mocking the Senate.
Sĕnatum irrīdet Clōdĭŭs The Senate is being mocked by Clodius.
- ↑ Except cum (see above), tĕnŭs and versŭs.
