176 THE PREDICATE GENITIVE
Note. These sentences might, of course, be written with the subjunctive of purpose,—vēnērunt ut audīrent; vēnērunt ut urbem vidērent. In short expressions, however, the gerund and gerundive of purpose are rather more common.
408. We have learned that the word denoting the owner or possessor of something is in the genitive, as, equus Galbae, Galba’s horse. If, now, we wish to express the idea the horse is Galba’s, Galba remains the possessor, and hence in the genitive as before, but now stands in the predicate, as, equus est Galbae. Hence this is called the predicate genitive.
409. Rule. Predicate Genitive. The possessive genitive often stands in the predicate, especially after the forms of sum, and is then called the predicate genitive.
410.
IDIOMS
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alīcui negōtium dare, to employ someone (lit. to give business to some one) novīs rēbus studēre, to be eager for a revolution (lit. to be eager for new things) reī mīlitāris perītissimus, very skillful in the art of war sē suaque omnia, themselves and all their possessions |
411.
EXERCISES
I.
- Caesar cum in Galliā bellum gereret, militibus decimae legiōnis maximē fāvit quia reī mīlitāris perītissimī erant.
- Sociīs negōtium dedit reī frumentāriae cūrandae.
- Lēgāti nōn sōlum audiendī causā sed etiam dicendī causā vēnērunt.
- Imperātor iussit explōrātōres locum idōneum mūnindō reperīre.
- Nuper hae gentēs novīs rēbus studēbant; mox iīs persuādēbō ut Caesarī sē suaque omnia dēdant.
- Iubēre est regīnae[1] et pārēre est multitūdinis.[1]
- Hōc proeliō factō quīdam ex hostibus ad pācem petendam venērunt.
- Erant quī arma trādere nōllent.
- Hostēs tam celeriter prōgressī sunt ut spatium pīla in hostīs iaciendī non darētur.
- Spatium neque arma capiendī[2] neque auxilī petendī[2] datum est.
