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Notice that the forms in -am (Singular) and -ās (Plural) occur
- after certain Prepositions:
ante iānuam, before the door; post cenam, after supper; prope vīllam, near the house; inter fēriās, during the holidays. - without any Preposition, to complete the sense with certain Verbs. The form in -am or -as is then called tlhe Object of the Verb. In the following sentences it will be seen that the forms in -am and -as differ in meaning from those in -a and -ae just as me difers from I (or ‘him’, ‘them’, ‘whom’, from ‘he,’ ‘they,’ ‘who’) in English:—
I love sailors. Ego amō nautās. Sailors love me. Nautae amant mē. The maid-servant prepares supper. Ancilla parat cēnam. Sailors inhabit white cottages. Nautae habitant casās albās.
§4.
rēgina mea | my queen |
magna | great |
glōria | the glory |
Victōriae Rēgīnae | of Queen Victoria (or Queen Victoria’s) |
in insulīs Britannicīs | in the British islands |
colōniae Britannicae | British colonies |
domina | mistress [dame] |
multārum terrārum | of many lands |
undārum | of the waves |
triumphō | I triumph, I exult |
tē amō | I love thee |
Britannia | o Britain |
vōs | you |
īnsulae Britannicae | o British isles |
nōn est | is not |
patria | native-land |
ex Āfricā Merīdiānā | from South Africa |
sum | I am |
Note that the forms in -a (Singular) and -ae (Plural) may be used in speaking to persons or things: in such cases we may translate by using the word ‘o’ in English, but generally it is better to leave out this word: tē, Britannia, amō, I love thee, Britain: vōs, īnsulae Britannicae, amō, I love you, British isles.