Welcome to Lesson 58 of the Latinum Institute Conversational Latin Course. Today’s word is the conjunction enim, “for, indeed.” The Dickinson Core Vocabulary places it 57th among all Latin words. In Lesson 57 you learned tum, “then,” the word that moves a story forward. Enim does a different job: it stops to explain. It gives the reason for what has just been said.
What does enim mean in Latin?
Enim means “for” in the sense “because, you see.” It adds a reason or an explanation to the sentence before it: fessus enim sum, “for I am tired.” It can also confirm or strengthen a statement, meaning “indeed, truly, certainly.” Enim never changes its form.
Where does enim stand in the sentence?
Enim is postpositive: it never stands first in its clause. It comes second, after the first word: nēmō enim est, “for no one is.” If the first words form a single unit, such as a preposition and its noun, enim comes after the unit: in hōc enim fallimur, “for in this we are deceived.” English puts “for” at the very start of its clause; Latin tucks enim in after the first word. This is the most important fact about the word.
How does Latin differ from English here?
In modern English, “for” used as a conjunction (“I stayed home, for I was ill”) sounds formal or old-fashioned. Everyday English says “because,” “you see,” “after all,” or simply leaves the link unspoken. Latin enim is not bookish. It is in the letters of Cicero, the comedies of Plautus and the Gospels, and a Roman could use it in any conversation. So translate enim by whatever English would naturally say: “for,” “because,” “you see,” “after all,” “indeed.”
Where does enim come from?
Lewis and Short connect enim with nam, “for,” the other common Latin word for the same idea, and derive it from a pronoun stem plus nam. The two words divide the work by position: nam comes first in its clause, enim comes second.
The most useful phrase of all
Quid enim? “Well, what else? Why not?” is the reply of a speaker who thinks the answer is obvious. You will meet it in Section A and again in the dialogue at the end of this lesson.
Key Takeaways
✦ Enim means “for, because, you see”: it gives the reason for what has just been said
✦ Enim is postpositive: it stands second in its clause, never first
✦ Enim can also confirm a statement: “indeed, truly”
✦ Neque enim means “for … not”; at enim introduces an objection, “but, you will say …”
✦ Enimvērō, “indeed, of course,” is the strong form, and it does stand first
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enim /ˈe.nim/: two syllables, both vowels SHORT. Stress the first: E-nim. The e is the e of “pet,” the i is the i of “pit.” Never say “ee-nim.” Pronounce the final m clearly in conversation.
enimvērō /e.nimˈweː.roː/: four syllables, stress on the long vē. The v is /w/.
neque enim /ˈne.kʷe ˈe.nim/: in fast speech the two words run together, neque‿enim.
Key vocabulary for this lesson:
nam /nam/ — for (stands first); neque /ˈne.kʷe/ — and not, nor; at /at/ — but; sed /sed/ — but; fessus /ˈfes.sus/ — tired; aegrōtō /ae̯ˈɡroː.toː/ — I am ill; sērum /ˈseː.rum/ — late (as in iam sērum est, “it is already late”); ignōsce /iɡˈnoːs.ke/ — forgive!; tabula /ˈta.bu.la/ — writing tablet.
This course gives the restored classical pronunciation: c is always /k/, v is /w/, ae is /ae̯/ as in “eye,” and qu is /kʷ/.
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58.1a Fessus tired enim for sum I-am
58.1b Fessus /ˈfes.sus/ tired.NOM.M.SG enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ sum /sum/ be.1SG.PRES
58.2a Tacē be-quiet Dormit he-is-sleeping enim you-see
58.2b Tacē /ˈta.keː/ be-silent.2SG.IMP Dormit /ˈdor.mit/ sleep.3SG.PRES enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ
58.3a Quid what enim indeed
58.3b Quid /kʷid/ what.NOM.N.SG enim /ˈe.nim/ indeed.CONJ
58.4a Ego I enim for nesciō do-not-know
58.4b Ego /ˈe.ɡo/ I.NOM.SG enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ nesciō /ˈne.ski.oː/ not-know.1SG.PRES
58.5a Nōn not veniō I-am-coming aegrōtō I-am-ill enim for
58.5b Nōn /noːn/ not.ADV veniō /ˈwe.ni.oː/ come.1SG.PRES aegrōtō /ae̯ˈɡroː.toː/ be-ill.1SG.PRES enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ
58.6a Domum home eō I-am-going iam already enim for sērum late est it-is
58.6b Domum /ˈdo.mum/ home.ACC.F.SG eō /ˈe.oː/ go.1SG.PRES iam /jam/ already.ADV enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ sērum /ˈseː.rum/ late.NOM.N.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES
58.7a Nōlī do-not timēre be-afraid amīcus friend enim for meus my est he-is
58.7b Nōlī /ˈnoː.liː/ be-unwilling.2SG.IMP timēre /tiˈmeː.re/ fear.PRES.INF amīcus /aˈmiː.kus/ friend.NOM.M.SG enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ meus /ˈme.us/ my.NOM.M.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES
58.8a Latīnē in-Latin bene well loquor I-speak magistrum a-teacher enim for bonum good habuī I-had
58.8b Latīnē /laˈtiː.neː/ in-Latin.ADV bene /ˈbe.ne/ well.ADV loquor /ˈlo.kʷor/ speak.1SG.PRES.DEP magistrum /maˈɡis.trum/ teacher.ACC.M.SG enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ bonum /ˈbo.num/ good.ACC.M.SG habuī /ˈha.bu.iː/ have.1SG.PERF
58.9a Neque and-not enim for id that facere to-do possum I-am-able
58.9b Neque /ˈne.kʷe/ and-not.CONJ enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ id /id/ it.ACC.N.SG facere /ˈfa.ke.re/ do.PRES.INF possum /ˈpos.sum/ be-able.1SG.PRES
58.10a At but enim indeed pecūniam money nōn not habēmus we-have
58.10b At /at/ but.CONJ enim /ˈe.nim/ indeed.CONJ pecūniam /peˈkuː.ni.am/ money.ACC.F.SG nōn /noːn/ not.ADV habēmus /haˈbeː.mus/ have.1PL.PRES
58.11a Iugum yoke enim for meum my suāve sweet est is et and onus burden meum my leve light
58.11b Iugum /ˈju.ɡum/ yoke.NOM.N.SG enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ meum /ˈme.um/ my.NOM.N.SG suāve /ˈswaː.we/ sweet.NOM.N.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES et /et/ and.CONJ onus /ˈo.nus/ burden.NOM.N.SG meum /ˈme.um/ my.NOM.N.SG leve /ˈle.we/ light.NOM.N.SG
58.12a Ubi where enim for est is thēsaurus treasure tuus your ibi there est is et also cor heart tuum your
58.12b Ubi /ˈu.bi/ where.ADV enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ est /est/ be.3SG.PRES thēsaurus /tʰeːˈsau̯.rus/ treasure.NOM.M.SG tuus /ˈtu.us/ your.NOM.M.SG ibi /ˈi.bi/ there.ADV est /est/ be.3SG.PRES et /et/ also.ADV cor /kor/ heart.NOM.N.SG tuum /ˈtu.um/ your.NOM.N.SG
58.13a In in hōc this enim for fallimur we-are-deceived quod that mortem death prōspicimus we-look-ahead-to
58.13b In /in/ in.PREP+ABL hōc /hoːk/ this.ABL.N.SG enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ fallimur /ˈfal.li.mur/ deceive.1PL.PRES.PASS quod /kʷod/ that.CONJ mortem /ˈmor.tem/ death.ACC.F.SG prōspicimus /proːsˈpi.ki.mus/ look-ahead.1PL.PRES
58.14a Prōgeniem a-race sed but enim indeed Trōiānō Trojan ā from sanguine blood dūcī to-be-drawn audierat she-had-heard Tyriās Tyrian ōlim one-day quae which verteret would-overturn arcēs citadels
58.14b Prōgeniem /proːˈɡe.ni.em/ offspring.ACC.F.SG sed /sed/ but.CONJ enim /ˈe.nim/ indeed.CONJ Trōiānō /troːˈjaː.noː/ Trojan.ABL.M.SG ā /aː/ from.PREP+ABL sanguine /ˈsaŋ.ɡʷi.ne/ blood.ABL.M.SG dūcī /ˈduː.kiː/ lead.PRES.INF.PASS audierat /au̯ˈdi.e.rat/ hear.3SG.PLUPERF Tyriās /ˈty.ri.aːs/ Tyrian.ACC.F.PL ōlim /ˈoː.lim/ one-day.ADV quae /kʷae̯/ which.NOM.F.SG verteret /ˈwer.te.ret/ overturn.3SG.IMPERF.SUBJ arcēs /ˈar.keːs/ citadel.ACC.F.PL
58.15a Nihil nothing vērō truly tam so damnōsum harmful bonīs to-good mōribus character quam as in at aliquō some spectāculō show dēsidēre to-sit-idle tunc then enim for per through voluptātem pleasure facilius more-easily vitia vices subrēpunt creep-in
58.15b Nihil /ˈni.hil/ nothing.NOM.N.SG vērō /ˈweː.roː/ truly.ADV tam /tam/ so.ADV damnōsum /damˈnoː.sum/ harmful.NOM.N.SG bonīs /ˈbo.niːs/ good.DAT.M.PL mōribus /ˈmoː.ri.bus/ character.DAT.M.PL quam /kʷam/ than.CONJ in /in/ in.PREP+ABL aliquō /ˈa.li.kʷoː/ some.ABL.N.SG spectāculō /spekˈtaː.ku.loː/ show.ABL.N.SG dēsidēre /deː.siˈdeː.re/ sit-idle.PRES.INF tunc /tuŋk/ then.ADV.EMPH enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ per /per/ through.PREP+ACC voluptātem /wo.lupˈtaː.tem/ pleasure.ACC.F.SG facilius /faˈki.li.us/ easily.ADV.COMP vitia /ˈwi.ti.a/ vice.NOM.N.PL subrēpunt /subˈreː.punt/ creep-in.3PL.PRES
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58.1 Fessus enim sum. → “I’m tired, you see.”
58.2 Tacē! Dormit enim. → “Quiet! He’s asleep.”
58.3 Quid enim? → “Well, what else?”
58.4 Ego enim nesciō. → “Because I don’t know.”
58.5 Nōn veniō; aegrōtō enim. → “I’m not coming; I’m ill.”
58.6 Domum eō; iam enim sērum est. → “I’m going home, because it’s already late.”
58.7 Nōlī timēre; amīcus enim meus est. → “Don’t be afraid; he’s a friend of mine.”
58.8 Latīnē bene loquor; magistrum enim bonum habuī. → “I speak Latin well; I had a good teacher, you see.”
58.9 Neque enim id facere possum. → “For I can’t do that.”
58.10 At enim pecūniam nōn habēmus! → “But, you’ll say, we have no money!”
58.11 Iugum enim meum suāve est, et onus meum leve. → “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30, Vulgate)
58.12 Ubi enim est thēsaurus tuus, ibi est et cor tuum. → “For where your treasure is, there your heart is also.” (Matthew 6:21, Vulgate)
58.13 In hōc enim fallimur, quod mortem prōspicimus. → “For this is where we go wrong: we look ahead to death.” (Seneca, Letters to Lucilius 1.2)
58.14 Prōgeniem sed enim Trōiānō ā sanguine dūcī audierat, Tyriās ōlim quae verteret arcēs. → “But she (Juno) had heard that a race was springing from Trojan blood that would one day overturn the Tyrian citadels.” (Virgil, Aeneid 1.19–20)
58.15 Nihil vērō tam damnōsum bonīs mōribus quam in aliquō spectāculō dēsidēre; tunc enim per voluptātem facilius vitia subrēpunt. → “Nothing, truly, is so harmful to good character as sitting idle at some show; for then, through pleasure, vices creep in more easily.” (Seneca, Letters to Lucilius 7.2)
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58.1 Fessus enim sum.
58.2 Tacē! Dormit enim.
58.3 Quid enim?
58.4 Ego enim nesciō.
58.5 Nōn veniō; aegrōtō enim.
58.6 Domum eō; iam enim sērum est.
58.7 Nōlī timēre; amīcus enim meus est.
58.8 Latīnē bene loquor; magistrum enim bonum habuī.
58.9 Neque enim id facere possum.
58.10 At enim pecūniam nōn habēmus!
58.11 Iugum enim meum suāve est, et onus meum leve.
58.12 Ubi enim est thēsaurus tuus, ibi est et cor tuum.
58.13 In hōc enim fallimur, quod mortem prōspicimus.
58.14 Prōgeniem sed enim Trōiānō ā sanguine dūcī audierat, Tyriās ōlim quae verteret arcēs.
58.15 Nihil vērō tam damnōsum bonīs mōribus quam in aliquō spectāculō dēsidēre; tunc enim per voluptātem facilius vitia subrēpunt.
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These are the grammar rules for enim in Latin:
1. Form
Enim is a conjunction. It never changes its form. The verb in an enim clause is usually indicative, because the clause is a main clause that states a fact: fessus enim sum (58.1), dormit enim (58.2).
2. Position: second in the clause
Enim is postpositive. In ordinary prose it stands after the first word of its clause: fessus enim sum (58.1), iugum enim meum (58.11), ubi enim est (58.12). When the first words belong closely together, enim follows the whole group. A preposition and its noun count as one unit: in hōc enim fallimur (58.13). Neque and at join with enim in the same way: neque enim (58.9), at enim (58.10). In poetry enim can come later still: prōgeniem sed enim … (58.14), where sed enim is third. Lewis and Short note that in comedy enim sometimes stands first, but the classical rule for a learner is simple: never begin a clause with enim.
3. Enim of reason: “for, because, you see”
The main use of enim is to give the reason for the sentence before it. First comes the statement, then the reason: nōn veniō; aegrōtō enim (58.5), “I am not coming; for I am ill.” Domum eō; iam enim sērum est (58.6). Nōlī timēre; amīcus enim meus est (58.7). Often the enim clause begins a new sentence, as in 58.11 and 58.12, where Jesus gives the reason for what he has just said.
4. Enim of confirmation: “indeed, truly”
Enim can also simply strengthen what is said, without giving a reason: “indeed, certainly.” This is the older meaning and is common in conversation and in comedy. In quid enim? (58.3) enim means “indeed”: “what indeed?”, that is, “what else would it be?” In sed enim (58.14) and at enim (58.10) the reason-giving sense has faded and enim adds weight to the “but.”
5. Enim of explanation: “that is, namely”
Enim can introduce an explanation of what has just been said, where English uses a colon. In 58.13 Seneca has just told his friend to value every day; in hōc enim fallimur, quod … explains the point: “this is where we go wrong: …” The clause with quod, “the fact that,” spells out what hōc refers to.
6. Enim and nam
Nam and enim both mean “for.” Their position is the difference a learner must know: nam stands first in its clause, enim second. Nam aegrōtō and aegrōtō enim both mean “for I am ill.” Etenim, “and indeed, for,” also stands first.
7. Neque enim: “for … not”
When the reason is negative, Latin very often writes neque enim (or nec enim), “for … not”: neque enim id facere possum (58.9), “for I cannot do that.” Nōn enim is also correct, especially when the nōn belongs closely to one word: nōn enim mīsit Deus Fīlium suum in mundum ut iūdicet mundum, “for God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world” (John 3:17, Vulgate). Cicero writes nec enim in summā inopiā levis esse senectūs potest, “for old age cannot be light in extreme poverty” (De Senectute 8). The dialogue has neque enim in āere scrībere potes (58.24).
8. At enim: the objection answered in advance
At enim introduces an objection that the speaker expects to hear: “but, you will say, …” (58.10, 58.20). Cicero uses it in his speeches to raise an opponent’s argument before he knocks it down. In conversation it is a sharp “but surely …”
9. Enimvērō: “indeed, of course”
Enimvērō is enim strengthened by vērō, “truly.” Unlike enim, it usually stands first in its clause: enimvērō habeō! (58.19), “oh yes, I have!” It expresses conviction or indignation.
10. Set phrases
Quid enim? “Well, what else? Why not?” (58.3, 58.22). Neque enim, “for … not” (58.9). At enim, “but, you will say” (58.10). Sed enim, “but indeed” (58.14, poetic). Tunc enim, “for then” (58.15, using tunc from Lesson 57). Nēmō enim, “for no one” (Section F; 58.29).
Common Mistakes
Putting enim first. Enim aegrōtō is wrong. Write aegrōtō enim, or nam aegrōtō. This is the English habit (“For I am ill”) and the commonest learner error with this word.
Treating enim as “because” in a subordinate clause. Enim joins two main clauses. It cannot make a clause depend on another, and it does not change the mood of the verb. For “because” inside a sentence, use quod or quia: domum eō quod sērum est, “I am going home because it is late.” With enim the reason stands on its own: domum eō; iam enim sērum est.
Always translating enim as “for.” In modern English “for” as a conjunction can sound stiff. Translate as the sense requires: “because,” “you see,” “after all,” “indeed.”
Confusing enim with etiam and tamen. Enim is “for,” etiam is “also, even,” tamen is “however.” They are all short words of the same shape; learn them apart.
Reading neque enim as “and not for.” Neque enim is one idea, “for … not”: the neque supplies the negative, the enim the reason (58.9, 58.24).
Looking for a verb meaning “to be” in every clause. In 58.15 Seneca leaves out est: nihil vērō tam damnōsum … quam …, “nothing is so harmful … as …”. Latin often drops est in sayings.
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The word that explains
Latin prose likes to give reasons. A Roman writer states a claim and then, in the next sentence, supports it with enim or nam. Cicero’s letters, speeches and dialogues are full of this rhythm: statement, then reason. In the dialogue On Old Age (Section F), the elderly Cato makes a point about old farmers and then backs it up at once with nēmō enim est tam senex, “for no one is so old.” When you read Latin, an enim tells you that the sentence in front of you is support for the one before it.
Enim in conversation
Enim is not only a word for philosophers. In Roman comedy characters use it in quick exchanges, sometimes, as Lewis and Short note, even at the start of a sentence, where it simply means “indeed, really.” The strengthened form enimvērō, “oh yes, indeed,” belongs to lively speech. In a Latin conversation today enim is the natural way to add “you see” to a remark: tacē, dormit enim, “quiet, he’s asleep.”
At enim in the law courts
Roman orators trained themselves to answer objections before the other side could raise them. The little phrase at enim, “but, you will say,” brings the opponent’s argument onto the stage so that the speaker can reply to it. A listener who heard at enim knew that a refutation was coming.
Enim in the Vulgate and the Christian tradition
Jerome’s Latin Bible uses enim constantly to give Christ’s reasons: ubi enim est thēsaurus tuus (58.12), iugum enim meum suāve est (58.11), and, most famous of all, sīc enim Deus dīlēxit mundum, “for God so loved the world” (John 3:16). These sentences were read aloud in Latin in Western churches for more than a thousand years, and many Europeans first met the word enim in them.
What happened to enim
Enim did not survive into the everyday speech of the Romance languages. Speakers found other words for “for” and “because.” Spanish pues, “since, well,” is usually traced to Latin post (Lesson 56), and French car, “for,” to Latin quārē, “for which reason.” Enim lived on in written Latin, in the Church, in the schools and in science, and it is alive again among people who speak Latin today.
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Cicero, Cato Maior dē Senectūte (On Old Age) 24. The work is a conversation set in 150 BC. The aged Marcus Cato talks with two young men, Scipio and Laelius, and argues that old age can still be active and useful. Here he speaks of the old farmers of the Roman countryside, who go on working land whose harvest they will never see. Nēmō enim gives the reason for his claim that such men never stop working. The passage also contains īdem, “the same,” a word from the next lessons of the Dickinson list. The macrons are editorial.
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
F.1a Nēmō no-one enim for est is tam so senex old quī that-he sē himself annum for-a-year nōn not putet should-think posse to-be-able vīvere to-live
F.1b Nēmō /ˈneː.moː/ no-one.NOM.M.SG enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ est /est/ be.3SG.PRES tam /tam/ so.ADV senex /ˈse.neks/ old.NOM.M.SG quī /kʷiː/ who.NOM.M.SG sē /seː/ himself.ACC.SG annum /ˈan.num/ year.ACC.M.SG nōn /noːn/ not.ADV putet /ˈpu.tet/ think.3SG.PRES.SUBJ posse /ˈpos.se/ be-able.PRES.INF vīvere /ˈwiː.we.re/ live.PRES.INF
F.2a sed but īdem the-same-men in on eīs those-things ēlabōrant work-hard quae which sciunt they-know nihil not-at-all ad to sē themselves omnīnō entirely pertinēre to-belong
F.2b sed /sed/ but.CONJ īdem /ˈiː.dem/ same.NOM.M.PL in /in/ in.PREP+ABL eīs /ˈe.iːs/ that.ABL.N.PL ēlabōrant /eː.laˈboː.rant/ work-hard.3PL.PRES quae /kʷae̯/ which.ACC.N.PL sciunt /ˈski.unt/ know.3PL.PRES nihil /ˈni.hil/ nothing.ACC.N.SG ad /ad/ to.PREP+ACC sē /seː/ themselves.ACC.PL omnīnō /omˈniː.noː/ entirely.ADV pertinēre /per.tiˈneː.re/ pertain.PRES.INF
F-B: Natural Text with Translation
Nēmō enim est tam senex quī sē annum nōn putet posse vīvere: sed īdem in eīs ēlabōrant quae sciunt nihil ad sē omnīnō pertinēre.
“For no one is so old that he does not think he can live another year; but these same men labour at things which they know will not concern them at all.”
— Cicero, Cato Maior dē Senectūte 24
F-C: Latin Text Only
Nēmō enim est tam senex quī sē annum nōn putet posse vīvere: sed īdem in eīs ēlabōrant quae sciunt nihil ad sē omnīnō pertinēre.
F-D: Grammar and Literary Commentary
Nēmō enim est shows the rule of position at its clearest: enim is the second word, and the clause gives the reason for what Cato has just said. He has argued that old men keep their minds busy with their own affairs. Now he explains: no one feels too old to expect one more year of life.
Tam senex quī … nōn putet is a clause of result or characteristic: “so old that he does not think.” After tam, “so,” the relative quī does the work of ut, “that,” and its verb is subjunctive (putet). Annum, “a year,” is an accusative of extent of time: “for a year.” Sē … posse vīvere is an accusative and infinitive, the Latin way of reporting what someone thinks: “that he himself can live.”
Sed īdem, “but the same men,” marks the paradox. Īdem here is nominative masculine plural (also spelled eīdem), “these same people.” In eīs ēlabōrant, “they labour at those things”; editions print eīs or iīs. Quae sciunt nihil ad sē omnīnō pertinēre is another accusative and infinitive inside the relative clause: “which they know do not concern them at all.” Nihil here is used as a strong “not”: “in no way.” Cato means the trees and crops that will ripen only after the farmer’s death. In the same passage he quotes the old poet Caecilius Statius: serit arborēs quae alterī saeclō prōsint, “he plants trees to benefit another generation.”
The sentence shows why enim matters in reading. Without it, the two halves look like a simple observation. With it, they become Cato’s evidence: old men do not act as if they have no future, and their work for others is the proof.
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A pedagogical dialogue, composed for this lesson and not a quotation. Lūcius, a Roman schoolboy, arrives late. His teacher wants to know why. Lūcius has an excuse for everything, and every excuse comes with enim. Every line of the dialogue uses enim or enimvērō.
Part A: Interlinear Construed Text
58.16a MAGISTER: Lūcī Lucius cūr why tam so sērō late venīs do-you-come Hōra the-hour enim for iam already tertia third est is
58.16b Lūcī /ˈluː.kiː/ Lucius.VOC.M.SG cūr /kuːr/ why.ADV tam /tam/ so.ADV sērō /ˈseː.roː/ late.ADV venīs /ˈwe.niːs/ come.2SG.PRES Hōra /ˈhoː.ra/ hour.NOM.F.SG enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ iam /jam/ already.ADV tertia /ˈter.ti.a/ third.NOM.F.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES
58.17a LŪCIUS: Ignōsce forgive-me magister teacher Canis dog enim for meus my librōs books meōs my ēdit has-eaten
58.17b Ignōsce /iɡˈnoːs.ke/ forgive.2SG.IMP magister /maˈɡis.ter/ teacher.VOC.M.SG Canis /ˈka.nis/ dog.NOM.M.SG enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ meus /ˈme.us/ my.NOM.M.SG librōs /ˈli.broːs/ book.ACC.M.PL meōs /ˈme.oːs/ my.ACC.M.PL ēdit /ˈeː.dit/ eat.3SG.PERF
58.18a MAGISTER: Canis dog tuus your Canem a-dog enim for nūllum no habēs you-have
58.18b Canis /ˈka.nis/ dog.NOM.M.SG tuus /ˈtu.us/ your.NOM.M.SG Canem /ˈka.nem/ dog.ACC.M.SG enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ nūllum /ˈnuːl.lum/ no.ACC.M.SG habēs /ˈha.beːs/ have.2SG.PRES
58.19a LŪCIUS: Enimvērō oh-yes-indeed habeō I-have Heri yesterday eum him in in viā the-street invēnī I-found
58.19b Enimvērō /e.nimˈweː.roː/ indeed.ADV habeō /ˈha.be.oː/ have.1SG.PRES Heri /ˈhe.ri/ yesterday.ADV eum /ˈe.um/ he.ACC.M.SG in /in/ in.PREP+ABL viā /ˈwi.aː/ street.ABL.F.SG invēnī /inˈweː.niː/ find.1SG.PERF
58.20a MAGISTER: At but enim surely canēs dogs librōs books nōn not edunt eat
58.20b At /at/ but.CONJ enim /ˈe.nim/ indeed.CONJ canēs /ˈka.neːs/ dog.NOM.M.PL librōs /ˈli.broːs/ book.ACC.M.PL nōn /noːn/ not.ADV edunt /ˈe.dunt/ eat.3PL.PRES
58.21a LŪCIUS: Hic this canis dog edit eats valdē very enim for ēsuriēbat he-was-hungry
58.21b Hic /hik/ this.NOM.M.SG canis /ˈka.nis/ dog.NOM.M.SG edit /ˈe.dit/ eat.3SG.PRES valdē /ˈwal.deː/ very.ADV enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ ēsuriēbat /eː.su.riˈeː.bat/ be-hungry.3SG.IMPERF
58.22a MAGISTER: Quid what enim indeed Num surely-not etiam also tabulam tablet tuam your ēdit he-has-eaten
58.22b Quid /kʷid/ what.NOM.N.SG enim /ˈe.nim/ indeed.CONJ Num /num/ surely-not.INTERR etiam /ˈe.ti.am/ also.ADV tabulam /ˈta.bu.lam/ tablet.ACC.F.SG tuam /ˈtu.am/ your.ACC.F.SG ēdit /ˈeː.dit/ eat.3SG.PERF
58.23a LŪCIUS: Minimē not-at-all tabulam the-tablet enim for domī at-home relīquī I-left
58.23b Minimē /ˈmi.ni.meː/ least.ADV.SUPERL tabulam /ˈta.bu.lam/ tablet.ACC.F.SG enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ domī /ˈdo.miː/ home.LOC.F.SG relīquī /reˈliː.kʷiː/ leave.1SG.PERF
58.24a MAGISTER: Sine without tabulā a-tablet nihil nothing scrībēs you-will-write neque and-not enim for in on āere the-air scrībere to-write potes you-can
58.24b Sine /ˈsi.ne/ without.PREP+ABL tabulā /ˈta.bu.laː/ tablet.ABL.F.SG nihil /ˈni.hil/ nothing.ACC.N.SG scrībēs /ˈskriː.beːs/ write.2SG.FUT neque /ˈne.kʷe/ and-not.CONJ enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ in /in/ in.PREP+ABL āere /ˈaː.e.re/ air.ABL.M.SG scrībere /ˈskriː.be.re/ write.PRES.INF potes /ˈpo.tes/ be-able.2SG.PRES
58.25a LŪCIUS: Nōn not necesse necessary est it-is memoriā in-memory enim for omnia everything teneō I-hold
58.25b Nōn /noːn/ not.ADV necesse /neˈkes.se/ necessary.INDECL est /est/ be.3SG.PRES memoriā /meˈmo.ri.aː/ memory.ABL.F.SG enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ omnia /ˈom.ni.a/ all.ACC.N.PL teneō /ˈte.ne.oː/ hold.1SG.PRES
58.26a MAGISTER: Omnia everything Recitā recite igitur then prīmum the-first Aenēidos of-the-Aeneid versum line hunc this enim for heri yesterday didicimus we-learned
58.26b Omnia /ˈom.ni.a/ all.ACC.N.PL Recitā /ˈre.ki.taː/ recite.2SG.IMP igitur /ˈi.ɡi.tur/ therefore.CONJ prīmum /ˈpriː.mum/ first.ACC.M.SG Aenēidos /ae̯ˈneː.i.dos/ Aeneid.GEN.F.SG versum /ˈwer.sum/ line.ACC.M.SG hunc /huŋk/ this.ACC.M.SG enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ heri /ˈhe.ri/ yesterday.ADV didicimus /diˈdi.ki.mus/ learn.1PL.PERF
58.27a LŪCIUS: Arma arms virumque and-the-man canō I-sing canis dog enim for meus my
58.27b Arma /ˈar.ma/ arms.ACC.N.PL virumque /wiˈrum.kʷe/ man.ACC.M.SG-and canō /ˈka.noː/ sing.1SG.PRES canis /ˈka.nis/ dog.NOM.M.SG enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ meus /ˈme.us/ my.NOM.M.SG
58.28a MAGISTER: Satis enough Enimvērō truly canis dog tuus your nōn not sōlum only librōs books sed but etiam also memoriam memory tuam your ēdit has-eaten
58.28b Satis /ˈsa.tis/ enough.ADV Enimvērō /e.nimˈweː.roː/ indeed.ADV canis /ˈka.nis/ dog.NOM.M.SG tuus /ˈtu.us/ your.NOM.M.SG nōn /noːn/ not.ADV sōlum /ˈsoː.lum/ only.ADV librōs /ˈli.broːs/ book.ACC.M.PL sed /sed/ but.CONJ etiam /ˈe.ti.am/ also.ADV memoriam /meˈmo.ri.am/ memory.ACC.F.SG tuam /ˈtu.am/ your.ACC.F.SG ēdit /ˈeː.dit/ eat.3SG.PERF
58.29a LŪCIUS: Ita so est it-is magister teacher nēmō no-one enim for est is miserior more-wretched quam than ego I
58.29b Ita /ˈi.ta/ so.ADV est /est/ be.3SG.PRES magister /maˈɡis.ter/ teacher.VOC.M.SG nēmō /ˈneː.moː/ no-one.NOM.M.SG enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ est /est/ be.3SG.PRES miserior /miˈse.ri.or/ wretched.NOM.M.SG.COMP quam /kʷam/ than.CONJ ego /ˈe.ɡo/ I.NOM.SG
58.30a MAGISTER: Sedē sit-down igitur then Crās tomorrow canem dog tuum your in into scholam school dūc bring ille he enim for plūs more quam than tū you discet will-learn
58.30b Sedē /ˈse.deː/ sit.2SG.IMP igitur /ˈi.ɡi.tur/ therefore.CONJ Crās /kraːs/ tomorrow.ADV canem /ˈka.nem/ dog.ACC.M.SG tuum /ˈtu.um/ your.ACC.M.SG in /in/ into.PREP+ACC scholam /ˈskʰo.lam/ school.ACC.F.SG dūc /duːk/ lead.2SG.IMP ille /ˈil.le/ he.NOM.M.SG enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ plūs /pluːs/ more.ACC.N.SG quam /kʷam/ than.CONJ tū /tuː/ you.NOM.SG discet /ˈdis.ket/ learn.3SG.FUT
Part B: Natural Sentences
58.16 MAGISTER: Lūcī, cūr tam sērō venīs? Hōra enim iam tertia est. → “Lucius, why are you so late? It’s already the third hour, you know.”
58.17 LŪCIUS: Ignōsce, magister! Canis enim meus librōs meōs ēdit. → “I’m sorry, sir! You see, my dog ate my books.”
58.18 MAGISTER: Canis tuus? Canem enim nūllum habēs! → “Your dog? But you don’t have a dog!”
58.19 LŪCIUS: Enimvērō habeō! Heri eum in viā invēnī. → “Oh yes I do! I found him in the street yesterday.”
58.20 MAGISTER: At enim canēs librōs nōn edunt. → “But surely dogs don’t eat books.”
58.21 LŪCIUS: Hic canis edit; valdē enim ēsuriēbat. → “This dog does; he was very hungry, you see.”
58.22 MAGISTER: Quid enim? Num etiam tabulam tuam ēdit? → “Well, what next? He didn’t eat your writing tablet too, did he?”
58.23 LŪCIUS: Minimē; tabulam enim domī relīquī. → “No, I left my tablet at home.”
58.24 MAGISTER: Sine tabulā nihil scrībēs; neque enim in āere scrībere potes. → “Without a tablet you’ll write nothing, because you can’t write on the air.”
58.25 LŪCIUS: Nōn necesse est; memoriā enim omnia teneō. → “No need: I keep everything in my memory.”
58.26 MAGISTER: Omnia? Recitā igitur prīmum Aenēidos versum; hunc enim heri didicimus. → “Everything? Then recite the first line of the Aeneid; we learned it yesterday.”
58.27 LŪCIUS: Arma virumque canō … canis enim meus … → “Arms and the man I sing … my dog, you see …”
58.28 MAGISTER: Satis! Enimvērō canis tuus nōn sōlum librōs sed etiam memoriam tuam ēdit. → “Enough! Truly, your dog has eaten not only your books but your memory too.”
58.29 LŪCIUS: Ita est, magister; nēmō enim est miserior quam ego. → “That’s right, sir; nobody is more unfortunate than me.”
58.30 MAGISTER: Sedē igitur. Crās canem tuum in scholam dūc: ille enim plūs quam tū discet! → “Then sit down. Tomorrow bring your dog to school: he’ll learn more than you!”
Part C: Latin Text Only
58.16 MAGISTER: Lūcī, cūr tam sērō venīs? Hōra enim iam tertia est.
58.17 LŪCIUS: Ignōsce, magister! Canis enim meus librōs meōs ēdit.
58.18 MAGISTER: Canis tuus? Canem enim nūllum habēs!
58.19 LŪCIUS: Enimvērō habeō! Heri eum in viā invēnī.
58.20 MAGISTER: At enim canēs librōs nōn edunt.
58.21 LŪCIUS: Hic canis edit; valdē enim ēsuriēbat.
58.22 MAGISTER: Quid enim? Num etiam tabulam tuam ēdit?
58.23 LŪCIUS: Minimē; tabulam enim domī relīquī.
58.24 MAGISTER: Sine tabulā nihil scrībēs; neque enim in āere scrībere potes.
58.25 LŪCIUS: Nōn necesse est; memoriā enim omnia teneō.
58.26 MAGISTER: Omnia? Recitā igitur prīmum Aenēidos versum; hunc enim heri didicimus.
58.27 LŪCIUS: Arma virumque canō … canis enim meus …
58.28 MAGISTER: Satis! Enimvērō canis tuus nōn sōlum librōs sed etiam memoriam tuam ēdit.
58.29 LŪCIUS: Ita est, magister; nēmō enim est miserior quam ego.
58.30 MAGISTER: Sedē igitur. Crās canem tuum in scholam dūc: ille enim plūs quam tū discet!
Part D: Grammar Notes for Genre Section
Every excuse Lūcius gives follows the pattern of Section D, point 3: a statement, then the reason with enim in second place. Ignōsce … canis enim meus librōs meōs ēdit (58.17); minimē; tabulam enim domī relīquī (58.23); nōn necesse est; memoriā enim omnia teneō (58.25). The teacher uses enim in the same way to explain his own remarks: hōra enim iam tertia est (58.16), hunc enim heri didicimus (58.26).
The special combinations of Section D all appear. At enim (58.20) introduces the teacher’s objection: “but surely …”. Quid enim? (58.22) is the impatient “well, what next?” Neque enim (58.24) gives a negative reason: “for you cannot …”. Enimvērō stands first in its clause, unlike enim: in 58.19 it is Lūcius’s indignant “oh yes, I do!”, and in 58.28 the teacher’s ironic “truly.” In 58.18 enim has the confirming sense: canem enim nūllum habēs, “but you have no dog at all,” where the teacher states a fact he takes as certain. In 58.29 nēmō enim est echoes Cicero’s nēmō enim est tam senex (Section F).
Eating and eating: ēdit and edit. The verb edō, “eat,” has a short e in the present and a long ē in the perfect. Edit /ˈe.dit/ is present, “he eats” (58.21); ēdit /ˈeː.dit/ is perfect, “he ate, he has eaten” (58.17, 58.22, 58.28). Edunt (58.20) is the present plural, “they eat.” The long ē is the only thing that tells the two tenses apart in writing.
Other grammar points: 58.16 Lūcī is the vocative of Lūcius; names in -ius have a vocative in -ī. Hōra tertia, “the third hour,” was about mid-morning, since the Roman day was counted in twelve hours from sunrise. 58.19 in viā, “in the street,” is ablative of place. 58.21 ēsuriēbat is imperfect: he was hungry over a period of time. 58.22 num expects the answer “no.” 58.23 domī is the locative, “at home,” with no preposition. 58.24 sine takes the ablative (tabulā); āere is the ablative of āēr, “air,” a Greek loan word. 58.25 memoriā is ablative of means, “by memory.” 58.26 Aenēidos is a Greek genitive of Aenēis, “the Aeneid.” 58.27 is the first line of Virgil’s Aeneid, and Lūcius stumbles from canō, “I sing,” to canis, “dog.” 58.30 dūc is one of four short imperatives (dīc, dūc, fac, fer); in scholam with the accusative means “into school,” motion towards.
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Short vowels in enim. Both vowels are short, /ˈe.nim/. Dictionaries mark the word ĕnĭm. Stress falls on the first syllable, as it does in every two-syllable Latin word.
Stress in the compounds. Enimvērō /e.nimˈweː.roː/ stresses the long vē. Etenim, “and indeed,” is /ˈe.te.nim/.
Th, ch and y. Words borrowed from Greek keep Greek sounds in careful speech: thēsaurus /tʰeːˈsau̯.rus/ and schola /ˈskʰo.la/ have an aspirated t and k, a light puff of breath after the consonant; Tyriās /ˈty.ri.aːs/ has the Greek vowel y, said like French u or German ü.
Āer is not a diphthong. In āere (58.24) the letters a and e belong to separate syllables: /ˈaː.e.re/, three syllables. Compare the true diphthong in aeger, aegrōtō /ae̯ˈɡroː.toː/.
Gu after n. In sanguine (58.14) the u is a consonant, /ˈsaŋ.ɡʷi.ne/, just as in qu.
Hōc and hoc. The ablative hōc (58.13) has a long ō; the nominative and accusative neuter hoc is short in vowel but is pronounced with a doubled final consonant, so it also counts as a heavy syllable in verse.
Spelling. The Vulgate verse 58.11 is printed Iugum or Jugum; the letter j is a later printers’ form of consonantal i, and this course writes i. For 58.12 this lesson follows the Clementine Vulgate, ibi est et cor tuum; some editions print ibi erit, “there will be.” In Section F some editions print iīs for eīs. Macrons are editorial throughout.
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