Welcome to Lesson 62 of the Latinum Institute Conversational Latin Course. Today’s word is the conjunction nam, “for,” with its strengthened form namque. The Dickinson Core Vocabulary ranks it 61st among all Latin words. In Lesson 61 you learned rēx, “king,” and in Lesson 58 you met enim, which also means “for.” Nam is the word a Latin speaker uses to give the reason for what has just been said: “I’m staying at home, for it is raining.”
What does nam mean in Latin?
Nam means “for,” in the sense of “because,” “the reason is that.” It joins two sentences: the first states something, the second explains it. Maneō, nam pluit: “I’m staying, for it’s raining.” It can also introduce an explanation or an example of what has gone before, where English says “you see” or “in fact.”
Where does nam stand?
Nam stands first in its clause. This is the main difference between nam and enim: enim is never first, but comes second (Lesson 58), while nam opens the sentence. Compare nam pluit and pluit enim: both mean “for it is raining.”
What is namque?
Namque is nam + -que. It means the same as nam, “for,” with a little more weight: “for indeed.” Like nam, it stands first. The poets like it; Vergil’s shepherd says namque erit ille mihi semper deus, “for he will always be a god to me” (62.11).
What is -nam in questions?
Nam can also be fastened to the end of a question word, where it adds surprise or urgency, like English “on earth” or “ever”: quis? “who?” but quisnam? “who on earth?”; quid? “what?” but quidnam? “what ever?”
How does Latin differ from English here?
English “for” is mostly a preposition (“a gift for you”). Latin nam is only ever a conjunction: it never governs a noun. For “for you,” Latin uses a dative (tibi) or prō with the ablative. And nam is a coordinating word: the clause it begins is a full sentence, with an ordinary indicative verb. To say “because” in a subordinate clause, Latin uses quia or quod.
Key Takeaways
✦ Nam, “for”: it gives the reason for the statement before it
✦ Nam and namque stand first in their clause; enim (Lesson 58) stands second
✦ Namque is nam + -que, “for indeed,” a weightier nam
✦ Attached to a question word, -nam adds emphasis: quisnam, “who on earth?”; quidnam, “what ever?”
✦ Nam is never a preposition: “for you” is tibi, not *nam tē
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nam /nam/: one syllable, a short a as in “father,” said quickly: NAHM. In Classical Latin a final m was weak: the vowel before it was nasalised and lengthened, roughly [nãː]. This course writes /nam/, as it writes every final m.
namque /ˈnaŋ.kʷe/: two syllables, stress on the first. The n before qu is said as the ng of “sing”: NAHNG-kweh.
quisnam /ˈkʷis.nam/, quidnam /ˈkʷid.nam/, quaenam /ˈkʷae̯.nam/: two syllables, stress on the first.
Key vocabulary for this lesson:
pluit /ˈplu.it/ — it is raining; ēsuriō /eːˈsu.ri.oː/ — I am hungry; sērō /ˈseː.roː/ — late; appropinquat /ap.proˈpiŋ.kʷat/ — is approaching; obsequium /obˈse.kʷi.um/ — compliance, going along with others; arānea /aˈraː.ne.a/ — cobweb, spider’s web; sacculus /ˈsak.ku.lus/ — little bag, purse; culīna /kuˈliː.na/ — kitchen; amphora /ˈam.pʰo.ra/ — wine-jar; hospes /ˈhos.pes/ — host, guest.
This course gives the restored classical pronunciation: c and g are always hard, v is /w/, ae is /ae̯/ as in “eye,” and qu is /kʷ/.
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62.1a Maneō I-am-staying nam for pluit it-is-raining
62.1b Maneō /ˈma.ne.oː/ stay.1SG.PRES nam /nam/ for.CONJ pluit /ˈplu.it/ rain.3SG.PRES
62.2a Edō I-am-eating nam for ēsuriō I-am-hungry
62.2b Edō /ˈe.doː/ eat.1SG.PRES nam /nam/ for.CONJ ēsuriō /eːˈsu.ri.oː/ be-hungry.1SG.PRES
62.3a Tacē be-quiet nam for dormit he-is-sleeping
62.3b Tacē /ˈta.keː/ be-silent.2SG.IMP nam /nam/ for.CONJ dormit /ˈdor.mit/ sleep.3SG.PRES
62.4a Quisnam who-on-earth es are-you
62.4b Quisnam /ˈkʷis.nam/ who.NOM.M.SG+EMPH es /es/ be.2SG.PRES
62.5a Currō I-am-running nam for sērō late veniō I-am-coming
62.5b Currō /ˈkur.roː/ run.1SG.PRES nam /nam/ for.CONJ sērō /ˈseː.roː/ late.ADV veniō /ˈwe.ni.oː/ come.1SG.PRES
62.6a Nōn not veniō I-am-coming ad to forum the-forum nam for aeger ill sum I-am
62.6b Nōn /noːn/ not.ADV veniō /ˈwe.ni.oː/ come.1SG.PRES ad /ad/ to.PREP+ACC forum /ˈfo.rum/ forum.ACC.N.SG nam /nam/ for.CONJ aeger /ˈae̯.ɡer/ ill.NOM.M.SG sum /sum/ be.1SG.PRES
62.7a Librum the-book emō I-am-buying nam for magister the-teacher eum it laudāvit praised
62.7b Librum /ˈli.brum/ book.ACC.M.SG emō /ˈe.moː/ buy.1SG.PRES nam /nam/ for.CONJ magister /maˈɡis.ter/ teacher.NOM.M.SG eum /ˈe.um/ it.ACC.M.SG laudāvit /lau̯ˈdaː.wit/ praise.3SG.PERF
62.8a Mārcus Marcus hodiē today nōn not labōrat is-working namque for-indeed fēriae holidays sunt there-are
62.8b Mārcus /ˈmaːr.kus/ Marcus.NOM.M.SG hodiē /ˈho.di.eː/ today.ADV nōn /noːn/ not.ADV labōrat /laˈboː.rat/ work.3SG.PRES namque /ˈnaŋ.kʷe/ for-indeed.CONJ fēriae /ˈfeː.ri.ae̯/ holiday.NOM.F.PL sunt /sunt/ be.3PL.PRES
62.9a Quidnam what-on-earth facis are-you-doing Mārce Marcus Cūr why librum book meum my habēs do-you-have
62.9b Quidnam /ˈkʷid.nam/ what.ACC.N.SG+EMPH facis /ˈfa.kis/ do.2SG.PRES Mārce /ˈmaːr.ke/ Marcus.VOC.M.SG Cūr /kuːr/ why.ADV librum /ˈli.brum/ book.ACC.M.SG meum /ˈme.um/ my.ACC.M.SG habēs /ˈha.beːs/ have.2SG.PRES
62.10a Domum home redīmus we-are-going-back nam for nox night iam already appropinquat is-approaching
62.10b Domum /ˈdo.mum/ home.ACC.F.SG redīmus /reˈdiː.mus/ go-back.1PL.PRES nam /nam/ for.CONJ nox /noks/ night.NOM.F.SG iam /jam/ already.ADV appropinquat /ap.proˈpiŋ.kʷat/ approach.3SG.PRES
62.11a Ō O Meliboee Meliboeus deus a-god nōbīs for-us haec this ōtia leisure fēcit made namque for-indeed erit will-be ille he mihi to-me semper always deus a-god
62.11b Ō /oː/ O.INTERJ Meliboee /me.liˈboe̯.e/ Meliboeus.VOC.M.SG deus /ˈde.us/ god.NOM.M.SG nōbīs /ˈnoː.biːs/ we.DAT.PL haec /hae̯k/ this.ACC.N.PL ōtia /ˈoː.ti.a/ leisure.ACC.N.PL fēcit /ˈfeː.kit/ make.3SG.PERF namque /ˈnaŋ.kʷe/ for-indeed.CONJ erit /ˈe.rit/ be.3SG.FUT ille /ˈil.le/ that.NOM.M.SG mihi /ˈmi.hi/ I.DAT.SG semper /ˈsem.per/ always.ADV deus /ˈde.us/ god.NOM.M.SG
62.12a Namque for-indeed hoc in-this tempore time obsequium compliance amīcōs friends vēritās truth odium hatred parit produces
62.12b Namque /ˈnaŋ.kʷe/ for-indeed.CONJ hoc /hok/ this.ABL.N.SG tempore /ˈtem.po.re/ time.ABL.N.SG obsequium /obˈse.kʷi.um/ compliance.NOM.N.SG amīcōs /aˈmiː.koːs/ friend.ACC.M.PL vēritās /ˈweː.ri.taːs/ truth.NOM.F.SG odium /ˈo.di.um/ hatred.ACC.N.SG parit /ˈpa.rit/ produce.3SG.PRES
62.13a Nam for vitiīs faults nēmō no-one sine without nāscitur is-born optimus the-best ille that-man est is quī who minimīs by-the-smallest urgētur is-burdened
62.13b Nam /nam/ for.CONJ vitiīs /ˈwi.ti.iːs/ fault.ABL.N.PL nēmō /ˈneː.moː/ no-one.NOM.SG sine /ˈsi.ne/ without.PREP+ABL nāscitur /ˈnaːs.ki.tur/ be-born.3SG.PRES.DEP optimus /ˈop.ti.mus/ good.NOM.M.SG.SUPERL ille /ˈil.le/ that.NOM.M.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES quī /kʷiː/ who.NOM.M.SG minimīs /ˈmi.ni.miːs/ small.ABL.N.PL.SUPERL urgētur /urˈɡeː.tur/ press.3SG.PRES.PASS
62.14a Nam for et both prius before quam than incipiās you-begin cōnsultō deliberation et and ubi when cōnsulueris you-have-deliberated mātūrē prompt factō action opus need est there-is
62.14b Nam /nam/ for.CONJ et /et/ both.CONJ prius /ˈpri.us/ before.ADV quam /kʷam/ than.CONJ incipiās /inˈki.pi.aːs/ begin.2SG.PRES.SUBJ cōnsultō /koːnˈsul.toː/ deliberate.PERF.PASS.PTCP.ABL.N.SG et /et/ and.CONJ ubi /ˈu.bi/ when.CONJ cōnsulueris /koːn.suˈlu.e.ris/ deliberate.2SG.FUTPERF mātūrē /maːˈtuː.reː/ promptly.ADV factō /ˈfak.toː/ do.PERF.PASS.PTCP.ABL.N.SG opus /ˈo.pus/ need.NOM.N.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES
62.15a Ex from nōbīs us prōdiērunt they-went-out sed but nōn not erant they-were ex of nōbīs us nam for sī if fuissent they-had-been ex of nōbīs us permānsissent they-would-have-remained utique surely nōbīscum with-us
62.15b Ex /eks/ from.PREP+ABL nōbīs /ˈnoː.biːs/ we.ABL.PL prōdiērunt /proː.diˈeː.runt/ go-out.3PL.PERF sed /sed/ but.CONJ nōn /noːn/ not.ADV erant /ˈe.rant/ be.3PL.IMPERF ex /eks/ from.PREP+ABL nōbīs /ˈnoː.biːs/ we.ABL.PL nam /nam/ for.CONJ sī /siː/ if.CONJ fuissent /fuˈis.sent/ be.3PL.PLUPERF.SUBJ ex /eks/ from.PREP+ABL nōbīs /ˈnoː.biːs/ we.ABL.PL permānsissent /per.maːnˈsis.sent/ remain.3PL.PLUPERF.SUBJ utique /ˈu.ti.kʷe/ certainly.ADV nōbīscum /noːˈbiːs.kum/ we.ABL.PL+with
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62.1 Maneō, nam pluit. → “I’m staying, because it’s raining.”
62.2 Edō, nam ēsuriō. → “I’m eating, because I’m hungry.”
62.3 Tacē, nam dormit. → “Be quiet: he’s asleep.”
62.4 Quisnam es? → “Who on earth are you?”
62.5 Currō, nam sērō veniō. → “I’m running, because I’m late.”
62.6 Nōn veniō ad forum, nam aeger sum. → “I’m not coming to the forum, because I’m ill.”
62.7 Librum emō, nam magister eum laudāvit. → “I’m buying the book, because the teacher praised it.”
62.8 Mārcus hodiē nōn labōrat, namque fēriae sunt. → “Marcus isn’t working today, for it’s a holiday.”
62.9 Quidnam facis, Mārce? Cūr librum meum habēs? → “What on earth are you doing, Marcus? Why have you got my book?”
62.10 Domum redīmus, nam nox iam appropinquat. → “We’re going back home, for night is already coming on.”
62.11 Ō Meliboee, deus nōbīs haec ōtia fēcit. Namque erit ille mihi semper deus. → “O Meliboeus, it was a god who made this peace for us. For he will always be a god to me.” (Vergil, Eclogues 1.6–7)
62.12 Namque hoc tempore obsequium amīcōs, vēritās odium parit. → “For in these days going along with people wins friends, and telling the truth wins hatred.” (Terence, Andria 67–68)
62.13 Nam vitiīs nēmō sine nāscitur; optimus ille est, quī minimīs urgētur. → “For no one is born without faults; the best man is the one who is burdened with the smallest.” (Horace, Satires 1.3.68–69)
62.14 Nam et, prius quam incipiās, cōnsultō et, ubi cōnsulueris, mātūrē factō opus est. → “For before you begin, you need to deliberate, and once you have deliberated, you need to act promptly.” (Sallust, Catiline 1.6)
62.15 Ex nōbīs prōdiērunt, sed nōn erant ex nōbīs: nam, sī fuissent ex nōbīs, permānsissent utique nōbīscum. → “They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would surely have remained with us.” (1 John 2:19, Vulgate)
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62.1 Maneō, nam pluit.
62.2 Edō, nam ēsuriō.
62.3 Tacē, nam dormit.
62.4 Quisnam es?
62.5 Currō, nam sērō veniō.
62.6 Nōn veniō ad forum, nam aeger sum.
62.7 Librum emō, nam magister eum laudāvit.
62.8 Mārcus hodiē nōn labōrat, namque fēriae sunt.
62.9 Quidnam facis, Mārce? Cūr librum meum habēs?
62.10 Domum redīmus, nam nox iam appropinquat.
62.11 Ō Meliboee, deus nōbīs haec ōtia fēcit. Namque erit ille mihi semper deus.
62.12 Namque hoc tempore obsequium amīcōs, vēritās odium parit.
62.13 Nam vitiīs nēmō sine nāscitur; optimus ille est, quī minimīs urgētur.
62.14 Nam et, prius quam incipiās, cōnsultō et, ubi cōnsulueris, mātūrē factō opus est.
62.15 Ex nōbīs prōdiērunt, sed nōn erant ex nōbīs: nam, sī fuissent ex nōbīs, permānsissent utique nōbīscum.
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These are the grammar rules for nam in Latin:
1. A coordinating conjunction
Nam is a conjunction, and it never changes its form. It joins two main clauses: the first makes a statement, the second, beginning with nam, gives the reason for it. Maneō, nam pluit (62.1): “I’m staying” is the statement, “for it’s raining” the reason. The verb after nam is an ordinary indicative, as in any main clause: pluit, ēsuriō, dormit, laudāvit.
2. Nam stands first
Nam opens its clause: nam pluit, nam aeger sum, nam magister eum laudāvit. In writing, a comma or a full stop usually stands before it, and the nam-clause can begin a new sentence, as in Horace (62.13) and Sallust (62.14). 3. Nam and enim
Allen and Greenough’s Latin grammar (§324) distinguishes the two words. Nam and namque “usually introduce a real reason, formally expressed, for a previous statement”; enim, which is “always postpositive,” brings in “a less important explanatory circumstance put in by the way.” In practice:
nam stands first: Domum redīmus, nam nox appropinquat (62.10) enim stands second: Domum redīmus; nox enim appropinquat
Both mean “for night is coming on.” Nam announces the reason; enim, which you learned in Lesson 58, slips it in.
4. Namque
Namque is nam with the enclitic -que. It means “for,” a little more strongly: “for indeed,” “for in fact.” Unlike -que in other words, this -que does not mean “and”: namque is a single word. It stands first, like nam (62.8, 62.11, 62.12).
5. Nam in explanations
Nam does not only give causes. It often begins an explanation or proof of what has just been said, where English says “you see” or simply starts a new sentence. In 62.11 the shepherd says that a god gave him his peace, and namque explains why he calls him a god. In 62.15 the writer says that the people who left were never truly “of us,” and nam gives the proof: if they had been, they would have stayed.
6. Nam et … et
In 62.14 Sallust writes nam et … et: “for both … and.” The first et belongs to the pair et … et and does not mean “also.” Nam introduces the whole double statement: you need both deliberation before you begin and prompt action once you have deliberated.
7. Interrogative -nam
Attached to the end of a question word, -nam strengthens the question:
quis? “who?” → quisnam? “who on earth?” (62.4) quid? “what?” → quidnam? “what ever?” (62.9) quae? “which (woman)? what sort of?” → quaenam? (62.27)
Only the first part declines: quisnam, quaenam, quidnam; cuiusnam, cuinam, and so on. The -nam stays the same.
8. Nam is never a preposition
English “for” is both a conjunction (“I’m staying, for it’s raining”) and a preposition (“a gift for you”). Latin nam is only the conjunction. “For you” is tibi, the dative, or prō tē, “on your behalf.”
9. Nam and quia
Nam begins a main clause; quia and quod begin a subordinate clause. Maneō, nam pluit and Maneō quia pluit both mean “I’m staying because it’s raining,” but with quia the reason is part of one sentence, and the quia-clause can come first: Quia pluit, maneō. A nam-clause can never come first: it always follows what it explains.
10. Other grammar in the examples
In 62.12 the one verb parit serves both halves: obsequium amīcōs (parit), vēritās odium parit. Latin often says a shared verb only once. 62.13 vitiīs … sine is sine vitiīs, “without faults,” with the noun placed before the preposition for emphasis. 62.14 cōnsultō and factō are perfect participles used as nouns, in the ablative with opus est, “there is need of”; cōnsulueris is the future perfect, “when you have deliberated.” 62.15 sī fuissent … permānsissent is a past unreal condition: pluperfect subjunctive in both halves, “if they had been … they would have remained.”
Common Mistakes
Putting nam second. Pluit nam is wrong; write nam pluit or pluit enim.
Putting enim first. Enim nox appropinquat is wrong; write nam nox appropinquat or nox enim appropinquat.
Using nam as a preposition. “A book for my friend” is liber amīcō meō, never *liber nam amīcō.
Starting with the reason. Nam pluit, maneō is wrong. If the reason comes first, use quia: Quia pluit, maneō.
Confusing nam with num. Num asks a question that expects “no”: num pluit? “It isn’t raining, is it?” Nam gives a reason: nam pluit, “for it is raining.”
Reading namque as “and for.” The -que of namque does not mean “and.”
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A word for conversation
Nam belongs to the give and take of talk. Someone makes a statement, a request, a refusal, and at once gives the reason: Tacē, nam dormit (62.3), Nōn veniō, nam aeger sum (62.6). Earlier lessons of this course have already used it this way: Bene dīcis, nam coniūnctiōnēs ūtilēs sunt (Lesson 35), Nōn possum, nam māter mea mē nunc exspectat (Lesson 50). It is one of the commonest words in Latin because people are always explaining themselves.
On the comic stage
Roman comedy is full of nam, because it is full of people justifying what they do. In Terence’s Andria, the old man Simo praises his son for getting on with everyone, and the freedman Sosia answers with a line that became a proverb: namque hoc tempore obsequium amīcōs, vēritās odium parit (62.12), “going along with people wins friends, and telling the truth wins hatred.” Cicero quotes it in his essay on friendship: nescio quō modō vērum est, quod in Andriā familiāris meus dīcit: obsequium amīcōs, vēritās odium parit, “somehow it is true, what my friend says in the Andria” (Laelius dē Amīcitiā 89).
In the poets
The poets prefer namque, which fills out a line and gives the reason a little more weight. In the first poem of Vergil’s Eclogues, the shepherd Tityrus has kept his farm while his neighbour Meliboeus is driven from his own, and he gives thanks to the young man in Rome who saved it: namque erit ille mihi semper deus (62.11). Horace uses plain nam to begin his argument in Satires 1.3, that friends should forgive one another’s faults, for no one is born without them (62.13).
In history and philosophy
Prose writers use nam to build an argument step by step. The opening chapter of Sallust’s Catiline is a chain of reasons: the mind matters more than the body, nam divitiārum et fōrmae glōria fluxa atque fragilis est, “for the glory of wealth and beauty is fleeting and fragile” (1.4); and war needs both mind and body, nam et, prius quam incipiās, cōnsultō … opus est (62.14).
In the Vulgate
The Latin Bible uses both nam and enim for the Greek gar, “for.” In 62.15, from the First Letter of John, nam introduces the proof of a hard saying: those who left the community were never truly part of it.
In the questions of Latin speakers
Interrogative -nam gives Latin questions their colour. Quisnam es? (62.4) is not a polite enquiry but a startled one. The word is not only colloquial: Vergil, Statius and Tacitus all use quisnam.
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Catullus, Poem 13, lines 1–8. Catullus invites his friend Fabullus to dinner, and then adds the condition: Fabullus must bring the dinner himself. The joke turns on nam: Catullus gives the reason, and the reason is his empty purse. The text is that of the Latin Library; the macrons are editorial.
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
F.1a Cēnābis you-will-dine bene well mī my Fabulle Fabullus apud at-the-house-of mē me paucīs in-a-few sī if tibi to-you dī the-gods favent are-kind diēbus days
F.1b Cēnābis /keːˈnaː.bis/ dine.2SG.FUT bene /ˈbe.ne/ well.ADV mī /miː/ my.VOC.M.SG Fabulle /faˈbul.le/ Fabullus.VOC.M.SG apud /ˈa.pud/ at.PREP+ACC mē /meː/ I.ACC.SG paucīs /ˈpau̯.kiːs/ few.ABL.M.PL sī /siː/ if.CONJ tibi /ˈti.bi/ you.DAT.SG dī /diː/ god.NOM.M.PL favent /ˈfa.went/ favour.3PL.PRES diēbus /diˈeː.bus/ day.ABL.M.PL
F.2a sī if tēcum with-you attuleris you-bring bonam a-good atque and magnam big cēnam dinner nōn not sine without candidā a-pretty puellā girl
F.2b sī /siː/ if.CONJ tēcum /ˈteː.kum/ you.ABL.SG+with attuleris /atˈtu.le.ris/ bring.2SG.FUTPERF bonam /ˈbo.nam/ good.ACC.F.SG atque /ˈat.kʷe/ and.CONJ magnam /ˈmaɡ.nam/ big.ACC.F.SG cēnam /ˈkeː.nam/ dinner.ACC.F.SG nōn /noːn/ not.ADV sine /ˈsi.ne/ without.PREP+ABL candidā /ˈkan.di.daː/ fair.ABL.F.SG puellā /puˈel.laː/ girl.ABL.F.SG
F.3a et and vīnō wine et and sale wit et and omnibus all cachinnīs laughter haec these-things sī if inquam I-say attuleris you-bring venuste charming noster friend-of-ours
F.3b et /et/ and.CONJ vīnō /ˈwiː.noː/ wine.ABL.N.SG et /et/ and.CONJ sale /ˈsa.le/ salt.ABL.M.SG et /et/ and.CONJ omnibus /ˈom.ni.bus/ all.ABL.M.PL cachinnīs /kaˈkʰin.niːs/ guffaw.ABL.M.PL haec /hae̯k/ this.ACC.N.PL sī /siː/ if.CONJ inquam /ˈiŋ.kʷam/ say.1SG.PRES attuleris /atˈtu.le.ris/ bring.2SG.FUTPERF venuste /weˈnus.te/ charming.VOC.M.SG noster /ˈnos.ter/ our.VOC.M.SG
F.4a cēnābis you-will-dine bene well nam for tuī of-your Catullī Catullus plēnus full sacculus the-purse est is arāneārum of-cobwebs
F.4b cēnābis /keːˈnaː.bis/ dine.2SG.FUT bene /ˈbe.ne/ well.ADV nam /nam/ for.CONJ tuī /ˈtu.iː/ your.GEN.M.SG Catullī /kaˈtul.liː/ Catullus.GEN.M.SG plēnus /ˈpleː.nus/ full.NOM.M.SG sacculus /ˈsak.ku.lus/ purse.NOM.M.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES arāneārum /a.raː.neˈaː.rum/ cobweb.GEN.F.PL
F-B: Natural Text with Translation
Cēnābis bene, mī Fabulle, apud mē paucīs, sī tibi dī favent, diēbus, sī tēcum attuleris bonam atque magnam cēnam, nōn sine candidā puellā et vīnō et sale et omnibus cachinnīs. Haec sī, inquam, attuleris, venuste noster, cēnābis bene; nam tuī Catullī plēnus sacculus est arāneārum.
“You will dine well, my Fabullus, at my house in a few days, if the gods are kind to you, if you bring with you a good big dinner, not forgetting a pretty girl, and wine and wit and every kind of laughter. If, I say, you bring all this, my charming friend, you will dine well: for your Catullus’ purse is full of cobwebs.”
— Catullus, Poem 13.1–8
F-C: Latin Text Only
Cēnābis bene, mī Fabulle, apud mē paucīs, sī tibi dī favent, diēbus, sī tēcum attuleris bonam atque magnam cēnam, nōn sine candidā puellā et vīnō et sale et omnibus cachinnīs. Haec sī, inquam, attuleris, venuste noster, cēnābis bene; nam tuī Catullī plēnus sacculus est arāneārum.
F-D: Grammar and Literary Commentary
Cēnābis bene … apud mē. The poem opens with a promise in the future tense: cēnābis, “you will dine.” Apud mē, “at my house,” is the ordinary way to say “at someone’s place”: apud with the accusative of a person. Mī Fabulle is the vocative: mī is the vocative of meus.
Paucīs, sī tibi dī favent, diēbus. The phrase paucīs … diēbus, “in a few days,” is the ablative of time, split by the little prayer sī tibi dī favent, “if the gods are kind to you.” Dī is the usual contracted plural of deus.
Sī tēcum attuleris. Attuleris is the future perfect of afferō, “bring”: “if you (shall) have brought.” Latin is exact about time: the bringing must be done before the dining. Tēcum is cum fastened to the end of the pronoun, as in nōbīscum (62.15). Nōn sine candidā puellā, “not without a pretty girl,” is a litotes, a statement made by denying its opposite. Sāl, literally “salt,” is the Roman word for wit.
Haec sī, inquam, attuleris. Inquam, “I say,” marks the repetition: Catullus states the condition again, so that Fabullus cannot miss it. Venuste noster, “our charming one,” is another vocative.
Cēnābis bene; nam tuī Catullī plēnus sacculus est arāneārum. Here is the point of the poem, and it turns on nam. The first seven lines sound like an invitation; nam gives the reason why Fabullus must bring everything himself. Catullus calls himself tuī Catullī, “your Catullus,” in the genitive: “the purse of your Catullus.” Plēnus takes a genitive, “full of”: plēnus arāneārum, “full of cobwebs.” The purse has not been opened for so long that spiders have moved in. The word order holds back the joke: plēnus, “full,” sounds like good news, and only the last word, arāneārum, tells us what it is full of.
The rest of the poem. In the lines that follow, Catullus promises Fabullus something in return: a perfume so fine that, when he smells it, he will ask the gods to make him all nose.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
A pedagogical dialogue, composed for this lesson and not a quotation. Lūcius invites his friend Titus to dinner for his birthday, and Titus discovers, line by line, that the invitation is Catullus’ own. Every line of the dialogue uses nam, namque or interrogative -nam.
Part A: Interlinear Construed Text
62.16a LŪCIUS: Salvē hello Tite Titus Crās tomorrow apud at-the-house-of mē me cēnābis you-will-dine nam for diēs the-day nātālis of-birth meus my est is
62.16b Salvē /ˈsal.weː/ hail.2SG.IMP Tite /ˈti.te/ Titus.VOC.M.SG Crās /kraːs/ tomorrow.ADV apud /ˈa.pud/ at.PREP+ACC mē /meː/ I.ACC.SG cēnābis /keːˈnaː.bis/ dine.2SG.FUT nam /nam/ for.CONJ diēs /ˈdi.eːs/ day.NOM.M.SG nātālis /naːˈtaː.lis/ of-birth.NOM.M.SG meus /ˈme.us/ my.NOM.M.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES
62.17a TITUS: Grātiās thanks tibi to-you agō I-give Libenter gladly veniam I-will-come nam for tuās your cēnās dinners amō I-love
62.17b Grātiās /ˈɡraː.ti.aːs/ thanks.ACC.F.PL tibi /ˈti.bi/ you.DAT.SG agō /ˈa.ɡoː/ do.1SG.PRES Libenter /liˈben.ter/ gladly.ADV veniam /ˈwe.ni.am/ come.1SG.FUT nam /nam/ for.CONJ tuās /ˈtu.aːs/ your.ACC.F.PL cēnās /ˈkeː.naːs/ dinner.ACC.F.PL amō /ˈa.moː/ love.1SG.PRES
62.18a LŪCIUS: Bene good Sed but tū you cēnam the-dinner tēcum with-you afferēs will-bring nam for culīna kitchen mea my vacua empty est is
62.18b Bene /ˈbe.ne/ well.ADV Sed /sed/ but.CONJ tū /tuː/ you.NOM.SG cēnam /ˈkeː.nam/ dinner.ACC.F.SG tēcum /ˈteː.kum/ you.ABL.SG+with afferēs /afˈfe.reːs/ bring.2SG.FUT nam /nam/ for.CONJ culīna /kuˈliː.na/ kitchen.NOM.F.SG mea /ˈme.a/ my.NOM.F.SG vacua /ˈwa.ku.a/ empty.NOM.F.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES
62.19a TITUS: Quidnam what-on-earth dīcis are-you-saying Ego I cēnam the-dinner afferam am-to-bring
62.19b Quidnam /ˈkʷid.nam/ what.ACC.N.SG+EMPH dīcis /ˈdiː.kis/ say.2SG.PRES Ego /ˈe.ɡo/ I.NOM.SG cēnam /ˈkeː.nam/ dinner.ACC.F.SG afferam /ˈaf.fe.ram/ bring.1SG.PRES.SUBJ
62.20a LŪCIUS: Ita yes Nam for sacculus purse meus my plēnus full est is arāneārum of-cobwebs
62.20b Ita /ˈi.ta/ so.ADV Nam /nam/ for.CONJ sacculus /ˈsak.ku.lus/ purse.NOM.M.SG meus /ˈme.us/ my.NOM.M.SG plēnus /ˈpleː.nus/ full.NOM.M.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES arāneārum /a.raː.neˈaː.rum/ cobweb.GEN.F.PL
62.21a TITUS: Rīdiculus ridiculous es you-are Nam for hoc this Catullus Catullus ōlim once Fabullō to-Fabullus scrīpsit wrote
62.21b Rīdiculus /riːˈdi.ku.lus/ ridiculous.NOM.M.SG es /es/ be.2SG.PRES Nam /nam/ for.CONJ hoc /hok/ this.ACC.N.SG Catullus /kaˈtul.lus/ Catullus.NOM.M.SG ōlim /ˈoː.lim/ once.ADV Fabullō /faˈbul.loː/ Fabullus.DAT.M.SG scrīpsit /ˈskriːp.sit/ write.3SG.PERF
62.22a LŪCIUS: Vērum true est it-is nam for Catullum Catullus hodiē today legēbam I-was-reading
62.22b Vērum /ˈweː.rum/ true.NOM.N.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES nam /nam/ for.CONJ Catullum /kaˈtul.lum/ Catullus.ACC.M.SG hodiē /ˈho.di.eː/ today.ADV legēbam /leˈɡeː.bam/ read.1SG.IMPERF
62.23a TITUS: Et and vīnum the-wine Namque for-indeed sine without vīnō wine nūlla no cēna dinner bona good est is
62.23b Et /et/ and.CONJ vīnum /ˈwiː.num/ wine.NOM.N.SG Namque /ˈnaŋ.kʷe/ for-indeed.CONJ sine /ˈsi.ne/ without.PREP+ABL vīnō /ˈwiː.noː/ wine.ABL.N.SG nūlla /ˈnuːl.la/ no.NOM.F.SG cēna /ˈkeː.na/ dinner.NOM.F.SG bona /ˈbo.na/ good.NOM.F.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES
62.24a LŪCIUS: Vīnum the-wine quoque too affer bring nam for amphora wine-jar mea my sicca dry est is
62.24b Vīnum /ˈwiː.num/ wine.ACC.N.SG quoque /ˈkʷo.kʷe/ also.ADV affer /ˈaf.fer/ bring.2SG.IMP nam /nam/ for.CONJ amphora /ˈam.pʰo.ra/ wine-jar.NOM.F.SG mea /ˈme.a/ my.NOM.F.SG sicca /ˈsik.ka/ dry.NOM.F.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES
62.25a TITUS: Quid what igitur then tū you dabis will-give Nam for hospes a-host aliquid something dare to-give dēbet ought
62.25b Quid /kʷid/ what.ACC.N.SG igitur /ˈi.ɡi.tur/ therefore.CONJ tū /tuː/ you.NOM.SG dabis /ˈda.bis/ give.2SG.FUT Nam /nam/ for.CONJ hospes /ˈhos.pes/ host.NOM.M.SG aliquid /ˈa.li.kʷid/ something.ACC.N.SG dare /ˈda.re/ give.PRES.INF dēbet /ˈdeː.bet/ owe.3SG.PRES
62.26a LŪCIUS: Amīcitiam friendship meam my tibi to-you dabō I-will-give nam for nihil nothing cārius dearer habeō I-have
62.26b Amīcitiam /a.miːˈki.ti.am/ friendship.ACC.F.SG meam /ˈme.am/ my.ACC.F.SG tibi /ˈti.bi/ you.DAT.SG dabō /ˈda.boː/ give.1SG.FUT nam /nam/ for.CONJ nihil /ˈni.hil/ nothing.ACC.N.SG cārius /ˈkaː.ri.us/ dear.ACC.N.SG.COMP habeō /ˈha.be.oː/ have.1SG.PRES
62.27a TITUS: Quaenam what-sort-of est is ista that amīcitia friendship Nec neither vīnum wine nec nor cēnam dinner habet it-has
62.27b Quaenam /ˈkʷae̯.nam/ which.NOM.F.SG+EMPH est /est/ be.3SG.PRES ista /ˈis.ta/ that.NOM.F.SG amīcitia /a.miːˈki.ti.a/ friendship.NOM.F.SG Nec /nek/ nor.CONJ vīnum /ˈwiː.num/ wine.ACC.N.SG nec /nek/ nor.CONJ cēnam /ˈkeː.nam/ dinner.ACC.F.SG habet /ˈha.bet/ have.3SG.PRES
62.28a LŪCIUS: Hīc here est it-is in in corde heart meō my nam for tē you Tite Titus valdē very-much amō I-love
62.28b Hīc /hiːk/ here.ADV est /est/ be.3SG.PRES in /in/ in.PREP+ABL corde /ˈkor.de/ heart.ABL.N.SG meō /ˈme.oː/ my.ABL.N.SG nam /nam/ for.CONJ tē /teː/ you.ACC.SG Tite /ˈti.te/ Titus.VOC.M.SG valdē /ˈwal.deː/ very.ADV amō /ˈa.moː/ love.1SG.PRES
62.29a TITUS: Bene very-well Veniam I-will-come ergō then nam for tē you quoque too amō I-love et and cēnās dinners bonās good
62.29b Bene /ˈbe.ne/ well.ADV Veniam /ˈwe.ni.am/ come.1SG.FUT ergō /ˈer.ɡoː/ therefore.ADV nam /nam/ for.CONJ tē /teː/ you.ACC.SG quoque /ˈkʷo.kʷe/ also.ADV amō /ˈa.moː/ love.1SG.PRES et /et/ and.CONJ cēnās /ˈkeː.naːs/ dinner.ACC.F.PL bonās /ˈbo.naːs/ good.ACC.F.PL
62.30a LŪCIUS: Optimē excellent Crās tomorrow igitur then bene well cēnābimus we-will-dine nam for tū you omnia everything afferēs will-bring
62.30b Optimē /ˈop.ti.meː/ well.ADV.SUPERL Crās /kraːs/ tomorrow.ADV igitur /ˈi.ɡi.tur/ therefore.CONJ bene /ˈbe.ne/ well.ADV cēnābimus /keːˈnaː.bi.mus/ dine.1PL.FUT nam /nam/ for.CONJ tū /tuː/ you.NOM.SG omnia /ˈom.ni.a/ all.ACC.N.PL afferēs /afˈfe.reːs/ bring.2SG.FUT
Part B: Natural Sentences
62.16 LŪCIUS: Salvē, Tite! Crās apud mē cēnābis, nam diēs nātālis meus est. → “Hello, Titus! You’re having dinner at my place tomorrow: it’s my birthday.”
62.17 TITUS: Grātiās tibi agō! Libenter veniam, nam tuās cēnās amō. → “Thank you! I’ll be glad to come, because I love your dinners.”
62.18 LŪCIUS: Bene. Sed tū cēnam tēcum afferēs, nam culīna mea vacua est. → “Good. But you’ll bring the dinner with you, because my kitchen is empty.”
62.19 TITUS: Quidnam dīcis? Ego cēnam afferam? → “What on earth are you saying? I’m to bring the dinner?”
62.20 LŪCIUS: Ita. Nam sacculus meus plēnus est arāneārum. → “Yes. You see, my purse is full of cobwebs.”
62.21 TITUS: Rīdiculus es! Nam hoc Catullus ōlim Fabullō scrīpsit. → “You’re absurd! That’s what Catullus once wrote to Fabullus.”
62.22 LŪCIUS: Vērum est; nam Catullum hodiē legēbam. → “That’s true: I was reading Catullus today.”
62.23 TITUS: Et vīnum? Namque sine vīnō nūlla cēna bona est. → “And the wine? For no dinner is good without wine.”
62.24 LŪCIUS: Vīnum quoque affer, nam amphora mea sicca est. → “Bring the wine too, because my wine-jar is dry.”
62.25 TITUS: Quid igitur tū dabis? Nam hospes aliquid dare dēbet. → “So what will you give? A host ought to give something.”
62.26 LŪCIUS: Amīcitiam meam tibi dabō, nam nihil cārius habeō. → “I’ll give you my friendship, for I have nothing more precious.”
62.27 TITUS: Quaenam est ista amīcitia? Nec vīnum nec cēnam habet! → “What sort of friendship is that? It has neither wine nor dinner!”
62.28 LŪCIUS: Hīc est, in corde meō; nam tē, Tite, valdē amō. → “It’s here, in my heart: for I’m very fond of you, Titus.”
62.29 TITUS: Bene. Veniam ergō, nam tē quoque amō, et cēnās bonās. → “All right. I’ll come, then, because I’m fond of you too, and of good dinners.”
62.30 LŪCIUS: Optimē! Crās igitur bene cēnābimus, nam tū omnia afferēs! → “Excellent! Then tomorrow we shall dine well, because you will bring everything!”
Part C: Latin Text Only
62.16 LŪCIUS: Salvē, Tite! Crās apud mē cēnābis, nam diēs nātālis meus est.
62.17 TITUS: Grātiās tibi agō! Libenter veniam, nam tuās cēnās amō.
62.18 LŪCIUS: Bene. Sed tū cēnam tēcum afferēs, nam culīna mea vacua est.
62.19 TITUS: Quidnam dīcis? Ego cēnam afferam?
62.20 LŪCIUS: Ita. Nam sacculus meus plēnus est arāneārum.
62.21 TITUS: Rīdiculus es! Nam hoc Catullus ōlim Fabullō scrīpsit.
62.22 LŪCIUS: Vērum est; nam Catullum hodiē legēbam.
62.23 TITUS: Et vīnum? Namque sine vīnō nūlla cēna bona est.
62.24 LŪCIUS: Vīnum quoque affer, nam amphora mea sicca est.
62.25 TITUS: Quid igitur tū dabis? Nam hospes aliquid dare dēbet.
62.26 LŪCIUS: Amīcitiam meam tibi dabō, nam nihil cārius habeō.
62.27 TITUS: Quaenam est ista amīcitia? Nec vīnum nec cēnam habet!
62.28 LŪCIUS: Hīc est, in corde meō; nam tē, Tite, valdē amō.
62.29 TITUS: Bene. Veniam ergō, nam tē quoque amō, et cēnās bonās.
62.30 LŪCIUS: Optimē! Crās igitur bene cēnābimus, nam tū omnia afferēs!
Part D: Grammar Notes for Genre Section
The dialogue uses nam in every position Section D describes. Nam after a statement: cēnābis, nam diēs nātālis meus est (62.16), libenter veniam, nam tuās cēnās amō (62.17). Nam after a command: vīnum quoque affer, nam amphora mea sicca est (62.24). Nam beginning a new sentence: Ita. Nam sacculus meus … (62.20), Rīdiculus es! Nam hoc Catullus … (62.21), Quid igitur tū dabis? Nam hospes … (62.25). Namque: Namque sine vīnō nūlla cēna bona est (62.23). Interrogative -nam: Quidnam dīcis? (62.19), Quaenam est ista amīcitia? (62.27).
Nam beginning a new sentence. In 62.20, 62.21 and 62.25 the reason stands after a full stop, even after a question or an exclamation. This is common in speech: the speaker says something, then explains it. English often leaves the “for” out altogether, or says “you see” (62.20).
Catullus in the dialogue. Lines 62.18 and 62.20 retell Section F: tū cēnam tēcum afferēs is Catullus’ sī tēcum attuleris … cēnam, and sacculus meus plēnus est arāneārum is plēnus sacculus est arāneārum, with meus in place of tuī Catullī. The phrase apud mē cēnābis (62.16) is Catullus’ cēnābis … apud mē.
Other grammar points: 62.16 diēs nātālis, “birthday,” is literally “the day of birth”; nātālis is an adjective, and diēs is masculine here, so meus. 62.17 grātiās tibi agō, “I thank you,” is the standard phrase: grātiās agere, “to give thanks,” with the dative of the person. Veniam is the future, “I will come” (62.29 again). 62.19 afferam is the present subjunctive in a question of indignation: “am I to bring?” 62.21 Fabullō is the dative, “to Fabullus,” after scrīpsit. 62.24 affer is the imperative of afferō, “bring!”; like fer from ferō, it has no final -e. 62.25 dēbet with the infinitive dare, “ought to give.” 62.26 nihil cārius, “nothing dearer”: cārius is the neuter comparative of cārus, agreeing with nihil. 62.27 ista, “that (of yours),” often carries a note of scorn. 62.28 hīc with a long ī is the adverb “here”; hic with a short i is the pronoun “this.” 62.29 et cēnās bonās adds a second object to amō as an afterthought. 62.30 optimē, “excellent!”, is the superlative of bene.
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Final m. In Classical Latin a final m was barely pronounced: the vowel before it was nasalised and lengthened. Nam was said something like [nãː], and cēnam, magnam, bonam in the same way. In verse, a final -m before a vowel is elided: Catullus’ bonam atque magnam (F.2) is read bon(am) atque magnam. This course writes /m/ for clarity.
N before qu, c and g. Namque /ˈnaŋ.kʷe/, inquam /ˈiŋ.kʷam/, appropinquat /ap.proˈpiŋ.kʷat/: before the sounds k and g, n is said as the ng of “sing.”
Interrogative -nam. Quisnam, quidnam and quaenam are written as one word and stressed on the first syllable: /ˈkʷis.nam/, /ˈkʷid.nam/, /ˈkʷae̯.nam/.
Greek ph and ch. In amphora (62.24) and cachinnīs (F.3) the ph and ch were aspirated, /pʰ/ and /kʰ/: a p or k with a puff of breath. Many speakers simply say /p/ and /k/; never say f for ph in Classical Latin.
Double consonants. Say both: Catullus /kaˈtul.lus/, Fabulle /faˈbul.le/, sacculus /ˈsak.ku.lus/, afferēs /afˈfe.reːs/, sicca /ˈsik.ka/.
Oe in Meliboee. In Meliboee (62.11), a Greek name, oe is the diphthong /oe̯/, and the final e is a separate syllable: /me.liˈboe̯.e/.
Spellings in the quoted texts. The Latin Library prints Vergil, Horace and Terence with v for consonant u and without macrons. This course writes v for the consonant u; macrons are editorial throughout. In 62.11 the Latin Library begins namque with a small letter, continuing Vergil’s line; this lesson starts a new sentence there.
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Course Index: [latinum.substack.com/p/index](https://latinum.substack.com/p/index)