← Latinum Institute Latin Reading Course
In this lesson, we will study the adverb "etiam", which means "also" or "even". This common word appears frequently in Latin texts and is essential for connecting ideas and emphasizing points.
67.1 Etiam even puerī boys litterās letters discere to learn possunt are able
67.2 Servus slave etiam also linguam language Graecam Greek intellegit understands
67.3 Magister teacher etiam even hodiē today multōs many librōs books legit reads
67.4 Agricola farmer etiam also in in agrīs fields labōrat works
67.5 Mīles soldier etiam even noctū at night vigilat keeps watch
67.6 Dominus master etiam also pecūniam money servō to slave dat gives
67.7 Sapientēs wise men etiam even errāre to err possunt are able
67.8 Rōmānī Romans etiam also deōs gods Graecōs Greek colunt worship
67.9 Discipulī pupils etiam even difficilia difficult things student study
67.10 Senex old man etiam still fortiter bravely pugnat fights
67.11 Legiō legion etiam also nocte by night iter journey facit makes
67.12 Pater father etiam even fīliō to son īrātus angry est is
67.13 Sacerdōs priest etiam also populum people docet teaches
67.14 Hostēs enemies etiam even in in castrīs camp timent fear
67.15 Poēta poet etiam also dē about bellō war cantat sings
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67.1 Etiam puerī litterās discere possunt. Even boys can learn their letters.
67.2 Linguam Graecam servus etiam intellegit. The slave understands Greek as well.
67.3 Multōs librōs magister etiam hodiē legit. The teacher reads many books even today.
67.4 In agrīs agricola etiam labōrat. The farmer works in the fields as well.
67.5 Noctū etiam mīles vigilat. Even at night the soldier keeps watch.
67.6 Servō dominus etiam pecūniam dat. The master gives money to the slave as well.
67.7 Etiam sapientēs errāre possunt. Even the wise can make mistakes.
67.8 Deōs Graecōs Rōmānī etiam colunt. The Romans worship the Greek gods as well.
67.9 Difficilia etiam discipulī student. The pupils study even difficult things.
67.10 Fortiter etiam senex pugnat. Even the old man fights bravely.
67.11 Nocte etiam legiō iter facit. The legion marches even by night.
67.12 Fīliō pater etiam īrātus est. The father is angry even with his son.
67.13 Populum sacerdōs etiam docet. The priest teaches the people as well.
67.14 Etiam in castrīs hostēs timent. The enemies are afraid even in their camp.
67.15 Dē bellō poēta etiam cantat. The poet sings about war as well.
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67.1 Etiam puerī litterās discere possunt.
67.2 Linguam Graecam servus etiam intellegit.
67.3 Multōs librōs magister etiam hodiē legit.
67.4 In agrīs agricola etiam labōrat.
67.5 Noctū etiam mīles vigilat.
67.6 Servō dominus etiam pecūniam dat.
67.7 Etiam sapientēs errāre possunt.
67.8 Deōs Graecōs Rōmānī etiam colunt.
67.9 Difficilia etiam discipulī student.
67.10 Fortiter etiam senex pugnat.
67.11 Nocte etiam legiō iter facit.
67.12 Fīliō pater etiam īrātus est.
67.13 Populum sacerdōs etiam docet.
67.14 Etiam in castrīs hostēs timent.
67.15 Dē bellō poēta etiam cantat.
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"Etiam" is an adverb that can mean either "also" or "even". Its usage requires attention to several key points: -
Position: -
Can appear before or after the word it modifies -
Often placed directly before the emphasized word -
Can appear at the start of a clause for emphasis -
Functions: -
Additive ("also", "too"): adds new information -
Intensive ("even"): emphasizes surprising or extreme cases -
Temporal ("still", "yet"): indicates continuation -
Common Combinations: -
etiam nunc: even now -
etiam tum: even then -
etiam atque etiam: again and again -
Word Order Examples: -
Before noun: "etiam puer" (even the boy) -
After verb: "venit etiam" (he also came) -
Between modifier and noun: "māgnā etiam virtūte" (with great virtue also)
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For English speakers, understanding "etiam" requires cultural context: -
Classical Usage: -
Essential in philosophical arguments -
Common in political speeches -
Used in religious formulas -
Important in legal language -
Social Implications: -
Could show inclusion or exclusion -
Used in polite conversation -
Important in formal rhetoric -
Part of everyday speech -
Modern Connections: -
Similar to English "even" -
Used in scientific terms -
Found in legal phrases -
Part of church Latin -
Historical Development: -
From Proto-Indo-European -
Related to other emphasizing particles -
Changed meaning over time -
Influenced Romance languages
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From Cicero's "De Amicitia" (23.87):
Part F-A (Interleaved Text)
Quod which etiam even tum then Scipiō Scipio vīvēns living dīcere to say solēbat was accustomed, clārius more clearly iam now appāret appears, mortuum dead quod because sit he may be.
"Quod etiam tum Scipiō vīvēns dīcere solēbat, clārius iam appāret, mortuum quod sit."
What Scipio used to say even while living appears now more clearly, because he is dead.
Cicero uses "etiam" here to emphasize the temporal contrast between Scipio's living words and their posthumous significance. The word placement emphasizes the continuity of truth across time.
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"etiam" modifies "tum" (even then) -
Complex sentence with main and subordinate clauses -
Use of subjunctive in causal clause -
Typical Ciceronian periodic structure
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67.16 Magister teacher discipulum pupil rogat asks num whether etiam also dē about animō soul dubitāre to doubt possit he can
67.17 Discipulus pupil respondet replies sē himself etiam even dē about vītā life multum much cogitāre to think
67.18 Nōn not sōlum only corpus body sed but etiam also animus mind cūrandus to be cared for est is magister teacher dīcit says
67.19 Dē about rēbus things omnibus all etiam even sapientēs wise men dubitant doubt discipulus pupil respondet replies
67.20 Magister teacher dīcit says etiam even in in dubitātiōne doubt vēritātem truth quaerendam to be sought esse to be
67.21 Etiam even dī gods immortālēs immortal hominum of men causā for sake mundō world praesident preside over
67.22 Discipulus pupil quaerit asks num whether etiam also post after mortem death vīta life sit there may be
67.23 Corpus body perīre to perish potest is able sed but animus soul etiam even post after mortem death vīvit lives
67.24 Philosophī philosophers etiam even dē about rēbus things obscūrīs obscure disputant discuss
67.25 Nōn not modo only scientia knowledge sed but etiam also virtūs virtue quaerenda to be sought est is
67.26 Magister teacher dīcit says etiam even in in errōre error vēritātem truth invenīrī to be found posse to be able
67.27 Disciplīna teaching philosophōrum of philosophers etiam also ad to vītam life pertinet pertains
67.28 Discipulus pupil intellegit understands etiam even difficilia difficult things tempore with time facilius more easily fierī to become
67.29 Magister teacher gaudet rejoices quod because discipulus pupil etiam even dē about altīs deep rēbus matters cogitat thinks
67.30 Sapientiam wisdom etiam even in in senectūte old age quaerere to seek possumus we are able
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67.16 Magister discipulum rogat num etiam dē animō dubitāre possit. The teacher asks the pupil whether he can also doubt about the soul.
67.17 Discipulus respondet sē etiam dē vītā multum cogitāre. The pupil replies that he also thinks much about life.
67.18 Nōn sōlum corpus sed etiam animus cūrandus est, magister dīcit. Not only the body but also the mind must be cared for, says the teacher.
67.19 Dē rēbus omnibus etiam sapientēs dubitant, discipulus respondet. Even the wise doubt about all things, the pupil replies.
67.20 Magister dīcit etiam in dubitātiōne vēritātem quaerendam esse. The teacher says that truth must be sought even in doubt.
67.21 Etiam dī immortālēs hominum causā mundō praesident. Even the immortal gods preside over the world for the sake of humans.
67.22 Discipulus quaerit num etiam post mortem vīta sit. The pupil asks whether there is also life after death.
67.23 Corpus perīre potest sed animus etiam post mortem vīvit. The body can perish but the soul lives even after death.
67.24 Philosophī etiam dē rēbus obscūrīs disputant. Philosophers discuss even obscure matters.
67.25 Nōn modo scientia sed etiam virtūs quaerenda est. Not only knowledge but also virtue must be sought.
67.26 Magister dīcit etiam in errōre vēritātem invenīrī posse. The teacher says that truth can be found even in error.
67.27 Disciplīna philosophōrum etiam ad vītam pertinet. The teaching of philosophers pertains also to life.
67.28 Discipulus intellegit etiam difficilia tempore facilius fierī. The pupil understands that even difficult things become easier with time.
67.29 Magister gaudet quod discipulus etiam dē altīs rēbus cogitat. The teacher rejoices because the pupil thinks even about deep matters.
67.30 Sapientiam etiam in senectūte quaerere possumus. We can seek wisdom even in old age.
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67.16 Magister discipulum rogat num etiam dē animō dubitāre possit.
67.17 Discipulus respondet sē etiam dē vītā multum cogitāre.
67.18 Nōn sōlum corpus sed etiam animus cūrandus est, magister dīcit.
67.19 Dē rēbus omnibus etiam sapientēs dubitant, discipulus respondet.
67.20 Magister dīcit etiam in dubitātiōne vēritātem quaerendam esse.
67.21 Etiam dī immortālēs hominum causā mundō praesident.
67.22 Discipulus quaerit num etiam post mortem vīta sit.
67.23 Corpus perīre potest sed animus etiam post mortem vīvit.
67.24 Philosophī etiam dē rēbus obscūrīs disputant.
67.25 Nōn modo scientia sed etiam virtūs quaerenda est.
67.26 Magister dīcit etiam in errōre vēritātem invenīrī posse.
67.27 Disciplīna philosophōrum etiam ad vītam pertinet.
67.28 Discipulus intellegit etiam difficilia tempore facilius fierī.
67.29 Magister gaudet quod discipulus etiam dē altīs rēbus cogitat.
67.30 Sapientiam etiam in senectūte quaerere possumus.
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In this philosophical dialogue, "etiam" appears in several important constructions that demonstrate its versatility: -
In Indirect Questions: -
"num etiam dē animō dubitāre possit" (whether he can also doubt about the soul) -
Shows how etiam works with interrogative particles -
With Correlative Expressions: -
"nōn sōlum... sed etiam..." (not only... but also...) -
"nōn modo... sed etiam..." (not only... but also...) These paired expressions are common in philosophical discourse for building arguments. -
With Temporal Expressions: -
"etiam post mortem" (even after death) -
Shows how etiam can modify prepositional phrases -
In Indirect Statement: -
"dīcit etiam in dubitātiōne vēritātem quaerendam esse" -
Shows how etiam works in more complex sentence structures -
Special Philosophical Uses: a) For Logical Extension: -
Building from known to unknown -
Adding new premises to arguments
b) For Emphasis: -
Highlighting surprising or paradoxical points -
Strengthening philosophical claims -
Word Order Patterns: -
Before phrase: "etiam dē rēbus obscūrīs" -
Between words: "corpus perīre potest sed animus etiam post mortem vīvit" -
After main verb: "disputant etiam" -
With Gerundives: -
"quaerenda est" construction shows how etiam works with verbal adjectives -
Important for expressing philosophical obligations and necessities
These patterns show how "etiam" functions in philosophical discourse to: -
Build arguments -
Make comparisons -
Extend logical sequences -
Emphasize key points -
Connect related ideas
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