From Maturinus Corderius, Colloquia Scholastica, Liber Primus (1564)
Welcome to Lesson 9 of our Neo-Latin Colloquia series. Today we enter the Renaissance classroom itself with an authentic dialogue from Maturinus Corderius’s Colloquia Scholastica, first published in 1564. Corderius (Mathurin Cordier, 1479-1574) was one of the most influential Latin pedagogues of the Reformation era, having taught both John Calvin and Ignatius Loyola at various points in his remarkable career.
This lesson introduces imperative mood constructions—the grammar of commands, requests, and exhortations—essential for any active Latin conversation. The dialogue depicts a school monitor (observator) questioning a younger student about his activities, using the rapid-fire question-and-answer format that made Corderius’s colloquia so effective for language acquisition.
Course Index:
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What is this dialogue about? A school monitor questions a younger student about what he is writing, who assigned it, when he received the assignment, where he was at the time, and who else was present. The dialogue ends with a command to continue writing—showcasing both interrogative and imperative patterns.
Source: Archive.org hosts a digitized 1819 edition of Cordier’s complete Colloquia Scholastica: https://archive.org/details/corderivs-maturinus-colloquia-scholastica-1819
Key Takeaways: -
Formation of imperatives across all four conjugations -
Irregular imperatives (dīc, dūc, fac, fer) -
Negative imperatives with nōlī/nōlīte -
School vocabulary: classroom, teachers, students -
Question-answer dialogue patterns
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Neo-Latin texts from the 16th century exhibit certain orthographic conventions that differ from both classical and modern usage. In this lesson: -
u/v distinction: We follow the humanist convention of u for vowels and v for consonants (unlike classical inscriptions which used V for both) -
i/j: We retain i throughout (classical practice), though some 16th-century texts use j for consonantal i -
ae/æ: We expand the ligature æ to ae for clarity -
Capitalization: Latin nouns are not capitalized (unlike German), except for proper names and sentence beginnings
Original spelling variants are noted where they appear in manuscript sources.
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COLLOQUIUM IV: The Monitor Questions a Student
Argumentum: Observātor dē rēbus minūtīs scīscitandō puerulum in mendāciō dēprehendere temptat. “The monitor attempts to catch the little boy in a lie by questioning him about small matters.”
PERSONAE: Observātor (O.), Puer (P.)
9.1a Quid what agis? do-you [INT]
9.1b Quid (kwid) what agis (AH-jis) do-you
9.2a Scrībō. I-write [SVO]
9.2b Scrībō (SKREE-boh) I-write
9.3a Quid what scribis? do-you-write [INT]
9.3b Quid (kwid) what scribis (SKREE-bis) do-you-write
9.4a Sententiās. Sentences [ACC.PL]
9.4b Sententiās (sen-TEN-tsee-ahs) sentences
9.5a Quās? Which-ones [ACC.PL.F]
9.5b Quās (kwahs) which-ones
9.6a Ex from Novō New Testāmentō. Testament [ABL]
9.6b Ex (eks) from Novō (NOH-voh) new Testāmentō (teh-stah-MEN-toh) testament
9.7a Bene well facis; you-do unde from-where id it habuistī? did-you-get [INT+SOV]
9.7b Bene (BEH-neh) well facis (FAH-chis) you-do unde (OON-deh) from-where id (id) it habuistī (hah-boo-EES-tee) did-you-get
9.8a Hypodidascalus The-assistant-teacher dictāvit dictated nōbīs. to-us [SOV]
9.8b Hypodidascalus (hee-poh-dee-DAH-skah-loos) the-assistant-teacher dictāvit (dik-TAH-vit) dictated nōbīs (NOH-bees) to-us
9.9a Quandō? When [INT]
9.9b Quandō (KWAHN-doh) when
9.10a Herī. Yesterday [ADV]
9.10b Herī (HEH-ree) yesterday
9.11a Quotā At-what hōrā? hour [ABL]
9.11b Quotā (KWOH-tah) at-what hōrā (HOH-rah) hour
9.12a Merīdiē. At-midday [ABL]
9.12b Merīdiē (meh-REE-dee-eh) at-midday
9.13a Ubi? Where [INT]
9.13b Ubi (OO-bee) where
9.14a In in āreā. the-courtyard [ABL]
9.14b In (in) in āreā (AH-reh-ah) the-courtyard
9.15a Quī who aderant? were-present [INT]
9.15b Quī (kwee) who aderant (AH-deh-rahnt) were-present
9.16a Cūnctī all domesticī, household-members praeter except prīmānōs first-formers et and secundānōs. second-formers [SOV]
9.16b Cūnctī (KOONK-tee) all domesticī (doh-MES-tee-chee) household-members praeter (PREH-tehr) except prīmānōs (pree-MAH-nohs) first-formers et (et) and secundānōs (seh-koon-DAH-nohs) second-formers
9.17a Ubi where erant were illī? those-ones [INT]
9.17b Ubi (OO-bee) where erant (EH-rahnt) were illī (IL-lee) those-ones
9.18a In in aulā the-hall commūnī. common [ABL]
9.18b In (in) in aulā (OW-lah) the-hall commūnī (kom-MOO-nee) common
9.19a Quid what agēbant? were-they-doing [INT]
9.19b Quid (kwid) what agēbant (ah-JEH-bahnt) were-they-doing
9.20a Disputābant. They-were-debating [SVO]
9.20b Disputābant (dis-poo-TAH-bahnt) they-were-debating
9.21a Vale, farewell et and perge continue scrībere. to-write [IMP]
9.21b Vale (VAH-leh) farewell et (et) and perge (PEHR-jeh) continue scrībere (SKREE-beh-reh) to-write
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9.1 Quid agis? — What are you doing? [INT]
9.2 Scrībō. — I’m writing. [SVO]
9.3 Quid scribis? — What are you writing? [INT]
9.4 Sententiās. — Sentences. [ACC]
9.5 Quās? — Which ones? [INT]
9.6 Ex Novō Testāmentō. — From the New Testament. [ABL]
9.7 Bene facis; unde id habuistī? — You’re doing well; where did you get that from? [INT+SOV]
9.8 Hypodidascalus dictāvit nōbīs. — The assistant teacher dictated it to us. [SOV]
9.9 Quandō? — When? [INT]
9.10 Herī. — Yesterday. [ADV]
9.11 Quotā hōrā? — At what hour? [INT]
9.12 Merīdiē. — At midday. [ABL]
9.13 Ubi? — Where? [INT]
9.14 In āreā. — In the courtyard. [ABL]
9.15 Quī aderant? — Who was present? [INT]
9.16 Cūnctī domesticī, praeter prīmānōs et secundānōs. — All the household members, except the first-formers and second-formers. [SOV]
9.17 Ubi erant illī? — Where were they? [INT]
9.18 In aulā commūnī. — In the common hall. [ABL]
9.19 Quid agēbant? — What were they doing? [INT]
9.20 Disputābant. — They were debating. [SVO]
9.21 Vale, et perge scrībere. — Farewell, and continue writing. [IMP]
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COLLOQUIUM IV
Observātor, Puer.
9.1 Quid agis? 9.2 Scrībō. 9.3 Quid scribis? 9.4 Sententiās. 9.5 Quās? 9.6 Ex Novō Testāmentō. 9.7 Bene facis; unde id habuistī? 9.8 Hypodidascalus dictāvit nōbīs. 9.9 Quandō? 9.10 Herī. 9.11 Quotā hōrā? 9.12 Merīdiē. 9.13 Ubi? 9.14 In āreā. 9.15 Quī aderant? 9.16 Cūnctī domesticī, praeter prīmānōs et secundānōs. 9.17 Ubi erant illī? 9.18 In aulā commūnī. 9.19 Quid agēbant? 9.20 Disputābant. 9.21 Vale, et perge scrībere.
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These are the grammar rules for this text.
The most important new construction in this lesson is the imperative mood—used to give commands, make requests, or offer exhortations. Latin has both positive (”do this!”) and negative (”don’t do this!”) imperatives.
First Conjugation (-āre verbs): The stem ends in -ā. For the singular, the ending is just the stem vowel; for plural, add -te. -
dictāre → dictā! (sg.) “dictate!” / dictāte! (pl.) “dictate!”
Second Conjugation (-ēre verbs): The stem ends in -ē. Same pattern as first conjugation. -
habēre → habē! (sg.) “have!” / habēte! (pl.) “have!”
Third Conjugation (-ere verbs): The stem consonant + -e for singular, -ite for plural. -
scrībere → scrībe! (sg.) “write!” / scrībite! (pl.) “write!” -
pergere → perge! (sg.) “continue!” / pergite! (pl.) “continue!”
Fourth Conjugation (-īre verbs): The stem ends in -ī. Same pattern. -
audīre → audī! (sg.) “listen!” / audīte! (pl.) “listen!”
Four common third-conjugation verbs have shortened singular imperatives: -
dīcō, dīcere “say” → dīc! (not *dīce) -
dūcō, dūcere “lead” → dūc! (not *dūce) -
faciō, facere “do/make” → fac! (not *face) -
ferō, ferre “bring/carry” → fer! (not *fere)
The plural forms are regular: dīcite, dūcite, facite, ferte.
To form negative commands, Latin does NOT use nōn + imperative. Instead, use:
Singular: nōlī + infinitive -
nōlī scrībere! “don’t write!” -
nōlī garrīre! “don’t chatter!”
Plural: nōlīte + infinitive -
nōlīte disputāre! “don’t debate!”
The forms nōlī/nōlīte come from nōlō “I don’t want” (nōn + volō), literally “be unwilling to...”
Line 9.21 gives us two imperatives: -
vale — 2nd person singular imperative of valeō (2nd conjugation): “farewell!” (literally “be strong!”) -
perge — 2nd person singular imperative of pergō (3rd conjugation): “continue!”
The construction perge scrībere combines an imperative with a complementary infinitive: “continue to write.”
Notice how the dialogue uses rapid-fire questions. The question word determines the expected case of the answer: -
Quid? (what?) → expects accusative or nominative answer -
Quās? (which ones?) → expects accusative plural feminine (matching sententiās) -
Unde? (from where?) → expects ablative of source -
Quandō? (when?) → expects ablative of time or adverb -
Quotā hōrā? (at what hour?) → ablative of time when -
Ubi? (where?) → expects ablative of place or locative -
Quī? (who?) → expects nominative answer
Herī “yesterday” and merīdiē “at midday” demonstrate time expressions: -
herī — an indeclinable adverb, inherently ablative in sense -
merīdiē — ablative singular of merīdiēs “midday” (5th declension) -
quotā hōrā — ablative of time, answering “at what point in time?”
Time when uses the ablative without a preposition: merīdiē “at midday,” nocte “at night.”
Mistake 1: Using nōn + imperative for negative commands. -
WRONG: Nōn scrībe! -
RIGHT: Nōlī scrībere!
Mistake 2: Forgetting the irregular short imperatives. -
WRONG: Dīce mihi! -
RIGHT: Dīc mihi! “Tell me!”
Mistake 3: Confusing perge (continue) with pērgō (I continue). -
perge = imperative “continue!” -
pergō = 1st person singular “I continue”
Mistake 4: Using accusative instead of ablative for location. -
WRONG: In āream (for static location) -
RIGHT: In āreā (ablative = where something is) -
In āream = motion toward: “into the courtyard”
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adsum, adesse, adfuī — v. irreg. — be present, be here. Compound of ad + sum. The question Quī aderant? = “Who were present?” Imperfect aderant shows past continuous presence.
agō, agere, ēgī, āctum — v. 3rd conj. — do, act, drive, conduct. The phrase Quid agis? is both “What are you doing?” and “How are you?” (cf. Lesson 6). Very high frequency.
ārea, -ae — f. 1st decl. — open space, courtyard. In school context, the outdoor area where students gathered. English derivative: “area.”
aula, -ae — f. 1st decl. — hall, main room. Aula commūnis = “common hall” where debates took place. Greek loan word.
commūnis, -e — adj. 3rd decl. — common, shared, public. In aulā commūnī = “in the common hall.” English: “common,” “community.”
cūnctī, -ae, -a — adj./pron. — all (collectively), everyone together. Stronger than omnēs, emphasizing totality. Often used in formal contexts.
dictō, dictāre, dictāvī, dictātum — v. 1st conj. — dictate, say repeatedly. Frequentative of dīcō. The teacher dictates; students write. English: “dictate.”
disputō, disputāre, disputāvī, disputātum — v. 1st conj. — debate, discuss, argue. A core school activity in Renaissance education. English: “dispute.”
domesticus, -ī — m. 2nd decl. — household member, boarder. In school context, students who boarded at the school. From domus “house.”
habeō, habēre, habuī, habitum — v. 2nd conj. — have, hold, possess. Unde id habuistī? = “Where did you get it?” Perfect tense habuistī = “you have obtained/got.”
herī — adv. — yesterday. Indeclinable adverb of time. Common in dialogue for establishing temporal context.
hōra, -ae — f. 1st decl. — hour, time. Quotā hōrā? = “At what hour?” (ablative of time when). English: “hour.”
hypodidascalus, -ī — m. 2nd decl. — assistant teacher, usher. Greek compound: hypo- “under” + didáskalos “teacher.” Common in Renaissance school terminology.
merīdiēs, -ēī — m. 5th decl. — midday, noon, south. Ablative merīdiē = “at midday.” From medius “middle” + diēs “day.”
nōbīs — pron. — to us, for us (dative/ablative 1st person plural). Dictāvit nōbīs = “he dictated to us.”
observātor, -ōris — m. 3rd decl. — observer, monitor, prefect. A senior student appointed to watch younger ones. From observō “watch over.”
pergō, pergere, perrēxī, perrēctum — v. 3rd conj. — proceed, continue. Perge scrībere = “continue to write” (imperative + infinitive). Compound of per- “through” + regō “direct.”
praeceptor, -ōris — m. 3rd decl. — teacher, instructor, master. The main teacher, as opposed to the hypodidascalus. From praecipiō “instruct.”
praeter — prep. + acc. — except, besides, past. Praeter prīmānōs = “except the first-formers.”
prīmānus, -ī — m. 2nd decl. — first-former, first-year student. From prīmus “first.” School terminology for youngest class.
puer, puerī — m. 2nd decl. — boy, child. Generic term for male students. Also used affectionately/formally for servants.
quotus, -a, -um — interrog. adj. — which (in number), what number. Quotā hōrā? = “At what hour?” (literally “at the which-numbered hour?”)
scrībō, scrībere, scrīpsī, scrīptum — v. 3rd conj. — write. Core vocabulary for school activities. English: “scribe,” “scripture.”
secundānus, -ī — m. 2nd decl. — second-former, second-year student. From secundus “second.” School terminology.
sententia, -ae — f. 1st decl. — sentence, maxim, opinion. Here refers to written exercises, often moral sayings. English: “sentence.”
Testāmentum, -ī — n. 2nd decl. — testament, covenant. Novum Testāmentum = “New Testament.” From testor “witness.”
ubi — adv. — where (location). For questions about static location. Compare quō “to where” (motion).
unde — adv. — from where, whence. Questions about origin or source. Unde id habuistī? = “Where did you get it from?”
valeō, valēre, valuī, valitūrus — v. 2nd conj. — be strong, be well, fare well. Vale! = “Farewell!” (literally “be strong!”). English: “valid,” “value.”
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For beginners, here is the same dialogue with simplified vocabulary and structures:
Observātor et Puer
O. Quid facis? P. Scrībō. O. Quid scribis? P. Verbā Sacra. O. Bene! Quis tibi dedit ea? P. Magister minor. O. Quandō? P. Herī. O. Ubi? P. In hortō scholae. O. Quī aderant? P. Omnēs puerī. O. Vale! Scrībe bene!
Translation: O. What are you doing? P. I’m writing. O. What are you writing? P. Sacred words. O. Good! Who gave them to you? P. The junior teacher. O. When? P. Yesterday. O. Where? P. In the school garden. O. Who was present? P. All the boys. O. Farewell! Write well!
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From Maturinus Corderius, Colloquia Scholastica, Liber II, Colloquium IV (1564 edition, adapted by Arcadius Avellanus, 1904):
COLLOQUIUM IV.
ARGUMENTUM: Observator de rebus minutis sciscitando, puerulum in mendacio deprehendere tentat.
Observator, Puer.
QUID agis? P. Scribo. O. Quid scribis? P. Sententias. O. Quas? P. Ex Novo Testamento. O. Bene facis; unde id habuisti? P. Hypodidascalus dictavit nobis. O. Quando? P. Heri. O. Quota hora? P. Meridie. O. Ubi? P. In area. O. Qui aderant? P. Cuncti domestici, praeter primanos et secundanos. O. Ubi erant illi? P. In aula communi. O. Quid agebant? P. Disputabant. O. Vale, & perge scribere.
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An original dialogue in the style of Corderius, set in a modern school
COLLOQUIUM MODERNUM: In Bibliothēcā
Argumentum: Discipulus senior discipulum iuniōrem dē studiīs interrogat.
PERSONAE: Mārcus (M.), senior discipulus; Iūlia (I.), iunior discipula
M. Salvē, Iūlia! Quid agis hodiē?
I. Salvē, Mārce! Studeō.
M. Ubi studēs?
I. In bibliothēcā, ut vidēs.
M. Quid legis?
I. Librum dē historiā Rōmānā.
M. Bene facis! Quis tibi hunc librum commendāvit?
I. Magister noster, Dominus Smithius.
M. Quandō hoc fēcit?
I. Herī, post scholam.
M. Difficilisne est liber?
I. Nōn valdē. Facilis est et iūcundus.
M. Habēsne stilum graphidem?
I. Ita, habeō. Ecce!
M. Nōlī oblīvīscī notās facere!
I. Nōn oblīvīscar. Grātiās tibi agō.
M. Nihil est. Perge studēre! Ego quoque ad studia mea redeō.
I. Vale, Mārce!
M. Vale, Iūlia! Fortūna tibi faveat!
NATURAL TRANSLATION:
M. Hello, Julia! What are you doing today?
I. Hello, Marcus! I’m studying.
M. Where are you studying?
I. In the library, as you see.
M. What are you reading?
I. A book about Roman history.
M. You’re doing well! Who recommended this book to you?
I. Our teacher, Mr. Smith.
M. When did he do that?
I. Yesterday, after school.
M. Is the book difficult?
I. Not very. It’s easy and enjoyable.
M. Do you have a pencil?
I. Yes, I have one. Look!
M. Don’t forget to take notes!
I. I won’t forget. Thank you.
M. It’s nothing. Keep studying! I’m returning to my own studies too.
I. Farewell, Marcus!
M. Farewell, Julia! May fortune favor you!
Grammar Notes for Part B: -
Nōlī oblīvīscī — Negative imperative with deponent infinitive: “Don’t forget!” -
Perge studēre — Imperative + infinitive: “Continue to study” -
Fortūna tibi faveat — Optative subjunctive: “May fortune favor you” (a polite wish) -
ut vidēs — “as you see” — common conversational filler -
Ecce! — “Look!/Behold!” — demonstrative interjection -
Nihil est — “It’s nothing” — polite dismissal of thanks (cf. Spanish “de nada”)
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In Lesson 10, we continue with Corderius’s Colloquia Scholastica, moving to De Ludo — dialogues about games and recreation. We’ll explore conditional structures (”if X, then Y”) and vocabulary for Renaissance schoolboy pastimes.
The Latinum Institute has been creating materials for serious Latin students since 2006. Our text-based autodidact approach uses authentic Neo-Latin colloquia because Renaissance authors like Corderius understood something crucial: conversational fluency comes from conversational practice.
These dialogues were written specifically to teach Latin to schoolboys who would actually speak the language daily. By studying them, you access the same immersive methodology that produced the great humanist scholars of the 16th and 17th centuries.
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Lesson 9 complete. Vale, et perge discere!
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