Salvete Omnes,

Here is the first translation portion of last month’s homework.

Homework

It is from the beginning of Hobbitvs Ille:

in foramine terrae habitabat *hobbitus: nec foedum,sordidum madidumque foramen, nec extremis lumbricorum atque odore caenoso impletum, nec etiam foramen aridum, inane, harenosum, in quo nihil erat ad considendum aut
edendum aptum; immo foramen-hobbitum, ergo commodum.

Vocabulary:

• hobbitus is an invented word for this adaptation meaning “Hobbit” (2nd Declension Noun)
• que(added to the end of another word) means “and”
• Considendum and Edendum are gerunds from the verbs consido and edo.

Translation

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.

The Break Down

in foramine terrae habitabat *hobbitus (literal translation) = In a hole of the earth, a Hobbit was living:

in + ablative= in

foramine = singular ablative of foramen (neuter noun) meaning “hole or opening”

terrae = genitive singular form of terra meaning “of the earth”

habitabat= 3s imperfect of habito meaning “live, dwell.”

hobbitus is an invented word for this adaptation meaning “Hobbit” (1st Declension Noun)

 

nec foedum,sordidum madidumque foramen, (literal translation)= and not a foul, dirty, and/or wet hole

nec meaning “and not”

foedum = adjective as a neuter accusative (foedus) meaning “foul or filthy”  in reference to what it is describing: foramen meaning “hole”

sordidum = adjective as a neuter accusative (sordidus) meaning “dirty or unclean” in reference to what it is describing: foramen meaning “hole”

madidum (que)=adjective as a neuter accusative (madidus) meaning “wet or soaked”  in reference to what it is describing: foramen meaning “hole”

que = que(added to the end of another word) means “and”

 

Well, that is the stopping point for this month’s post – feel free to post questions. We will go review the rest of this passage over the next two months. Looking forward to everyone’s participation.