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Hobbitvs Ille: Part II Posted by on Oct 29, 2018 in Latin Language

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.

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About the Author: Brittany Britanniae

Hello There! Please feel free to ask me anything about Latin Grammar, Syntax, or the Ancient World.


Comments:

  1. John Woodruff Kennedy:

    Have the declensions of Latin been renumbered since my schooldays? “Hobbitus” looks distinctly 2nd-declension to me (or conceivably 4th, but that is not usual for new borrowings).