Confusing passage in Donatus.

I

Iynx

Consularis

  • Consularis
Location:
T2R6WELS, Maine, USA
Having just returned home, I earlier today had occasion to check on Donatus' definition of pronomen, in the Ars Minor... and I find myself quite confused.

Pronomen quid est? Pars orationis, quae pro nomine posita tantundem paene significat personamque interdum recipit.

Maybe my head isn't working 100% yet, but I'm having trouble with this.

What is a pronoun? A part of speech, that [is] put in the place of a nomen...almost as much as...it signifieth person and...sometimes taketh ...

I am particular confused (I think) by that personamque. Does the enclitic link personam with something? With what?

Can someone help me on the syntax and meaning here? Thanks.
 
Q

QMF

Civis Illustris

  • Civis Illustris
Location:
Virginia, US
Normally (in fact always, as far as I've seen, even in poetry) -que implies that the the word it is attached to and the words following it are connected to the preceding words, generally in a rather strong fashion. In the preceding clause I see posita as the condition under which it does the things following it. Thus I say:
What is a pronoun? [It is] a part of speech which, put [in place of] a noun, means almost as much and sometimes receives a persona.

I can't determine how to properly define persona here, however.
 
 
cinefactus

cinefactus

Censor

  • Censor
  • Patronus
Location:
litore aureo
That is a coincidence, I was recently struggling with the same sentence - and flagged it as something to come back to... Looking forward a bit, I think persona must refer to a person, as we have, "Quae sunt finita? Quae recipiunt personas, ut ego tu ille."
 
C

Cato

Consularis

  • Consularis
Location:
Chicago, IL
I agree with Cinefactus, and think persona here refers to the grammatical notion of 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person:

Pars orationis, quae pro nomine posita tantundem paene significat personamque interdum recipit.

"A part of speech which, once placed for a noun, shows almost the same amount and at times takes a person (i.e. it forces the verb to take a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person ending)."
 
 
cinefactus

cinefactus

Censor

  • Censor
  • Patronus
Location:
litore aureo
I think we almost have it.

Rather than almost, I think paene might mean mostly, as Donatus goes on to say, "Numeri pronominum quot sunt? Duo. Qui? Singularis, ut hic, pluralis, ut hi". If there are only 2 choices, almost doesn't quite seem to fit. Mostly would also balance with the following, 'interdum'.


He also says, "Personae pronominum quot sunt? Tres. Quae? Prima, ut ego, seconda, ut tu, tertia, ut ille". Furthermore, quis quae quod, are given as examples of pronouns not taking a person. In this case, I think that the phrase, 'takes a person', probably refers not just to the verb, but also the form of the pronoun.
 
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