Homework Using linking verbs and the use of quod

BrianBerbati

Member

Location:
Illinois, USA
Hello everyone, this is Brian. I have a small assignment of making four sentences about my favorite animal and why. I had one more instruction, to start each sentence with Ego amo... quod (reasons) this translates to I like... because (reasons). I've no experience with the word quod, but I assume it's a pronoun. Because quod is a pronoun and would represent "dogs", would I need to have canes after quod or could I just say Ego amo canes quod sunt fidi (I like dogs because they are loyal)? I hope my use of esse and the noun cases I used are appropriate. Thanks for the help.

Sincerely,

Brian


Ego amo canes quod canes sunt fidi. Ego amo canes quod canes volunt amare homines. Ego amo canes quod canes sunt intelligentiae et fortes. Ego amo canes quod canes sunt affectus et custoditiones.

I like dogs because dogs are loyal. I like dogs because dogs want to love humans. I like dogs because dogs are smart and strong. I like dogs because dogs are affectionate and protective.
 

Pacifica

grammaticissima

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Location:
Belgium
Quod in this case is used as a conjunction (meaning "because") rather than a pronoun. When used as a pronoun, it means "which/that". (Well, truth to tell, the use as a conjunction is only a derivative use of the pronoun, but at this stage it's probably enough for you not to worry too much about etymology and to view it simply as a conjunction.)

It isn't necessary to repeat canes after quod, not any more than it is to repeat "dogs" after "because" in English.
intelligentiae
This is a noun meaning "intelligences/understandings", not an adjective meaning "intelligent".
affectus et custoditiones
These, too, are nouns, meaning "affections/states of mind" and "protections".

To transfer the idea of "affectionate and protective" into anything approaching idiomatic Latin would probably require some rewording.
 

BrianBerbati

Member

Location:
Illinois, USA
Thank you very much for explaining the use of quod and what I could do to improve my text, Pacifica. I made some adjustments, removed the unnecessary repetition of canes, and changed my word usage for favorable adjectives. Does praesidiarii have a meaning similar to protective or is that poor word choice? Thank you.

Sincerely,

Brian

Ego amo canes quod sunt fidi. Ego amo canes quod volunt amare homines. Ego amo canes quod sunt cordati et fortes. Ego amo canes quod sunt adfectuosi et praesidiarii.

I like dogs because they are loyal. I like dogs because they want to love humans. I like dogs because they are smart and strong. I like dogs because they are affectionate and protective.
 

Pacifica

grammaticissima

  • Aedilis

Location:
Belgium
Your sentences now all make a reasonable amount of sense. The last one doesn't sound quite like "real" Latin, or at least not like classical Latin. As I said, the idea would usually have been expressed in an entirely different way (i.e. not word for word the same as in English), but maybe what you've got is good enough for the level you're currently at.
 

BrianBerbati

Member

Location:
Illinois, USA
Your sentences now all make a reasonable amount of sense. The last one doesn't sound quite like "real" Latin, or at least not like classical Latin. As I said, the idea would usually have been expressed in an entirely different way (i.e. not word for word the same as in English), but maybe what you've got is good enough for the level you're currently at.
Okay, thank you so much, Pacifica! Would you expound on restructuring that sentence or is that too advanced for me at this point?

Sincerely,

Brian
 

Pacifica

grammaticissima

  • Aedilis

Location:
Belgium
Would you expound on restructuring that sentence or is that too advanced for me at this point?
I see no harm in showing you a possible wording for it, even though it might be unfair of your teacher to expect you to come up with this yourself at this point.

There are undoubtedly many ways to put it, but you could say, for example, quod dominos mire diligunt et protegunt, that is literally "because they wonderfully love and protect [their] masters".
 
Last edited:

BrianBerbati

Member

Location:
Illinois, USA
I see no harm in showing you a possible wording for it, even though it might be unfair of your teacher to expect you to come up with this yourself at this point.

There are undoubtedly many ways to put it, but you could say, for example, quod dominos mire diligunt et protegunt, that is literally "because they wonderfully love and protect [their] masters".
Not only does that flow well but I see that, by your literal translation, it coveys the meaning much better. Thanks for showing me.

Sincerely,

Brian
 
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