| General Grammar |
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Ab becomes â- before m and v; abs- before c and t; and as- before p.
Ad becomes ac- before c and q (and sometimes before other consonants); and sometimes a- before sc, sp and st; ar- is found in arcessere and arbiter.
Contrâ sometimes becomes contrô-.
Cum generally becomes con-; but com- before b, m and p; col- before l; cor- before r; cô- before n; and co- before vowels and h.
Ex becomes ef- and sometimes ec- before f; but remains ex- before vowels, h, c, p, s and t; and e- elsewhere. s following x is sometimes dropped, as in expectare.
In becomes im- before b, m and p; and sometimes becomes il- before l and ir- before r.
Inter is assimilated only in intel-legere.
Intrâ becomes intrô-.
Ob becomes oc- before c, of- before f, op- before p; and sometimes written (as pronounced) op- before s and t.
Per becomes pel- only in pel-licere and pel-lúcêre. Compounded with adjectives, Per often means very. [The per- in perfidius and perjúrâre surely must mean something like beyond---note tha parallel use of for- in forswear. There will be a link to a longer note on these words, later.]
Sub usually becomes sus- before s, sus- before s, suc- before c, suf- before f, sug- before g, sum- before m and sur- before r---but note subruere; Sub sometimes becomes sus- before c, p and t: sus- is found in the phrase, susque dêque---above and below, of no consequence. In composition with adjectives Sub often means slightly.
Trâns becomes trâ- before d, j---thus traicere (since i = ji)---and before n; and sometimes before l and m.
re- before consonants except reddere; and red- before vowels: note Repperî, Reppulî and Rettulî.
With denoting an Instrument is expressed by the simple Ablative. With meaning together with, denoting accompaniment, is expressed by cum with the Ablative. With denoting the Manner, is expressed by the Ablative if an epithet be added, otherwise by cum with the Ablative.
Compiled from Postgate's New Latin Primer (London, 1891)
Adapted from: http://www.informalmusic.com/latinsoc/prep.html
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