| Participles |
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Gerunds
A gerund is a verbal noun, just as a gerundive is a verbal adjective. Both are formed from verbs but used as either noun (gerund) or adjective (gerundive). In English it is 'singing', 'walking', 'seeing':
- Walking is a pleasure.
- He prefers singing to talking.
- Seeing is believing.
In each instance, the verbal nouns are considered gerunds. In Latin the same -ing form of a verb may be part of a verb phrase, a present participle or a gerund:
- Marcus ambulat = Marcus is walking. verb phrase
- Ambulans est facilis = Walking is easy. present participle
- Bene scivit artem coquendi = He knows the art of cooking well. - gerund
Forming the gerund:
The gerund is easily formed: use the base oif the verb: ambula- , doce-, duce-, capie- + nd + case endings. All gerunds are considered neuter nouns and there is NO nominative case and NO plural form.
Exempli Gratia - ambulo, abulare, abulavi, abulatus
| genitive |
ambulandi |
of walking |
| dative |
ambulando |
to walking |
| accusative |
ambulandum |
walking |
| ablative |
ambulando |
by walking |
Use of the gerund :
- Genitive case: Habebat spes vincendi - He had hopes of winning
- After gratia or causa in the ablative: causa vincendi - for the sake of winning
- Dative usually with compound verbs: Laudando persuadebat - He was persuaded by praising.
- Accusative, often after ad to show purpose: ad vincendum for the purpose of winning
- The passive periphrastic is a very popular gerundive use and occasionally will have a gerund. In this instance, one always sees a form of the gerund(ive) and a form of the verb 'to be' and the agent doing the action in the dative case. This construction always shows need or obligation. Must is a good word to use here.
- Labor mihi agenda est - the work is to be done by me, the
work must be done by me, I must do the work...all acceptable translations.
The gerundive is by far the more popular form and its case will agree with
whatever the subject of the verb 'to be' is.
Exercises
Try this practice activity. Give a Latin phrase using a gerund for each.
- For the purpose of preparing
- the hope of leaving
- We must leave
- for the sake of defending
- desirous of running
- for the purpose of fighting
- By fighting, he convinced...
- The art of speaking is not lost
- for the sake of sailing quickly
- By running, he will get there first
Answer Key
- ad parandum
- spes relinquendi
- Id relinquendum nostris est.
- Causa defendendi
- cupidus currendi
- ad pugnandi
- pugnando abl. of means
- "ars loquendi" non amittitur
- gratia navigandi celeriter
- Currendo, primo illuc perveniet
^ Grammatica