Praetor bonorum possessionem heredi dat.

The subject is praetor.

You can tell because praetor is in the nominative singular, the case normally used for the subject of a finite verb. The verb dat is also 3rd person singular, so it matches a singular subject: the praetor gives/grants.

Dat is from do, dare, dedi, datum, meaning to give.

Here it is:

• present tense
• active voice
• indicative mood
• 3rd person singular

So dat means he/she/it gives or, in this context, the praetor gives/grants.

Because it is the direct object of dat.

With dare, the thing being given is usually in the accusative, and the person receiving it is usually in the dative.

So in this sentence:

• possessionem = the thing given
• heredi = the person it is given to

Because heredi is the indirect object: the person to whom something is given.

Latin often uses:

• accusative for the thing given
• dative for the recipient

So:

• possessionem dat = gives possession
• heredi dat = gives to the heir

Heredi is the dative singular of heres, heredis.

Bonorum depends on possessionem and means of goods/property.

So bonorum possessionem literally means possession of the goods or possession of the estate.

It is genitive plural because it comes from bona, a neuter plural noun often used to mean goods, property, or estate. In legal Latin, this phrase is a standard expression.

It is very often a technical legal expression in Roman law.

Bonorum possessio refers to the praetor’s grant of possession of an estate. So although the words literally suggest possession of the goods, the phrase often has a more specialized legal meaning than ordinary physical possession.

That is why this sentence sounds especially natural in a legal context.

Classical Latin does not have articles like English the or a/an.

So praetor can mean:

• the praetor
• a praetor

and heredi can mean:

• to the heir
• to an heir

Which one is best depends on context. In a sentence like this, English usually supplies the because the legal roles sound specific.

Latin word order is much more flexible than English word order because the endings show each word’s job.

In English, we rely heavily on position:

• subject + verb + object

In Latin, case endings tell you what each noun is doing:

• praetor = subject
• possessionem = direct object
• heredi = indirect object

So Latin can move words around for emphasis or style. This sentence is perfectly normal, even though it does not follow the most basic English pattern.

Yes. For example, these would still mean essentially the same thing:

• Praetor heredi bonorum possessionem dat.
• Bonorum possessionem praetor heredi dat.
• Heredi praetor bonorum possessionem dat.

The case endings keep the roles clear.

However, the chosen order may affect emphasis. For example:

• putting heredi earlier can emphasize the recipient
• putting bonorum possessionem earlier can emphasize what is being granted

Here are the main forms:

• praetor — 3rd declension masculine
  dictionary form: praetor, praetoris

• bonorum — genitive plural of bona / bonum used in the sense goods, property, estate

• possessionem — accusative singular of possessio, 3rd declension feminine
  dictionary form: possessio, possessionis

• heredi — dative singular of heres, 3rd declension masculine or feminine
  dictionary form: heres, heredis

So several words here belong to the 3rd declension.

Because heres, heredis is the standard Latin word for heir in legal contexts.

It can refer to someone who inherits an estate, especially in Roman law. In this sentence, that fits perfectly with bonorum possessio, which is also legal vocabulary.

So heredi means to the heir.

Literally, dat means gives.

But in legal English, grants is often a better translation, because the praetor is not physically handing over an object. He is conferring a legal right or status.

So both are possible:

• more literal: gives
• more natural in legal context: grants

Because Latin often uses bona in the plural to mean goods, property, or estate as a whole.

So the Latin expression is literally based on goods/property in the plural, even when English naturally uses a singular word like estate.

That is a very common difference between the two languages: Latin may use a plural where English prefers a singular collective idea.