Signator tabulas testamenti obsignat.

• signator = sealer, signer, or in this context a person who affixes a seal
• tabulas = tablets or documents; here it refers to the written tablets
• testamenti = of the will
• obsignat = seals or seals up

So the sentence is built from:

• subject: signator
• object: tabulas testamenti
• verb: obsignat

Because signator is in the nominative singular, the case normally used for the subject of a sentence.

Also, the verb obsignat is third person singular, so it matches a singular subject: he/she/it seals. Here that singular subject is signator.

A native English speaker may want to look for word order first, but in Latin the case ending matters more than position.

Tabulas is the direct object, the thing being sealed, so Latin puts it in the accusative case.

It is plural because tabulas comes from tabula, and the form tabulas is:

• accusative
• plural
• feminine

So the sentence is talking about the tablets/documents, not just one tablet.

Testamenti is in the genitive singular because it shows possession or relationship: of the will.

So:

• tabulas = the tablets
• testamenti = of the will

Together, tabulas testamenti means the tablets of the will, or more naturally in English, the will documents or the testamentary tablets.

This is a very common Latin pattern:

• noun + genitive
• meaning X of Y

Because Romans often wrote a will on multiple tablets. So Latin can refer literally to the tablets of the will.

English often uses a more abstract singular expression like the will, but Latin here is focused on the physical written documents.

So the plural is not strange in Latin; it reflects Roman writing practice.

Obsignat is:

• third person
• singular
• present tense
• active voice
• indicative mood

It comes from obsignare, meaning to seal, to seal up, or to affix a seal to.

So obsignat means he seals, she seals, or it seals. In this sentence, it is the sealer seals.

Both are related to marking or signing, but obsignat is more specific.

• signat = marks, signs
• obsignat = seals, especially by affixing a seal

The prefix ob- helps give the sense of sealing up or sealing over.

So in a legal context like a will, obsignat is a very suitable verb.

Because Latin has no articles like English the or a/an.

So:

• signator can mean a sealer or the sealer
• tabulas can mean tablets, the tablets, or sometimes some tablets

You decide from the context which English article sounds best.

Yes. Latin word order is fairly flexible because the endings show the grammatical roles.

So these could still mean the same basic thing:

• Signator tabulas testamenti obsignat
• Tabulas testamenti signator obsignat
• Signator obsignat tabulas testamenti

The usual meaning stays clear because:

• signator is nominative
• tabulas is accusative
• testamenti is genitive

That said, different word orders can slightly change the emphasis.

In a legal context, especially with wills, signator can have a more specific sense: a person who affixes a seal or acts as a witness sealing the document.

So while the basic meaning is something like signer/sealer, the context of testamentum makes the legal sense important.

A learner should notice that Latin legal vocabulary often carries precise cultural meanings that are broader than a simple one-word English gloss.

Treat it as one unit:

• tabulas = the main noun
• testamenti = a genitive modifying it

So first identify the core noun:

• tabulas = tablets/documents

Then add the genitive:

• testamenti = of the will

So the whole phrase means:

• the tablets of the will
• more idiomatically, the will documents

This is a helpful reading strategy for Latin: find the main noun first, then attach any genitives to it.

In a sense, yes, because the verb obsignat by itself already contains he/she/it.

Latin verbs usually include the subject in their ending:

• obsignat = he/she/it seals

But since the sentence also explicitly has signator, the subject is stated openly:

• The sealer seals ...

So Latin can use both:

• the verb ending to show person and number
• a noun in the nominative to name the subject more clearly

A few natural translations are:

• The sealer seals the tablets of the will.
• The witness seals the will tablets.
• The signer affixes seals to the testamentary tablets.

The most literal version keeps the Latin structure best:

• The sealer seals the tablets of the will.

The most natural English version depends on the context, especially whether you want to emphasize Roman legal practice.