Reus exsilium timet.

Reus is nominative singular. In Latin, the nominative case is typically used for the subject of a finite verb.

So in Reus exsilium timet:

• reus = subject
• timet = verb
• exsilium = direct object

A learner may also notice that reus looks like a typical second-declension masculine nominative singular noun ending in -us.

Exsilium is accusative singular, which is the case commonly used for a direct object in Latin.

The verb timet means fears and normally takes a direct object in the accusative, so exsilium is the thing being feared.

A useful detail: exsilium is a neuter second-declension noun, and for neuter nouns the nominative singular and accusative singular have the same form. So the form itself does not change between those two cases; you identify its role from the sentence structure and the verb.

The ending -t tells you that timet is third person singular present active indicative.

That means it means:

• he fears
• she fears
• it fears

depending on context.

Here, since the subject is reus, the verb agrees with it in person and number, so timet means the accused fears.

For comparison:

• timeo = I fear
• times = you fear
• timet = he/she/it fears
• timent = they fear

The dictionary form is timeo, timere.

More fully, it is often given as:

• timeo, timere, timui = to fear

Timet is one conjugated form of that verb: third person singular present active indicative.

So when you look up timet, you should think of the verb timeo.

Latin word order is much more flexible than English word order because Latin uses case endings to show grammatical function.

This sentence has the order:

• subject: reus
• object: exsilium
• verb: timet

That is a very normal Latin pattern, especially with the verb at the end. English usually prefers subject-verb-object, but Latin often prefers subject-object-verb.

So Latin can say:

• Reus exsilium timet

where English says:

• The accused fears exile

The endings, not the position alone, tell you what each word is doing.

Yes, in many contexts they could.

For example, Latin could also say:

• Exsilium reus timet
• Timet reus exsilium
• Reus timet exsilium

All of these would still basically mean the same thing because the forms show the grammar.

However, changing the order can change emphasis. For example:

• putting exsilium first can emphasize exile
• putting timet first can emphasize the action or create a more dramatic effect

So the meaning stays broadly the same, but the focus or style may shift.

Latin has no definite article and no indefinite article.

So Latin does not have separate words exactly matching English:

• the
• a
• an

That means reus can mean:

• the accused
• an accused man
• sometimes just accused man in a more general sense

and exsilium can mean:

• exile
• the exile
• banishment

The exact English article depends on context and on what translation sounds most natural.

Grammatically, reus is a masculine noun, so in its basic form it refers to a male accused person or defendant.

The feminine form is rea.

So if the subject were female, you might expect:

• Rea exsilium timet

In many classroom sentences, reus is translated as the accused, the defendant, or the prisoner, depending on context.

Both spellings are found.

• exsilium
• exilium

The version with xs reflects the historical connection with exsul and related forms, while exilium is also a common spelling in Latin texts and textbooks.

So if you have seen exilium, that is not necessarily wrong. It is simply a variant spelling.

Both are second-declension nouns, but they differ in gender:

• reus = second declension, masculine
• exsilium = second declension, neuter

That is why their singular nominative forms look different:

• masculine often ends in -us
• neuter often ends in -um

This is also why exsilium has the same form for nominative and accusative singular: that is normal for neuter nouns.

In a typical reconstructed Classical pronunciation, you could say it approximately as:

• RAY-oos eks-SIL-ee-um TI-met

A few helpful points:

• reus is pronounced in three syllables: re-us
• exsilium has x = ks
• timet has a hard t and a clear final t

If you are using Ecclesiastical pronunciation, the exact sounds may differ somewhat, but the spelling and grammar stay the same.