Mugil suber prope hamum videt.

Because suber is a neuter noun of the third declension.

In Latin, neuter nouns follow a very important pattern:

• nominative singular = accusative singular

So suber can be either:

• nominative singular: the cork
• accusative singular: the cork

In this sentence, it is the direct object of videt, so it means the cork as the thing being seen.

By contrast, mugil is nominative singular, so it is the subject: the mullet sees the cork.

Hamum is accusative singular.

It is accusative because it follows the preposition prope, and prope takes the accusative when it means near or close to.

So:

• prope hamum = near the hook

This is a very common thing to watch for in Latin: many prepositions regularly require a particular case.

Yes. Here prope is a preposition meaning near.

It introduces the phrase:

• prope hamum = near the hook

Latin learners often notice that some words can act as different parts of speech in different contexts. Prope can also be used as an adverb in some contexts, but in this sentence it is clearly a preposition because it is followed by a noun, hamum.

Videt is:

• third person singular
• present tense
• active voice
• from the verb vidēre = to see

So it means:

• he sees
• she sees
• it sees

Since the subject here is mugil, we translate it as the mullet sees.

Because Latin has no definite article and no indefinite article.

That means Latin does not have separate words for:

• the
• a
• an

So a noun like mugil can mean:

• the mullet
• a mullet

and suber can mean:

• the cork
• a cork

You choose the best English wording from the context.

We know from its case and from the sentence structure.

• mugil is nominative singular
• the nominative case usually marks the subject
• videt is singular, which fits mugil
• suber can be nominative or accusative in form, but here it works naturally as the direct object

So the sentence is understood as:

• Mugil = subject
• suber = object
• prope hamum = prepositional phrase
• videt = verb

Mugil is a third-declension noun.

Its dictionary form is typically:

• mugil, mugilis (masculine)

That means:

• nominative singular: mugil
• genitive singular: mugilis

In this sentence, mugil is nominative singular, so it means the mullet as the subject.

Suber is also a third-declension noun, and it is neuter.

Its dictionary form is typically:

• suber, suberis (neuter)

Because it is neuter:

• nominative singular: suber
• accusative singular: suber

That is why the object appears as suber rather than something ending in -m.

Yes, Latin word order is much more flexible than English word order because Latin relies heavily on case endings rather than position.

This sentence could be rearranged in different ways without changing the basic meaning, for example:

• Mugil suber prope hamum videt
• Suber mugil prope hamum videt
• Prope hamum mugil suber videt

The most natural English translation would still be the same.

That said, different word orders can give different emphasis. Latin authors often move words around to highlight what matters most.

In this sentence, it most naturally describes suber:

• the mullet sees the cork near the hook

In other words, the cork is near the hook.

However, Latin word order can sometimes leave this kind of detail a little open unless the wider context makes it obvious. In a simple beginner sentence like this, the intended meaning is usually that the cork is near the hook.

Because the verb ending already tells you the person and number.

In videt, the ending -t tells you that the verb is:

• third person
• singular

So Latin does not need to add a separate pronoun like he, she, or it unless it wants special emphasis.

Here the subject noun mugil is already present, so no pronoun is needed at all.

Yes, very possibly.

The basic meaning of suber is cork, but in a fishing context it can naturally refer to a cork float or bobber-like cork object.

Since the sentence also contains:

• mugil = a fish
• hamum = hook

the fishing context makes cork/float a very sensible interpretation.

The sentence breaks down like this:

• Mugil = subject, nominative singular, the mullet
• suber = direct object, accusative singular in sense, the cork
• prope hamum = prepositional phrase, near the hook
• videt = verb, sees

So the overall structure is:

• Subject + Object + Prepositional phrase + Verb

Even though English usually prefers Subject + Verb + Object, Latin often places the verb later in the sentence.