Relator auctionum addictionem scribit, et emptor tabulas auctionarias legit.

It consists of two simple clauses joined by et:

Relator auctionum addictionem scribit
and
emptor tabulas auctionarias legit

Each clause has:

• a subject in the nominative case
• a direct object in the accusative case
• a verb

So Latin is doing something very familiar here, even if the word endings look different from English.

The subjects are:

• relator = nominative singular
• emptor = nominative singular

The direct objects are:

• addictionem = accusative singular
• tabulas auctionarias = accusative plural

A quick way to see the pattern is:

• relator ... scribit = the relator writes
• emptor ... legit = the buyer reads

And what they write/read is expressed by the accusative words.

Auctionum is the genitive plural of auctio. The genitive often means of ....

So auctionum means of auctions.

In this sentence, it most naturally goes with relator:

• relator auctionum = literally reporter/clerk of auctions

This is very common in Latin. Where English often uses a noun plus another noun, Latin often uses a noun plus a genitive:

• rex Romae style patterns aside, generally
• liber pueri = the boy’s book
• relator auctionum = the auction reporter/clerk

Yes in form, but not in everyday modern meaning.

For a learner, this is a classic false friend. In Latin legal or commercial language, addictio does not mean dependence on a substance or habit. It refers to a legal assigning, awarding, or adjudging of something, especially in a sale context.

So when you see addictionem, do not think of the modern English psychological sense. Think of a formal legal or transactional term.

Because tabulas is the noun, and auctionarias is an adjective describing it.

• tabulas = tables / tablets / records / documents depending on context
• auctionarias = auction-related or pertaining to an auction

So together they mean something like auction records/documents.

Latin often uses an adjective where English might use a noun modifier. English says things like auction records; Latin may say the equivalent of records auction-related.

Because Latin word order is flexible. Adjectives can come before or after the nouns they modify.

Here auctionarias comes after tabulas, but it still clearly belongs with it because it agrees with it in:

• gender: feminine
• number: plural
• case: accusative

So:

• tabulas = accusative plural feminine
• auctionarias = accusative plural feminine

That matching tells you they go together.

In this sentence, it means reads.

This is a very common question because legit can be confusing. From legere, the form legit can be:

• present tense: he/she reads
• or, if written with a long vowel in careful spelling, perfect lēgit: he/she read

Since ordinary Latin texts often omit vowel length marks, context matters. Here the parallel with scribit strongly points to the present:

• scribit = writes
• legit = reads

So the sentence gives two present-tense actions.

Because both are third-person singular forms.

• scribit = he/she writes
• legit = he/she reads

Their subjects are singular:

• relator
• emptor

So the verbs are singular too.

For an English speaker, it can help to think of the Latin -t ending as often corresponding to English he/she/it ...s:

• scribit = writes
• legit = reads

Yes. Latin word order is much freer than English word order because the endings show each word’s role.

For example, the sentence could be rearranged in several ways and still mean the same basic thing, as long as the endings stay the same. Latin speakers could move words for emphasis, style, or rhythm.

That said, the given order is perfectly normal and easy to follow:

• subject
• object
• verb

in each clause.

Latin has no articles.

So Latin does not normally have separate words for the, a, or an. Whether you translate a noun as definite or indefinite depends on context.

For example:

• relator can mean a relator or the relator
• emptor can mean a buyer or the buyer

The surrounding context, not a special article word, tells you which is more natural.

In Latin, you use two main clues:

1. Agreement
An adjective agrees with its noun in gender, number, and case.

So auctionarias must go with tabulas because both are accusative plural feminine.

2. Sense and case
A genitive like auctionum usually attaches to a noun in a of ... relationship.

So auctionum naturally goes with relator:

• relator auctionum = the relator/clerk of auctions

This is one of the most important reading skills in Latin: do not rely only on word order. Look at endings first, then fit the words together by grammar and sense.