Breakdown of Magna familia in domo habitat.
habitare
to live
in
in
domus
the house
familia
the family
magnus
large
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Questions & Answers about Magna familia in domo habitat.
Why is familia treated as a singular noun when it refers to multiple people?
In Latin, familia is grammatically singular (first declension, feminine), even though it denotes a group. It’s similar to how family in English is also typically treated as singular (e.g., "The family lives in a house").
What case are magna and familia in, and why?
Both magna (adjective) and familia (noun) are in the nominative singular feminine because they need to match in gender, number, and case. Magna familia together is the subject of the sentence.
Why is in domo in the ablative case?
The preposition in can be followed by either the ablative or accusative, depending on whether it shows location (ablative) or motion towards (accusative). Here, in domo indicates a location ("in the house"), so it uses the ablative.
Is habitat third person singular because familia is singular?
Yes, exactly. Even though familia represents multiple people, it is grammatically singular, so the verb must be in the third person singular form (habitat).
Can domus take different forms, and why specifically domo here?
Domus is an irregular noun, classified primarily as fourth declension but with some second declension endings. Its ablative singular can be domo. In this sentence, domo is used with in to show location, forming in domo.
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