Filia aquam in horto petit.

(The daughter seeks water in the garden.)

Breakdown of Filia aquam in horto petit.

• in: in
• hortus: the garden
• filia: the daughter
• aqua: the water
• petere: to seek

Questions & Answers about Filia aquam in horto petit.

Why is filia in the nominative case?

filia is the subject of the sentence, so it stands in the nominative case (the case used for subjects in Latin).

Why is aquam in the accusative case?

aquam is the direct object (the thing being sought), so it appears in the accusative case (the case used for direct objects).

What does petit mean exactly, and how is it used?

petit can mean seeks, heads for, or attacks, among other nuances, depending on context. In this sentence, it has the sense of seeks or looks for.

Why is it in horto and not in hortum?

in horto uses the ablative case, indicating the location where the action takes place (in the garden). Using in hortum (accusative) would imply motion into the garden, which is not what the sentence describes.

Does Latin word order matter, and can we rearrange the words?

Latin word order is flexible due to the inflected nature of nouns, pronouns, and adjectives. While Filia aquam in horto petit is clear, one could say In horto filia aquam petit or Filia in horto aquam petit without changing the basic meaning. The typical convention is Subject–Object–Verb, but variations depend on emphasis and style.