Timidus puer in via clamat.

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Breakdown of Timidus puer in via clamat.

• via: the road
• clamare: to shout
• timidus puer: the timid boy

Questions & Answers about Timidus puer in via clamat.

Why is puer used in the nominative case here?

In Latin, the subject of a sentence is typically in the nominative case. Here, puer (meaning boy) is the one performing the action of shouting, so it must be in the nominative case.

What part of speech is timidus, and how does it relate to puer?

Timidus is an adjective meaning timid or fearful. It modifies puer, agreeing with it in case (nominative), gender (masculine), and number (singular).

Why is via in the ablative, rather than another case?

In the phrase in via, the preposition in takes the ablative when it indicates location (where something is happening). In via literally means on the road or in the street, hence via is ablative.

Why does clamat come at the end of the sentence?

Classical Latin often places the verb at the end of a sentence, though word order can be flexible. By placing clamat at the end, the sentence follows a typical Subject–Object–Verb pattern (though there’s no direct object here, just a prepositional phrase).

How would I distinguish between Timid boy shouts in the street and The boy in the street shouts timidly if Latin word order can vary?

Latin relies more on endings and context than English does. Timidus puer clearly links timid to boy, and in via goes together with the preposition in to specify location. If you wanted to say The boy in the street shouts timidly, you might choose a different phrase or add an adverb (like timide, meaning timidly). The current sentence Timidus puer in via clamat unambiguously describes a timid boy who happens to be in the street while he is shouting.