Breakdown of Dum magistra docet, schola quieta manet.
Questions & Answers about Dum magistra docet, schola quieta manet.
In this sentence dum means while in a purely temporal sense: it tells you that one action is happening at the same time as another.
With this temporal meaning, dum is normally followed by the present indicative in Classical Latin, even when English might use a progressive form like is teaching. So:
- dum magistra docet = while the teacher is teaching
Latin uses the simple present (docet) where English uses the progressive.
Dum can also take the subjunctive, but then it usually has a different nuance (such as until with a sense of intention or result). That is not the case here; here it is the straightforward temporal while plus present indicative.
Magistra is in the nominative singular case.
It is the subject of the verb docet. In Latin, the subject of a finite verb is normally in the nominative case. So:
- magistra (nominative subject) + docet (verb)
= the teacher teaches
Magister is the masculine form meaning male teacher or master.
is the feminine form meaning or (of a school).