Questions & Answers about Forte nos in foro amicum videmus.
What exactly does forte mean here, and what part of speech is it?
In this sentence, forte means “by chance” or “accidentally”.
It is an adverb, not an adjective. It tells us how the action happens:
Forte nos in foro amicum videmus = By chance we see a friend in the forum.
So:
- forte (adverb) = by chance, accidentally
- It is not describing a noun, so it’s not the adjective fortis, forte (brave, strong).
Is forte related to the adjective fortis, forte (“brave, strong”) or to English “forte”?
They are historically related in Latin, but function differently here.
- fortis, forte is an adjective: brave, strong.
- e.g. vir fortis = a brave man.
- forte in our sentence is an adverb meaning by chance.
English forte (“strong point”) comes from French and Latin roots meaning strong, so it’s related to fortis. But in Forte nos in foro amicum videmus, forte does not mean strongly; it means by chance.
Why is nos (we) present if videmus already shows that the subject is “we”?