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In foro multi homines inter tabernas ambulant et de pretio loquuntur.

In foro multi homines inter tabernas ambulant et de pretio loquuntur.
In the forum many people walk among the shops and talk about the price.

Breakdown of In foro multi homines inter tabernas ambulant et de pretio loquuntur.

in
in
et
and
multus
many
forum
the forum
ambulare
to walk
taberna
the shop
de
about
pretium
the price
loqui
to talk
homo
the person
inter
among
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Questions & Answers about In foro multi homines inter tabernas ambulant et de pretio loquuntur.

What does in foro literally mean, and why is it foro and not forum?

In foro means in the forum / in the marketplace.

  • Forum, fori is a neuter noun of the 2nd declension.
  • Foro is the ablative singular form.
  • With in:
    • in + ablative = location (where?) → in foro = in the forum
    • in + accusative = motion into (where to?) → in forum = into the forum

So we use foro (ablative) because the sentence describes location, not movement.

What case and function is multi homines, and why is it not multos homines?

Multi homines is nominative plural, and it is the subject of the sentence.

  • Homo, hominis (m.) → homines = nominative plural, people / men.
  • Multus, -a, -um → multi = nominative masculine plural, agreeing with homines.

You would use multos homines (accusative) if they were the object of a verb, but here they are the ones doing the walking and talking, so nominative is required.

What does inter tabernas mean, and why is tabernas in that form?

Inter tabernas means between the shops or among the shops.

  • Inter is a preposition that always takes the accusative case.
  • Taberna, tabernae (f.) → tabernas = accusative plural.

So inter requires its noun in the accusative, hence tabernas, not tabernis or another form.

What does tabernae / tabernas really mean—are these shops, taverns, or something else?

The Latin taberna can mean:

  • Shop or stall (especially in a marketplace),
  • Inn or tavern in some contexts.

In this sentence, in a forum context with people walking and talking about price, tabernas is most naturally understood as shops / stalls where goods are sold.

How does the word order work in this sentence? Why are the verbs at the end?

Latin word order is very flexible; it often follows a Subject–Object–Verb (SOV) tendency, but can change for emphasis.

The sentence:

  • In foro – setting (place)
  • multi homines – subject (many people)
  • inter tabernas – additional place detail
  • ambulant et de pretio loquuntur – verbs and what they talk about

So Latin naturally lets the main verbs (ambulant, loquuntur) come near the end, whereas in English we prefer Subject–Verb–Object: Many people walk between the shops and talk about the price in the forum.

The meaning mostly comes from endings, not strict word order.

What does de pretio mean, and what is the role of de?

De pretio means about the price.

  • De is a preposition that often means:
    • about, concerning (here),
    • down from, from (in other contexts).
  • De + ablative is used for about / concerning.
  • Pretium, pretii (n.) → pretio = ablative singular.

So de pretio = about price or about the price.

What case is pretio, and what is its dictionary form and declension?

Pretio is ablative singular.

  • Dictionary form: pretium, pretii (n.) – a 2nd declension neuter noun.
  • Its main forms (singular) are:
    • nominative: pretium
    • genitive: pretii
    • dative: pretio
    • accusative: pretium
    • ablative: pretio

Here it is ablative because the preposition de requires the ablative.

How do ambulant and loquuntur show who is doing the action, even though there is no word for they?

In Latin, the verb endings show the person and number, so a subject pronoun (like they) is usually unnecessary.

  • Ambulant:
    • from ambulare (to walk),
    • ending -nt = 3rd person plural → they walk.
  • Loquuntur:
    • from loqui (to speak, to talk),
    • ending -ntur = 3rd person plural form.

Because both verbs are 3rd person plural, we know the subject is multi homines (many people) and can be translated they in English.

Why does loquuntur look like a passive form but mean they talk (an active meaning)?

Loquuntur is from a deponent verb, loquor, loqui, locutus sum.

  • Deponent verbs:
    • have passive endings,
    • but have active meanings.

So:

  • loquuntur is 3rd person plural present indicative,
  • it looks formally passive, but is translated they speak / they talk.

It never has a normal active form; you always use these passive-looking forms for the active meaning.

What tense are ambulant and loquuntur, and how would the meaning change in the past or future?

Both ambulant and loquuntur are in the present tense, 3rd person plural indicative.

  • ambulant – they walk / they are walking
  • loquuntur – they talk / they are talking

If we changed the tense:

  • ambulabant et de pretio loquebantur – they were walking and were talking about the price (imperfect, ongoing in the past).
  • ambulabunt et de pretio loquentur – they will walk and will talk about the price (future).
Can multi homines mean a lot of people as well as many men?

Yes.

  • Homo, hominis literally means man, but very often in Latin it means person, human being.
  • In the plural, homines commonly means people.

So multi homines can be naturally translated into English as:

  • many people, or
  • a lot of people.

In a very specific context it could be many men, but people is usually the best neutral translation.

Why is there no word for the in the Latin sentence?

Classical Latin has no separate words for the or a/an. It has no articles.

  • In foro can mean in a forum or in the forum.
  • multi homines can mean many people or the many people.

Whether you translate with the or a/an depends on context, not on a specific Latin word. Here, the forum and many people sound most natural in English.