Breakdown of Domina servum iubet librum e mensa tollere.
liber
the book
mensa
the table
servus
the servant
tollere
to pick up
Questions & Answers about Domina servum iubet librum e mensa tollere.
Why is domina in the nominative case?
Because domina is the subject of the main verb iubet (orders). In Latin, the subject of a finite verb is normally in the nominative.
Why is servum accusative instead of dative (like English to the slave)?
With verbs of ordering like iubeō, Latin commonly uses the pattern:
iubeō + accusative (person ordered) + infinitive (action).
So servum is the person being ordered, and it goes in the accusative. (A dative is more typical with other “ordering” verbs such as imperō.)
What exactly is the grammar of iubet … tollere?
iubet is a finite verb (he/she orders) and tollere is a present infinitive (to pick up / to take away).
Together they form an indirect command construction: orders [someone] to do [something].
Why are there two accusatives (servum and librum)?
They have different roles:
- servum = accusative of the person ordered (object of iubet)
- librum = accusative (what is being picked up)