Log inSign up

Servus clavem e via tollit et ad dominam portat.

Servus clavem e via tollit et ad dominam portat.
The servant picks up the key from the road and carries it to the mistress.
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Latin grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Latin now

Questions & Answers about Servus clavem e via tollit et ad dominam portat.

Why does servus end in -us here, and what job is it doing in the sentence?

Servus is nominative singular, which is the normal case for the subject of a finite verb. It’s the person doing the actions: he tollit and portat.

Why is clavem spelled with -em? What case is it?

Clavem is accusative singular (3rd declension). It’s the direct object of tollit (picks up) and, by sense, also the thing being carried with portat.

Does clavem belong to both verbs (tollit and portat) even though it’s written only once?

Yes. Latin often avoids repeating an obvious object. You can understand it as:

  • Servus clavem tollit et (clavem) ad dominam portat.
Why is it e via and not something like ex viam?

The preposition e/ex (meaning out of / from) takes the ablative case, so via must be ablative (viā).
Also, e is typically used before a consonant sound (like v in via), while ex is often used before a vowel or sometimes for emphasis.

What case is via, and why?

Viā is ablative singular of via, viae (road, way). It’s ablative because it’s governed by e.

Why does it say ad dominam? What case is dominam?

Ad takes the accusative case to express motion toward something. So dominam is accusative singular of domina, dominae (mistress / lady of the house).

Is domina just “lady,” or specifically “mistress (of a household)”?

It can mean a general lady, but in a slave-and-house context domina very commonly means the mistress of the household, the female counterpart to dominus.

What tense are tollit and portat, and how do you tell?

Both are present indicative active, 3rd person singular:

  • tollit = he picks up / he is picking up
  • portat = he carries / he is carrying
    The -t ending signals he/she/it in the present tense.
Why does Latin say tollit and not tollere (or portat and not portare)?

Tollere and portare are infinitives (to pick up, to carry). A normal sentence needs a finite verb form, so you get tollit and portat (he picks up, he carries).

Why is the word order Servus clavem e via tollit et ad dominam portat? Would other orders be possible?

Latin word order is flexible because the cases show the roles. This order is very natural:

  • subject (servus) → object (clavem) → phrase (e via) → verb (tollit)
    Then the second action: et ad dominam portat.
    You could reorder for emphasis (e.g., Clavem servus tollit...), while the basic meaning would stay largely the same.
Why is there no word for the or a?

Classical Latin has no definite or indefinite articles. Whether you interpret it as a slave/the slave or a key/the key is decided by context.

How should I pronounce via and clavem?

In a common Classical-style pronunciation:

  • via ≈ WEE-ah (with v like w)
  • clavem ≈ KLAH-wehm
    And e via is pronounced as a separate word e
    • via.