Discipula aperte dicit se mendacio non credere et testem audire velle.

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Questions & Answers about Discipula aperte dicit se mendacio non credere et testem audire velle.

Why is discipula in the nominative, not discipulam?

Because discipula is the subject of the main verb dicit (the student says). In Latin, the subject of a finite verb is normally in the nominative case.


What part of speech is aperte, and what does it modify?

Aperte is an adverb (from the adjective apertus, -a, -um, meaning open/clear). It modifies dicit and tells you how she speaks: she says openly/clearly.


Why does Latin use se here instead of eam?

Because this is an indirect statement after dicit, and se is the reflexive pronoun used to refer back to the subject of the reporting verb (discipula).
So se = herself = the student (not some other female person).


How does dicit se mendacio non credere work grammatically?

It’s an indirect statement (often called accusative + infinitive). After verbs of saying/thinking/knowing, Latin commonly expresses that... with:

  • an accusative subject: se
  • an infinitive verb: credere

So structurally it’s: she says [that] she does not believe...


Why is mendacio in the dative?

Because credo normally takes the dative for the person/thing believed. So:

  • mendacio credere = to believe a lie (literally to give belief to a lie)
    That’s why it’s mendacio (dative singular), not mendacium (accusative).

What exactly does non negate here?

Non negates the infinitive credere: not to believe. In context, it negates the first infinitive clause introduced by se: se mendacio non credere.


Why are there two infinitives (credere and audire) under one dicit?

Because et coordinates two things the student says about herself: 1) se mendacio non credere
2) (se) testem audire velle

The second one doesn’t repeat se, but it’s understood from the first clause.


Why is testem accusative?

Because audio takes a direct object in the accusative: testem audire = to hear the witness.
So testem is the object of audire.


How does audire velle work—why is there an infinitive after velle?

Volo/velle is commonly followed by a complementary infinitive that completes its meaning:

  • velle audire / audire velle = to want to hear

Both word orders are possible; Latin can place either infinitive first depending on emphasis and style.


Why doesn’t Latin have a word for a/the before discipula, mendacio, or testem?
Latin has no articles. Whether you understand a or the depends on context. For example, testem could mean a witness or the witness; the grammar doesn’t force one choice.