Questions & Answers about Avus dicit cor bonum veritatem amare.
Why is amare used instead of amat?
Because after dicit in Latin, a reported statement is often expressed with an indirect statement construction rather than a full clause with that.
So instead of saying:
- Avus dicit quod cor bonum veritatem amat = Grandfather says that a good heart loves truth
Latin more commonly says:
- Avus dicit cor bonum veritatem amare
In this pattern:
- the verb of the reported statement goes into the infinitive: amare = to love
- the subject of that reported statement goes into the accusative
So cor bonum veritatem amare means literally something like a good heart to love truth, but in proper English it means that a good heart loves truth.
Why is there no word for that in the sentence?
Latin often does not use a separate word equivalent to English that when reporting what someone says, thinks, hears, or knows.
English says:
- Grandfather says that a good heart loves truth
Latin usually uses the accusative + infinitive construction instead:
- dicit cor bonum veritatem amare
So the idea of that is built into the grammar of the indirect statement. You do not need a separate word for it.
Why is not obviously marked as accusative if it is the subject of the indirect statement?