Questions & Answers about Rex in monte altissimo stat.
Why is rex in that form?
Rex is nominative singular, the case normally used for the subject of the sentence.
The basic dictionary form is rēx, meaning king. In this sentence, the king is the one doing the action of stat, so nominative is exactly what we expect.
Why is it monte and not mons?
Because mons is the dictionary form or nominative singular, but after the preposition in here, the noun must be in the ablative case.
So:
- mons = mountain, as a subject
- monte = on/in a mountain, after in with location
This noun belongs to the 3rd declension:
- nominative: mons
- genitive: montis
- ablative: monte
So in monte means on the mountain or in the mountain, depending on context. In this sentence, English usually says on the mountain.
Why does in take monte altissimo in the ablative?
Latin in can take two different cases, depending on the meaning: