Breakdown of Vacca, cuius vitulus prope stat, iterum mugit.
stare
to stand
iterum
again
cuius
whose
vacca
the cow
Questions & Answers about Vacca, cuius vitulus prope stat, iterum mugit.
What case is vacca, and why?
Vacca is nominative singular. It is the subject of the main verb mugit (moos), so it has to be in the nominative.
So the basic main clause is:
- Vacca ... mugit = The cow ... moos
Everything in between is extra information about that cow.
What exactly does cuius mean here?
Cuius means whose.
It is the genitive singular form of the relative pronoun qui, quae, quod. In this sentence, it introduces a relative clause:
- cuius vitulus prope stat = whose calf stands nearby
Literally, cuius can mean of whom, of which, or whose, depending on context. Here whose is the most natural English translation.
Why is it cuius and not quae?