Breakdown of Magistra miratur quam diligenter discipula menda corrigat.
magistra
the female teacher
discipula
the female student
mendum
the mistake
diligenter
carefully
Questions & Answers about Magistra miratur quam diligenter discipula menda corrigat.
Why is miratur translated actively even though it looks passive?
Because miratur comes from miror, mirari, a deponent verb.
Deponent verbs:
- have passive forms
- but active meanings
So miratur looks like he/she is wondered at, but it actually means he/she wonders, is amazed, or marvels.
Here:
- magistra miratur = the teacher wonders / is amazed
Why is corrigat subjunctive instead of corrigit?
Because it is in an indirect question.
The clause quam diligenter discipula menda corrigat means how carefully the student corrects mistakes. After verbs like ask, know, see, wonder, find out, Latin often uses an indirect question, and the verb of an indirect question goes into the subjunctive.
So:
- direct question: Quam diligenter discipula menda corrigit? = How carefully does the student correct mistakes?
- indirect question: Magistra miratur quam diligenter discipula menda corrigat. = The teacher wonders how carefully the student corrects mistakes.
That is why Latin uses corrigat, not corrigit.
What exactly is quam doing here?