Illa autem fabula non eiusdem generis est; tota enim natura eius diversa est.

to be

Breakdown of Illa autem fabula non eiusdem generis est; tota enim natura eius diversa est.

• non: not
• fabula: the story
• autem: however

Questions & Answers about Illa autem fabula non eiusdem generis est; tota enim natura eius diversa est.

Why is illa used here, and what does it agree with?

Illa is the feminine nominative singular form of ille, illa, illud.

Here it agrees with fabula, which is also feminine nominative singular. So illa fabula means that story.

A learner may expect Latin to always put a demonstrative right next to its noun, but Latin is freer with word order. Here they are next to each other, which makes the connection easy:

• illa fabula = that story

What does autem mean, and why is it placed after illa instead of first?

Autem usually means however, but, or on the other hand.

In Latin, words like autem commonly appear in second position in their clause. So instead of beginning the sentence, Latin often puts one word first and then places autem immediately after it.

So:

• Illa autem fabula = That story, however, ...

This is a very common Latin pattern. It may feel strange to an English speaker, but it is normal Latin word order.

What case is eiusdem generis, and what does it mean?

Eiusdem generis is genitive singular.

It means:

• of the same kind