Puer, quamquam timet, matri veritatem tandem dicit.

Because puer is in the nominative singular, the case normally used for the subject of a finite verb in Latin.

• puer = boy
• nominative singular of a second-declension noun

So puer ... dicit means the boy ... says/tells.

It is also understood to be the subject of timet in the quamquam clause, even though Latin does not repeat it.

Latin does not have articles like English the and a/an.

So:

• puer can mean the boy or a boy
• matri can mean to the mother or to a mother
• veritatem can mean the truth or truth

Which one is best in English depends on context.

Quamquam means although or even though. It introduces a concessive clause: a clause that admits something is true but shows that it does not stop the main action.

So the structure is:

• quamquam timet = although he is afraid / although he fears

The main idea is still:

• puer ... matri veritatem tandem dicit = the boy finally tells his mother the truth

So the sentence means that the telling happens despite the fear.

Because quamquam commonly takes the indicative in classical Latin, especially when the writer presents the fact as real.

Here:

• timet = he fears / he is afraid
• this is present indicative

So quamquam timet means although he is afraid, with the fear stated as an actual fact.

A learner often expects a subjunctive after words like although, but with quamquam, the indicative is very normal.

It is understood from puer. Latin often leaves out a repeated subject when it is obvious.

So:

• Puer, quamquam timet, ... dicit
• literally: The boy, although [he] fears, ... says

English usually repeats the subject more often, but Latin does not need to.

Because matri is the indirect object: the person to whom something is said.

• mater = mother
• matri = to/for the mother (dative singular)

With verbs like dico, Latin often uses:

• person in the dative
• thing said in the accusative

So:

• matri = to his mother
• veritatem = the truth

Because it is the direct object of dicit: it is the thing being said/told.

• dictionary form: veritas = truth
• veritatem = accusative singular

So in this sentence:

• matri = the person told
• veritatem = what is told

This is a very common Latin pattern with dico.

Dicit comes from dico, dicere, meaning to say or to tell.

Its form here is:

• present
• active
• indicative
• third person singular

So dicit means he says, she says, or it says. Here, because the subject is puer, it means he says/tells.

In context, English often translates dicit as tells, because there is a person in the dative (matri) and something told (veritatem).

Tandem is an adverb meaning at last, finally, or after all this time.

It adds a sense that the action has been delayed, perhaps because the boy was afraid, hesitant, or resistant. So it is not just that he tells the truth, but that he finally does so.

Latin adverbs like tandem are fairly flexible in position, so it does not have to stand exactly where an English finally would.

Latin word order is much freer than English word order because the endings show the grammatical roles.

Here the endings tell us:

• puer = subject
• matri = indirect object
• veritatem = direct object
• dicit = verb

So Latin can arrange the words for emphasis or style rather than strict grammatical necessity.

This sentence puts the quamquam clause in the middle:

• Puer, quamquam timet, matri veritatem tandem dicit.

That creates a natural pause: the boy is afraid, but he finally speaks anyway.

They mark off the inserted concessive clause:

• quamquam timet = although he is afraid

English also often sets off although clauses with commas, especially when they interrupt the main clause. The commas help the reader see the structure:

• main clause beginning: Puer
• inserted clause: quamquam timet
• main clause continues: matri veritatem tandem dicit

So the punctuation reflects the grammar and makes the sentence easier to read.

Latin often leaves possession understood when it is obvious from context.

So matri literally means to mother / to the mother, but in context English naturally says to his mother.

Latin does have possessive adjectives such as suus, sua, suum, but it does not have to use them when the relationship is clear.

Either can work, depending on the context and the style of the translation.

• timet literally comes from timeo = I fear
• so timet is literally he fears

But in smoother English, especially in a sentence like this, although he is afraid often sounds more natural than although he fears.

So grammatically it is he fears, but idiomatically English may prefer he is afraid.

Yes. Latin adverbs often have flexible placement.

For example, Latin could place tandem in a different spot without changing the basic meaning very much. In this sentence, its current position works well because it comes near the main verb dicit, highlighting that the speaking happens finally.

So the exact position is partly a matter of emphasis and style, not just grammar.