Verba nova paulatim discenda sunt.

Yes, it is historically related, but in this sentence verba means words, not specifically verbs.

• verbum = word
• verba = words (neuter plural)

A beginner often notices that English verb looks similar. That is not a coincidence, but in normal Latin verbum is the ordinary word for word.

In this sentence, verba is the subject: words.

Because it comes from the noun verbum, verbī.

That noun is:

• 2nd declension
• neuter

Its nominative plural is verba.

So:

• verbum = a word
• verba = words

Since the sentence is about words in general, the plural is used.

Because nova has to agree with verba.

Latin adjectives agree with the nouns they describe in:

• gender
• number
• case

Here:

• verba = neuter plural nominative
• so novus must become nova = neuter plural nominative

So verba nova means new words.

Discenda is a gerundive of discere (to learn).

More specifically, it is:

• feminine/masculine/neuter? այստեղ specifically neuter plural nominative
• agreeing with verba

So it matches verba just like nova does.

The gerundive often has the idea of needing to be done or being to be done.
So discenda means something like:

• to be learned
• needing to be learned
• that must be learned

Because Latin is using a construction called the passive periphrastic:

• gerundive + form of esse

Here:

• discenda = to be learned / needing to be learned
• sunt = are

Together:

• discenda sunt = must be learned / are to be learned

So the full sentence means:

• New words must be learned gradually.

This is one of the standard Latin ways to express necessity.

Because the subject is plural.

• verba = words = plural
• so the verb must also be plural
• therefore sunt = are

If the subject were singular, you would have:

• Verbum novum paulatim discendum est.
• A new word must be learned gradually.

Paulatim is an adverb meaning:

• gradually
• little by little
• step by step

It describes how the learning should happen.

So:

• Verba nova paulatim discenda sunt.
• New words must be learned gradually.

Yes. Latin word order is much freer than English word order because the endings show how the words function.

So paulatim can be placed in different spots without changing the basic meaning, for example:

• Verba nova paulatim discenda sunt.
• Verba paulatim nova discenda sunt.
• Paulatim verba nova discenda sunt.

The exact placement can affect emphasis or style, but the meaning stays essentially the same.

They are nominative plural.

Why nominative? Because they are the subject of the sentence:

• verba nova = new words
• discenda sunt = must be learned

Even though English often thinks in terms of someone learns words, Latin here uses a passive-like construction: the words are to be learned. That makes words the grammatical subject, so Latin uses the nominative.

Yes, often there is an implied learner, but Latin does not have to state it.

This sentence simply says that new words must be learned gradually, without naming who must learn them.

If Latin wants to name the person responsible, the passive periphrastic often uses a dative of agent:

• Discipulīs verba nova paulatim discenda sunt.

That means:

• The students must learn new words gradually.
• literally, To the students, new words are to be learned gradually.

So the agent is often put in the dative, not with ab.

Because with the passive periphrastic, Latin commonly uses the dative of agent instead.

Compare:

• ordinary passive: Verba ab discipulīs discuntur.
  The words are learned by the students.

• passive periphrastic: Discipulīs verba discenda sunt.
  The students must learn the words.

In this sentence, no agent is expressed at all, which is also very common.

The dictionary form of the verb is discō, discere, didicī = learn.

Discenda is not the dictionary form; it is a form built from that verb.

If you want the gerundive in its basic masculine singular nominative form, you would cite:

• discendus, -a, -um

But the actual verb you look up in a dictionary is:

• discō, discere

Yes. That is often the most literal translation.

So you can think of it in stages:

• discenda sunt = are to be learned
• more natural English: must be learned

Both are correct ways to understand the Latin.
In many teaching contexts, must be learned is the best translation because it clearly shows the idea of necessity.

It is a gerundive, not a gerund.

Why?

Because discenda is an adjective-like verbal form that agrees with verba:

• verba = neuter plural
• discenda = neuter plural

A gerund in Latin is a verbal noun and does not agree with a noun like this.

So this sentence is a classic gerundive of obligation / passive periphrastic example.

The structure is:

• Verba nova = subject noun phrase
• paulatim = adverb
• discenda sunt = passive periphrastic expressing necessity

So the sentence works as:

• New words
  • gradually
    • must be learned

That is why the natural English translation is:

• New words must be learned gradually.