Breakdown of In media via currere non licet, quia plaustra ibi transeunt.
in
in
via
the road
non
not
ibi
there
Questions & Answers about In media via currere non licet, quia plaustra ibi transeunt.
Why is it in media via and not in mediam viam?
Because in uses different cases depending on the meaning:
- in + ablative = location, meaning in / on / at
- in + accusative = motion toward, meaning into
Here the sentence is talking about where running happens: in the middle of the road. That is location, so Latin uses the ablative:
- media via = ablative singular
If the idea were movement into the road, then you would expect the accusative instead.
Why is media feminine, and what exactly is it modifying?
Media is an adjective meaning middle or in the middle of. It modifies via, which is a feminine noun meaning road, street, or way.
So the forms match:
- media = feminine singular ablative
- via = feminine singular ablative
Latin adjectives have to agree with the nouns they describe in gender, number, and case.
Does in media via literally mean in the middle road?
More or less literally, yes, but in natural English we would say in the middle of the road.
Latin often expresses this idea with an adjective directly modifying the noun: