Breakdown of Malus altus ventum capit, et velum magnum supra navem movetur.
magnus
large
et
and
altus
tall
navis
the ship
Questions & Answers about Malus altus ventum capit, et velum magnum supra navem movetur.
Why is malus altus translated as the tall mast? How do I know which word is the noun and which is the adjective?
Malus is the noun: mast.
Altus is the adjective: tall or high.
You can tell they go together because they match in:
- gender: masculine
- number: singular
- case: nominative
In Latin, adjectives agree with the nouns they describe. So malus altus means the tall mast.
Why is altus after malus instead of before it?
Latin word order is much freer than English word order. An adjective can come before or after its noun. So:
- malus altus
- altus malus
can both mean the tall mast.
Often the choice is just stylistic, though word order can sometimes add emphasis.
Why is ventum in the form ventum and not ventus?
Because ventum is the direct object of capit.
- ventus = wind as the subject
- ventum = wind as the object
The verb means , , or , so it needs something being caught. That thing is .