Breakdown of Adsit semper usus cum arte, et fiet ut etiam discipula timidior cito melius scribat.
et
and
scribere
to write
cum
with
discipula
the female student
melior
better
semper
always
etiam
even
ut
that
adesse
to be present
timidior
more timid
ars
the skill
usus
the practice
fieri
to happen
cito
soon
Questions & Answers about Adsit semper usus cum arte, et fiet ut etiam discipula timidior cito melius scribat.
Why is adsit used instead of adest?
Adsit is the present subjunctive of adesse (to be present, to be at hand). Here it is being used in a jussive subjunctive, which gives the sense let ... be present or may ... be present. So Adsit semper usus cum arte means something like Let practice always be joined with skill.
What exactly is usus here?
Here usus is a noun, not a verb form in the main sense of the sentence. It is a 4th-declension masculine noun meaning use, practice, experience. In this sentence it is nominative singular and serves as the subject of adsit.
What does cum arte mean, and what case is arte?
Cum here is the preposition meaning with, so it takes the ablative. That is why we get arte, the ablative singular of ars, artis. The phrase means with skill, with method, or with art/technique.
Does ars really mean art in the modern English sense?
Not always. In Latin, ars can mean skill, technique, method, craft, as well as art. In this sentence cum arte is probably closer to with skill or with proper technique than to modern art as painting or fine arts.
Why does the sentence say fiet ut?
Fiet is the future of fio, meaning it will happen, it will come about, or it will result. Latin often uses fieri ut + subjunctive to express what will happen as a result. So fiet ut ... scribat means it will happen that ... writes or more naturally the result will be that ... will write.
Why is scribat subjunctive?
Because it is inside an ut-clause dependent on fiet. After expressions like it happens, it comes about, or it will happen, Latin commonly uses ut + subjunctive. So scribat is not an independent statement; it is part of the result clause.
Why is scribat present subjunctive instead of some future form?
After a main verb in a primary sequence such as the future fiet, Latin normally uses the present subjunctive in a result clause for action that is contemporaneous with or subsequent to the main verb. Latin does not normally use a future subjunctive here. So fiet ut ... scribat is the standard way to say it will happen that ... will write.
What is timidior, and why is it feminine?
Timidior is the comparative form of timidus (timid, shy). It is feminine nominative singular because it agrees with discipula, which is also feminine nominative singular. So discipula timidior means a more timid student or, depending on context, a rather timid student.
Does timidior have to mean literally more timid than someone else?
Not necessarily. A Latin comparative can sometimes sound less strictly comparative in English, especially in context. So discipula timidior may mean a more timid student, but it can also be understood more loosely as a somewhat timid student or a rather shy student.
Why is it melius and not melior?
Because melius is an adverb, meaning better, and it modifies the verb scribat: write better. Melior is the comparative adjective form and would have to modify a noun, not a verb. So melius scribat is exactly what Latin needs here.
What does etiam add to the sentence?
Etiam means even or also. Here it gives emphasis: even a more timid student will soon write better. It helps show that the result is strong enough to include someone who might not seem confident at first.
Why is the word order so different from English?
Latin word order is much more flexible than English word order because the endings show the grammatical relationships. The sentence puts Adsit first for emphasis, giving the exhortation immediate force, and leaves scribat at the end, which is a very common Latin position for a verb. The order is shaped more by emphasis and style than by fixed rules like in English.
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