Breakdown of Alter librum legit, alter in commentario scribit.
in
in
legere
to read
scribere
to write
liber
the book
Questions & Answers about Alter librum legit, alter in commentario scribit.
Why is alter used twice in Alter librum legit, alter in commentario scribit?
Repeated alter ... alter ... means the one ... the other ... or one ... the other ....
So the sentence is structured as a contrast between two people:
- alter librum legit = one/the one reads a book
- alter in commentario scribit = the other writes in the notebook/commentary
Latin often uses repetition like this to set up a neat contrast.
Does alter mean exactly two people?
Yes. Alter normally means the other of two.
That is an important nuance. A native English speaker may first think alter just means another, but in Latin it usually points to a pair:
- alter = the other one, when there are two
- alius = another, a different one, often without the strong one of two idea
So alter ... alter ... strongly suggests two people are involved: one does this, the other does that.
Why is it librum and not liber?
Because librum is the accusative singular, used for the direct object.
Here, the book is the thing being read, so Latin puts liber into the accusative:
- liber = book, as a subject