Frater et soror dicunt patrimonium aviae inter duos heredes aeque dividendum esse.

to be

Breakdown of Frater et soror dicunt patrimonium aviae inter duos heredes aeque dividendum esse.

• et: and
• soror: the sister
• frater: the brother

Questions & Answers about Frater et soror dicunt patrimonium aviae inter duos heredes aeque dividendum esse.

Why is dicunt plural?

Because the subject is Frater et soror — brother and sister — which is a plural idea. So the verb must also be plural:

• frater = brother
• soror = sister
• dicunt = they say

If there were only one speaker, Latin would use dicit instead.

What case is aviae, and why is it used here?

Aviae is genitive singular, meaning of the grandmother or the grandmother’s.

So:

• patrimonium = inheritance, estate
• patrimonium aviae = the grandmother’s inheritance

This is a very common Latin way to show possession. English often uses ’s, but Latin usually uses the genitive case.

Why is patrimonium accusative?

It is accusative because it is the subject of an indirect statement after dicunt.

After verbs of saying, thinking, knowing, perceiving, and similar verbs, Latin often uses the accusative + infinitive construction. In that construction:

• the subject of the reported statement goes into the accusative
• the verb of the reported statement goes into the infinitive

So in this sentence:

• = they say