Infans palmam matris tenet et ridet, quamquam genae adhuc rubrae sunt.

The baby holds his mother’s palm and laughs, although his cheeks are still red.

Breakdown of Infans palmam matris tenet et ridet, quamquam genae adhuc rubrae sunt.

• esse: to be
• et: and
• mater: the mother
• ridere: to laugh

Questions & Answers about Infans palmam matris tenet et ridet, quamquam genae adhuc rubrae sunt.

Why is palmam in the accusative case?

Because it is the direct object of tenet. The verb tenere means to hold, and the thing being held goes in the accusative.

• infans = the child / infant
• palmam = the palm
• tenet = holds

So palmam tenet means holds the palm.

The nominative form is palma, but here Latin changes it to palmam because it is receiving the action of the verb.

Why is matris in the genitive case?

Matris is genitive because it shows possession or relationship: the mother’s.

• mater = mother
• matris = of the mother / the mother’s

So palmam matris means the mother’s palm or the palm of the mother.

A very common pattern in Latin is:

• noun + genitive
• palma matris = mother’s palm
• liber pueri = the boy’s book

What exactly does palma mean here?

Here palma means the palm of the hand, not a palm tree.

That is why means the child is holding . In natural English, we would often just say , but Latin is specifically using .