Nauta nodum funis solvit, ut navicula e ripa exeat.

Nauta is nominative singular, and it is the subject of solvit.

It belongs to the first declension in form, but it is one of those common Latin nouns that are masculine despite first-declension endings. Many jobs or roles borrowed from Greek work this way, such as poeta, agricola, and nauta.

So in this sentence, nauta = the sailor as the doer of the action.

Because nodum is the direct object of solvit.

The verb solvere can mean to loosen, untie, release. The thing being loosened or untied is put in the accusative, so:

• nodus = knot
• nodum = knot as the object

So the sailor is loosening/untying the knot.

Here funis is in the genitive singular, meaning of the rope.

So:

• nodum funis = the knot of the rope
• more naturally in English, the rope’s knot or the knot in the rope

A learner might first expect funem if rope were another direct object, but it is not functioning that way here. It is showing possession or relationship: which knot? The knot of the rope.

In form, solvit can be either:

• present: he unties / loosens
• perfect: he untied / loosened

That is a very common point of confusion for learners.

In this sentence, present is the better reading: the sailor unties the rope’s knot so that the little boat may leave the shore.

Why? Because the purpose clause has exeat, a present subjunctive, which normally goes with a primary tense main verb. If solvit were meant as a past perfective action, you would more likely expect exiret.

So this sentence strongly points to solvit = unties / loosens.

Because Latin often uses ut + subjunctive to express purpose.

So:

• ut navicula e ripa exeat = so that the little boat may leave the shore
• or more idiomatically, in order that the little boat may leave the shore

English often uses an infinitive for purpose, as in to let the boat leave, but Latin very commonly uses a full clause with ut.

Because it is inside a purpose clause introduced by ut.

Purpose clauses in Latin normally take the subjunctive, because they express an intended result or goal rather than a simple fact.

So exeat does not mean just it leaves. It means something more like:

• may leave
• can leave
• is to leave
• might leave, in the sense of intended purpose

The sailor unties the knot in order that the boat may leave.

Exeat is the present active subjunctive, third person singular, of exire.

Breakdown:

• exire = to go out, to leave
• exeat = he/she/it may go out / leave

Here the subject is navicula, which is singular, so exeat is singular too.

Because navicula is the subject of exeat in the ut clause.

Even though it comes after ut, it still needs its own subject and verb:

• navicula = the little boat
• exeat = may leave

So the internal structure of the purpose clause is:

• navicula = subject
• e ripa = from the shore
• exeat = verb

Navicula is a diminutive form of navis.

So it literally suggests:

• little ship
• small boat
• little boat

Sometimes a diminutive keeps a real sense of smallness; sometimes it is just the ordinary word chosen in context. Here it naturally gives the sense of a small boat.

E and ex are two forms of the same preposition, meaning out of or from.

Before a consonant, e is very common:

• e ripa = from the shore / from the bank

Before a vowel or h, ex is especially common:

• ex urbe
• ex homine

You will sometimes see variation in authors, but e ripa is perfectly normal.

Also note the case: ripa is ablative singular, because e/ex takes the ablative.

Because e/ex often suggests movement out from something, while ab is more general from or away from.

With a boat leaving the shore, e ripa gives the natural idea of moving off from the bank/shore.

It is not always a huge difference in translation, but Latin often chooses the preposition that best matches the physical image.

Because Latin has no articles.

So a noun like nauta can mean:

• a sailor
• the sailor

And navicula can mean:

• a little boat
• the little boat

You decide from context which English article fits best. That is why translations can vary a little even when the Latin is the same.

Latin word order is more flexible than English word order because the endings show each word’s function.

This sentence is arranged quite naturally:

• Nauta = sailor
• nodum funis = knot of the rope
• solvit = unties
• ut navicula e ripa exeat = so that the little boat may leave the shore

But Latin could rearrange many of these words without changing the basic meaning, because the cases and verb forms still show who is doing what.

For example, nodum nauta funis solvit would still mean the sailor unties the rope’s knot. The chosen order simply presents the thought smoothly.

Yes. Ut is a very common Latin word with several uses, including:

• as
• when
• so that / in order that
• sometimes result clauses, roughly so that

In this sentence, the presence of the subjunctive exeat and the clear sense of intention show that this is a purpose clause, so ut means so that / in order that.

Because Latin often uses a more basic verb, while English prefers a more idiomatic nautical expression.

Literally, solvit nodum funis is he loosened / untied the knot of the rope.

But in context, if a sailor unties the rope securing a boat to shore, English may naturally say:

• he cast off the rope
• he untied the rope
• he loosed the knot

So the exact English wording may vary, even though the Latin grammar stays the same.