Breakdown of Puer non timet; contra, veritatem aperte dicit.
puer
the boy
non
not
timere
to fear
dicere
to tell
Questions & Answers about Puer non timet; contra, veritatem aperte dicit.
Why is puer used here instead of a word meaning the boy with an article?
Latin has no definite or indefinite articles like English the or a/an. So puer can mean:
- the boy
- a boy
Which one is meant depends on context. In this sentence, English usually translates it as the boy or the child, but Latin simply says puer.
Why is puer in that form?
Puer is the nominative singular form, which is the case used for the subject of the sentence.
Here, puer is the one doing the actions:
- timet = fears
- dicit = says
So puer must be in the nominative case.
A learner may also notice that puer keeps the -er in the nominative. That is just part of the noun’s dictionary form.
What does non do in the sentence?
Non is the ordinary Latin word for not. It negates the verb:
- timet = he fears
- non timet = he does not fear
Latin usually places non directly before the word it negates, very much like English.