Cum canis nocte latrat, infans clamat et matrem vocat.

Here cum is a conjunction meaning when (or sometimes whenever).

You can tell it does not mean with because it is followed by a whole clause: canis nocte latrat. In other words, cum is introducing a verb (latrat), not just a noun.

Latin cum has two common uses:

• cum
  • noun in the ablative = with
• cum
  • verb clause = when, since, although, etc.

In this sentence, it clearly introduces a time clause: When the dog barks at night...

Because this cum clause is being used in a straightforward temporal sense: when the dog barks.

With cum, Latin can use either:

• the indicative for a simple factual time idea
• the subjunctive for more literary or more nuanced meanings such as since, although, or certain kinds of past narrative when

So cum canis nocte latrat is a simple, direct statement of time.

Canis is the subject because it is in the nominative singular, and it matches the singular verb latrat.

A beginner may hesitate because dictionary forms are often given as canis, canis, so the nominative and genitive singular look the same in the vocabulary entry. But in the sentence:

• canis = nominative singular = the dog
• latrat = barks

So the dog is the one doing the action.

Because nocte is the ablative singular of nox (night), and Latin often uses the ablative to express time when.

So:

• nox = night as a subject form
• nocte = at night / by night

This is a very common Latin pattern. No preposition is needed.

So canis nocte latrat literally means something like the dog barks at night.

The present tense here gives a general or habitual sense:

• latrat = barks
• clamat = cries/shouts
• vocat = calls

So the sentence can describe what typically happens: When the dog barks at night, the baby cries and calls for its mother.

Latin often uses the present this way for general truths, repeated actions, or vivid description.

Because matrem is the accusative singular, and it is the direct object of vocat.

The verb vocare means to call, and the person being called is put in the accusative:

• mater = mother as subject
• matrem = mother as object

So:

• mater vocat = the mother calls
• matrem vocat = he/she calls the mother

Latin often leaves out possessive words when they are obvious from the context.

So matrem vocat naturally means calls his/her mother here, even though there is no separate word for his or her.

If Latin wanted to be more explicit, it could say matrem suam. But that is often unnecessary.

Infans is a third-declension noun meaning infant, baby, or young child. It is often treated as a noun of common gender, so it can refer to either a male or female child depending on context.

So the sentence does not tell you whether the baby is a boy or a girl. Latin leaves that unspecified here.

Yes, Latin word order is much more flexible than English word order because the endings show the grammatical roles.

This sentence is arranged very naturally:

• Cum canis nocte latrat = the time/background clause first
• infans clamat et matrem vocat = the main action next

That order makes good sense stylistically: first the cause or setting, then the result.

Latin could rearrange parts for emphasis, but the forms would still show who is doing what. For example, matrem infans vocat would still mean the baby calls its mother, because matrem is accusative and infans is nominative.

It can suggest either, depending on context.

With the present indicative, a sentence like this often has a general sense, so whenever is a perfectly reasonable way to understand it:

• When the dog barks at night, the baby cries...
• Whenever the dog barks at night, the baby cries...

English may choose one or the other depending on style, but the Latin comfortably allows that repeated, habitual idea.

Most naturally, nocte goes with latrat:

Cum canis nocte latrat = when the dog barks at night

That is because nocte sits inside the cum clause and most directly modifies that verb.

Of course, in real life the baby is probably crying at night too, but grammatically nocte is attached first and foremost to the barking clause.