Sic puella discit domum non solum tectum et parietes esse, sed etiam locum ubi blandi sermones, flores suaves, et parva oscula amicitiam servant.

Because this sentence uses an indirect statement after discit.

In Latin, after verbs like learns, knows, says, thinks, and so on, Latin often says:

• [accusative noun] + [infinitive]

So domum ... esse means literally home to be..., which English turns into that a home is...

Here:

• domum = accusative singular
• esse = to be

So puella discit domum ... esse = the girl learns that a home is...

A learner may know that domum can also mean homeward, but that is not what it means here. With esse, it has to be the accusative form of domus.

This is the accusative-and-infinitive construction, often called an indirect statement.

Latin does not usually use a word like English that in this kind of sentence. Instead, it uses:

• an accusative subject
• plus an infinitive verb

So:

• domum = the subject of the indirect statement, but in the accusative
• esse = infinitive, to be

Literal structure:

• The girl learns [a home to be not only roof and walls, but also a place...]

Natural English:

• The girl learns that a home is not only a roof and walls, but also a place...

Because they are all part of the same indirect statement with esse.

In Latin, when esse is used in an indirect statement, both the subject and the predicate noun are usually in the accusative.

So here:

• domum = accusative subject of esse
• tectum et parietes = predicate nouns in the accusative
• locum = another predicate noun in the accusative

So the structure is:

• domum ... tectum et parietes esse
• domum ... locum [esse]

In English we say:

• that a home is a roof and walls
• that a home is also a place

Latin shows this relationship by putting them in the same case.

This is a very common Latin pair meaning:

• not only ... but also

So here:

• non solum tectum et parietes
• sed etiam locum ...

means:

• not only a roof and walls
• but also a place...

It is used to contrast two ideas:

1. the physical structure of a home
2. the emotional/social meaning of a home

You will often see this pattern in Latin, and it works very much like English not only ... but also.

A second esse is understood but omitted.

The full idea is:

• domum non solum tectum et parietes esse, sed etiam locum esse ...

But Latin often leaves out a repeated word when it is obvious from the context.

So locum is still connected to the same esse.

This kind of omission is very normal in Latin and English alike. Compare English:

• She learned that home is not only walls, but also a place...

We do not feel a strong need to repeat is either.

Sic means thus, so, or in this way.

It usually connects the sentence to what came before. It can suggest:

• in this way
• so
• thus

Depending on context, it may be translated more strongly or more lightly. Sometimes in smooth English it is barely translated at all.

So Sic puella discit ... means something like:

• Thus the girl learns...
• So the girl learns...
• In this way the girl learns...

Ubi here means where and introduces a clause describing locum.

So:

• locum ubi ... servant = a place where ... preserve friendship

This is not a question-word here. It is a relative adverb meaning where.

It tells us more about locum:

• what kind of place?
• a place where affectionate conversations, sweet flowers, and little kisses preserve friendship

Because the subject of servant is a compound plural subject:

• blandi sermones
• flores suaves
• parva oscula

These three things together are doing the action, so the verb is plural:

• servant = they preserve

If the subject were singular, Latin would use servat.

Each adjective agrees with its noun in gender, number, and case.

Here all three noun phrases are nominative plural, because they are the subject of servant.

1. blandi sermones

   • sermones = masculine plural
   • blandi = masculine plural nominative
   • meaning: affectionate / charming conversations

2. flores suaves

   • flores = masculine plural
   • suaves = masculine plural nominative
   • meaning: sweet flowers

3. parva oscula

   • oscula = neuter plural
   • parva = neuter plural nominative
   • meaning: little kisses

This is a basic but very important Latin rule: adjectives must match their nouns.

Because amicitiam is the direct object of servant.

• servant = they preserve / keep / maintain
• what do they preserve?
• amicitiam = friendship

So:

• blandi sermones, flores suaves, et parva oscula amicitiam servant = affectionate conversations, sweet flowers, and little kisses preserve friendship

Because they are the subject of servant.

Inside the ubi clause, the structure is:

• [subject] + [object] + [verb]

So:

• blandi sermones, flores suaves, et parva oscula = subject
• amicitiam = object
• servant = verb

Even though the larger sentence contains an indirect statement, this ubi clause has its own normal finite verb, so its subject appears in the nominative.

Because Latin has no articles.

Latin does not have separate words for:

• a / an
• the

So a word like locum can mean:

• a place
• the place

depending on context.

Likewise:

• domum can be a home or home
• tectum can be a roof or the roof
• parietes can be walls or the walls

English must choose an article; Latin usually leaves that to context.

Latin word order is much freer than English word order.

The infinitive esse often comes later, especially in an indirect statement, after other important words have already appeared. Latin often arranges words for emphasis rather than for a fixed subject-verb-object pattern.

Here the sentence builds up like this:

• the girl learns
• that home
• is not only roof and walls
• but also a place where...

So placing esse after tectum et parietes is completely natural in Latin.

Yes, domum can indeed mean homeward with verbs of motion, as in:

• domum it = he goes home

But that is not possible here, because the word is tied to esse in an indirect statement:

• domum ... esse

That structure clearly requires domum to be the accusative form of domus, meaning home as the subject of the infinitive.

So this is not:

• the girl learns to be homeward

It is:

• the girl learns that a home is...

It is not a separate sentence, but it is a subordinate clause.

More specifically, it is a clause introduced by ubi that describes locum.

So the structure is:

• main clause: Sic puella discit ...
• indirect statement: domum ... esse ... locum
• relative/adverbial clause describing locum: ubi ... amicitiam servant

You can think of it as layers:

1. The girl learns
2. that a home is... a place
3. where affectionate conversations, sweet flowers, and little kisses preserve friendship

That nested structure is very common in Latin.