Quattuordecim discipuli in bibliotheca sedent, et magistra quattuordecim versus hodie legendos dat.

Because quattuordecim (fourteen) is an indeclinable numeral. That means it does not change its form for case, gender, or number.

So Latin uses the same form in both:

• quattuordecim discipuli = fourteen students
• quattuordecim versus = fourteen lines

Unlike adjectives such as bonus, bona, bonum, this number stays the same.

Discipuli is nominative plural, and it is the subject of sedent.

• singular: discipulus = student, pupil
• plural: discipuli = students

Since the sentence is talking about fourteen students who are doing the action of sitting, Latin uses the nominative plural:

• quattuordecim discipuli sedent = fourteen students are sitting

Because in with the ablative often means in or inside a place.

So:

• bibliotheca = library
• in bibliotheca = in the library

This is a very common Latin pattern:

• in urbe = in the city
• in agro = in the field
• in schola = in the school

By contrast, in with the accusative usually suggests movement into a place:

• in bibliothecam = into the library

Here the students are already there, not moving there, so ablative is used.

Because its subject, quattuordecim discipuli, is plural.

Sedent comes from sedeo, sedere = to sit.

Its form here is:

• 3rd person plural
• present tense
• active voice
• indicative mood

So sedent means they are sitting or simply sit.

Compare:

• discipulus sedet = the student sits / is sitting
• discipuli sedent = the students sit / are sitting

Magistra means female teacher.

It is nominative singular because it is the subject of dat:

• magistra ... dat = the teacher gives

So the sentence has two subjects with two verbs:

• quattuordecim discipuli ... sedent
• magistra ... dat

The conjunction et connects these two clauses:

• and

Because versus here is a 4th-declension noun.

The noun is versus, -us (masculine), meaning line of verse or verse. Its accusative plural is also versus.

So:

• nominative singular: versus
• accusative plural: versus

That may look strange if you are expecting a 2nd-declension pattern like servos, but this noun follows a different declension.

You can tell it is accusative plural here because:

1. it is the object of dat
2. legendos agrees with it in masculine accusative plural

Legendos is a gerundive from lego, legere, here meaning to read.

A gerundive often expresses the idea of needing to be done or to be done. So:

• legendos versus = lines to be read / lines that must be read

The ending -os shows that it is:

• masculine
• accusative
• plural

It matches versus, which is also masculine accusative plural.

So:

• quattuordecim versus hodie legendos = fourteen lines to be read today

In smoother English, this often means:

• the teacher assigns fourteen lines to read today

Because it is not an English-style -ing form. It is a gerundive, not a present participle.

A useful rough translation is:

• legendos = to be read / that must be read

So:

• versus legendos = verses to be read

If Latin wanted the idea of reading in a different grammatical way, it would use other forms. Here the point is that the verses are assigned for reading.

Dat comes from do, dare = to give.

It is:

• 3rd person singular
• present tense
• active voice
• indicative mood

So magistra ... dat means the teacher gives.

Here the direct object is:

• quattuordecim versus hodie legendos

Very naturally in English, this means not just gives, but gives as an assignment:

• The teacher gives fourteen lines to be read today
• more idiomatically: The teacher assigns fourteen lines for today’s reading

Latin does not always state every idea that English might choose to state.

A verb like dat can take:

• a direct object: what is given
• an indirect object: to whom it is given

But the indirect object can be omitted if it is obvious from context. Here, it is easy to understand that the teacher is assigning the lines to the students already mentioned.

If Latin wanted to state it explicitly, it could say something like:

• magistra discipulis quattuordecim versus hodie legendos dat

There discipulis would be dative plural:

• to the students

Because Latin word order is flexible, and adverbs like hodie (today) can often be placed in different positions.

Here hodie naturally goes with the idea of the reading assignment:

• quattuordecim versus hodie legendos = fourteen lines to be read today

The placement helps highlight today as part of the assignment.

Latin could rearrange the words and still keep the same basic meaning, for example:

• magistra hodie quattuordecim versus legendos dat
• magistra quattuordecim versus legendos hodie dat

The endings, more than the word order, show how the sentence works.

Yes. Latin often uses a verb like do (give) together with a gerundive to express assigning or setting work to be done.

So:

• versus legendos dat literally = she gives verses to be read
• idiomatically = she assigns verses to read

This is a very natural Latin way to express schoolwork, duties, or tasks.

Because Classical Latin has no articles like English the or a/an.

So:

• discipuli can mean students or the students
• magistra can mean a teacher or the teacher
• versus can mean verses or the verses

You decide from context what sounds best in English. In this sentence, English will usually say:

• Fourteen students are sitting in the library, and the teacher assigns fourteen lines to be read today.

It has two coordinated clauses joined by et:

1. Quattuordecim discipuli in bibliotheca sedent

   • subject: quattuordecim discipuli
   • phrase of place: in bibliotheca
   • verb: sedent

2. et magistra quattuordecim versus hodie legendos dat

   • conjunction: et
   • subject: magistra
   • direct object: quattuordecim versus
   • modifying gerundive: legendos
   • adverb: hodie
   • verb: dat

So the sentence is neatly balanced:

• the students are doing one thing
• the teacher is doing another thing