Word
Operculum lagenae bene claude, ne aqua effundatur.
Meaning
Close the lid of the bottle well, so that the water may not spill out.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Operculum lagenae bene claude, ne aqua effundatur.
aqua
the water
bene
well
claudere
to close
ne
so that not
Questions & Answers about Operculum lagenae bene claude, ne aqua effundatur.
Why is lagenae in the form -ae?
Because lagenae is genitive singular, meaning of the bottle.
- lagena = bottle
- lagenae = of the bottle
So operculum lagenae means the lid of the bottle.
English often uses of or a noun-noun phrase like bottle lid, but Latin commonly uses the genitive for this relationship.
What case is operculum, and why?
Operculum is accusative singular.
That is because it is the direct object of claude:
- claude = close!
- What should be closed? operculum = the lid
So the sentence is literally structured as:
- Close the lid of the bottle well
Why is claude translated as a command?
Because claude is an imperative form.
It comes from the verb claudere, meaning to close.
The form claude is the singular present active imperative, used when speaking to one person:
- claude! = close!
If the speaker were commanding more than one person, Latin would use claudite!