Mater ruri vivere mavult, sed filia Massiliae discere cupit.

Because after verbs like mavult (prefers) and cupit (desires/wants), Latin often uses an infinitive to express the action being preferred or desired.

• vivere = to live
• discere = to learn

So:

• Mater ruri vivere mavult = The mother prefers to live in the countryside
• filia Massiliae discere cupit = the daughter wants to learn in Marseille

This is similar to English prefers to live and wants to learn.

Mavult is from malo, malle, malui, which means to prefer.

It is historically connected with magis volo (I want more / I want rather), which is why its forms can look unusual.

Here, mavult means:

• he/she prefers

Since the subject is mater (mother), it means the mother prefers.

Cupit comes from cupere, meaning to desire, want, be eager for.

So cupit discere means she wants/is eager to learn.

Latin has several verbs that can express wanting:

• velle = to want
• cupere = to desire, long for, be eager for
• malle = to prefer

Using cupit here gives the daughter's wish a slightly eager or strong tone.

Because both are examples of the locative, a case used for place where, especially with:

• names of cities and towns
• some small islands
• a few special words such as domi (at home) and ruri (in the countryside)

So:

• ruri = in the countryside
• Massiliae = at/in Marseille

English usually needs in or at, but Latin often does not with the locative.

Ruri is the locative form of rus, ruris, meaning the countryside.

It means:

• in the country
• in the countryside

It is one of a small number of nouns that keep a locative form in regular use. So ruri vivere literally means to live in the countryside.

Massilia is a first-declension place name. For many first-declension singular city names, the locative has the same form as the genitive singular:

• Massilia = Marseille
• Massiliae = in/at Marseille

So the form looks like a genitive, but here its function is locative.

The subjects are given directly:

• Mater = mother
• filia = daughter

Both are nominative singular, so they are the subjects of their verbs:

• mater ... mavult = the mother prefers
• filia ... cupit = the daughter desires/wants

Latin does not need separate subject pronouns like she, because the verb ending already helps show the person, and the noun makes the subject explicit.

Because Latin infinitives do not need a separate word meaning to. The infinitive form itself already carries that meaning.

So:

• vivere = to live
• discere = to learn

This is different from English, where we usually write to with the infinitive.

Latin word order is more flexible than English word order because Latin uses case endings and verb endings to show grammatical relationships.

This sentence is:

• Mater ruri vivere mavult, sed filia Massiliae discere cupit.

A very literal arrangement is:

• Mother in-the-countryside to-live prefers, but daughter in-Marseille to-learn desires.

Latin often places the infinitive before the main verb, especially in simple prose. But other orders would also be possible if the writer wanted a different emphasis.

Sed means but.

It connects the two contrasting parts:

• Mater ruri vivere mavult = The mother prefers to live in the countryside
• sed filia Massiliae discere cupit = but the daughter wants to learn in Marseille

So sed marks a contrast between the mother's preference and the daughter's desire.

Classical Latin does not have definite or indefinite articles like English the and a/an.

So:

• mater can mean mother, the mother, or even a mother, depending on context.
• filia can mean daughter, the daughter, or a daughter.

In this sentence, English naturally translates them as the mother and the daughter, because the context suggests specific people.

Yes. Discere primarily means to learn, but in many contexts English may translate it more naturally as to study.

So Massiliae discere cupit could suggest:

• she wants to learn in Marseille
• or more idiomatically, she wants to study in Marseille

The best translation depends on the wider context.

Yes, it is perfectly understandable Latin.

• Massiliae tells you the location: in Marseille
• discere tells you the activity: to learn / study

Latin often expresses this idea simply by putting the place word in the locative with the infinitive.

The sentence strongly suggests that, but Latin does not explicitly say her daughter here.

It simply says:

• mother
• but daughter

In context, English would usually understand this as the mother ... but the daughter, probably members of the same family. If Latin wanted to make the relationship explicit, it could add something like a possessive or another clarifying word.