Mensor cum curatore aquaeductum spectat.

In Latin, word order is much more flexible than in English. It is very common for the main verb to come at the end of the sentence.

So:

• Mensor = the subject
• cum curatore = a prepositional phrase
• aquaeductum = the object
• spectat = the verb

Latin speakers could change the order for emphasis, but this order is very normal and natural.

Mensor is nominative singular, which is the case normally used for the subject of a sentence.

The verb spectat is third person singular, so it matches a singular subject: mensor = the surveyor.

The preposition cum means with, and it takes the ablative case.

So:

• dictionary form: curator
• ablative singular: curatore

That is why Latin says cum curatore = with the curator / manager / overseer.

Aquaeductum is accusative singular because it is the direct object of spectat.

It is the thing being looked at:

• mensor = the surveyor
• spectat = looks at
• aquaeductum = the aqueduct

So the accusative marks what receives the action of the verb.

Spectat is:

• present tense
• active voice
• indicative mood
• third person singular

It comes from specto, spectare, meaning to look at, watch, or observe.

So spectat means he/she/it looks at, or in smoother English sometimes is looking at.

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

So a word like mensor can mean:

• a surveyor
• the surveyor

and aquaeductum can mean:

• an aqueduct
• the aqueduct

The exact sense depends on context. English usually has to choose one, but Latin does not.

It can mean either, depending on context.

Latin present tense often covers both:

• simple present: looks at
• progressive present: is looking at

So Mensor cum curatore aquaeductum spectat could be translated either way in English.

It is a prepositional phrase showing accompaniment.

It tells you with whom the surveyor is looking at the aqueduct.

So the basic structure is:

• Mensor = subject
• cum curatore = accompaniment
• aquaeductum = direct object
• spectat = verb

Mensor is a third-declension noun.

Its basic forms are:

• mensor = nominative singular
• mensoris = genitive singular

That genitive ending -oris helps identify the stem.

It comes from curator, curatoris, which is also a third-declension noun.

In this sentence we see the ablative singular form:

• curatore

because it follows cum.

It comes from aquaeductus, aquaeductus, a fourth-declension masculine noun.

Its accusative singular is:

• aquaeductum

That is the form used here because it is the direct object of spectat.

Yes, often it could.

For example, Latin could also say things like:

• Aquaeductum mensor cum curatore spectat
• Cum curatore mensor aquaeductum spectat

The basic meaning would stay the same because the case endings show each word’s role.

Still, the original order is a very natural one, especially with the verb at the end.

Because the verb ending already tells you the subject is third person singular.

In spectat, the ending -t means he/she/it.

So Latin does not need to add a pronoun unless it wants extra emphasis.

That is why simply spectat already means he/she is looking or he/she looks.