Breakdown of Mensor latitudinem fistulae metitur.
mensor
the surveyor; measurer
fistula
the water pipe
latitudo
the width
metiri
to measure
Questions & Answers about Mensor latitudinem fistulae metitur.
What case is mensor, and how do we know it is the subject?
Mensor is nominative singular. In Latin, the subject of a sentence is normally in the nominative case. The verb metitur is third-person singular, so it matches a singular subject: mensor.
Why is latitudinem in the accusative?
Because latitudinem is the direct object of metitur. It is the thing being measured. Latin commonly puts the direct object in the accusative case, so latitudinem means the width as the object of the action.
Why is fistulae in the genitive?
Here fistulae is genitive singular, meaning of the pipe or of the tube. It depends on latitudinem and tells us whose width is being measured. So latitudinem fistulae means the width of the pipe.
How do we know fistulae is genitive singular here, not dative singular or nominative plural?
The form fistulae can indeed have more than one possible meaning by itself. But in this sentence, the grammar makes genitive singular the natural choice. After latitudinem, Latin often uses a genitive to express the width of something. A dative meaning would not fit well here, and nominative plural would not make sense as part of the sentence structure.
Why does metitur look passive even though the translation is active?
Because metitur comes from a deponent verb: metior, metiri, mensus sum. Deponent verbs have passive forms but active meanings. So metitur looks like a passive form, but it means he/she/it measures, not is measured.
What is the dictionary form of metitur?
The dictionary form is metior, metiri, mensus sum. It is a deponent verb. In this sentence, metitur is present indicative, third-person singular: he/she/it measures.
Is the word order important here?
Latin word order is much more flexible than English word order because the endings show the grammatical roles. This sentence uses a very common Latin pattern: subject + object + verb.
So:
Mensor = subject
latitudinem fistulae = object phrase
metitur = verb
A different order could be used without changing the basic meaning, though the emphasis might change.
Why is there no word for the or a?
Latin has no articles. It does not have separate words for the, a, or an. Whether you translate mensor as the surveyor or a surveyor depends on context.
Do latitudinem and fistulae agree with each other?
No. They are connected in meaning, but they do not agree the way an adjective agrees with a noun. Latitudinem is an accusative singular noun, and fistulae is a genitive singular noun. The genitive noun depends on the other noun: the width of the pipe.
What declensions are these nouns from?
They come from different declensions:
mensor = third declension
latitudo = third declension
fistula = first declension
That is why their forms look different:
mensor = nominative singular
latitudinem = accusative singular of latitudo
fistulae = genitive singular of fistula
What exactly does fistula mean?
Fistula can mean a pipe, tube, channel, or sometimes a reed-pipe or similar instrument, depending on context. In this sentence, because someone is measuring its width, pipe or tube is the most natural meaning.
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