Questions & Answers about Meta in circo alta est.
What case is meta, and how do we know it is the subject?
Meta is nominative singular. In this sentence, it is the subject because it is the thing being described as alta and linked to est.
So the basic structure is:
- meta = the subject
- alta = describes the subject
- est = is
Together: Meta ... alta est = The meta is high/tall.
Why is it alta and not altus or altum?
Because alta has to agree with meta.
In Latin, adjectives agree with the nouns they describe in:
- gender
- number
- case
Meta is:
- feminine
- singular
- nominative
So the adjective must also be feminine singular nominative: alta.
Why is it in circo and not in circus?
Because after in meaning in/on for location, Latin normally uses the ablative case.
The noun circus is a second-declension masculine noun: