Questions & Answers about Sponsio parva est, amice.
What does sponsio mean here?
Here sponsio is the noun meaning a bet, a wager, or sometimes a formal promise/pledge, depending on context.
So in this sentence, it is the thing being described as parva (small).
It is a feminine singular noun in the nominative case, because it is the subject of est.
Why is it parva and not parvus?
Because parva has to agree with sponsio.
In Latin, adjectives agree with the nouns they describe in:
- gender
- number
- case
Since sponsio is:
- feminine
- singular
- nominative
the adjective must also be:
- feminine
- singular
- nominative
So:
- parvus = masculine singular nominative
- parva = feminine singular nominative
- parvum = neuter singular nominative/accusative
That is why parva is correct.
What is est doing in the sentence?