Breakdown of Bigae et quadrigae inter se colliduntur.
et
and
inter
between
se
themselves
quadrigae
the four-horse chariot; team of four horses
Questions & Answers about Bigae et quadrigae inter se colliduntur.
Why do bigae and quadrigae look plural if the English meaning may talk about a single kind of chariot?
Because bigae and quadrigae are usually plural-only nouns in Latin.
- bigae literally refers to a two-horse team / a two-horse chariot
- quadrigae literally refers to a four-horse team / a four-horse chariot
Even when Latin is talking about what English would treat as a single chariot, these words are commonly used in the plural form. This is a normal feature of these particular nouns, not a mistake.
So a learner should not be surprised that:
- bigae is plural in form
- quadrigae is plural in form
Latin simply uses those plural forms as the standard dictionary words.
What case are bigae and quadrigae here?
They are nominative plural.
Why?
- They are the subject of the sentence.
- The verb colliduntur is 3rd person plural, so it matches a plural subject.
- The ending -ae in first-declension nouns can be nominative plural.
So:
- bigae = nominative plural
- quadrigae = nominative plural
Together they form the compound subject: bigae et quadrigae.
Why is the verb plural?