Chapter 20 Part II – Ablatives of Place from Which and Separation

Ch. 20 Pt. II – Ablative of Place from Which and Separation This is something you already know. You’ve seen for quite some time now that prepositions take certain cases and that the meaning of such expressions are set by the meaning of the preposition. The prepositions ab, ex, dē mean something like from or out of or away from and take the ablative case. Veniunt ex urbe = They are coming out of the city. Ex urbe = ablative of place from which

Ch. 20 Pt. II – Ablative of Place from Which and Separation But….if the verb being used explicitly contains the idea of physical separation, then the prepositions indicating separation (ab, ex, dē) are often omitted. Instead….the thing from which the separation is being made is simply put in the ablative case. We call this sometimes prepositionless use of the ablative case the ablative of separation.

Ch. 20 Pt. II – Ablative of Place from Which and Separation For example, the verb to free (liberō) also carries with it the sense to free from. Thus…the idea of separation from something is explicit in the verb. Vēritās nōs metū līberābit. The truth will free us from fear. (no ab)

Ch. 20 Pt. II – Ablative of Place from Which and Separation Frūctibus bonīs numquam carēbāmus. We never used to lack good fruits. Līberāvistis nōs sceleribus istius tyrannī. You have freed us from the crimes of that tyrant.

Ch. 20 Pt. II – Ablative of Place from Which and Separation More separation: Cicerō hostēs ab urbe prohibuit. Cicero kept the enemy away from the city. Agricolae pecūniā saepe carēbant. The farmers often lacked money.

Ch. 20 Pt. II – Ablative of Place from Which and Separation Graecī ā patriā suā ad Italiam navigāvērunt. The Greeks sailed from their own country to Italy. Flūmen dē montibus in mare flūxit. The river flowed down from the mountains into the sea.