Unit 17: Pronouns: Personal and Reflexive, Possessive Pronouns and Adjectives Notes 17.3

Learning Goals: By the end of the lesson students will be able to: 1.Recognize possessives (adjectives and pronouns) in English and in Latin. 2.Decline the possessives in Latin. 3.Use the proper forms of the possessives in English and in Latin. 4.Translate words, phrases, and sentences that use possessives.

Do you remember…? OK…everyone get ready to sing along with me: Adjectives must agree the nouns they modify in case, number, and gender!

Possessive Pronouns and Possessive Adjectives People often get confused with the differences between possessive pronouns and possessive adjectives because they are very similar to each other. Here is the main distinction: The possessive pronoun is used to replace a noun. The possessive adjective is used to modify a noun.

Forms of Possessive Pronouns and Adjectives PersonPronounAdjective Iminemy you (sg)yoursyour hehis shehersher itits weoursour you (pl)yoursyour theytheirstheir

Using Possessive Pronouns and Adjectives A possessive pronoun is used instead of a noun: Alexander’s cart is small; mine is large. Carrus Alexandris est parvus; mei est magnus. A possessive adjective is used to describe a noun, and it comes in front of it, like the demonstrative adjectives: My cart is bigger than her cart. Meus carrus est maior quam suus carrus. Why do you think suus needs to be masculine even though it refers to her?

Remember: There are no apostrophes in English for possessive pronouns and adjectives. The dog wagged its tail. The elephant raised its trunk. “It’s” is not a possessive pronoun or adjective — it is a contraction which means “it is”: It’s not my dog. It’s only 9:00!

Possessive adjectives in Latin: The Possessive adjectives take the case, number, and gender of the noun to which they belong, not those of the possessor: Haec ornamenta sunt mea. (Val. iv. 4) These are my jewels. Mea is neuter plural to agree with ornamenta, even though the speaker is a woman. Mei sunt ordines, mea discriptio. (Cat. M. 59) Mine are the rows, mine the arrangement. Mea is feminine to agree with ordines, even though the speaker is Cyrus. Multa in nostro collegio praeclara. (id. 64) [There are] many fine things in our college. Nostro is neuter singular to agree with collegio, even though it is referring to men.

Possessive adjectives in Latin: To express possession and similar ideas the possessive adjectives are used most often, not the genitive of the personal or reflexive pronouns : domus mea, my house. [Not domus mei.] pater noster, our father. [Not pater nostri.] patrimonium tuum, your inheritance. [Not tui.]

The Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns in Latin: meus, -a, -um – my, mine tuus, -a, -um – your, yours suus, -a, -um – his, her, its, their (own) Note that this one is called a reflexive possessive. It is singular and plural and is used only when the object belongs to the subject, not someone else. Carrum suum ad urbem tulit. He took his wagon to the city. (The wagon belongs to him.) Carrum ad urbem tulit. He took his wagon to the city. (The wagon belongs to someone else. Note that no possessive adjective is used in Latin.) noster, -tra, -trum – our, ours vester, -tra, -trum – your, yours

Now you try! Translate these sentences. Marcus suos amicos vocat. Marcus calls his friends. Aurelia suos amicos vocat. Aurelia calls her friends. Puellae suos amicos vocant. The girls call their friends. How can suos be one word, yet translate as his, hers, and their? Because suus, -a, -um is what is called a reflexive possessive adjective. Like the reflexive pronoun it is used only when the person to whom it refers is also the subject.

Woo hoo! You’ve finished taking notes for the year!!! You’ve grown from being newborn to being about the equivalent of a Roman nine-year old!

My level of understanding Check for understanding 4 I understand the possessives as a concept; I can recognize the possessives in Latin and in English when I see them; AND I can decline and translate the possessives without my notes. 3 I understand possessives as a concept; I can recognize the possessives in Latin and in English when I see them; AND I can decline and translate the possessives. 2 I understand the possessives as a concept; AND I can recognize the possessives in Latin and in English when I see them. 1 I understand the possessives as a concept. Quid agis? How are you doing?

Class Practice 17.3 Translate the following sentences. 1.Regina suis sociis auxilium dat. 2.Servi frumentum vestrum portant. 3.Socii nostri nova bella parant. 4.Libri sunt mei, arma sunt tua. 5.Agri pulchri sunt dona filiis meis. 6.Populus est inimicus suis sociis. 7.Insula nostra est proxima tuae terrae. (proximus, -a, -um – nearest) 8.Meae viae non sunt tuae viae.