The Ablative of Means (Grammar 3C, p. 172) Latin Grammar The Ablative of Means (Grammar 3C, p. 172)
The Ablative The ablative has many uses. We first saw it with prepositions. Many prepositions require it.
The Ablative with Prepositions The ablative is required by all prepositions that mean from: ā/ab dē ē/ex cum sine in, sub
The Independent Ablative Then we started learning the independent ablative. The independent ablative is the term used for the ablative on its own, without a preposition. PREPOSITIONS
The Ablative of Description The first independent ablative we learned was the ablative of description: mīles magnā uirtūte
Ablative of Time Ablative of time hōc tempore eā nocte
Ablative of Means stilus, -ī, m. = stylus haec fēmina stilō scrībit. The independent ablative is used to tell what tool is used to do an action. We call this the ablative of means. It is translated with. stilus, -ī, m. = stylus haec fēmina stilō scrībit.
haec fēmina stilō scrībit. Ablative of Means Latin distinguishes between doing something with a thing as a tool and doing something with a person as a companion. Doing something with a thing is ablative of means, and no cum (with) is used. haec fēmina stilō scrībit.
Ablative of Accompaniment Doing somethng with a person as a companion requires a cum. This use is called ablative of accompaniment. in urbem cum Marcō abeo.
Ablative of Accompaniment mīlitēs cum Marcō portam effregunt. mīlitēs Marcus
Ablative of Means uirī uirī Marcō portam effregunt. Marcus porta
A Note on Cum Cum is a preposition and usually goes before nouns: cum Marcō cum uirō cum seruā
A Note on Cum But with pronouns, cum often must be attached after the pronoun: mēcum tēcum nōbīscum uōbīscum sēcum quōcum quibuscum
Summary We have now met three uses of the ablative without prepositions, that is, of the independent ablative: ablative of description. ablative of time. ablative of means.
Summary The ablative of means does NOT use cum. fēmina stilō scribit. The ablative of accompaniment uses cum. in urbem cum Marcō abeō