QCAA Latin (SEE) flashcards
QCAA Latin (SEE) · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Clausula
- The rhythmical ending of a Latin prose sentence, especially in Cicero; a favoured pattern is the cretic plus trochee, which marks the sentence's close.
- Ablative absolute
- A noun and participle in the ablative, grammatically independent of the main clause; it expresses time, cause, condition, or concession, e.g. 'with the enemy routed'.
- Indirect statement
- A clause with a verb of saying, thinking, or perceiving, followed by an accusative subject and infinitive; English renders it with 'that' and adjusts tense.
- Connective relative
- A relative pronoun at the start of a sentence standing for 'and this' or 'but he'; it links sentences rather than introducing a subordinate clause.
- Gerundive of obligation
- A passive verbal adjective in -ndus expressing necessity or duty; with a form of esse it yields 'must be done', as in delenda est Carthago.
- Historical present
- A present-tense verb used in past narrative to heighten vividness; common in Caesar, Sallust, and Livy, and translated into English past tense.
- Dactylic hexameter
- The epic metre of six feet, each a dactyl or spondee; the fifth foot is nearly always a dactyl and the sixth a spondee or trochee.
- Elegiac couplet
- A hexameter followed by a pentameter; the pentameter has two half-lines each ending long-long, with a caesura between them.
- Hyperbaton
- The deliberate separation of words that belong together, such as a noun and adjective; in verse it creates suspense and emphasis, so rejoin the pair before translating.
- Enclitic -que
- A suffix meaning 'and' attached to the second of two words; it is detached before parsing and often joins whole clauses rather than single nouns.
- Elision
- The suppression of a final vowel or -m before a following vowel in verse scansion; it keeps the metre regular and must be noted when reading aloud.
- Epic simile
- An extended comparison, often drawn from nature or daily life, that expands a single moment of action and invites interpretation of the hero's role.
- Ekphrasis
- A sustained literary description of a work of art, such as a shield or temple carving; it often foreshadows the poem's themes and history.
- Ring composition
- A structure where a sequence returns to its starting point, with matching elements framing a central passage; it marks emphasis and closure.
- Narrated time
- The chronological span of events inside a narrative, distinct from the order and pace at which the narrator presents them.
- Proem
- The opening section of an epic stating subject and invoking a Muse or patron; it establishes the poem's scope, stance, and audience.
- Apostrophe
- A direct address to a person, deity, place, or abstraction, often interrupting narrative; it signals emotional intensity or a shift in perspective.
- Foreshadowing
- A hint early in a narrative of later events, often through prophecy, dream, or omen; it builds dramatic irony and shapes reader expectation.
- Sequence of tenses
- The rule that primary tenses take present or perfect subjunctive and historic tenses take imperfect or pluperfect subjunctive in subordinate clauses.
- Result clause
- A subordinate clause introduced by ut (negative ut non) after words meaning 'so great' or 'such'; it states the consequence of the main clause.
- Purpose clause
- A subordinate clause with ut or ne plus subjunctive expressing the aim of the main action; English renders it 'in order to' or 'so that'.
- Contrary-to-fact condition
- A conditional sentence using imperfect or pluperfect subjunctive in both clauses, expressing an unreal situation; English uses 'were' or 'had' with 'would'.
- Deponent verb
- A verb passive in form but active in meaning, such as sequor or loquor; its perfect participle may still function passively.
- Dative of agent
- A dative used with a passive verb, especially the gerundive, to name the person who must or does act, e.g. mihi agendum est.
- Chiasmus
- An ABBA arrangement of words or ideas, reversing the order of a parallel pair; it marks balance, contrast, and rhetorical polish.
- Anaphora
- The repetition of a word or phrase at the start of successive clauses; it builds rhythm, emphasis, and emotional force in speeches and verse.
- Metonymy
- Naming something by an associated term, as 'the sword' for war or 'the crown' for monarchy; it compresses meaning and adds concreteness.
- Intertextuality
- The deliberate echoing of an earlier author's words or scene; identifying the model clarifies what the later poet imitates, alters, or contests.
- Pietas
- The Roman virtue of dutiful respect toward gods, family, and state; in the Aeneid it defines Aeneas' mission and contrasts with furor.
- Clientela
- The reciprocal relationship between patron and client, involving protection and support in exchange for political and social loyalty.
- Cursus honorum
- The ladder of Roman public offices, normally quaestor, aedile, praetor, and consul; age minima and interval rules governed eligibility.
- Tribune of the plebs
- An annually elected plebeian magistrate whose person was sacrosanct and who could veto public acts; the office became a foundation of imperial power.