Državna Matura Latin key terms

Grammatical case: the form a noun, pronoun, or adjective takes to show its role in the sentence. Latin has six cases (nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, ablative, vocative), and the ending signals function rather than word order.

Declension: the set of endings a Latin noun or adjective uses according to its stem class. There are five declensions, distinguished by genitive singular ending (-ae, -i, -is, -us, -ei), and every form must be identified by case and number.

Conjugation: the pattern of personal endings and stem vowels that a Latin verb follows. Four main conjugations are recognised by the infinitive ending (-are, -ere long, -ere short, -ire), and mixed verbs of the third type behave partly like the fourth.

The aspect stem of Latin verbs expressing incomplete or ongoing action, the basis of present, imperfect, and future tenses. It contrasts with the perfectum stem, which expresses completed action; recognising the stem helps identify tense and translate aspect accurately.

The aspect stem expressing completed action, used for perfect, pluperfect, and future perfect tenses. It is formed from the verb's third principal part and often differs irregularly from the present stem, so the principal parts must be memorised for each verb.

The four principal parts of a Latin verb: first person singular present, infinitive, first person singular perfect, and supine (or perfect participle). They supply all stems needed for conjugation and reveal irregular forms; dictionaries list them for every verb.

A verbal noun with only two forms in classical Latin: the accusative in -um used after verbs of motion to express purpose, and the ablative in -u used with certain adjectives. It is the fourth principal part and also underlies the perfect participle.

A verbal adjective sharing features of verb and adjective: it has tense and voice but declines like an adjective. The present active, perfect passive, and future active participles are frequent in Latin prose, often replacing subordinate clauses.

The subjunctive mood, used for hypothetical, wished, purpose, result, and indirect-question clauses rather than plain statements. Its forms are built on the present stem or perfect stem with distinctive vowels, and its tense follows the sequence of tenses.

Sequence of tenses: the rule that a subordinate subjunctive takes a present or perfect tense after a main-clause primary tense, and an imperfect or pluperfect after a secondary tense. It keeps the time relationship between main and subordinate clauses clear.

The accusative-with-infinitive construction: a subject in the accusative governed by an infinitive, used for indirect statements after verbs of saying, thinking, and perceiving. In Croatian it is usually rendered with a da-clause or an infinitive phrase.

The nominative-with-infinitive construction, used with passive verbs of saying and perceiving such as dicitur or videtur. The subject of the infinitive stands in the nominative and the personal verb agrees with it; Croatian often translates it with a da-clause.

An ablative absolute: a noun or pronoun in the ablative with a participle in the ablative, forming a phrase grammatically detached from the main clause. It usually expresses time, cause, or circumstance and is translated with a clause or prepositional phrase.

Indirect speech: reported statements, questions, and commands, in which subordinate verbs shift into the subjunctive and pronouns and adverbs adjust to the reporter's viewpoint. Recognising the reporting verb helps convert direct speech into the correct construction.

The infinitive, a non-finite verb form naming the action without person or number. Latin has present, perfect, and future infinitives in active and passive voice; the tense of the infinitive shows relative time within indirect statements.

The genitive case, chiefly marking possession, partitive relationships, and objective or subjective connections with verbal nouns. Its singular ending identifies the declension, and it is also governed by certain verbs and adjectives of memory, guilt, and fullness.

The dative case, marking the indirect object and the person interested, benefited, or harmed. It also appears with verbs of helping, obeying, pleasing, and with the dative of possession and the dative with compound verbs.

The ablative case, which merges the functions of separation, instrument, means, manner, place, and comparison. Prepositions such as ab, cum, ex, and in govern it, and its many uses must be distinguished by context in translation.

A deponent verb: passive in form but active in meaning, such as loqui, sequi, or arbitrari. It has no active forms, so its participles and infinitives must be translated actively despite their passive-looking endings.

An irregular verb whose conjugation departs from the regular patterns, such as esse, posse, ferre, velle, nolle, and ire. Their forms are frequent and must be learned individually because stems and endings change unpredictably.

The relative pronoun qui, quae, quod, which introduces relative clauses. Its gender and number come from the antecedent in the main clause, but its case comes from its own function inside the relative clause, a frequent source of translation error.

A conjunction: an indeclinable word linking words, phrases, or clauses. Coordinating conjunctions (et, sed, autem, igitur) join equal elements, while subordinating ones (cum, quod, ut, dum) introduce dependent clauses and often signal a subjunctive.

A preposition, an indeclinable word governing a noun in the accusative or ablative. Most prepositions take the accusative (ad, per, propter); some take the ablative (ab, cum, ex); a few change meaning with case (in, sub).

A sentence or complete thought, and in rhetoric a maxim or aphorism. In reading comprehension, identifying the main clause of each sententia helps separate core statements from subordinate detail before translating.

The subject matter or plot of a literary work, and in rhetoric the content of a case. Distinguishing argumentum (content) from the manner of presentation helps describe an author's purpose in comprehension questions.

An author or originator, and in historiography a source or authority cited. In prescribed-text questions, naming the auctor, work, and genre is expected when explaining a passage's context and style.

The Roman state or commonwealth, and by extension the republican form of government with its magistrates, senate, and assemblies. The phrase appears constantly in historical and oratorical texts and should not be translated as 'republic' mechanically.

A Roman public office or its holder, such as consul, praetor, or quaestor. Magistrates were elected for fixed terms, held imperium or lesser power, and their cursus honorum shaped political careers in the Republic and Empire.

The Roman Senate, an advisory council of former magistrates that in practice directed finance, foreign policy, and legislation. Its consulta were not laws but carried great weight, and its composition changed under the emperors.

The supreme military and civil power held by consuls, praetors, and dictators, later the basis of imperial authority. It could be limited by colleagues, term length, and provocatio, and its extent helps explain Roman command structures.

A territory administered by Rome outside Italy, governed by a magistrate or promagistrate with military and judicial authority. Provincial administration, taxation, and abuses by governors are recurring themes in Cicero and Sallust.

The two main social orders of early Rome: patricians, an hereditary aristocratic group, and plebeians, the common citizens. Their conflict over rights, offices, and intermarriage shaped the development of republican institutions.

Public games and festivals, including chariot races, theatrical performances, and gladiatorial shows. They served religious and political functions, and their cost and popularity appear in historical and satirical texts.

Roman public baths, combining hot, warm, and cold rooms with exercise areas and social spaces. They were central to daily urban life and appear in literature as settings for conversation and leisure.

A Roman house, typically with an atrium, rooms around a courtyard, and sometimes a garden peristyle. The domus was both a family residence and a place of client business, so its layout reflects social roles.

The Roman household, including the paterfamilias, his relatives, freedmen, and slaves. Legal authority over the familia belonged to its head, and the term illuminates social and legal references in prose texts.

To turn, turn around, or turn into; in translation exercises it often appears in compounds such as convertere and in idiomatic phrases. Its perfect participle versus supplies the passive sense 'having been turned' and appears in ablative absolutes.

To command, order, or rule over; it takes a dative of the person commanded, unlike English 'order someone'. Recognising this construction prevents mistranslation of clauses such as imperat militibus.

A common idiom meaning to form a plan or adopt a decision, literally 'to take counsel'. Latin prose frequently uses such verb-noun combinations, so translating the phrase as a unit is more accurate than rendering each word separately.

To announce, report, or inform, often introducing indirect speech or an accusative with infinitive. Its frequent use in narrative and letters makes it a reliable cue for recognising reported statements.