GERUNDS VS. GERUNDIVES
THE GERUND
- (A) WHAT:
The gerund is a verbal noun: a form of the verb that acts like a noun. In English,
the gerund is formed by adding "-ing" to the verb and using it as a NOUN.
Ex.) Running is fun.
- (B) ENGLISH:
IN ENGLISH the gerund has the same form as the present participle. The
difference is that the GERUND IS ALWAYS A NOUN and the present participle is always an
adjective.
Ex.) Gerund: Running is fun.
Participle: The running boy is a thief. (I.e., "The boy who is running is a thief.")
- (C) LATIN:
IN LATIN, the gerund DOES NOT have the same form as the present participle, but it
is ENTIRELY DIFFERENT. The Latin gerund is formed by taking the present verb stem (2nd
principle part), adding the normal vowels (a, e, e, ie, or ie), then -ndi (genitive), -ndo
(dative), -ndum (accusative), -ndo (ablative). The nominative is supplied by the present
active infinitive.
Ex.) verb: amo, amare, amavi, amatus; stem: am-; vowel: -a-
amare
amandi
amando
amandum
amando
Nota Bene: The gerund DOES NOT EXIST in the nominative case or in the plural. It is ALWAYS
neuter.
- (D) GRAMMATICAL USES:
- (1) GENERAL USE: The gerund in Latin is used whenever you need to make a verb into a
noun. (Granted, there are often other nouns that mean something very similar, but not
always, and this is one way of conveying the idea.)
Ex.) Amare est facile. Loving is easy.
Ars amandi est difficilis. The art of loving is difficult.
Puellae studiosae sunt amando. Girls are eager for loving. (studiosus takes a dative)
Libri propensi sunt ad amandum. Children have a propensity toward loving.
Amor crescit amando. Love grows by loving.
- (2) OBJECTS: When a gerund takes an object, the object is in the same case that the verb
which the gerund comes from normally takes.
Ex.) viros interficiendi causa for the sake of killing men;
"interficio" (to kill) takes an accusative, so "viros" (men) is in the accusative
libris studendi causa for the sake of studying books;
"studeo" (to study) takes the dative, so "libris" (books) is in the dative.
- (3) PURPOSE: The gerund can be used to express purpose with the prepositions ad or in. (Usually ad)
Ex.) Lego ad discendum. I read in order to learn. (I read toward learning.)
THE GERUNDIVE
- (A) WHAT:
The gerundive is a verbal adjective: a form of the verb that acts like an adjective.
The gerundive is the adjectival form of the gerund.
Remember: gerundIVE = adjectIVE
- (B) ENGLISH:
There is no English equivalent to the gerundive.
- (C) LATIN:
The gerundive is formed by taking the verb stem (2nd principle part), adding the
normal vowels (a, e, e, ie, or ie), then -nd-, then the regular -us, -a, -um adjective endings.
Since it is an adjective, the gerundive exists in EVERY case, both singular and plural.
| |
Masc. |
Fem. |
Neut. |
| Singular |
| Nom. |
amandus |
amanda |
amandum |
| Gen. |
amandi |
amandae |
amandi |
| Dat. |
amando |
amandae |
amando |
| Acc. |
amandum |
amandam |
amandum |
| Abl. |
amando |
amanda |
amando |
| Plural |
| Nom. |
amandi |
amandae |
amanda |
| Gen. |
amandorum |
amandarum |
amandorum |
| Dat. |
amandis |
amandis |
amandis |
| Acc. |
amandos |
amandas |
amanda |
| Abl. |
amandis |
amandis |
amandis |
Nota Bene: If this looks oddly familiar, just like the FUTURE PASSIVE PARTICIPLE, that's because
the gerundive and the future passive participle have the SAME FORMS. The difference is in
HOW they are translated.
(1) The gerundive implies obligation or necessity:
Ex.) amanda = she who must be loved
(2) The future passive participle signifies futurity:
Ex.) amanda = she who is going to be loved
How do you tell the difference? CONTEXT.
Nota Bene 2: Third conjugation verbs (like "rego" and "dico" don't always take the "normal"
vowel "-e-". Whenever an author wants to sound more formal/archaic, he will use "-u-" instead. Just be aware of this.
Ex.) dicendus, -a, -um = dicundus, -a, -um.
- (D) GRAMMATICAL USES:
- (1) PASSIVE PERIPHRASTIC: The gerundive with a form of "sum" comprises the passive
periphrastic (also called the gerundive of obligation). It conveys a strong obligation in
the past, present, or future, depending on the tense of "sum".
Ex.) amandus erat. He had to be loved. (past)
amandus est. He must be loved. (present)
amandus erit. He will have to be loved. (future)
Nota Bene: This is the construction of the famous sentence:
Karthago delenda est! Carthage must be destroyed! (deleo, delere, delevi, deletus to destroy)
- (2) DATIVE OF AGENT: Because the gerundive is passive, there has to be a special way to
show the agent. Most passive verbs show agent with "ab + agent-in-the-ablative."
Ex.) puella basiatur ab puero. The girl is kissed by the boy.
The gerundive DOES NOT! It shows agent with the DATIVE. This is innovatively
called a "dative of agent".
Ex.) Puer amandus est puellae. The boy must be loved by the girl.
Nota Bene: For a smoother translation, the whole thing can be reversed. Make the dative the subject and the nominative the object.
Ex.) Puer amandus est puellae. The girl must love the boy.
- (3) REPLACE THE GERUND: The gerundive is often used to replace the gerund, because the
Romans found it prettier. This can be tricky, so pay careful attention.
Ex.) gerund: Puer vivit puellas basiandi causa. The boy lives for the sake of kissing girls.
gerundive: Puer vivit puellarum basiandarum causa. The boy lives for the sake of kissing girls.
So, what's going on? When the gerundive replaces the gerund, the object of the gerund
(here, "puellas") gets put in the case that the gerund used to be in (here, genitive), and
then the gerundive modifies it. So, "puellas" is made genitive: "puellarum" and then
gerund modifies it, so "amandus" is made feminine, genitive, plural: "amandarum".
The MEANING will always be THE SAME. "puellas basiandi causa" and "puellarum
basiandarum causa" are IDENTICAL IN MEANING.
- (4) PURPOSE: Since the gerundive can replace the gerund, it can also be used to show
purpose with "ad" or "in" (usually "ad").
Ex.) gerund: Puer venit ad puellas basiandum. The boy came in order to kiss girls.
gerundive: Puer venit ad puellas basiandas. The boy came in order to kiss girls.