In such
vocatives
as Panthu, Melampu, ccc.
Latin - Elements of Latin Prosody and Metre Compiled with Selections
Mart. Capto tuam, pudet heu ! sed capto, Pontice, camam.
z According toCliarisius and Diomedes, the final 0 in Latin was originally
long in all words. Its being subsequently regarded as common in so many
instances, seems to have ar isen from this circumstance, that, as the Latin a
stood both tor the o-micron and o-mtga of the Greeks, and hence had a
double quantity under one and the s;une form, the poets dexterously
availed themselves of this ambiguity, ami in many words made the final o at
one time short and at another long, just as it was fuuod conducive to their
purpose.
a The more polished writers of the Augustan age rarelv made the final
0 in verbs short. Thus, in Virgil, scio, Eel. 8, 43. and Ma. 3, 602. with
spondeS, ^Hn. 9, 296. and a few others, alone occur. On the other hi. nd,
Stf. tius, Martial, and their contemporaries and successors, very frequently
made it short.
D2
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? 42 FINAL SYLLABLES.
Exception I. --All cases in O, of Greek nouns, written
in the original with an O (mega), are long; as, nominative,
Id, Ind, Clio; genitive, Androgeo ; accusative, Athd, Cta-
thd: as is likewise ergo, when it signifies "for the sake," or
f* on account of," and governs a genitive case, it being then
derived from the Greek e(yq>.
Prop. Id, versa caput, primos mugiverat annos.
Virg. Inforibus letum Androgeo : tum pendere pmnas.
Pedo. Quondam ego tentavi Clothdque duasque sorores.
Exception II. --Monosyllables in O are long; as O, do,
at6, firo, firdh.
Virg. O decus, o fame merilo pars maxima nostra.
Idem. Do quod vis; et me victusque volensque remitto.
Idem. Pro molli viola, pro purpurea narcisso.
Idem. Prdh scelus ! ecce etiam Trojanis matribus actis.
Exception III. --O final is long in the dative and ablative
singular of the second declension ; as Domino, fiuerd, vento,
aurd. b
Ovid. Nutritur vento, vento restinguitur ignis.
Prop. Aurd pulsa fides, aurd venaliajura.
The gerund in DO (which in reality is the dative or abla-
tive of the second declension) is most commonly found with
the O final long: instances however occur, where the final
letter is short; but these are extremely rare, and for the
most part of very doubtful authority. The following are the
principal lines in which the latter quantity is found :c
Juv. Plurimus hie ager moritur vigilando: sed ilium.
Ovid. Fnrtunam vultus fassa tegendo suns.
Tibul. Aufer et ipse meum pariter medicando dolorem.
Ter. Maur. Sic varios tam longa divs renovando doldres.
Exception IV--Adverbs formed from adjectives have
the final O for the most part long; as Multo, raro, tutd.
h The final o in the dative and ablative singular of the secopd declension,
ii long, because contracted from oi. Thus, Domino was anciently dominui;
auro, auroi, fcte.
o The line from Juvenal (3, 232. ) is given by Ruperti, as above (|Uoted,
without comment, or reference to any different reading. But in the line
iVom Tibullus (3, 6, 3. ) and also in that from Ovid (Ep. 9, 126. ) the variotL>>
rrariingj throw great suspicion upon the purity of the text.
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? FINAL SYLLABLES.
Juv. Poena autem vehemens et muUo savior Mis.
Ovid. Adde quod iste tuus, tam raro prcelia passus.
But the final letter is short in Citd and Immo, and com-
mon in Modo,d with its compounds, Dummodo, fiostmodo,
&c. as also in Poscremo, sero, subitof fiorro, retro, idcirco,
and the conjunction vero.
Ovid. Quo levis a nobis tam citd fugit amor ?
Mart. Vendere : nil debet: foznerat immo magis.
Prop. Fortunata domus, modo sit tibijidus amicus.
Sen. Qua fama modo venit ad awes ?
Juv. Et Scauros, et Fabricios ; fiostremo severos.
Lucr. Postremo, quoniam incultis firastare videmus,
Claud. Imfie. rium tihi sero datum : victoria velox.
Phaedr. Sero domum est reversus titubanti fiede.
Sen. Cum subito, thalami more. , firaceduntfaces.
Idem. Cum subito nostras Hector ante oculos stetit.
Phaedr. Parvum tigillum, missum quod subito vadis.
Juv. Fester fiorro laborfecundior, historiarum.
Luc. Quid fiorro tumulis ofius est? aut ulla requiris.
Sen. Unde retro nemo. Tulimus Oceani minas.
Phaedr. Ferroque viso, rettulit retro fiedem.
Ter. Maur. Idcirco gemellum vocitdrunt choriambon.
Virg. Idcirco cerlis dimensum fiarlibus orbem.
Val. Flacc. Quod fietimus : sin verb fireces et dicta su-
ficrbus.
Virg. Pascuntur vero silvas, et summa Lyceei.
Ideo has likewise the O common. Adeo frequently occurs
with the O long, but from its affinity to ideo, we should no
doubt be more correct in calling it common also.
Mart. An ideo tantum veneras, ut exires?
Claud. Vulneribus quasila meis: idedne tot annos.
d In most systems of Prosody, the final o in modo, and its compounds, is
said to be short. It is in fact most generally found with this quantity, but
not always. The nnaptestic line from Seneca (Octav. 273. ) clearly proves
that it must in strictness be regarded as common. In addition to this au-
thority, the two following may be mentioned. " At tu, si qua modo turn
adspernenda putabis. " Calpurnius, 4, 157. --"Hoc quid putcmus esse?
qui modo scurra. " Catullus, US, 12. --If the final letter in modo be consi-
dered common, consisleucy will require us to extend this epithet to its
compounds.
e The final letter of subito is short according to most prosodians. The
lines however, quoted above from Seneca (Troas. 1132 and 443. ) prove it
to Uave been eommon.
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? 44
FINAL SYLLABLES.
Luc. Usque adeone times, quem tu fctcis ipse timendum ?
Profccto and illico are found with the final O short.
Ter. Maur. Addas, hexameter profecto jiet.
Sid. Apoll. Illico barbaries: necnon sibi capta videri.
Their derivation however (firo facto--in loco) seems to
countenance the idea, that the O in these should be re-
garded as common, since it could not be naturally and con-
stantly short.
Ego and homo have the final letter common, though more
frequently short than long.
Virg. Ille ego qui quondam gracili modulatus avend.
Plaut. Sed nunc rogare ego vicisaim te volo.
Lucr. Ncc tota pars, homo terrai quota totius units.
Mart. Miraris Aule ? semper bonus homo tiro est.
FINAL U, B, D, T.
U firoduc. B, D, T flurum, corrifie semfier.
U final is generally long; as Manu, cornu; and such
Greek vocatives as Pant hit, Melamfiit, Etc/
Virg. Tela manu miserijactabant irrita Teucri.
Ovid. Nec mora, curvavit cornit, nervoque sagittam.
Virg. Quoressumma loco, Panthu? quamprendimusarcem?
Stat. Quidfurtimlacrymas? Ilium venerande Melampu.
Exceptions. --Indu and nenus have the U short. It
continues short also in those words which naturally end in
f Well ending in u are long, in consequence of the broad and full
sound given to that vowel in Latin, like the double o or broad w in English.
The sound of the Latin u may be ascertained from the following passage in
Plautus, Mtn. i, 2, BO. where the parasite makes an allusion to the cry o?
the owl:--
Pe. Tu, Tu ittic, inquam, wV afferri noctuam,
Quit, Tu, Tu, usque dicat tibi? nam nosjam not defessi sumus.
In such vocatives as Panthu, Melampu, ccc. the final letter is long, because
written in the original with the diphthong cu.
g Indu is the old Latin form for in, and nenu for non. The former ap-
peal s to have come from the Greek M<fon> the latter is said to have been
thi- parent of the Latin lion. They hot! ) occur in the older Latin writers,
and also in Lucretius. According to Wakefield, the more correct ortho-
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? EINAL SYLLABLES.
short US, and are only deprived of the S by the ancient
mode of pronunciation, in order to preserve the syllable
from becoming long by its position before a consonant at the
beginning of the following word; as Plenit' for filaius. ,
bonu' for bonus, &c. h
Lucr. Nec jacere indu manus, vie? qua munita fidei.
Idem. JVenu queunt rafiidei contra constare leones.
'Ennius. Suavis homo, facundii', suo contentu', bealus.
Idem. Ills vir baud magna cum re scd filenu' Jtdei.
Final syllables ending in B or D are short; as ctb, ad,
quid, Mud ; and also those ending in T pure, that is, T im-
mediately preceded by a vowel; as et, at, amat. But if
preceded by another consonant, as dst, ancdnt, or by a diph-
thong, as aut, the syllable must of course remain long: so
likewise must baud.
Ovid. Ifise decet quid agam. Fas est et ab hoste doceri.
Tibul. Luce sacra requiescdt humus, requiescdt arator.
Ovid. Ast ubi blandiliis, agitur nihil horridus ira.
Virg. Aut onera accifiiunt venientum, aut agmine facta.
Idem. Hand obscurd cadens mittet tibi signa Bootes,
Exception. --Those third persons singular of the perfect
tense, active voice, which contract IVIT or IIT to IT, or
AVIT to AT, have the final syllable necessarily long 5 aa
Petit for fietiit, subit for subiit, credt for creavit, irritdt for
irritavit, Sec'
Ovid. Flamma fietit altum : profiior locus aSra cefiit,
Stat. Quo non dignior has subit habtnas.
Lucr. Irritdt animi virtutem, ecfringere ut arcta.
Idem. Disturbdt urbes, et terra motus obortui.
FINAL C.
C longum est. Brevia Nec, Fac; quibus adjice DonSc,
Hie fironomen, et Hoc firima quartoquey nec ultra.
grapliy in the first, is endv when it stands singly, and indu when com.
pounded. Vide Lucr. 2, 1065. and 1, 83. ed. Wakefield, Among the com-
pounds of indu may be mentioned indupedire for impedire, ijiduperatop
for imperutoj\ inditgredi for ingredi.
h Vide remarks under " Ecthlipsis. "
i For other instances of this species of contraction see Virgil, Geo. 1, 279.
JSn. 7,303. 8,141. Ovid,Fast,0,709, Lucretius, 1,71, 3,710. 5,443. 6,58S>
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? 46
FINAL SYLLABLES.
C final has the preceding vowel for the most part long;
as dc, sic, hue, the adverb hie, the ablative hoc.
Virg. Sic oculos, sic ille manus, sic oraferebat.
Idem. Classibus hie locus : hie acies ceriare solebant.
Claud. Prodigio : quodcumque fiarant hoc omine fata.
Exceptions. --Aec and Donee are short, as also the im-
perative fac, the pronoun hie, and its nominative and accu-
sative neuter, hoc. k
Ovid. Parve, nee invideo, sine me liber ibis in urbem.
Idem. Donee eris felix, multos numerabis amicos.
Mart. Signa rarius, aut semel fac illud.
Virg. Hie vir hie est tibi quem firomitti safiius audis.
Plaut. Quid hoc hie clamoris audio ante tedes meas ?
FINAL L.
Corrifie L. At firoduc Sal, Sol, Nil, multaque Hebrxea.
L final has the preceding vowel for the most part short;
as Semel, vigil, consul, simul, mel, fel.
Ovid. Cum semel in fiartem criminis ifisa venit.
Idem. Vesta eadem est, qua terra : subest vigil ignis
utrique.
Iilem. Jura dabat fiofiulis fiosito modo consul aratro.
Virg. Obstufiuit simul ifise, simulfierculsus Achates.
k The rule commonly laid down is, that the xerb fac, the pronoun Ate,
tond its neuter hoc in the nominative and accusative cases, are common. It
is far more correct however to call them all short. The authorities which
are cited to prove that fac is sometimes long, are the two following lines
from Ovid:--" J/os fac Jlrmenios: hac est uanaeia Fersis. " Art. 1,225.
--" Durius incedit; fac ambulat. Omne papillae" Hem. 337. --In the
best editions however, neither of these readings appear. Burmann, for
instance, substitutes facito in place of fac in the first line, and face inam*
bulet for fac ambulat in the second.
With respect to the pronoun hie, the ancient grammarians expressly as-
sert, that wnei-ever the masculine hie or the neuter hoc (nom. or accus ) is
made long, it ought to be written with double c, viz. hicc', hocc', from
hicce, hocce, being otherwise properly short.
The adverb hie, on the contrary, is long, being a contraction from heic, a
form which is often found in ancient inscriptions. The ablative hue is long
for a similar reason, being contracted from hoic.
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? FINAL SYLLABLES.
*7
Exception I,--Sal,1 sdl,m and nil,0 are long.
Auson. Sal, oleum, fianis, mel, fiifier, herba ; novem.
Stat. Non sal, oxyfiorumve, caseusve.
Ovid. Ulterius sfiatium medio sol alius habebat.
Claud. Nil ofiis externa cufiiens, nil indiga laudis.
Exception II Hebrew names ending in L, have the
final syllable generally long; as Daniel, Rafifiael, Ismail.
Tert. Quam magnus Daniel, qualis vir, quanta fiotestas ?
Fortun. Qualiter aut Rafihael occursum imfienderit alma.
Victor. Nec tamen Ismail, Agar de semine natus.
TINAI. M.
M vorat Ecthlifisis : firisci breviare solebant.
When a syllable ends in M, and is immediately followed
by a word beginning with a vowel, that syllable is struck off
by Ecthlifisis.
Pers. O curas hominum ! o quantum est in rebus inane !
Virg. Monstrum horrendum informe ingens, cui lumen
adtmfitum.
The early poets however, frequently preserved the final
M before a vowel, and made the syllable short.
Ennius. Insignitajere turn millia militum octo.
I Sal comes from the old nominative" sate by apocope, and Charisius even
maintains that the word should alwavs be written sale. The following line
of Ennius, in which the old form sa'e occurs, is quoted by Aulus Gellius,
2, 26.
" Cxruleum spumat sale conferta rate pulsion. "
Dr. Carey is of opinion that sal was in reality short, and that Statins and
Ausonius made it long merely by poetic license, since the apocope could
never of itself lengthen sal from sale.
m Sol is long, because abbreviated from solus. " Cum sol dictus sit,
vel quia solus ex omnibus sideribus est tantus, vel quia, cum est exor-
tus, obscuratis omnibus solus apparet. " Cic. Nat. 1). 2, 27. --So also Bbe-
tliius, Cons. Phil. S, metr. 2.
" Quem quia respicit omnia solas
Ventm possis dicere solem. "
n Nil is long, because formed by contraction from nihil. With regard
to nihil, it is short according to the general rule. Ovid, it is true, makes it
long on two occasions; Met. 7, 644. and Ep. ex Pont. 3, 1, 113. ; but in
botii these instances it is lengthened by the csesai a.
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? 48
FINAL SYLLABLES.
Idem. Dum quidem unus homo Roma totu sufierescit.
Lucii. Pratexts ac tunica Lydorum oftu' sordidum omne.
A few instances also occur in poeis of a later age, as in
Lucretius, 3, 1095. 4, 1266. and in Horace, Sat. 2, 2, 28.
Lucr. Sed dum abest, quod arvemus, id exsufierare vi-
detur.
Idem. Vomerim atque locis avertit seminis ictum.
