Discussion:
Two questions
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Filius Romae
2005-12-12 01:30:25 UTC
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In the expression "OH, tempora, Oh, mores" would the case be vocative
or accusative? Someone is telling me that the vocative can only be
used for people and that the Romans used the accusative for things like
above. I have tried to find the answer in several grammar books but no
luck.

#2 How would you say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in Latin?

Thank you for all your help.

N
Daniel Hoehr
2005-12-12 12:00:35 UTC
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Post by Filius Romae
In the expression "OH, tempora, Oh, mores" would the case be vocative
or accusative? Someone is telling me that the vocative can only be
used for people and that the Romans used the accusative for things like
above. I have tried to find the answer in several grammar books but no
luck.
Indeed, according to Allen & Greenough's _New Latin Grammar_, the
"accusative is used in Exclamations" [397.d]. The examples listed there
are not too horrendously different from the one you quote ("o tempora, o
mores").
Post by Filius Romae
#2 How would you say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in Latin?
have a look at this thread:

http://tinyurl.com/c49um
Post by Filius Romae
Thank you for all your help.
N
DH
Douglas G. Kilday
2005-12-13 19:14:08 UTC
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Post by Filius Romae
In the expression "OH, tempora, Oh, mores" would the case be vocative
or accusative? Someone is telling me that the vocative can only be
used for people and that the Romans used the accusative for things like
above. I have tried to find the answer in several grammar books but no
luck.
"O tempora o mores" is parallel to Cicero's "O fortunatam natam me consule
Romam"; the construction is accusative of exclamation.

Someone is wrong, since examples of vocatives not referring to people can be
found. In Livy we have "audite, fines" and "Roma, cave tibi".

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