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Ablative Absolutes!

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Ablative Absolutes

•  The ablative absolute is a VERYcommon construction in Latin.

•

It’s a great example of ho Latinuses ust a fe or"s to express alonger concept.

• Let’s loo# at the to components ofablative absolutes$

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%here Ablative Absolutes&ome 'rom

• In Latin( ablative absolutes are phrases.

•  The) usuall) have one noun * oneparticiple.

•  The) can also have + nouns * noparticiple.

• ,ince e’ve been or#ing ith

participles recentl)( )ou’ll see a lot ofthose in )our exercises.

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Ablative Absolutes

• -art I /Ablative0

•  This is prett) straightforar". Theablative absolute is a phrase of atleast 2 words, and those wordsare in the ablative case.

•  That narros "on the en"ings e can

use – A( 12( 1E( 13 4singular5

 – I,( 1I63,( 1E63, 4plural5

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Ablative Absolutes

• -art II /Absolute0

•  This part is a little strange( but e "o

have absolutes in English.• /Absolute0 means /free from.0

•  The or"s in the ablative absolute

phrase can’t be grammaticall)connecte" to an) other or"s in thesentence.

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Ablative Absolutes

• A fe examples of /absolutes0 in English – All things considered, I thin# the team pla)e" prett)

ell.

 – That being the case, there’s reall) nothing she can"o.

 The /absolute0 outlines the circumstances orbac#groun" against hich the main action of thesentence ta#es place.

RE7E76ER the absolute cannot contain an) or"srepeate" in the rest of the sentence( orgrammatically  connecte" to an) other or"s in thesentence.

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I"entif)ing Absolutes

•  The bo)( sent to visit his aunt( lost his a).

• After the bo) ha" been free"( ever)one ashapp).

•

After the mone) as given( the bo) asreturne" to his parents.

•  The bo)s having been compelle" to stop8ghting( the principal ent bac# to her o9ce.

•

:aving rea" the boo#s( e returne" them tothe librar).

• After putting the prisoner in ail( thepoliceoman ent home.

 ;;;  ;;;; ;; 

 ;;;;;   ;;;; 

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:o To Translate ’Em

•  

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:o to Translate ’Em

• 2l")1but1goo") version II 4for noun* noun5

• %IT: ;;;;;;; A, ;;;;;;;;; 

 – &aesare "uce( milites bene pugnaverunt.

 – %ith &aesar as lea"er( the sol"iers foughtell.

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:o to Translate ’Em•

 Those ol")1but1goo") versions or# 2@( but)ou can ma#e them soun" better. – Libro amisso( puella legere non poterat. – %ith the boo# having been lost( the girl as

not able to rea".

• 6ecause the boo# ha" been lost( the girlas not able to rea".

• ,ince the boo# ha" been lost( the girl asnot able to rea".

• %hen the boo# ha" been lost( the girl asnot able to rea".

• RE7E76ER ablative absolutes "escribe thecircumstances or con"itions 4bac#groun"5

against hich the sentence ta#es place.

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:o to Translate ’Em

•  Those /ol")1but1goo")0 versions or# 2@( but )ou canma#e them soun" better. – &aesare "uce( milites bene pugnaverunt. – %ith &aesar as lea"er( the sol"iers fought ell.

•

6ecause &aesar as the lea"er( the sol"iers fought ell.• %hen &aesar as the lea"er( the sol"iers fought ell.• ,ince &aesar as the lea"er( the sol"iers fought ell.

Words used to translate AA’s

(depends on the overall meaning of the sentence…check carefull!"

when, was, since, after, because, if, although,when…was….