SUPINE
DEFINITION:
The SUPINE is a verbal noun (cf. the participle, a verbal adjective). The Supine belongs
to the Fourth Declension, and is Masculine. In Classical Latin, it is found in only two of
its cases: the accusative singular and the ablative singular.
EXAMPLES:
CONJ. PRESENT SUPINE
SUPINE
ACCUSATIVE ABLATIVE
(I)
AMO
amatum
amatu
(II)
VIDEO
visum
visu
(III)
DICO
dictum
dictu
(IV)
AUDIO
auditum
auditu
(IV)
SENTIO
sensum
sensu
GRAMMAR:
Since the Supine is a noun, it can be used in a (small) variety of ways as a noun is used.
As a verbal noun, it can act like a verb, in that a verb which is transitive can take a direct
object in the accusative.
I. Chiefly after verbs of MOTION, the accusative of the supine (without a preposition) is
used to express PURPOSE:
It urbem captum.
"He goes to capture the city."
Stultitia est venatum ducere invitas canes.
"Stupidity is ('consists in') leading out unwilling dogs to hunt."
Hannibal patriam defensum revocatus est.
"Hannibal was summoned back to defend his fatherland."
[patriam is the object of the supine.]
II. Chiefly with adjectives, the ablative of the supine (without a preposition) is used to
indicate the point-of-view from which something is seen ('the ablative of respect'). It
NEVER takes an object.
Dolor erat difficilis latu.
"The pain was hard to bear."
Liber erat facilis lectu.
"The book was easy to read."
III. Supine plus the impersonal passive infinitive of the verb EO (IRI) represent the idea
which would have been expressed by the future infinitive passive (if it had existed).
Dixit urbem captum iri.
"He said that the city was going to be captured"
Adapted from http://www.csun.edu/~hcfll004/supine.html
SUPINE
Underline the Latin supine and translate the sentence.
1. Pacem a nobis petitum venerunt.
2. Hoc est optimum factu.
3. Has litteras tibi redditum iri putabam.
4. Nefas est dictu.
5. Legatos ad Caesarem mittunt rogatum auxilium. (De Bello Gallico I. 11.2 )
6. Credo occisum iri Caesarem.
7. Legati ad Caesarem gratulatum convenerunt.
8. Haec res est facilis cognitu.
Write the correct form of the supine and translate the whole sentence.
9. Aeneas milites _____________________ misit. (to fight)
10. Hoc est durum _____________________. (to find)