Running is a good exercise.
Not many people actually enjoy running.
People become healthier by running.
Strained knees and sore muscles are an unavoidable
consequence of running.
Dedicate yourself, therefore, to running.
In the construction of each of these sentences, the act of
running is treated as if it were a noun: in the first sentence,
"running" is the subject of the sentence; in the second it is the
direct object of the verb "to enjoy"; in the third it is used as
an adverb showing means; in the fourth it is the object of the
preposition "of"; and in the fifth it is the indirect object of
the verb "dedicate". The word "running" is a noun, but it is a
noun derived from a verb, namely, "to run". It is a "verbal
noun", therefore, which we call a "gerund" (JEHR uhnd).
As you can see, a verbal noun is a convenient way to talk
about an action, without the action becoming, as it were, actived
in the sentence. In none of these sentences is anyone actually
running, but each of them has the action of running written into
its grammar. The action is conceived of as an idea in these
sentence. It is turned into a noun: a gerund.
In English, we turn a verb into a gerund simply by adding "-
ing" to the first principal part of the verb. Latin, just like
English, can make a noun out of a verb and weave it into a
sentence. But that's not the end of it. Because English, for
the most part, is not an inflected language, we don't need make
special provisions for altering its ending to show the
grammatical relationship the gerund has to other words in the
sentence. We show grammatical function by position or by using
prepositions. In Latin, however, the gerund must be able to
decline to show case.
The gerund in the nominative case is simply the present
infinitive and treated as a neuter noun.
Currere est bonum.[1] (Running is good.)
Videre est credere. (Seeing is believing.)
What about the rest of the cases? The Latin gerund for the
oblique cases (all the cases except the nominative) is the first
principal part + nd + neuter endings from the second declension.
Here are a couple of gerunds are declined:[2]
A quick inspection shows you that the gerund looks very much like
the gerundive in the oblique cases. You can keep these two
distinguished in the following way: the gerund is a neuter
singular noun, declined in the second declension; but the
gerundive is an adjective, and will have therefore all possible
genders, cases, and numbers. So if you see a form like
"laudandos" or "capiendis" in a sentence you'll know immediately
that it can't be a gerund. A gerund can't possibly have those
endings. It has to be the gerundive. Remember, the gerundIVE is
an adjectIVE.
Here are some examples of the gerund used in different cases.
Discemus legendo.
(We shall learn by reading.)
Non mihi currere placet.
(Running does not please me or I don't like running.)
Omnes arbitrantur currendum esse bonum.
(Everyone thinks that running is good.)
Hinc veni ad currendum.
(I came here to run.)[3]
Currendo igitur te da.
(Dedicate yourself therefore to running.)
Hic facultas currendi non est.
(There is no possibility of running here.)
Another twist: because it is a verbal noun, the gerund can
also take objects dependent on it, just as if it were in one of
its conjugated forms. For example, look at the grammar of this
sentence: "Kicking the dog is no solution to your problem." What
is the case of "dog" here? Well, "Kicking" is the gerund in the
nominative since it is the subject of the verb "is," and "dog",
as the direct recipient of the action in the gerund, is the
direct object of "kicking", therefore in the accusative case.
Do you see? Even though it has become a noun, the verb
doesn't entire shed its verbal nature. It can still take an
object if it is transitive. Let's have a look at a few more
examples of this in English.
Only intelligent, perceptive students enjoy learning Latin.
"Learning" is the object of "enjoy;" "Latin" is the direct object
of the gerund "learning."
We learn many things by reading books.
"Reading" is adverbial (ablative in Latin); "books" is the direct
object of "reading."
Humiliating one's students is widely recognized as an
effective pedagogical method.
"Humiliating" is the gerund, subject of "is;" "students" is the
direct object of "humiliating."
So how does this work in Latin? Let's start with the gerund
in the nominative case. When the gerund is the subject of the
sentence (and thus in the nominative case), the object of the
gerund assumes the expected form.
Legere libros multos adiuvat discipulos.
(Reading many books helps students.)
Videre amicos suos omnibus placet.
(Seeing one's own friends pleases everybody.)
When, however, the gerund is itself in one of the oblique
cases and has an object dependent on it, Latin prefers another
construction. The object of the gerund assumes the case the
gerund would logically have, and the gerund becomes a gerundive
(without the sense of obligation or necessity) which agrees with
the noun in number, gender, and case.
Let's run through this again. How would you translate this
into Latin: "We will learn by reading books". You'd probably try
to write something like this:
We will learn = discenus
by reading = legendo (ablative of means)
books = libros (object of legendo)
And so you'd write "Discemus legendo libros. But Latin prefers
another construction. It thinks this way: "We will learn by
books being read." So in idiomatic Latin, our thought "We will
learn by reading books," comes out "Discemus libris legendis".
Do you get it? "Legendis" is now the gerundIVE modifying the
noun "libis", which is in the ablative case -- the case we put
our English gerund in. Let's look at another example of this.
I came to see my friends.
Expected: Veni ad videndum amicos.
In practice: Veni ad amicos videndos.[4]
Now try it another way. Rewrite these sentences into idiomatic
Latin, and translate
There was a lot of information to absorb in this chapter.
Try to read through this review paragraph. If you're uncertain
about any of it, go back and review the chapter.
"A gerund is a verbal noun. When the construction of
the sentence requires that the gerund be in the
nominative case, Latin uses the present infinitive as
the gerund. For all the oblique cases, Latin uses the
1st principal part + nd + the neuter, singular case
endings from the second declension. When the gerund is
in an oblique case and itself takes a direct object,
Latin prefers to use the noun in the case required by
the construction of the sentence for the orginal gerund
and converts the gerund to the gerundive in agreement
with the noun." 1.Hinc venit videndorum amicorum causa.
S/he came here to see [his/her] friends.
2. His faciendis omnes petiunt multam pecuniam.
They all seek much money by doing these things.
3. Magister diem omnem consumpsit in discipulis docendis.
The teacher spends each day teaching students.
4. Omnes sunt cupidi exponandarum harum insidiarum.
They are all desirous of exposing this plot.
5. Cives sequuntur virtutem his malis vitandis.
The citizens are pursuing virtue by avoiding these evil men.
[1] Note the gender of the adjective "bonum". It's
nominative because "currere" is nominative, and it's
neuter because a gerund is always neuter in gender.
[2] Obviously, there will be no plural forms for the
gerund. Think about it: "runnings"?
[3] Here's a very common use of the gerund: ad + the gerund
in the accusative equals a purpose clause.
[4] "Videndum" of the expected sentence is the object of
the preposition "ad," and "am~c~s" is the object of
"videndum." Therefore, "am~c~s" is converted to the
case of "videndum" while retaining its plural number,
and "videndum" becomes the gerundive and agrees with it
in number, gender and case.
[5] Did you forget this use of the noun "causa"? With a
preceding genitive, it means "for the sake of". What's
the preceding genitive here?
