Imperatives%20and%20vocatives

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Imperatives and vocatives
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Imperative or Command

• The imperative is used to give orders, to tell
  someone to do something
• Aperi ianuam! Open the door!
• Portate saccos! Bring the bags!
• Noli scribere nomen tuum!
• Dont write your name!

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The Imperative singular

• When you are addressing one person, the
  imperative form is very easy.
• Take the present active infinite (i.e., 2nd
  principle part) and remove the re.
• iacta! Throw! (from iactare)
• cave! Beware (from cavere)
• disce! Learn (from discere)
• audi! Listen (from audire)

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The imperative plural

• Imperative plural is made by adding te to the
  singular imperative (except in the 3rd
  conjugation).
• iacta! iactate! Throw! (from iactare)
• cave! cavete! Beware! (from cavere)
• audi! audite! Listen (from audire)

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3rd conjugation imperative plural

• In the 3rd conjugation, the e of the singular
  Disce! Lege! Preme!
• Becomes an i in the plural (mimicking the 4th
  conjugation).
• Discite! Legite! Premite!

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The Imperative singular irregulars

• All verbs follow this rule except for theses
  three (and sometimes their compounds)
• Dic! (from dico, dicere)
• Duc! (from duco, ducere)
• Fac! (from facio, facere)
• Some people add fer to make the easily remembered
  dic, duc, fac, fer. But fer actually follows the
  rules (remove the re from the infinitive ferre)

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Irregulars are regular in the imperative

• Fer! (from fero, ferre) Ferte!
• I! (from eo, ire) Ite!
• Other irregulars
• sum, esse, fui, futurus (to be)
• possum, posse, potui (to be able)
• volo, velle, volui (to wish, want)
• and their compounds as a general rule are not
  used in the imperative and have special forms
  that are used if needed.

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No irregular plurals

• All three irregular imperatives are from the 3rd
  conjugation and form regular plural imperatives
• Dic! (from dico, dicere) Dicite!
• Duc! (from duco, ducere) Ducite!
• Fac! (from facio, facere) Facite!

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Negative imperatives

• To tell someone not to do something
• Noli plus an infinitive is used.
• The plural of noli is nolite.
• Noli iactare saccos!
• Dont throw the bags!
• Nolite audire! Dont listen!

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In poetry, the word ne plus the positive
imperative can be used

• Ne curre! Dont run!
• Ne timete! Dont fear!
• (The present subjunctive can also be used as a
  type of imperative, but that will be treated
  later)

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Imperatives are often used with a noun that you
are addressing

• Puella, porta saccos! Girl, carry the bags!
• Duces, accedite ad oppidum!
• Leaders, approach the town.
• This word of address is called the vocative, and
  the form is the same as the nominative except in
  the 2nd declension singular
• Serve, aperi ianuam!

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-us to e, ius to eonly in the 2nd declension

• A 2nd declension word that ends in ius will use
  -i in the vocative filius fili!
• A 2nd declension word that ends in us will use
  -e in the vocative servus serve!
• So if you address Marcus Tullius Cicero directly,
  you will call Marce Tulli Cicero!
• (corpus, tempus are 3rd declension words and
  thus do not use this form)