Ablative Case (Review)

Review of the Ablative Case.

The Latin ablative comprises three separate case functions:

(a) The Ablative Proper expresses the idea of separation, privation, motion away from; it may be summarized by the English word from.

(b) The Associative-Instrumental Ablative expresses the ideas of association (‘together with’; ‘along with’) and instrumentality (‘by means of’; ‘with’). The basic idea is with.

Each of these uses occurs with and without modification by prepositions.

WITH PREPOSITIONS WITHOUT PREPOSITIONS

Ablative Proper

(‘from’) ā, ab: “away from”; with verbs of separation, wanting, (of personal agents) “by” lacking, freeing: careō, līberō, etc. ā vīllā – “from the house” spē carēmus – “We have no hope.” ā tē factum – “done by you” tē servitiō līberō – “I free you from slavery.” dē: “down from”; “about, concerning” dē monte – “down from the mountain” dē amicītiā – “about friendship” ē, ex: “out from, out of” ex urbe – “out of the city” ex īrā – “out of anger” sine: “without” sine legibus – “without laws”

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Associative-Instrumental (‘with’)

cum: “with; together with” gladiō — “with a sword” cum amīcīs — “with friends” vī — “by force” (accompaniment) (instrumentality: “by means of”)
cum celeritāte — “swiftly” summā celeritāte — “with the greatest speed” (manner) (manner — with adjective)

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Locative Ablative (‘in, on’)

in: “in, on”; “amidst, among” time when, time within wich in hāc urbe — “in this city” eō tempore — “at that time” in Gallīs — “among the Gauls” mediā nocte —“in the middle of the night” prō: “before”; “on behalf of”; “for” prō iūdice — “before the judge” prō patriā — “for one’s country” sub: “under, beneath” sub arbore — “under a tree” sub Caesare — “under Caesar”

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