Genitives & Ablatives as Modifiers

Further Uses of the Genitive Case

Genitive of Indefinite Value. The genitive after verbs expressing valuation, estimation or opinion may denote an indefinite value:

hoc tantī esse habeō

“I consider this to be of such great value”

hoc floccī faciō

“I think very little of this.”

Genitive of the Material. The Genitive may express the material or substance of which a thing is made or of which it consists:

lībra aurī

“a pound of gold”

flūmina lactis

“rivers of milk”

Genitive of Quality. The genitive together with an adjective denoting measure or quantity may posit an essential attribute or characteristic of a thing:

fēmina eximiae statūrae

“‘a woman of extraordinary height”

flūmina lactis

“rivers of milk”

Further Uses of the Ablative Case

Ablative of the Measure of Difference. The ablative with comparative adjectives may express the degree of difference between the two terms:

altior capite

“taller by a head”

pudicior aequō

“more modest than (what is) right”

paulō post

“a little while afterwards”

Ablative of Specification. The ablative may express the domain with reference to which something holds true:

maior nātū

“older” (lit. ‘greater with respect to birth’)

corpore senex, animō agilis

“old in body, agile in mind”

Ablative of Quality (Descriptive Ablative). The ablative together with a modifying adjective may attribute a quality to a noun. Such ablative phrases are essentially adjectival, and often refer to physical characteristics:

mulier eximiā pulchritūdine

“a woman of exceptional beauty”

ariēs vellere aureō

“a ram with a golden fleece”

Ablative of Cause.The ablative, with or without a preposition, may express a cause:

ex īrā hoc dīxistī

“you have said this out of anger”

puerō absente sollicitus

“upset over the boy’s absence”