Gerund and Gerundive

Gerund and Gerundive Basic Uses and Constructions The gerund is a verbal noun like the infinitive, but used only in the oblique cases. It is active in meaning, e.g. ad dēligendum: ‘for the purpose of choosing.’ The forms of the gerund for dēligō, dēligere, dēlēgī, dēlēctus are: (Nom. Deligere) Gen. Deligendi Dat. Deligendo Acc. Deligendum Abl. Deligendo The gerund functions grammaticaly like a noun, but retains its verbal force and may therefore be accompanied by an adverb or govern an object. The most difficult aspect of the gerund lies in understanding in what circumstances it may govern an object. The gerundive is a verbal adjective, formed from the ‘future passive participle’: dēligendus, a, um.1 Usage The most common uses of the gerund are without an object: 1)In the genitive after a substantive, adjective, or preposition governing a genitive. genus dicendi, studium discendi, cupidus dominandi, insuetus navigandi, beate vivendi causa 2)In the accusative after ad. Paratus ad dimicandum; locus ad insidiandum idoneus 3)In the ablative to describe circumstance or means (sometime with in or de, rarely ex and ab) nando salutem petere; multi patrimonia effuderunt inconsulte largiendo; de bene vivendo disputare The rules for determining whether to use the gerund or the gerundive governing an object are complex, but there are a few helpful guidelines: 1)The gerund in the genitive may, under certain circumstances, govern an object.2 libros legendi causa venit. Cupiditas libros legendi. 2)The gerund must be used when the object is a neuter pronoun or a neuter adj (usu. pl.). ars vera ac falsa diiudicandi.3 Cupiditas id videndi. 3)The gerund in the ablative w/out a preposition is common, especially to contrast two ideas or actions. Iniurias ferendo maiorem laudem quam ulciscendo mereberis. Nihil agendo. The gerundive is required under the following circumstances: 1)In the dative, i.e. when the gerund would be in the dative, the gerundive must be used: rei gerendae diem dicere (statuere, praestituere): to set a day/appointment for acting on a matter decemviri legibus scribendis (scribundis, old Latin) Vestae colendae virgines praeerant: Maidens were in charge of attending (to the cult of) Vesta An exception, the legal phrase: solvendo non esse, ‘to be unable to pay, to be insolvent.’ 2)After a preposition (exception is ad + acc. with no object, vide supra) Ad bella suscipienda Gallorum alacer ac promptus es animus 1 As a mnemonic for not confusing the gerund and gerundive, think of adjective and gerundive. This is mostly the case with a plural object to ‘avoid’ phrases such as cupiditas librorum legendorum. The heavy repetition of the genitive plural in –orum was generally eschewed, but this is not a rule and there are numerous exceptions. Latin prefers the gerundive in the singular: consilium relinquendae Italiae is better than relinquendi Italiam. 3 It is often said that this rule avoids confusion about the gender of the object: ars verorum ac falsorum diiudicandorum. Does this mean ‘the skill of distinguishing true things from false ones’, or ‘…true men from false men’? 2 In conservanda patria fuit crudelis (but in conservando aliquid, vide supra) Multa sunt dicta ab antiquis de contemnendis rebus humanis Virtus constat ex hominibus tuendis The predicative use of the gerundive. Transitive verbs are used with the gerundive in a ‘personal’ contstruction to express purpose. Intransitive verbs or verbs used intransitively or absolutely, require an ‘impersonal’ construction, i.e. they take the gerund. Personal Impersonal Epistulae scribendae sunt Scribendum est Vulnera sananda sunt Vulneribus medendum est Iniuriae obliviscendae sunt Iniuriarum obliviscendum est Special Rule for the PUFFV verbs (potior, utor, fruor, fungor, vescor) These verbs govern the ablative in classical Latin (in older Latin they govern the accusative!) and are therefore intransitive verbs. But, in the oblique cases they may be used predicatively with a gerundive, i.e. they are an exception to the rule that intransitive verbs can only be used impersonally. This exception applies only to the oblique cases, however. In the nominative, these verbs must be used impersonally, i.e. with the gerund. In muneribus fungendis diligentiam adhibere Spes potiundorum castrorum4 De utenda pecunia disputare BUT His rebus utendum est (NOT hae res utendae sunt) The use of the personal pronouns with the gerundive A gerundive standing with a personal pronoun in the genitive is always in the singular, even if the subject is clearly plural. I.e. the personal pronouns ending in –ī are accompanied by a gerundive ending in –ī, not ōrum or ārum, which one would intuitively expect. Tui placandi es copia, o dea Vestri adhortandi causa adsum Galli sui purgandi gratia legatos mittunt The dative of agent, dativus auctoris The dative of agent is used with the gerund(ive) to express the agent, rather than a/ab plus the ablative. With those verbs or constructions governing a dative, if confusion can arise, a/ab plus the ablative will be used. Agricolae ager colendus est. Cf. obtemperandum est liberis <-> parentibus obtemperandum est Ceteris populi Romani auctoritati parendum est Ei a me gratiam referendam scio (NOT ei mihi gratiam referendam scio) The accusative after verbs of giving, taking, asking, provision Dare, tradere, (per)mittere, concedere, sumere (take), accipere (take on), suscipere (take upon oneself), redimere (to take over), conducere (to rent), poscere, curare (to see to it that, provide for), locare (commission) Trado tibi librum legendum. Caesar pontem faciendum curavit. (Cf. Caesar pontem fieri iussit) Verres municipem quendam vasa inspiciunda poposcit: V. demanded from some citizen the jugs for inspection. Consules porticum restituendam locaverunt; Porticus a consulibus restituenda locata est. Note this is an exception to the general tendency to avoid the repeated –orum ending required by the gerundive. For this reason the use of the gerund in the genitive to govern a plural object is a tendency rather than a rule. 4