Ch. 50 & 51

GERUNDS AND GERUNDIVES

The English equivalent of a Latin gerund is the verbal noun in -ing. E.g. Running* is fun. *verbal noun as subject

The gerund is a verbal noun made from the neuter singular forms of the gerundive. It has no nominative, and it is never used as a subject, a direct object, or a complement to an intransitive verb that takes an infinitive (like possum or soleo).
Examples: amandi (gen.), amando (dat.), amandum (acc.), amando (abl.)

In English we can sometimes use infinitives (to see) and gerunds (seeing) interchangeably.
To see is to believe./Seeing is believing.

Latin is more particular. Infinitives are reserved for subjects, predicate nominatives, direct objects, and verb complements.

Examples:
To see is to believe.
Videre (subject) est credere (predicate nominative).
He dared to come.
Venire (direct object) audebat.
We are able to leave.
Possumus discedere (verbal complement).

Gerunds may be used as an objective genitive or genitive complement to a noun or adjective. They are often found with a following causa or gratia (for the sake/purpose of) to show purpose.

Examples:
desirous of loving
cupidus amandi
opportunity for leaving
occasio/facultas discedendi
time for coming
tempus veniendi
to help/for the sake of helping
adiuvandi causa/gratia

They may be dative as the dative complement to a verb or other word (some adjectives take dative). These are often akin to a dative of purpose (for/for the purpose of).

Examples:
suitable for fighting
aptus/idoneus pugnando
He is eager to go.
Studet eundo.

In accusative gerunds are typically the object of ad or occasionally in. They usually show purpose and can be used in many of the same ways as ad + accusative gerund.

Examples:
He sent them to help.
Eos ad adiuvandum misit.
The book is suitable for reading.
Liber est idoneus ad legendum.

In ablative, a gerund may be used as an ablative of means/instrument (or perhaps ablative of cause) without a preposition or sometimes with in or de + ablative.

Examples:
They destroyed the city by burning (it).
Incendendo urbem deleverunt.
We talked about leaving.
De discedendo loquebamur.

GERUNDIVES

Gerundives have the same stem as gerunds but are 1st and 2nd declension adjectives with all their forms just as bonus -a -um. Technically gerundives are the future passive participle, but we often do not see this in translation.

Gerundives are often used in place of gerunds when a gerund would have an accusative direct object, but keep the gerund with verbs that are intransitive or take other cases (e.g. Kevin's "amor pugnandi cum ursis", "love of fighting with bears" because pugno is intrasitive). The gerundive, when used in place of a gerund and direct object, is usually translated in English by a gerund (verbing) or infinitive (to verb).
In Latin the noun and the gerundive go into the same gender, number, and case--the case being subject to the function in the sentence just as with a gerund. Note that the case comes from the function but the gender and number come from the noun; the gerundive just agrees.

Examples:
He came to see you all.
Ad vos videndos venit.
He fought for the sake of saving his country.
Patriae servandae gratia pugnavit.
The pen/quill is suitable for writing books.
Idonea penna ad libros scribendos (or "libris scribendis") est.
By defeating the enemy we have acquired freedom.
Hostibus vincendis libertate potiti sumus.

Beware that you should not use a gerundive however, if it would agree with a neuter pronoun in the genitive, dative, or ablative case when the gender would be ambiguous.

It is suitable for helping those things (things/not people).
Ambiguous, Bad Latin: Idoneum est adiuvandis eis*. *could be masc. or neuter
Good Latin 1: Idoneum est ad ea adiuvanda. {Gerundive avoids ambiguous case.
Good Latin 2: Idoneum est ea adiuvando. {Gerund with accusative pl. neuter object.

The Romans, and especially Caesar, also often avoided the jingling two syllable rhyme of phrases like "eORUM videndORUM causa" and "puellARUM puniendARUM occasio" by substituting a gerund with accusative object, "eos videndi causa" and "puellas puniendi occasio".

Genitives of personal pronouns used with gerundives must be the objective forms: mei, tui, sui, nostri (not nostrum which is for partive genitive), vestri (not vestrum which is for partive genitive).

A noun and gerund may be the object of a verb that means to manage or undertake an action. Curo, curare is the verb most often used this way.

Examples:
I see to it that the fort is built. ...that the fort be built.
Castrum aedificandum curo.
He managed to have the town destroyed. ...that the town be destroyed.
Oppidum delendum curavit.
They will undertake to defeat us. ...that we be defeated.
Suscipient nos vincendos.

PASSIVE PERIPHRASTIC

The gerundive may be used with a form of sum to show obligation or necessity.

Examples:
Pecunia paranda est. Money has to be gotten/prepared. / Someone must get/prepare money.
Liber erat legendus. The book had to be read. / Someone had to read the book.
Milites mihi* monendi erunt. The soldiers will have to be warned by me. / I will have to warn the soldiers.
*Unlike most passive forms the passive periphrastic takes a dative of agent with no preposition instead of a/ab + ablative (ablative of agent).