Heavy Construction
The Allen and Greenough is still under construction;
so some links may not work quite the way you would expect.
Object.
274.
The person or thing immediately affected by the
action of a verb is called the Direct Object.
A person or thing indirectly affected by the action of a verb is
called the Indirect Object.
Only transitive verbs can have a Direct Object; but an Indirect Object
may be used with both transitive and intransitive verbs (§§362, 366): -
- pater vocat fílium
(direct object), the father calls his son.
- mihi (ind. obj.) agrum (dir. obj.) ostendit, he showed me a field.
- mihi (ind. obj.) placet, it is pleasing to me.
NOTE: The distinction between transitive and intransitive
verbs is not a fixed distinction, for most transitive verbs may be used
intransitively, and many verbs usually intransitive may take a direct
object and so become transitive (§ 388. a).
a. With certain verbs, the Genitive,
Dative, or Ablative is used where the English, from a difference in
meaning, requires the direct object (Objective): -
- hominem videó, I see the man (Accusative).
- hominí servió, I serve the man (Dative, see § 367).
- hominis misereor, I pity the man (Genitive, see § 354. a).
- homine amícó útor, I treat the man
as a friend (Ablative, see § 410).
b. Many verbs transitive in Latin are
rendered into English by an intransitive verb with a preposition: -
- petit aprum, he aims at the boar.
- laudem affectat, he strives efter praise.
- cúrat valétúdinem, he takes care of
his health.
- meum cásum doluerunt,
they grieved at my misfortune.
- rídet nostram ámentiam (Quinct. 55) he laughs at
our stupidity.