Heavy Construction
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so some links may not work quite the way you would expect.
Cognate Accusative.
390.
An intransitive verb often takes the Accusative
of a noun of kindred meaning, usually modified by an adjective or in some
other manner.
This construction is called the Cognate Accusative or
Accusative of Kindred Signification:
- tútiórem vítam
vívere (Verr. ii. 118), to live a safer life.
- tertiam lam aetátem hominum vivabat
(Cat. M. 81), he was now living the third generation of
men.
- servititem servire, to be in
slavery.
- coíre societitam, to
[go together and] form an alliance.
a. Verbs of taste, smell, and the like
take a cognate accusative of the quality: -
- vinum redoléns
(Phil. ii. 63), smelling [of] wine.
- herbam mella sapiunt
(Pun. H. N. xi. 15), the honey tastes [of] grass.
- olére malitiam
(Rosc. Corn. 20), to have the odor of malice.
- Cordubae nátis poétis, pingue
quiddam sonantibus atque peregrínum (Arch. 26), to poets
born at Cordova, whose speech had a somewhat thick and foreign accent.
b. The cognate accusative is often loosely
used by the poets: -
- huic errórí similem
[errórem] ínsánire (Hor. S. ii. 3.62), to
suffer a delusion like this.
- saltáre Cyclópa
(id. I. 5.63), to dance the Cyclops (represent in dancing).
- Bacchánália vivere
(Iuv. ii. 8), to live in revellings.
- Amaryllida resonáre
(Ed. i. 5), to reëcho [the name of] Amaryllis.
- Intonuit laevum (Aen. ii. 693),
it thundered on the left.
- dulce ridentem, dulce loquentem
(Hor. Od. i. 22.23), sweetly smiling, sweetly prattling.
- acerba tuéns (Aen. ix. 794),
looking fiercely. [Cf. Eng. "to look daggers."]
- torvum clámat
(id. vii. 899), he cries harshly.
c. A neuter pronoun or an adjective of
indefinite meaning is very common as cognate accusative
(cf. §§214. d, 397. a.): -
- Empedoclés multa alia peccat
(N. D. 1.29), Empedocles commits many other errors.
- ego illud adsentior Theophrastó
(De Or. iii. 184), in this I agree with Theophrastus.
- multum té ista fefellit
opinió (Verr. 11.1.88), you were much deceived in this
expectation (this expectation deceived you much).
- plús valeó, I have
more strength.
- plúrimum potest, he is
strongest.
- quid mé ista laedunt
(Leg. Agr. 11.82), what harm do those things do me?
- hóc té moneó,
I give you this warning (cf. d. N. 1).
- id laetor, I rejoice at this
(af. d. N. 1).
- quid moror, why do I delay?
- quae hominés arant, návigant,
aedificant (Sall. Cat. ii. 7), what men do in ploughing,
sailing, and building.
d. So in many common phrases: -
- sí quid ille sé velit
(B.G. i.34), if he should want anything of him (if he should want him in anything).
- numquid, Geta, aliud me vis
(Ter. Ph. 151), can I do anything more for you, Geta (there is nothing you want of me, is there)? [A common form of leave-taking.]
- quid est quad, etc., why is it
that, etc.? [Cf. hoc erat quod
(Aen. ii. 664), was it for this that, etc.?]
NOTE 1:
In these cases substantives with a definite meaning would be
in
some other construction:
- in hoc eidem peccat, he errs
in this same point.
- bonís rébus
laetárí, to rejoice at prosperity. [Also:
in, de, or ex.]
- dé testámentó
monére, to remind one of the will. [Later:
genitive, §351.]
- officí admonére, to
remind one of his duty. [Also: dé
officit.]
NOTE 2: In some of these cases the connection of the
accusative with the verb has so faded out that the words have become real
adverbs: as, - multum, plús,
plúrimum; plérumque, for the most part, generally;
céterem, cétera, for the rest,
otherwise, but; prímum, first; nihil, by no means, not at all; aliquid, somewhat; quid, why; facile,
easily. So in the comparative of adverbs (§218). But the line cannot be sharply drawn,
some of the examples under b may be classed as adverbial.