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Latin from scratch course › #12: CUM › #12.27: Syntax of CUM

Latin from scratch #12.27: Syntax of CUM

In the twenty-seventh class of the Latin from Scratch course, we’ll study one of the (initially) most confusing and complex words: the conjunction cum, which we already know as a preposition.

I explain everything in the following video (⏳ 15m 07s ⌛):

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Contents

  • Summary of the syntax of CUM
  • CUM as an ablative preposition
  • CUM as a time conjunction
  • Narrative CUM
    • With imperfect
    • With pluperfect
  • Other less common uses of CUM

Summary of the syntax of CUM

The word cum has many different functions in Latin, some of them very frequent, which is why we need to learn how to identify the specific value in a given text.

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Let’s start by summarizing the syntax of cum on a table:

Syntax of CUM: table with summary

CUM as an ablative preposition

When the word cum is followed by a word in the ablative case, most of the times it will be a preposition which introduces an adverbial of company with, or hostile company against.

Caesar cum equitibus venit.

Caesar came with the cavalrymen.

Nautae cum piratis pugnant.

The sailors fight against the pirates.

However, we might find the word cum followed by ablative with one of the functions we will study in a moment. In this case, it is just a coincidence that we have cum + ablative: the ablative is independent from cum and it is any other kind of adverbial.

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You should also take into account that there might be a genitive between cum and its ablative.

Romani cum Vercingetorigis militibus pugnant.

The Romans fight against Vercingetorix’s soldiers.

CUM as a time conjunction

It can be the connector introducing an adverbial subordinate clase of time “when”. This is the case only when the verb of the subordinate clause is in the indicative mood.

Cum Caesar in Galliam venit, quattuor legiones habebat.

When Caesar came to Gaul, he had four legions.

In the same syntactic context, the conjunction cum might be emphasized by the word primum (thus cum primum), which adds immediacy. We can translate it as as soon as.

Narrative CUM

This is the most common structure, but it only appears when the verb of the subordinate clause is in the subjunctive mood, specifically imperfect or, less frequently, pluperfect.

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The term narrative cum (or historical cum) is a convenient way to call a construction with 2-3 simultaneous adverbial values: time, manner, cause. The translation into English should try to reflect all of them.

With imperfect

When the subordinate verb is imperfect subjunctive, the action described has happened very shortly before the main action.

Most of the times, English translates it just as when, but do try to see the difference between narrative cum and temporal cum:

Cum hostes videret, Caesar iussit impetum facere.

When/Since/Because he saw the enemies, Caesar ordered to attack.

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With pluperfect

In this case, the action described by the pluperfect has happened clearly before the main action. In English we will translate it as a pluperfect (but sometimes as a simple past, depending on the context and what feels right).

Cum hostes vidisset, Caesar iussit impetum facere.

When/Since/Because he had seen the enemies, Caesar ordered to attack.

Other less common uses of CUM

They are not as frequent, so most of the times we should begin by just trying to select one of the above. In any case, let’s briefly summarize the other functions if cum as a connector introducing adverbial subordinate clauses:

  • Causal conjunction, only if the subordinate verb is in the present subjunctive or, less frequently, perfect subjunctive.
  • Concessive conjunction, the rarest, but easy to spot, since in the main clause there is some particle such as tamen, attamen, nihilominus, etc.

The syntax of cum is a hard topic which really needs to be practiced, so let’s go!

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Next: Syntax of CUM →

Paco Álvarez

About Paco Álvarez

I’m Paco Álvarez, a Spanish classical philologist. For years I’ve been teaching Latin and Greek online to Spanish students. When I saw there was nothing like my AcademiaLatin.com for English-speaking Latin lovers, I decided to create it myself, and that’s how LatinFromScratch.com was born.

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Course content

  1. Quick start
  2. Introduction
  3. Cases and their functions
  4. The five declensions
  5. First declension
  6. Verbal conjugation
  7. Present tense
  8. Second declension
  9. 2-1-2 adjectives
  10. Imperfect past tense
  11. Future tense
  12. Third declension nouns
  13. Third declension adjectives
  14. Perfect past tense
  15. Adverbials of place
  16. Fourth declension
  17. Fifth declension
  18. Pluperfect tense
  19. Possessives
  20. Personal pronouns
  21. Apposition
  22. Predicative complement
  23. Present subjunctive
  24. Imperfect subjunctive
  25. Perfect subjunctive
  26. Perfect future indicative
  27. Pluperfect subjunctive
  28. Syntax of cum
  29. Syntax of ut & ne
  30. Comparison of adjectives
  31. Superlative adjectives
  32. Adverbs from adjectives
  33. Demonstratives
  34. Relative clauses
  35. Passive voice
  36. Deponent verbs
  37. Relative time
  38. Participles: morphology
  39. Participles: syntax
  40. Infinitives
  41. Compounds of sum
  42. Irregular verbs
  43. Imperative

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