In message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Hans Zimmermann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes >Dear collegae, >reading the hexametra of Bucolica 4 I have some "fastidia longa", for I search >solution of the problem: how to read verse 61; (I write it here in the context >of verse 60): > >incipe parve puer risu cognoscere matrem: >matri longa decem tulerunt fastidia menses > >it seems to be: >m�tri l�nga dec�m tul?r�nt fast�dia m�nses > >but I don't know any rule, that allows a short paenultima in the 3.person >plural >perfect. > >Does anyone know wether somewhere else another verse can be found with such a >short syllabe in the 3.plural-perfect-form? > This was the historically correct form, in which -er- (short e) before a vowel (as in the pluperfect and future perfect indicative and the perfect subjunctive) corresponds to -is- before a consonant as in -isti -istis and the pluperfect subjunctive; it was conflated with the alternative ending -ere (long vowel) to give the classical -erunt with long e. It survives in Italian (dissero < dixerunt with short e, etc.) is also found from time to time in archaic and classical poetry:
milli cum numero nauium decumo anno post subegerunt (Plautus: iambic octonarius) at huc frementis uerterunt bis mille equos (Horace: iambic trimeter on Greek principles, hence with short syllable in seventh position). It is also found in several places in classical dactylic verse, often corrupted by scribes to the pluperfect -erant; Scaliger restored the correct short-vowelled -erunt in several passages of Propertius. Best wishes Leofranc Holford-Strevens *_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_* Leofranc Holford-Strevens 67 St Bernard's Road usque adeone Oxford scire MEVM nihil est, nisi ME scire hoc sciat alter? OX2 6EJ tel. +44 (0)1865 552808(home)/267865(work) fax +44 (0)1865 512237 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (home) [EMAIL PROTECTED] (work) *_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_* ----------------------------------------------------------------------- To leave the Mantovano mailing list at any time, do NOT hit reply. Instead, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message "unsubscribe mantovano" in the body (omitting the quotation marks). You can also unsubscribe at http://virgil.org/mantovano/mantovano.htm#unsub
