Experience III, Lesson 26: Ablative Absolute Principles

Learning the principles of the Ablative Absolute

1. The Ablative Absolute is most common everywhere, found in Latin of all times and places
   Corollary: It is very beloved

   It is never alone, but always part of a principal sentence

   Corollary: It functions as a subordinate phrase/clause

   There are two essential parts to each Ablative Absolute phrase/clause

   1. Subject

   2. Verb

   The Ablative Absolute can consist of 2 to 200 words

   Corollary: There may be many subordinate phrases in between the Subject and Verb

   The Subject is in the Ablative case
   The Verb is a Participle in the Ablative case

   Corollary: Any of our 4 Participles can form an Ablative Absolute, although it is usually with the Contemporaneous (active) and Antecedent (passive), almost never found with the Participle of Futurity or Necessity

   Exception: There is one famous exception that doesn't have a Participle - see Lesson 27

   Very often in this phrase/clause, the Romans begin with the verb, and the subject of the Ablative Absolute follows

   Corollary: The Subject is sometimes far away - see #4

   The Ablative Absolute has the natural meaning of the Participle

   Corollary: The natural meaning never changes

N.B.:
• The Verb Participle and the Subject of the Ablative Absolute agree in number and gender.
• The Ablative Absolute always ends in "-e", not "-i"
  i.e. the contemporaneous participle used as an Ablative Absolute doesn't form as a Block II singular adjective "-i", but always as a Block II noun "-e".

Third Experience Latin - Fr. Reginald Foster

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