Heavy Construction

Partitive Genitive.

346.

a. Partitive words, followed by the genitive, are -

1. Nouns or Pronouns (cf. also 3 below): -

• pars mílitum, part of the soldiers.

  

• quis nostmm, which of us?

  

• nihil erat reliquí, there was nothing left.

  

• nemo eorum (B. G. vii. 66), not a man of them.

  

• magnam partem eorum interfécérunt (id. ii. 23), they killed a large part of them.

2. Numerals, Comparatives, Superlatives, and Pronominal words like alius, alter, nullus, etc.: -

• tribúnorum, one of the tribunes (see c. below)

  

• sapientum octavus, (Hor. S. ii. 3. 296), the eighth of the wise men.

  

• milia passuum sescenta (B. G. iv. 3),six hundred miles (thousands of paces).

  

• maior frátrum, the elder of the brothers.

  

• animalium fortióra, the stronger [of] animals.

  

• Suébórum géns est longé maxima et bellicósíssima Germánorum omnium (B. G. iv. 1), the tribe of the Suevi is far the largest and most warlike of a11 the Germans.

  

• alter consulum, one of the [two] consuls.

  

• nulla eárum (B. G. iv. 28),not one of them (the ships).

  

• 3. Neuter Adjectives and Pronouns, used as nouns: -

  

• tantum spatí, so much [of] space.

  

• aliquid nummorum, a few pence (something of coins).

  

• id locí (or locorum), that spot of ground;

  

• id temporis, at that time (§ 897. a)

  

• plána urbis, the level parts of the town.

  

• quid novi, what news? (what of new ?)

  

• paulum framentí (B. C. i. 78), a little grain.

  

• plús doloris (B. G. i. 20), more grief.

  

• suí aliquid timoris (B. C. ii. 29) some fear of his own (something of his own fear).

NOTE 1: In classic prose neuter adjectives (not pronominal) seldom take a partitive genitive, except multum, tantum, quantum, and similar words.

NOTE 2: The genitive of adjectives of the third declension is rarely used partitively: nihil novi (genitive) , nothing new; but, nihil memorabile (nominative) , nothing worth nuntion (not nihil memorábilis).

4. Adverbs, especially those of Quantity and of Place: -

• parum oti, not much ease (too little of ease).

  

• satis pecúniae, money enough (enough of money).

  

• plurimum totius Galliae equitátú valet (B. G. v. 3), is strongest of all Gaul in cavalry.

  

• ubinam gentium sumus (Cat. i. 9), where in the world are we (where of nations) ?

  

• ubicumque terrárum et gentium (Verr. v. 143),wherever in the whole world.

  

• res erat eó iam loci ut (Sest. 68), the business had now reached such a point that, etc.

  

• eó miseriárum (Iug. 14. 3),to that [pitch] of misery.

  

• inde locí, next in order (thence of place). [Poetical.]

b. The poets and later writers often use the partitive genitive after adjectives, instead of a noun in its proper case: -

• sequimur té, sancte deorum (Aen. iv. 676),we follow thee, O holy deity. [For sancte deus (§ 49. g. N.)]

  

• nigrae linirum (Plin. H. N. viii. 193), back wool. [For nigrae linae.]

  

• expedítí mílitum (Liv. xxx. 9), light-armed soldiers. [For expedítí milites.]

  

• hominum cúnctós (Ov. M. iv. 631), all men. [For cunctos homines; cf. e.]

c. Cardinal numerals (except mília) regularly take the Ablative with e (ex) or de instead of the Partitive Genitive. So also quidam, a certain one commonly, and other words occasionally: -

• únus ex tribanis, one of the tribunes. [But also, unus tribanorum (cf. a. 2).]

  

• minumus ex illis (Iug. 1l), the youngest of them.

  

• medius ex tribus (ib.), the middle one of the three.

  

• quídam ex militibus, certain of the soldiers.

  

• únus de multís (Fin. ii. 66),one of the many.

  

• pauci de nostrís cadunt (B. G. i. 15), a few of our men fall.

  

• hominem de comitibus meis, a man of my companions.

d. Uterque, both (properly each) and quisque, each, with Nouns are regularly used as adjectives in agreement, but with Pronouns take a partitive genitive: -

• uterque consul, both the consuls; but, uterque nostrum both of us

  

• únus quisque vestrum, each one of you.

  

• utraque castra, both camps.

e. Numbers and words of quantity including the whole of any thing take a case in agreement, and not the partitive genitive. So also words denoting a part when only that part is thought of: -

• nos omnes, all of us (we all). [Not omnes nostrum.]

  

• quot sunt hostes, how many of the enemy are there ?

  

• cavé inimlcós, quí multl sunt, beware of your enemies, who are many.

  

• multí mllites, many of the soldiers.

  

• némo Romanus, not one Roman.