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Ablative of Specification.
418.
The Ablative of Specification denotes that i*
respect which anything is or is done :
- virtilte praecedunt (B. G. i. 1), they excel in courage.
- claudus alters pede (Nep. Ages. 8), lame of one foot.
- lingus haesitantls, v5ce absont (De Or. i. 115), hesitating in speech, harsh voice.
- sunt cairn bomine*s nc-n re sed nomine
(Off. 1.105), for they are men net fact, but in name.
- m*or rate, older; minor nitti, younger (of. §181. c).
- paudum aetate prsgressi (Cat. M. 83), somewhat advanced in age.
- cerpore senex ease poterit, aninib numquam
erit (id. 88), he may be an old man in body, he never will
be [old] at heart.
a. To this head are to be referred many
expressions where the ablative expresses that in accordance with whicb
anything is or is done
- meó júre,
with perfect right; but, meó
modó, in my fashion.
- mei sententli, in my
opinion; but also more formally, CX niCs senten
[Here the sense is the same, but the first ablative is
spec*cation, t second source.]
- propinquitite coniCuctOs atlue nstCrs
(Lael. 50), closely allied by kindred a nature. [Here the
ablative is not different in sense from those abov but no doubt is a
development of means.]
- qul vincit viribus (id. 55),
who surpasses in strength. [Here it is impossibi to tell whether
viribus is the means of the superiority or that in resp to which one is
superior.]
NOTE: As the Romans bad no such categories as we make, it is
impossible Classify all uses of the ablative. The ablative of
specification (originally inst mental) is closely akin to that of manner,
and shows some resemblance to means catwe.
For the Supine in -ú as an
Ablative of Specification, see §510.
b. The adjectives dignus and ind!gnue take
the aNative:
- vir patre, avG, nikidribus suis
dignissimos (Phil. iii. 25), a man most wort of his father,
grandfather, and ancestors
- te omni hondre indignissimum iudicavit
(Vat. 89), he judged you entir unworthy of every honor.
NOTE 1: So the verb dignor in poetry and later prose: as, -
hand equidem tan me dignor honors (Aen. i. 335), I do not deem myself worthy of such an honor.
NOTE 2: Dignus and indignus sometimes take the genitive in
colloquial usage and in poetry: -
- coram dignissimam tuae virtjitis
(Balbus in Att. viii. 15), care most worthy of your noble
character.
- dignussalitis (Plant. Trin. 1153), worthy of safety.
- ma gno-rum baud unquam indignus av5rum
(Aen. xii. 649), never unworthy of my great ancestors.