501 Russian Verbs

[William Ryan]

  The centurion was wrong - domum is correct but is accusative, not 
locative. Or is that the joke?
Will

On 03/09/2010 11:03, Stephanie Briggs wrote:
> I'm reminded of the scene in Monty Python's "The Life of Brian", where Brian
> gets a grammar lesson from a Centurion.
>
> [*Brian is writing graffiti on the palace wall. The Centurion catches him in
> the act*]
> *Centurion<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000092/>*: What's this, then?
> "Romanes eunt domus"? People called Romanes, they go, the house?
> *Brian<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001037/>*: It says, "Romans go home. "
> *Centurion<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000092/>*: No it doesn't ! What's
> the latin for "Roman"? Come on, come on !
> *Brian<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001037/>*: Er, "Romanus" !
> *Centurion<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000092/>*: Vocative plural of
> "Romanus" is?
> *Brian<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001037/>*: Er, er, "Romani" !
> *Centurion<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000092/>*: [*Writes "Romani" over
> Brian's graffiti*] "Eunt"? What is "eunt"? Conjugate the verb, "to go" !
> *Brian<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001037/>*: Er, "Ire". Er, "eo", "is",
> "it", "imus", "itis", "eunt".
> *Centurion<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000092/>*: So, "eunt" is...?
> *Brian<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001037/>*: Third person plural present
> indicative, "they go".
> *Centurion<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000092/>*: But, "Romans, go home" is
> an order. So you must use...?
> [*He twists Brian's ear*]
> *Brian<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001037/>*: Aaagh ! The imperative !
> *Centurion<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000092/>*: Which is...?
> *Brian<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001037/>*: Aaaagh ! Er, er, "i" !
> *Centurion<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000092/>*: How many Romans?
> *Brian<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001037/>*: Aaaaagh ! Plural, plural, er,
> "ite" !
> *Centurion<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000092/>*: [*Writes "ite"*] "Domus"?
> Nominative? "Go home" is motion towards, isn't it?
> *Brian<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001037/>*: Dative !
> [*the Centurion holds a sword to his throat*]
> *Brian<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001037/>*: Aaagh ! Not the dative, not
> the dative ! Er, er, accusative, "Domum" !
> *Centurion<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000092/>*: But "Domus" takes the
> locative, which is...?
> *Brian<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001037/>*: Er, "Domum" !
> *Centurion<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000092/>*: [*Writes "Domum"*]
> Understand? Now, write it out a hundred times.
> *Brian<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001037/>*: Yes sir. Thank you, sir. Hail
> Caesar, sir.
> *Centurion<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000092/>*: Hail Caesar ! And if it's
> not done by sunrise, I'll cut your balls off.
>
> Funny thing was, when I saw this for the first time, I was pre-empting Brian
> on the correct cases he should use ("Accusative! Dative!"). Yeah, I need a
> hobby. Actually, I have one; I run my own Etsy knitting business. :)
>
> *****************************
> ~Stephanie D. (Sures) Briggs
> http://sdsures.blogspot.com/
>
> Come have a look at my handmade knitted afghans and scarves!
> THIRD SALE: 06/08/10!
> http://warmochfuzzy.etsy.com/
>
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