602. The poetry of the Indo-European people seems originally to have been somewhat like our own, depending on accent for its metre and disregarding the natural quantity of syllables. The Greeks, however, developed a form of poetry which, like music, pays close attention to the natural quantity of syllables; and the Romans borrowed their metrical forms in classical times from the Greeks. Hence Latin poetry does not depend, like ours, upon accent and rhyme; but is measured, like musical strains, by the length of syllables. Especially does it differ from our verse in not regarding the prose accent of the words, but substituting for that an entirely different system of metrical accent or ictus. This depends upon the character of the measure used, falling at regular intervals of time on a long syllable or its equivalent. Each syllable is counted as either long or short in Quantity; and a long syllable is generally reckoned equal in length to two short ones (with some exceptions).
The quantity of radical (or stem) syllables—as of short a in păter or of long a in māter—can be learned only by observation and practice, unless determined by the general rules of quantity. Most of these rules are only arbitrary formulas devised to assist the memory; the syllables being long or short because the ancients pronounced them so. The actual practice of the Romans in regard to the quantity of syllables is ascertained chiefly from the usage of the poets; but the ancient grammarians give some assistance, and in some inscriptions long vowels are distinguished in various ways— by the apex, for instance, or by doubling (§ 10.e, Note).
Since Roman poets borrow very largely from the poetry and mythology of the Greeks, numerous Greek words, especially proper names, make an important part of Latin poetry. These words are generally employed in accordance with the Greek, and not the Latin, laws of quantity. Where these laws vary in any important point, the variations will be noticed in the rules below.
603. The following are General Rules of Quantity (cf. §§ 9 - 11).
Quantity of Vowels
a. Vowels: A vowel before another vowel or h is short.
vĭa
trăhō
Exceptions
1. In the Genitive form -ius, ī is long.
utrīus
nūllīus
It is, however, sometimes short in verse (§ 113.c).
2. In the Genitive and Dative singular of the 5th declension, e is long between two vowels.
diēī
Otherwise, it is usually short.
fidĕī
rĕī
spĕī
Note— It was once long in these also.
plēnus fidēī (Ennius, at the end of a hexameter)
A is also long before ī in the old Genitive of the 1st declension.
aulāī
3. In the conjugation of fīō, i is long except when followed by -er.
fīō, fīēbam, fīam
BUT
fĭerī, fĭerem
So also fĭt (§ 606.a.3).
4. In many Greek words the vowel in Latin represents a long vowel or diphthong, and retains its original long quantity.
Trōes (Τρῶες)
Thalīa(Θαλεῖα)
hērōas (ἥρωας)
āēr (ἄηρ)
Note— But many Greek words are more or less Latinized in this respect.
Acadēmī̆a
chorē̆a
Malĕa
platĕa
5. In dīus, in ē̆heu usually, and sometimes in Dī̆āna and ō̆he, the first vowel is long.
b. Diphthongs. A Diphthong is long.
foedus
cui1
Exception—The preposition prae in compounds is generally shortened before a vowel.
praĕ-ustīs (Aen. 7.524)
praĕ-eunte (Aen.
5.186)
Note— U following q, s, or g, does not make a diphthong with a following vowel (see § 5, Note 2). For â-iō, mâ-ior, pê-ior, etc., see § 11.d, Note.
c. Contraction. A vowel formed by contraction (crasis) is long.
nīl, from nihil
cōgō for †co-agō
mālō for mā-volō
Note— Two vowels of different syllables may be run together without full contraction (synizēsis).
deinde (two syllables, for de-in-de)
meōs (one syllable, for me-ōs)
Often two syllables are united by Synæresis without contraction: as when părĭĕtĭbŭs is pronounced paryĕtĭbus.
d. A vowel before -ns, -nf, or -gn, is long.
īnstō
īnfāns
sīgnum
Quantity of Syllables
e. A syllable is long if it contains a long vowel or a diphthong.
cā-rus
ō-men
foe-dus
f. Position. A syllable is long by position if its vowel, though short, is followed by two consonants or a double consonant.
adventus
cortex
But if the two consonants are a mute followed by l or r the syllable may be either long or short (common).
alacris or alăcris
patris or pătris
Vowels should be pronounced long or short in accordance with their natural quantity without regard to the length of the syllable by position.
Note 1— The rules of Position do not, in general, apply to final vowels before a word beginning with two consonants.
Note 2— A syllable is long if its vowel is followed by consonant i (except in bĭiugis, quadrĭiugis): see § 11.d.
Note 3— Compounds of iaciō, though written with one i, commonly retain the long vowel of the prepositions with which they are compounded, as if before a consonant, and, if the vowel of the preposition is short, the first syllable is long by position on the principle of § 11.e.
obicis hostī (at the end of a hexameter, Aen. 4.549)
inicit et saltū (at the beginning of a hexameter, Aen. 9.552)
prōice tēla manū (at the beginning of a
hexameter, Aen. 6.836)
Later poets sometimes shorten the preposition in trisyllabic forms, and prepositions ending in a vowel are sometimes contracted as if the verb began with a vowel.
(1) cūr an|nōs ŏbĭ|cis (Claud. iv C. H. 264).
(2) reīcĕ că|pellās (Ecl. 3.96, at end).
Note 4— The y or w sound resulting from synæresis has the effect of a consonant in making position
abietis (abyetis)
fluviōrum (fluvyōrum)
Conversely. when the semivowel becomes a vowel, position is lost.
sĭlŭae for silvae
604. The Quantity of Final Syllables is as follows.
a. Monosyllables ending in a vowel are long.
mē
tū
hī
nē
1. The attached particles -nĕ, -quĕ,-vĕ, -cĕ, -ptĕ, and rĕ- (rĕd-) are short; sē- (sēd-) and dī-are long.
sēcēdit
sēditiō
exercitumquĕ rĕdūcit
dīmittō
But re- is often long in rēligiō (relligiō), rētulī (rettulī), rēpulī (reppulī).
b. Nouns and adjectives of one syllable are long.
sōl
ōs (ōris)
bōs
pār
vās (vāsis)
vēr
vīs
Exceptions—
cŏr
fĕl
lăc
mĕl
ŏs (ossis)
văs (vădis)
vĭr
tŏt
quŏt
c. Most monosyllabic Particles are short.
ăn
ĭncĭs
nĕc
But crās, cūr, ēn, nōn, quīn, sīn with adverbs in c (hīc, hūc, sīc) are long.
d. Final a in words declined by cases is short, except in the Ablative singular of the 1st declension; in all other words final a is long.
eă stellă (Nominative), cum eā stellā (Ablative)
frūstrā
vocā (imperative)
posteā
trīgintā
Exceptions—
ēiă
ită
quiă
pută (suppose)
trīgintă, in late use, etc.
e. Final e is short.
nūbĕ
dūcitĕ
saepĕ
Exceptions—
Final e is long:
1. In adverbs formed from adjectives of the first and second declension, with others of like form.
altē
longē
miserē
apertē
saepissimē
(So
ferē and fermē)
But it is short in benĕ, malĕ; īnfernĕ, supernĕ.
2. In nouns of the 5th declension.
fidē (also famē)
faciē
hodiē
quārē (quā rē)
3. In Greek neuters plural of the 2nd declension.
cētē
Also, in some other Greek words.
Phoebē
Circē
Andromachē, etc.
4. In the imperative singular of the 2nd conjugation.
vidē
However, sometimes it is short.
cavĕ
habĕ
tacĕ
valĕ
vidĕ (cf. §
629.b.1)
f. Final i is long.
turrī
fīlī
audī
Exceptions—
Final i is common in mihi, tibi, sibi, ibi, ubi; and short in nisĭ, quasĭ, sīcutĭ, cuĭ (when making two syllables), and in Greek Vocatives (Alexĭ).
g. Final o is common, but long in Datives and Ablatives; also in nouns of the 3rd declension. It is almost invariably long in verbs before the time of Ovid.
Exceptions—
citŏ
modŏ (dummodŏ)
immŏ
profectŏ
egŏ
duŏ
cedŏ (the imperative)
So sometimes octŏ, īlicŏ, etc., particularly in later writers.
h. Final u is long. Final y is short.
i. Final -as, -es, and -os, are long; final -is, -us, -ys, are short.
nefās
rūpēs
servōs (Accusative)
honōs
hostĭs
amīcŭs
Tethys
Exceptions—
1. -as is short in anăs and in Greek plural Accusatives.
lampadăs
2. -es is short in the Nominative of nouns of the 3rd declension (lingual) that have a short vowel in the stem.1
mīlĕs (-ĭtis)
obsĕs (-ĭdis)
Exceptions—
abiēs
ariēs
pariēs
pēs
the Present of esse (ĕs, adĕs)
the preposition penĕs
the plural of Greek nouns (hērōĕs, lampadĕs)
3. -os is short in compŏs, impŏs; in the Greek Nominative ending (barbitŏs) and the old Nominative of the 2nd declension (servŏs; later servus).
4. -is is long in plural cases, as in
bonīs
nōbīs
vōbīs
omnīs (Accusative plural)
5. -is is long in the verb forms fīs, sīs, vīs (with quīvīs etc.), velīs, mālīs, nōlīs, edīs; in the 2nd person singular Present indicative active in the 4th conjugation (audīs); and sometimes in the forms ending in -eris (Future Perfect indicative or Perfect subjunctive).
6. -us is long in the Genitive singular and Nominative, Accusative, and Vocative plural of the 4th declension, and in nouns of the 3rd declension having ū (long) in the stem.
virtūs (-ūtis)
incūs (-ūdis)
BUT,
pecŭs (-ŭdis)
j. Of other final syllables, those ending in a single consonant are short.
amăt, amātŭr
dōnĕc
făc
procŭl
iubăr
Exceptions—
hīc (also hĭc)
allēc
liēn
The Ablatives illōc, etc.
Certain adverbs in -c (illīc, istūc)
Some Greek nouns
(āēr, aethēr, crātēr)
605. Perfects and Perfect Participles of two syllables have the first syllable long.
iūvī, iūtum (iŭvō)
vīdī, vīsum (vĭdeō)
fūgī (fŭgiō)
vēnī (vĕniō)
Exceptions—
bĭbī, dĕdī, fĭdī, scĭdī, stĕtī, stĭtī, tŭlī
cĭtum,
dătum, ĭtum, lĭtum,
quĭtum, rătum, rŭtum,
sătum, sĭtum, stătum
In some compounds of stō, stātum is found (long).
praestātum
a. In reduplicated Perfects the vowel of the reduplication is short; the vowel of the following syllable is, also, usually short.
cĕcĭdī (cădō)
dĭdĭcī (discō)
pŭpŭgī (pungō)
cŭcŭrrī (currō)
tĕtĕndī (tendō)
mŏmŏrdī (mordeō)
BUT,
cĕcīdī from caedō
pepēdī from pēdō
606. Rules for the Quantity of Derivatives are:
a. Forms from the same stem have the same quantity.
ămō, ămāvistī
gĕnus, gĕneris
Exceptions—
1. bōs, lār, mās, pār, pēs, sāl—also arbōs—have a long vowel in the Nominative, though the stem vowel is short (cf. Genitive bŏvis, etc.).
2. Nouns in -or, Genitive -ōris, have the vowel shortened before the final -r.(But this shortening is comparatively late, so that in early Latin these Nominatives are often found long.)
honŏr
3. Verb forms with vowel originally long regularly shorten it before final -m, -r, or -t.
amĕm, amĕr, amĕt (compare amēmus)
dīcerĕr,
dīcerĕt
audĭt
fĭt
Note— The final syllable in t of the Perfect was long in old Latin, but is short in the classic period.
4. A few long stem-syllables are shortened.
ācer, ăcerbus
So dē-iĕrō and pē-iĕrō, weakened from iūrō.
b. Forms from the same root often show inherited variations of vowel quantity (see § 17).
dīcō (cf. maledĭcus)
dūcō (dŭx, dŭcis)
fīdō (perfĭdus)
vōx,
vōcis (vŏcō)
lēx,
lēgis (lĕgō)
c. Compounds retain the quantity of the words which compose them.
oc-cĭdō (cădō)
oc-cīdō (caedō)
in-īquus (aequus)
Note— Greek words compounded with πρό have o short.
prŏphēta, prŏlŏgus
Some Latin compounds of prō have o short.
prŏficīscor, prŏfiteor
Compounds with ne vary.
nĕfās
nĕgō
nĕqueō
nēquam