Chapter 386Allen and Greenough's Latin GrammarDickinson CollegeChristopher Francese
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Direct Object
The Accusative originally served to connect the noun more or less loosely with the verb-idea, whether expressed by a verb proper or by a verbal noun or adjective. Its earliest use was perhaps to repeat the verb-idea as in the Cognate Accusative (
run a race, fight a battle
, see §
390
). From this it would be a short step to the Factitive Accusative (denoting the result of an act, as in
make a table, drill a hole
, cf. §
273
. N.1). From this last could easily come the common accusative (of
Affecting
,
break a table
,
plug a hole
, see §
387
.
a
). Traces of all these uses appear in the language, and the loose connection of noun with verb-idea is seen in the use of stems in composition (cf. §
265
.3).
Compare
armiger
,
armor-bearer
, with
arma gerere
,
to bear arms;fidicen
,
lyre-player
, with
fidibus canere
,
to
(play on)
sing to the lyre.
Compare also
istanc tāctiō
(Plaut.),
the
[act of]
touching her
, with
istanc tangere
,
to touch her
(§
388
.
d.
N.2).
). It is impossible, however, to derive the various constructions of the accusative with certainty from any single function of that case.
The uses of the accusative may be classified as follows:
I. Primary Object
:
1. Directly affected by the Action (§
387
.
a
).
2. Effect of the Action Thing produced (§
387
.
a
). Cognate Accusative (§
390
).
II. Two Accusatives
:
1. Predicate Accusative (Of Naming etc.) (§
393
).
2. Of Asking or Teaching (§
396
).
3. Of Concealing (§
396
.
c
).
III. Idiomatic Uses
:
1. Adverbial (§
397
.
a
).
2. Of Specification (Greek Accusative) (§
397
.
b
).
3. Of Extent and Duration (§§
423
, 425).
4. Of Exclamation (§
397
.
d
).
5. Subject of Infinitive (§
397
.
e
).