Notes to Funerary Inscription for Nymphe

sei = si.
the spelling ei reflects vernacular pronunciation of the long -i. After si, quis = aliquis.
aveo, -ere, --
long for; be eager; desire (followed by an infinitive); the spelling with an initial h probably reflects colloquial pronunciation.
conferro, -ere, contuli, collatum
compare; infinitive after havet. It is conjectured that proprium (= his own), modifying dolore[m], was accidentally omitted by the carver: if proprium is added to the line after havet, it satisfies both grammar and meter.
dolor, -oris m.
sorrow; pain; trouble. Syntax requires dolore[m], which was spelled dolore because in colloquial speech a final -m before a vowel was not sounded. Supply dolori with nostro, dative case after conferre.
adsum, -esse, -fui
stay; pay attention (i.e., listen); jussive subjunctive.
nec conjunction
and not; not even; nor.
parvus, -a, -um
small, slight; the spelling ei reflects vernacular pronunciation of the long -i in parvis.
fleo, -ere, -evi, -etum
weep; lament; infinitive. The -que seems not to be the enclitic and; the carver must have misplaced the interpunct after rather than before -que (see gloss for ad).
lacrima, -ae f.
tear; the spellings (rough ch and the Y) suggest a Greek speaker.
colo, -ere, colui, cultum
cherish; devote oneself to; foster; puellam is the antecedent of quam, the object of coluit. Ll. 3-4 persuaded some scholars that the memorial was dedicated by her father, but they might also suggest the dedicator was an admirer.
dulcis, -e
sweet; dear.
gaudeo, -ere, gavisum (deponent in the perfect tense) + ablative
delight in; translate the perfect participle as active (note the masculine ending).
puella, -ae, f.
female child; girl; daughter; the object of locat in l. 4. Syntax requires puella[m]; in colloquial speech a final -m before a vowel or "h" was not sounded.
[hic locat]: this formula for the act of burial is conjectured as the missing opening of the line, with infelix, the dedicator, as the subject of the verb.
infelix, -felicis
ill-fated; unhappy; unfortunate; the adjective refers to the dedicator.
unicus, -a, -um
one and only; sole; refers to puella.
qui, quae, quod
who; him, her. The spelling indicates colloquial pronounciation of a long -i sound; cui is the relative pronoun referring to the dedicator, in the dative case after unica.
dum conjunction
as long as; while.
contractus, -a, -um
restricted, short; from contraho (draw together, reduce), it modifies tempora.
sino, -ere, sivi, situm
allow. The subject is tempora.
Nymphe, -es f.
young maiden; bride; nymph. Greek in origin and form (the Latin nympha also exists), the word may be a synonym for puella or the girl's proper name. If the latter, she could well have been a slave (often they were given Greek names).
eripio, -ere, -repi, -reptum
snatch violently; take away; followed by the ablative domu without a preposition.
suus, -a, -um
her/his/one's own; sueis = suis, dative after the adjective cara. The reflexive adjective refers back to Nymphe, who is the subject of the verb (tegitur); understand: members of family, household, friends.
tego, -ere, texi, tectum
bury; cover, hide; protect.
decus, -oris n.
beauty; modified by omne. Decus and figura are the compound subject of the singular verb est in l. 8.
voltus = vultus, -us m.
face, appearance; the case is genitive. In Republican Latin -o is often interchanged with -u (see parvos below in the l. 8).
eo adverb
so; to such a point; modifies the perfect participle laudata.
figura, -ae f.
shape, form.
umbra, -ae f.
shade, shadow.
levis, -e
light, slight. Supply et before parvos.
os, ossis n.
bone.
cinis,-eris m.
ashes; modified by parvos (read parvus).


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