Ablative of Origin

The ablative without a preposition can be used to express the origin from which someone or something came.  It generally is used to express a person's origins (and often with the verb/participle "natus").  Here are some examples:
bulletvir nobili genere natus, "a man of noble birth"
bulletQuintus libertino patre natus est, "Quintus was born of a freedman father".  

Note how this construction is very similar to an ablative of separation.

Other Ablative Uses

Ablatives with Prepositions
Ablative of Comparison
Degree of Difference
Ablative of Manner
Ablative of Means
Ablative Object
Ablative of Origin
Ablative of Place from Which
Ablative of Price
Ablative of Quality
Ablative of Separation
Ablative with Adjectives
Ablative of Time When
Ablative of Time Within Which

----------------------------------

Main Index

Syllabus
Handouts
Latin Reference

----------------------------------

Related Topics

Noun Syntax

Lesson Chapter 40

Ablative of Separation

Ablatives with Prepositions

Home

Last Updated March 18, 2003

Questions, comments and corrections should be sent to Brian K. Harvey, Kent State University