Morphology

Code	Meaning	Category
NOM	Nominative	Case
GEN	Genitive	Case
DAT	Dative	Case
ACC	Accusative	Case
ABL	Ablative	Case
VOC	Vocative	Case
LOC	Locative (classical remnants)	Case
SG	Singular	Number
PL	Plural	Number
M	Masculine	Gender
F	Feminine	Gender
N	Neuter	Gender
C	Common gender	Gender
1	1st person	Person
2	2nd person	Person
3	3rd person	Person
PRES	Present tense	Verb Tense
IMP	Imperfect tense	Verb Tense
FUT	Future tense	Verb Tense
PERF	Perfect tense	Verb Tense
PLUP	Pluperfect tense	Verb Tense
FUTP	Future perfect tense	Verb Tense
ACT	Active voice	Voice
PASS	Passive voice	Voice
DEP	Deponent (passive form, active meaning)	Voice
SEMIDEP	Semi-deponent	Voice
IND	Indicative mood	Mood
SUBJ	Subjunctive mood	Mood
IMP.MOOD	Imperative mood	Mood
INF	Infinitive	Mood/Form
PTCP	Participle	Mood/Form
GER	Gerund	Verb Form
GERUNDV	Gerundive	Verb Form
SUP	Supine	Verb Form
1ST CONJ	First conjugation (-āre)	Verb Class
2ND CONJ	Second conjugation (-ēre)	Verb Class
3RD CONJ	Third conjugation (-ere)	Verb Class
4TH CONJ	Fourth conjugation (-īre)	Verb Class
1ST DECL	First declension	Noun/Adj Declension
2ND DECL	Second declension	Noun/Adj Declension
3RD DECL	Third declension	Noun/Adj Declension
4TH DECL	Fourth declension	Noun/Adj Declension
5TH DECL	Fifth declension	Noun/Adj Declension
ADV	Adverb	Part of Speech
ADJ	Adjective	Part of Speech
NOUN	Noun	Part of Speech
PRON	Pronoun	Part of Speech
CONJ	Conjunction	Part of Speech
PREP	Preposition	Part of Speech
INTJ	Interjection	Part of Speech
REL	Relative pronoun	Pronoun Type
DEM	Demonstrative pronoun	Pronoun Type
PERS	Personal pronoun	Pronoun Type
POSS	Possessive adj/pron.	Pronoun Type
REFL	Reflexive pronoun	Pronoun Type
INDEF	Indefinite pronoun	Pronoun Type
CMPR	Comparative degree	Comparison
SUP	Superlative degree (From Gn through Ex 16:5 the code SUP was erroneously used for both the superlative degree and the supine, with no distinguishing marker)	Comparison
SUPER	Superlative degree	Comparison
POS	Positive degree	Comparison
+ABL	Governed by ablative	Government
+ACC	Governed by accusative	Government
PRED	Predicate (nominative/adjective)	Syntax Tag
APPOS	Apposition	Syntax Tag
OBJ	Direct object	Syntax Tag
IOBJ	Indirect object	Syntax Tag
ABL.ABS	Ablative absolute	Syntax Tag
INDECL	Indeclinable form	Special
INVAR	Invariable form (the word does not inflect; its form stays the same across case, number, gender, or tense)	Morphological Property

Difference Between INDECL and INVAR

INDECL identifies an indeclinable word. This is a lexical category in Latin.
Words marked as indeclinable belong to a class that does not take case, number, or gender endings at all.
Typical examples include many prepositions (ad, cum, sine), conjunctions (et, sed), and adverbs (hodie, cras).
Being “indeclinable” describes what kind of word it is in the Latin grammatical system.

INVAR identifies an invariable form. This is not a word class but a morphological behavior.
A form marked INVAR does not change in the specific context where it appears, even though the same word may have other forms elsewhere.
For example, tot (“so many”) does not inflect, yet it functions grammatically as an adjective/pronoun.
Thus, “invariable” describes how a particular form behaves, not the overall lexical category of the word.

In short:

INDECL = a word type that never inflects

INVAR = a specific form that does not inflect in use, even if the word itself may belong to an inflecting class

How to Read Latin Morphology Codes

When studying the Latin Vulgate, you will often encounter a series of abbreviations attached to each Latin word – these are Latin morphology codes. They concisely describe a word’s grammatical form (case, number, gender for nouns; person, tense, voice, mood for verbs; etc.) as well as sometimes its syntactic role. Learning to interpret these codes is key to understanding Latin sentences, as the morphology reveals who is doing what to whom, when, and how. This guide will walk you through the basics of these codes, common patterns in the Vulgate, and how to use them to confidently parse and interpret verses.

Basic Morphology Code Components

Latin morphology codes are typically combinations of abbreviated labels for grammatical categories. Each part of the code, separated by periods, represents one aspect of the word’s form. For example, a noun might be labeled NOM.SG.F – which stands for “nominative singular feminine.” A verb could be labeled 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND – meaning “3rd person singular, perfect tense, active voice, indicative mood.” Table-style Vulgate study tools define these abbreviations clearly. For instance, NOM means nominative case, SG means singular, F means feminine. Likewise, PERF means perfect tense, ACT active voice, IND indicative mood. By parsing each part of the code, you can reconstruct the word’s full grammatical description.

Case and Number (Nouns/Adjectives): NOM (nominative), GEN (genitive), DAT (dative), ACC (accusative), ABL (ablative), VOC (vocative), etc., combined with SG (singular) or PL (plural). These tell you the noun’s role (subject, possessive, object, etc.) and whether it’s singular or plural. For example, NOM.PL.M means “nominative plural masculine.”
Gender (Nouns/Adjectives/Pronouns): M (masculine), F (feminine), N (neuter) indicate the grammatical gender. For instance, SG.F added to a noun code tells you it’s feminine singular.
Person and Number (Verbs): 1, 2, 3 combined with SG or PL give the verb’s person and number (first person singular “I”, second person plural “you (all)”, etc.). A code starting with 3PL means “third person plural” (they).
Tense (Verbs): Common tenses are PRES (present), IMP (imperfect), FUT (future), PERF (perfect), PLUP (pluperfect), FUTP (future perfect). These indicate the time/aspect of the action. For example, PERF denotes a completed past action (Latin perfect tense).
Mood (Verbs): IND (indicative, for statements), SUBJ (subjunctive, for hypotheticals or subordinate clauses), IMP.MOOD (imperative, for commands), INF (infinitive), PTCP (participle), etc. The mood tells you how the verb is being used – as a straightforward fact, a possibility/command, or a verbal noun/adjective.
Voice (Verbs): ACT (active voice), PASS (passive voice), DEP (deponent), SEMIDEP (semi-deponent). Voice indicates whether the verb’s subject performs the action (active), receives it (passive), or if the verb is a special deponent form (we’ll explore deponents shortly).

For example, in a Vulgate interlinear study of Genesis 29:2, we see: vidit – he saw – 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND. Breaking this code down: 3SG tells us the verb is third person singular (so, “he/she/it” as subject), PERF is perfect tense (a completed past action), ACT is active voice (the subject is doing the action), and IND is indicative mood (a factual statement). Thus, vidit means “he saw”. By contrast, a noun in that same verse is labeled puteum – well – ACC.SG.M, showing it’s accusative singular masculine (the direct object of “he saw” in this sentence).

Noun and Adjective Morphology: Cases and Their Roles

Latin is an inflected language, meaning a noun’s ending (and its code) tells us its syntactic role in the sentence. Here’s how to interpret the case codes for nouns, pronouns, and adjectives, using examples from the Vulgate:

Nominative (NOM): The subject of a sentence or a predicate noun/adjective. A nominative code like NOM.SG.M would indicate a singular masculine noun serving as the subject (or renaming the subject). For example, in Genesis 35:10, “Israel” is labeled NOM.SG.M when God says “Israel erit nomen tuum” – “Israel shall be your name.” Here Israel is a nominative predicate name, referring to the same entity as the subject “name”. The nominative case often flags the doer of the action or an identity being equated.
Accusative (ACC): The direct object of a verb or the object of certain prepositions. For instance, in the verse “Et vidit puteum” (“And he saw a well”), puteum is labeled ACC.SG.M indicating it’s the direct object “well” that was seen. An accusative could also be part of a prepositional phrase (the code sometimes appears as PREP+ACC when a preposition governs it). Accusative tells us who or what receives the action of the verb.
Genitive (GEN): Shows possession or “of” relationships. A code like GEN.SG.F means singular feminine genitive. For example, Genesis 29:2 has ovium – of sheep – GEN.PL.F modifying “flocks” (greges) to indicate “flocks of sheep”. Genitives help identify ownership or association.
Dative (DAT): The indirect object, often meaning “to/for” someone or something. While fewer examples appear in simple narrative verses, a code such as DAT.SG.M might annotate a noun that receives something indirectly (e.g., “he gave his son a name” – his son would be dative in Latin). The morphology tag immediately flags that role.
Ablative (ABL): Used for a variety of functions – object of certain prepositions, or to express means, manner, time, or separation. For example, “in agro” (“in the field”) in Gen 29:2 has agro – field – ABL.SG.M with in as PREP+ABL. Ablative codes often pair with prepositions (in, cum, ex, etc.) or stand alone in special constructions (more on the ablative absolute below). If you see ABL, think “by/with/from/in” – context and the presence of a preposition will clarify which.
Vocative (VOC): Direct address (calling on someone). For instance, when Isaac says, “Quis es tu, fili mi?” (“Who are you, my son?”), fili “son” is VOC.SG.M. A vocative appears in dialogue when someone is being spoken to. The code alerts you that it’s not a subject or object, but a form of address.
Locative (LOC): An archaic case used for location in a few words (like “Romae” meaning “at Rome”). This is rare and typically indicated in morphology tools if encountered (e.g., LOC.SG for a singular locative).

Beyond case, noun/adjective codes include number and gender, which must match the noun’s usage. Adjectives carry similar codes and will match the nouns they describe in gender, number, and case. For example, in “Pater mi” (“my father”), pater is VOC.SG.M and the possessive adjective mi (“my”) is VOC.SG.M.POSS.ADJ, agreeing with “father” in case, number, and gender. Spotting that matching code pattern confirms which words go together (mi modifies pater).

Verb Morphology: Person, Tense, Mood, and Voice

Verbal codes can appear intimidating at first, but they follow a predictable order: person–tense–voice–mood (and sometimes additional info like infinitive or participle forms). Let’s break down each component using examples:

Person & Number: The code starts with the person (1, 2, or 3) and number (SG or PL). This tells you who the subject is grammatically. For example, 3SG means the verb’s subject is “he, she, or it,” whereas 1PL would mean “we.” Knowing this helps you connect the verb to the right subject in the sentence. If a verse reads “dixit Dominus” (“the Lord said”), the verb dixit would be tagged 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND (third singular, perfect, active, indicative), matching a third-person singular subject “Dominus.”
Tense: Latin has six tenses, and the code uses abbreviations like PRES (present), IMP (imperfect), FUT (future), PERF (perfect), PLUP (pluperfect), FUTP (future perfect). The tense tells you when the action happens and the aspect (e.g., ongoing vs completed). For instance, flevit in “et flevit” (“and he wept”) is coded 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND – the PERF (perfect) indicates a completed past action, essentially a simple past “wept”. Compare that to an imperfect like faciebat (3SG.IMP.ACT.IND) which would imply an ongoing or habitual past action (“he was doing” or “used to do”). Recognizing the tense code is crucial for translating the timing and completeness of the action.
Mood: Indicative (IND) is by far the most common in narrative (stating facts or questions), but you’ll also see SUBJ (subjunctive) in clauses of possibility or purpose, IMP.MOOD (imperative) in commands, and non-finite forms: INF (infinitive), PTCP (participle), GER (gerund), GERUNDV (gerundive), SUP (supine). The mood part of the code tells you how the verb functions. For example, sit might be marked 3SG.PRES.SUBJ if it’s a subjunctive (“may he be…” or in a clause like “so that he be…”). In the Vulgate, commands to groups appear as second plural with imperative mood, e.g. facite (“do!”) would have 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD. Identifying the mood helps you decide if the verb is a straightforward statement, a commanded action, or part of a subordinate clause that might express purpose, result, or condition.
Voice: Latin verbs have active or passive forms, and the code will note this as ACT or PASS. For example, when Jesus says “vocaberis” (“you shall be called”) in Genesis 35:10, the code is 2SG.FUT.PASS.IND, with PASS telling us it’s passive voice – Jacob is not doing the calling, someone else (God) is naming him. Passive voice indicates the subject receives the action. Active voice, like vidit – 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND (“he saw”), means the subject performs the action.

Most codes you see for finite verbs will thus look like “[Person][Number].[Tense].[Voice].[Mood].” Let’s take a real verse for illustration. In Genesis 42:24, after Joseph’s brothers speak, it says: “Avertitque se parumper, et flevit: et reversus locutus est ad eos.” – “And he turned himself away for a little while and wept; and having returned, he spoke to them”. Breaking down the verbs here:

avertit – “he turned away” – would be tagged 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND (third singular, perfect, active, indicative) just like vidit, since it’s a one-time completed action he performed.
flevit – “he wept” – also a straightforward active perfect: 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND. Knowing it’s active and perfect, we understand Joseph himself did the weeping, as a completed act.
locutus est – “he spoke” – this one is interesting: it uses a passive-looking form (locutus est) but is translated actively. That’s because loquor (to speak) is a deponent verb. The code would mark it as 3SG.PERF.DEP.IND, using the special voice label DEP (deponent) to show it’s a passive form with active meaning. We’ll discuss deponents in depth next, but even without knowing the term, the morphology tool would hint at this by labeling locutus est as DEP rather than PASS, alerting you that although it looks passive, it’s an active meaning (“he spoke,” not “he was spoken”).

Participles and Other Verbals

Not all verbs in Latin appear as simple finite verbs. Participles – verbal adjectives – are very common in the Vulgate and have their own codes. A participle will be coded with a form like PART or PTCP plus tense and voice, and then case/number/gender since it agrees like an adjective. For example, dicens (“saying”) in Genesis 35:10 is tagged PART.PRES.ACT.NOM.SG.M – a present active participle, nominative singular masculine. This tells us it’s describing a masculine singular noun in the sentence (indeed, it refers to God in that verse, “God, dicens…,” meaning “God, saying…”).

Similarly, perfect passive participles (often used to form the perfect passive or as descriptors) will have codes like PPT or simply be indicated by a combination like PERF.PASS.PTCP plus case endings. In our Genesis 42:24 example, reversus (“having returned”) is actually a perfect participle form. If isolated, reversus (from the deponent revertor) would be coded NOM.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP – nominative singular masculine, perfect passive participle. Why passive participle? Because grammatically it’s the participle form of revertor, even though as a deponent verb it translates actively (“having returned” rather than “having been returned”). In context, reversus is describing Joseph (masc. singular subject) and indicating a prior action (his return) before the main verb locutus est. A morphology tag in a study tool might even combine a syntax hint, e.g., ABL.ABS.PERF.PASS.PTCP if it were part of an ablative absolute (more on that shortly) or simply note it as a participle.

Other verbals you might encounter:

Infinitives (INF): Marked as INF (often with a present or perfect marker, e.g., PRES.INF). These are the “to __” forms (e.g., dicere – to say). They won’t have person or number, just tense (present or perfect) and voice. If you see INF in the code, you know that word is not the main verb but a subordinate verbal noun (e.g., after verbs of wishing, ordering, etc.).
Gerunds and Gerundives (GER, GERUNDV): These are less common, but a gerund (verbal noun, e.g., “speaking” as a noun) might be labeled GER with a case, and a gerundive (verbal adjective expressing necessity, e.g., “legendus” – to be read) is GERUNDV. These forms appear occasionally in the Vulgate (often in phrases like “ad faciendum” – “for doing [something]”). If you encounter them, the code will signal their special nature as verbals that behave as nouns/adjectives.
Supine (SUP): A rare verbal noun that occurs in certain expressions (like mirabile dictu, “wonderful to say”). If it appears, the code SUP will mark it. This is quite rare in the biblical text.

The key with participles and other verbals is to pay attention to both the verbal aspect (tense/voice) and the adjectival/noun aspect (case/gender/number or the presence of “to” for infinitive). Morphology codes lay all that out. For example, if you see PRES.ACT.PTCP.ACC.SG.M, you know it’s a present active participle, accusative singular masculine – likely describing a masculine noun and functioning as an adjective in an object phrase. A concrete case: “vidit stellam orientem” (“he saw the rising star”), orientem (rising) would be a present participle ACC.SG.F.PRES.ACT.PTCP agreeing with stellam (star, fem. acc. sg.). You can parse that instantly from the code.

Active, Passive, and Deponent: Understanding Voice

Voice deserves special attention, especially because of Latin’s deponent verbs. Here’s how to use morphology codes to grasp voice and its implications:

Active Voice (ACT): The subject does the action. Most verbs you encounter will be active. The morphology code simply shows ACT, and you translate it in the active sense. For example, dixit (“he said”) is 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND. There’s no complication here – identify the subject (often a nominative noun/pronoun) and read it straightforwardly.
Passive Voice (PASS): The subject receives the action. Latin passive forms are distinct (often involving endings like -tur for present, -batur for imperfect, -bitur for future, and a combination of participle + est/sum for the perfect system). When a code says PASS, translate with “is/was __-ed” or “will be __-ed,” etc., and look for the agent (if given, usually in ablative with ab or a). For example, complebuntur in Zacharias 8:5: “et plateae civitatis complebuntur infantibus…” means “and the streets of the city shall be filled with boys and girls.” The code for complebuntur is 3PL.FUT.PASS.IND (third person plural, future, passive, indicative). Recognizing it as passive tells us the streets (subject) aren’t doing the filling – rather, they will be filled (by unspecified agents, in this case simply meaning they will fill up with children). Had the verb been active (e.g., complebunt), it would mean “they will fill…,” implying someone actively fills something. So PASS vs ACT profoundly changes the sense; the morphology code ensures you catch that.
Deponent Verbs (DEP): These are a Latin peculiarity – verbs that are passive in form but active in meaning. The morphology tools usually mark these with DEP as the voice. For example, locutus est (from loquor, “to speak”) looks like a perfect passive (vocatus est would mean “he was called”), but loquor is deponent, so locutus est actually means “he spoke.” A good way to confirm is the code: if you see something like 3SG.PERF.DEP.IND, you know it’s a deponent verb’s perfect. The tool may also list the lemma (dictionary form) which for deponents ends in “-or” (loquor, sequor, patior, etc.). The Vulgate is full of deponent verbs (e.g., sequitur: “he follows”; ingressus est: “he entered”; mortuus est: “he died” – all passive in form, active in translation). Whenever a code has DEP, translate it actively. Compare a true passive to a deponent: vocatus est (3SG.PERF.PASS.IND from vocō) means “he was called,” but locutus est (3SG.PERF.DEP.IND from loquor) means “he spoke.” The morphology labels will prevent confusion by flagging deponents. Keep an eye out for the DEP tag or, if not explicitly tagged, remember common deponent patterns (often the translation or notes in the tool will clarify, as in a morphology breakdown note: “locutus est – deponent, passive form but active meaning, translated as ‘he spoke’”).
Semi-Deponent (SEMIDEP): A handful of verbs are only partly deponent – typically they have normal active forms in the present system, but their perfect is passive in form. An example is audeō, ausus sum (“to dare”). In the present, one would find audeo coded as 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND (“I dare”), but in the perfect you’d see ausus est with a form that looks passive. The code might be 3SG.PERF.SEMIDEP.IND or simply 3SG.PERF.PASS.IND with a note that it’s semi-deponent. In practice, semi-deponents are few, but if you spot a verb that switched voices between tenses, the code (and often a note in the morphology description) will alert you. Treat them like deponents in translation for the perfect tenses (e.g., ausus est = “he dared,” not “he was dared”).

By paying attention to the voice in the morphology code, you won’t be tripped up by Latin’s active/passive alternations. The codes make clear whether to read the verb actively or passively, and if a verb is one of those “sneaky” deponents, the code or accompanying lemma will let you know so you can translate correctly.

Syntactic Clues in the Codes: Beyond Individual Words

In addition to pure morphology, Vulgate study pages often tag words with syntax labels that help you see a word’s function in the clause. These appear either appended to the morphology code or in a separate column/notes. Here are some common syntax tags and how to use them:

PRED (Predicate): Marks a predicate nominative or adjective, which renames or describes the subject after a linking verb (typically sum, “to be”). For example, in a sentence like “Dominus Deus est” (“The Lord is God”), “Deus” might be marked NOM.SG.M (...) PRED to indicate it’s a predicate noun equated with the subject Dominus. While not every tool will include “PRED” in the code itself, if it does, it’s highlighting that the noun/adjective is not the subject but a complement of the subject via a linking verb. Recognizing a predicate nominative or adjective is crucial for interpretation; the code can tip you off when a nominative isn’t the subject but rather something like “your name shall be Israel” (where “Israel” is a predicate name for “name”).
OBJ / IOBJ (Direct Object / Indirect Object): Some tools tag accusative or dative nouns with their syntactic role explicitly. OBJ might be seen alongside an accusative to indicate it’s the direct object of the verb, and IOBJ for a dative serving as an indirect object. For instance, if we had “dedit illi librum” (“he gave him a book”), librum (book) could be annotated as ACC.SG.M.OBJ and illi (to him) as DAT.SG.M.IOBJ. These labels save you the trouble of figuring out the sentence structure by clarifying each noun’s job.
APPOS (Apposition): Marks when a noun is in apposition to another (essentially renaming it, usually in the same case). For example, “Paulus, apostolus, dixit…” (“Paul, an apostle, said…”). If “apostolus” is tagged with APPOS, it’s indicating that word is an appositive, providing another name or title for “Paul.” This is useful when reading genealogy or titles in Scripture, where someone is given multiple designations in one phrase.
+ACC, +DAT, +ABL (Governed by …): Occasionally you’ll see a preposition tagged with the case it governs, like PREP+ACC or PREP+ABL. This reminds you which case the object of the preposition should be in. The example in agro – in PREP+ABL, agro ABL.SG.M shows “in” taking the ablative. While not exactly a syntax tag for a noun, it’s a helpful convention to parse prepositional phrases quickly.

These syntax-oriented tags complement the morphology codes by clarifying function. They act as built-in hints for translating the sentence. For instance, if you see ABL.SG.F (ABL.ABS) on a participle, you know immediately this ablative is part of an ablative absolute construction (more below) rather than, say, just a regular prepositional phrase or ablative of means. If you see “PRED,” you pause and realize “ah, this noun is the predicate, so I should supply ‘is/was’ if it’s not already explicit.” These tags essentially connect the dots between the individual word forms and the larger grammatical relationships in the sentence.

Ablative Absolute (ABL.ABS) – A Special Construction

The ablative absolute is a frequently used construction in narrative Latin, including the Vulgate. It consists of at least two words in the ablative case (often a noun/pronoun and a participle, or two nouns) that form a subordinate clause of sorts, usually giving background circumstances (“with X having happened,” “when/after/since X had happened”). Morphology annotations often flag this with an ABL.ABS tag, because recognizing an ablative absolute is vital for understanding the verse correctly.

For example, consider Genesis 27:18, which begins: “Quibus illatis, dixit: ‘Pater mi?’…”. This is translated “When these had been brought in, he said, ‘My father?’…”. The phrase Quibus illatis is an ablative absolute. Let’s see how the morphology codes make this clear:

Quibus – tagged ABL.PL.N.REL.PRON (ablative plural neuter relative pronoun). On its own “quibus” means “with which (things)” or “when these…”. The ablative plural neuter indicates it’s referring to some things in ablative case – here it refers back to food items mentioned earlier.
illatis – tagged ABL.ABS.PERF.PASS.PTCP.PL.N. We see “ABL.ABS” right in the code, telling us this ablative participle is part of an absolute construction. It’s a perfect passive participle (PL.N for plural neuter to agree with “quibus”), literally “(with) [these] having been brought in.” The code thus spells out: ablative absolute, perfect passive participle, plural neuter. The study tool even explains in the syntax section: “Quibus illatis — the relative pronoun with the perfect passive participle forms an ablative absolute expressing temporal circumstance”.

Whenever you see ABL.ABS in a code, gather all the ablative words around it – usually it’s a noun + participle pair (or sometimes a pair of nouns/adjectives). Translate them as a subordinate clause: “with X having been done” or “when/after X happened.” For example, if you saw his dictis tagged as ABL.PL.N (ABL.ABS) and ABL.PL.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP (ABL.ABS), it would mean “with these things having been said” or “after these things were said.” Indeed, many Vulgate verses use phrases like His dictis to transition (“when these things had been said…”).

The ablative absolute is a powerful tool in Latin for concisely conveying circumstances. The morphology codes ensure you don’t mistake those ablatives for, say, an object of a missing preposition or an adjective loose in the sentence. They corral them into a unit. In Gen 27:18 above, without recognizing the ablative absolute, one might puzzle how “quibus illatis” relates; with the tags, you instantly see they form an independent clause setting the stage for the main action (dixit “he said”). Always be on the lookout for ABL.ABS – it often precedes or follows the main clause, providing context like “after this, …” or “since that was so, …”. Translationally, you may convert it to a subordinate clause or an introductory phrase in English.

Other Common Constructions and Their Clues

A few other patterns in Vulgate (and Latin) that morphology codes help elucidate:

Relative Clauses: Introduced by relative pronouns qui, quae, quod (who/which/that). The relative pronoun’s code (e.g., NOM.SG.M.REL.PRON or ACC.PL.N.REL.PRON) shows its gender/number and case within its clause. Remember, gender/number are determined by the antecedent (the thing it refers to), but case is determined by the pronoun’s function in the relative clause. For instance, “quae locutus est” in Genesis 21:1 (“…fulfilled what he had spoken”) – quae is neuter plural (referring to “things”) accusative (direct object in the clause “he had spoken what”), coded ACC.PL.N.REL.PRON, and locutus est as we know is a deponent perfect (here essentially “he had spoken”). The codes help you pair “quae” with “locutus est” correctly to mean “the things which he spoke.” A relative pronoun in the morphology output is your sign that a subordinate descriptive clause follows; everything until the corresponding verb is part of that clause. The case tells you how to fit the relative clause together (e.g., if it’s accusative, the relative pronoun is likely the object of the clause’s verb).
Predicate Nominatives/Adjectives with esse (to be): We touched on this under PRED tag, but a typical Vulgate formulation might be “X est Y.” Both X and Y will be nominative (as esse takes a complement, not an object). Morphology shows both as NOM, and possibly marks one as PRED. For example, in “nomen tuum Israel erit” (“your name shall be Israel”), nomen is NOM.SG.N (subject of erit), and Israel is NOM.SG.M and essentially a predicate name. Even if not explicitly labeled PRED in the code, seeing two nominatives around a form of “to be” should signal a predicate construction. Be aware that adjectives can work similarly: e.g., “puer bonus est” – both puer and bonus would be nominative, with bonus (good) as a predicate adjective describing the boy. The codes will match in case/number/gender, confirming their linkage.
Participial Phrases: Latin frequently uses participles to concisely convey information that English might put in a clause. We saw this with reversus locutus est (“having returned, he spoke”). Here reversus (a participle) agrees with the subject of the main verb (he) in case, number, gender (nominative masculine singular). The morphology of reversus as a participle (likely NOM.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP) tells us it’s not a main verb but a descriptive or circumstantial phrase. Often the study notes will clarify the nuance (e.g., “reversus locutus est” implies “after returning, he spoke”). Another example: statimque de nocte consurgens Abimelech… locutus est (Gen 20:8) – consurgens is a present participle “rising (up)” describing Abimelech, tagged as NOM.SG.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP describing the subject, whereas locutus est is the main verb “spoke” (deponent). The participle’s code shows its tense (present in this case, indicating simultaneous action: he rose and spoke) and its agreement with the subject. Recognizing participles by their codes allows you to translate these compact expressions correctly, adding words like “while [doing X]” for present participles or “after/when [having done X]” for perfect participles as the context warrants.

Putting It All Together: Using Codes to Interpret a Verse

Let’s walk through a verse step-by-step, using the morphology codes as our guide. We’ll use the example from Genesis 42:24 that we’ve touched on, because it showcases several elements – active vs. deponent verbs, a participle, and direct objects – all in one sentence:

“Avertitque se parumper, et flevit: et reversus locutus est ad eos.”

Translated: “And he turned himself away for a little while, and wept; and returning, he spoke to them.” Now, how do the codes help us arrive at that understanding?

Avertitque – Likely split as avertit + -que. The verb avertit would have the code 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND, telling us “he (3rd singular) turned away (perfect tense, completed action) [in the] active [voice], indicative.” So we know “he turned away.” The -que is a conjunction (“and”) tacked on, often tagged as ENCLITIC.CONJ or a note. So “avertitque” means “and he turned away.” The code shows it’s active, so Joseph is doing the turning himself. Also, because it’s perfect tense, it’s a one-time action in the narrative flow.
se – This is a pronoun, probably tagged ACC.SG.M or ACC.SG.REFL.PRON (accusative singular reflexive pronoun). It refers back to the subject (“himself”). The code tells us it’s accusative (the object of avertit) and masculine singular (agreeing in a sense with Joseph’s gender/number). So “he turned himself.” This tiny word is crucial, and morphology shows it’s not an accusative something else (like “him” meaning another person) but a reflexive – many tools explicitly mark reflexives vs. personal pronouns.
parumper – An adverb meaning “for a little while.” It’s often just labeled ADV (adverb) with perhaps a note. It doesn’t change form (no case/number), so nothing complex in its code aside from identifying it as an adverb. This tells us the manner or time of his action: how long he turned away. So far, every word’s code has clarified the structure: we had a verb (he turned), an object (himself), and an adverbial modifier (briefly).
flevit – Another verb, coded 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND like avertit. The root is fleo (to weep). The code says third person singular, perfect, active, indicative – “he wept”. The active voice confirms it’s Joseph himself performing the action of weeping. No surprises here – it’s a straightforward verb. By seeing PERF, we know it’s a completed action; by seeing no DEP or PASS, we know it’s just a normal active verb.
et – A coordinating conjunction, tagged CONJ. It links what comes next. We don’t translate it as part of the previous clause but as starting a new connected action: “and…”. Morphologically simple, but important to note that a new clause is beginning.
reversus – This is the perfect participle of a deponent verb revertor (to return). We expect a code like NOM.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP possibly with DEP indicated, and indeed perhaps NOM.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP (DEP) or even NOM.SG.M (ABL.ABS) in some cases. Let’s parse its likely code: It’s nominative masculine singular to agree with Joseph (the subject), so it’s describing him. It’s a participle (PTCP) and specifically a perfect passive participle form (reversus looks passive). Some tools might mark it as DEP in voice because revertor is deponent (so though it’s passive in form, it’s conceptually an “active” participle meaning “having returned”). In context, reversus is functioning adverbially: “having returned” or “when he returned.” The morphology tells us it’s not a main verb (no person or mood given; participles don’t have those), and by being nominative, it ties to the subject of the main verb locutus est. This is how we know to translate it as “returning” or “having returned” – the code clues us that this is a nominative participle describing the subject, indicating a concurrent or prior action. If the tool marked ABL.ABS (not in this case, but imagine an ablative absolute scenario), we’d treat it differently. Here, nominative means it’s not an ablative absolute but part of the main clause subject description.
locutus est – Finally, we have locutus est. Likely split in the interlinear as locutus and est:
- locutus – The participle form of loquor. If isolated, it’s a perfect passive participle, nominative masculine singular (agreeing with Joseph again). We might see NOM.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP (and perhaps annotated as DEP since loquor is deponent). But since this participle is part of a finite verb construction (with “est”), some tools might not list it separately in the table, instead giving “locutus est – he spoke – 3SG.PERF.DEP.IND” as a single entry. Either way, we know from the DEP label or from recognizing loquor that this is a deponent perfect. The structure “[participle] + est” forms the perfect tense for deponents (just as it would form a true passive for non-deponent verbs). So:
- est – This is just the auxiliary verb (from esse, to be). Morphology code: 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND (third singular present indicative) because it’s literally the present tense of “to be.” In a table it might appear on its own line as “est – (he) is – 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND.” In context, combined with locutus, it completes the perfect tense meaning “he spoke.”
Now, if the tool combined them: it could say locutus est – he spoke – 3SG.PERF.DEP.IND. This shorthand treats the whole periphrastic form as one “verb” for translation purposes. The presence of DEP in that code is crucial: it tells us that although we see a form of “to be” (which normally might signal a passive voice construction), it’s a deponent verb form – so we translate actively (“spoke,” not “was spoken”).
ad eos – This is a prepositional phrase:
- ad – a preposition meaning “to/toward,” typically taking the accusative. The tool likely labels it PREP+ACC.
- eos – a pronoun meaning “them,” in accusative masculine plural form ACC.PL.M.PRON (and often identified as a 3rd person personal pronoun). The accusative case is mandated by the preposition ad. This phrase “ad eos” means “to them.” Syntax-wise, it clarifies the target of the speaking: he spoke to them. The morphology makes it clear eos is not, say, the subject or something else – it’s accusative, so it must be an object of a preposition here.

Having dissected each component with the help of the codes, we can now confidently translate and understand the verse: The conjunction -que and later et link sequential actions. The subject “he” (Joseph) is understood from the verb endings (3rd singular) and context. We see he turned himself away (avertit se) briefly, and wept (flevit). Then, indicated by the participle + main verb, we get after returning, he spoke (reversus locutus est) to them (ad eos). The morphology tags ensured we recognized: – who performed each action (3rd singular subject throughout), – the timing (perfect tense for completed actions, the participle showing one action relative to another), – the voice (active vs deponent-active), – and the relationships (the reflexive “se” ties to the subject, “eos” as object of the preposition shows the recipients of speech).

This process of using morphology codes can be applied to any verse. Start by identifying the verbs and their subjects (person/number in the code will often point you to the subject noun or indicate if the subject is just “he/she/it” implicit). Then look at nouns/pronouns: their case codes will tell you their job – nominative likely a subject or predicate, accusative an object, etc. Check for any ABL.ABS constructions that form their own clause. Notice any participles (PTCP) and see what they modify (their gender/number/case will match the noun they describe). Pay attention to voice indicators (PASS vs DEP) so you don’t misconstrue meaning. In narrative, also keep an eye out for switching into subjunctive mood (often in subordinate clauses – the code SUBJ will alert you that a different nuance like purpose or result is at play, though in historical books of the Vulgate, subjunctive appears mostly in speeches or dependent clauses).

Finally, remember that the goal of these codes is clarity and accuracy. By parsing each word’s code, you remove ambiguity. Latin sentences can be read almost like equations once you assign each word its role. The morphology codes are your cheat-sheet to that assignment. With practice, you’ll start anticipating that, say, a form tagged FUT.PASS.IND in a prophecy means a passive “shall be done” statement (common in prophetic books), or that a PRES.ACT.PTCP often indicates a simultaneous action, or that a sudden SUBJ mood might indicate a quoted command or a purpose clause. The Vulgate’s language, while generally classical in grammar, does have stylistic leanings (e.g. frequent use of participles and ablative absolutes to compress action, or deponent verbs for actions of people and divine beings). Being attentive to these patterns through their codes enriches not only your grammatical understanding but can even shed light on “doctrinal nuance” – for instance, noticing a verb is passive can hint at God as the implicit actor (e.g., “complebuntur” – “shall be filled [by whom? by God’s doing]”), or recognizing a participle may reveal emphasis (something being done in the background of the main action). Each morphology tag is a small key to the theological and narrative clarity of the verse.

From Codes to Comprehension

Approaching a Vulgate verse armed with morphology codes is like having a roadmap for a journey. Instead of getting lost in complex sentence structure, you can systematically identify each element and its function. Start with the basics – identify the main verbs and their subjects using person/number and case. Then map out objects and other complements (direct objects via ACC, indirect via DAT, etc., often aided by OBJ/IOBJ tags). Note any special constructions (look for ABL.ABS for independent clauses, or participles). Check every verb’s voice and mood to catch deponents, passives, or subjunctives. By following the codes, you effectively recreate the Latin sentence in your mind in a structured way, which then makes translating or understanding it much more straightforward.

With time, you’ll internalize many of these patterns. You’ll know at a glance that NOM.SG.F could be the Virgin Mary as a subject in a sentence, or that 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND might be referring to “they did something” (e.g., compleverunt, “they fulfilled”), whereas 3PL.FUT.PASS.IND (complebuntur) means “they will be fulfilled” – passive, likely pointing to God’s action or destiny. The codes make these differences explicit. They also help in spotting nuances like a deponent’s theological implication: e.g., Spiritus Domini locutus est per me (“The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me”) – locutus est is deponent (God actively speaking through, not “was spoken”), underscoring agency.

In summary, use the morphology codes as a tutor. As you read each verse, pause on each code: ask what it tells you about the word’s form and function. Piece those clues together, and the Latin unlocks itself. Over time, you’ll rely less on checking each abbreviation because you’ll recognize forms instinctively – but whenever something seems odd, the code is there to confirm your hunch (e.g., “Is that verb passive or a deponent? Ah, it’s marked DEP, got it.”). By diligently applying this system, you not only translate more accurately but also gain insight into the syntax and style of the Vulgate, enriching your understanding of Scripture in its Latin form.