Supine

Supine

In grammar a supine is a form of verbal noun used in some languages.

In Latin

In Latin there are two supines, I and II. They are originally the accusative and dative or ablative forms of verbal noun in the fourth declension, respectively. The first supine is often used as the fourth principal part of Latin verbs and ends in "-um". It has two uses. The first is with verbs of motion and indicates purpose. For example, "Gladiatores adfuerunt pugnatum" is Latin for "The gladiators have come to fight", and "Legati gratulatum et cubitum venerunt" is Latin for "The messengers came to congratulate and to sleep." The second usage is in the Future Passive Infinitive, for example "amatum iri" means "to be about to be loved". It mostly appears in indirect statements, for example "credidit se necatum iri", meaning "he thought that he was going to be killed".

The second supine can be used with adjectives but it is rarely used and only a small number of verbs traditionally take it. It is derived from the "dativus finalis" which expresses purpose or the "ablativus respectivus" which indicates in what respect. It is the same as the first supine minus the final "-m" and with lengthened "u". "Mirabile dictū", for example, means "amazing to say", where "dictū" is a supine form.

In other languages

Outside of Latin, a supine is a non-finite verb form whose use resembles that of the Latin supine.

The English supine is the bare infinitive (the verb's plain form) introduced by the particle "to"; for this reason it is often called the "full infinitive" or "to-infinitive".

The Romanian supine generally corresponds to an English construction like "for doing"; for example, "Această carte este de citit" means "This book is for reading."

The Slovene supine is used after verbs of movement. "See" Slovenian verbs. The supine was used in Proto-Slavic but it was replaced in most Slavic languages by the infinitive in later periods. In Czech, the contemporary infinitive ending "-t" (formerly "-ti") originates from the supine.

In Swedish the supine is used with an auxiliary verb to produce some compound verb forms. "See" Swedish grammar. This also applies to Norwegian where the form "supine" is called "perfektum".

ee also

*Gerund
*Non-finite verb


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Supine — Su*pine , a. [L. supinus, akin to sub under, super above. Cf. {Sub }, {Super }.] 1. Lying on the back, or with the face upward; opposed to prone. [1913 Webster] 2. Leaning backward, or inclining with exposure to the sun; sloping; inclined. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Supine — Su pine, n. [L. supinum (sc. verbum), from supinus bent or thrown backward, perhaps so called because, although furnished with substantive case endings, it rests or falls back, as it were, on the verb: cf. F. supin.] (Lat. Gram.) A verbal noun;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • supine — (adj.) c.1500, from L. supinus turned or thrown backwards, inactive, indolent, related to sub under. The grammatical use for Latin verbal noun formed from the past participle stem is from L.L. supinum verbum supine verb, perhaps so called because …   Etymology dictionary

  • supine — [adj1] lying down decumbent, flat, flat on one’s back, horizontal, level, procumbent, prone, prostrate, reclining, recumbent, stretched out; concept 583 supine [adj2] inactive do nothing*, dormant, dull, idle, indolent, inert, lackadaisical, lax …   New thesaurus

  • supine — index inactive, indolent, insensible, languid, lifeless (dull), otiose, passive, phlegmatic …   Law dictionary

  • supine — 1 *prone, prostrate, recumbent, couchant, dormant 2 *inactive, inert, passive, idle Analogous words: slothful, *lazy, indolent, faineant: *lethargic, sluggish, torpid: apathetic, *impassive …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • supine — see prone …   Modern English usage

  • supine — ► ADJECTIVE 1) lying face upwards. 2) failing to act as a result of laziness or lack of courage; passive. DERIVATIVES supinely adverb supineness noun. ORIGIN Latin supinus bent backwards …   English terms dictionary

  • supine — [so͞o pīn′; ] also, and for n. always [, so͞o′pīn΄] adj. [L supinus, prob. akin to sub : see SUB ] 1. lying on the back, face upward 2. with the palm upward or away from the body: said of the hand 3. Old Poet. leaning or sloping backward 4.… …   English World dictionary

  • supine — [[t]su͟ːpaɪn[/t]] 1) ADJ If you are supine, you are lying flat on your back. [FORMAL] ...bedridden persons confined to the supine position. ...a statue of a supine dog. ADV: ADV after v Supine is also an adverb. I lay supine on the poolside grass …   English dictionary

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