Brigid of Sweden

On the Horse

Latin Grammar: Syncope or Syncopation

"Primo orare debet taliter: 'O, Domine Deus omnipotens, benedictus sis tu, quia me creasti et redemisti. Et cum damnatione dignus essem, in peccatis tolerasti et ad penitentiam reservasti.

This figura involves the loss of a medial syllable in a word, typically a "vi" or "ve" from the perfect, pluperfect or future perfect active. It is usually associated with poetry or--in this case--with Later Latin. For example, in the verb "laudavisti" it would be syncopated to "laudasti," dropping the "vi."

Here are three examples of syncopation from the passage above. Write the infinitive form, then the second person form as it should be written, without the syncopation. N.B.: all three are first conjugation verbs.

Syncopated formInfinitiveStandard Second Person Singular Perfect
1. creasti
2. tolerasti
3. reservasti

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