# Latin grammar question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-grammar-question/448461>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 7, 2008, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-grammar-question/448461 "2008-05-07T18:36:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-grammar-question/448461/1 "2008-05-07T18:36:18Z")

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I studied Latin in high school, but it’s been a while.

My question is this: Can you use a noun as an adjective if you’re talking about one thing made of another thing? Or do you have to put the noun in the genitive case?

I’m trying to make a pun describing a person _literally made out of sound._ Is it legitimate to say:  
“Mens sonita in corpore sonito.” (A sound-mind in a sound-body).

Or must I say:  
“Mens sonitūs in corpore sonitūs.” (A mind of sound in a body of sound.)

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**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-grammar-question/448461/2 "2008-05-07T20:03:47Z")

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The genitive of material is usually used to limit the composition of another noun, e.g. _gladius ferri_ - “an iron sword/sword of iron”. This is the preferred construction. I also think you should use the closer-to-the-pun _sonus, -i_ here: _mens soni in corpore soni_

_Mens sonita_ is literally “a mind having been sounded”, perhaps not quite what you’re after.

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**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-grammar-question/448461/3 "2008-05-07T20:24:16Z")

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Thanks. 🙂

Just out of curiosity, is there any difference in meaning between “sonus” and “sonitus”?

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**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-grammar-question/448461/4 "2008-05-07T20:44:18Z")

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Besides the declentions, _sonus, -i_ is the basic “sound”, while _sonitus, -us_ is more like “repeated/loud sound” (the _-ito_ suffix in Latin is called a [frequentative](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequentative) used to indicate repeated or cumulative action, much like how the -le or -er ending transforms verbs like “crack” and “flick” into “crackle” and “flicker”).

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**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-grammar-question/448461/5 "2008-05-07T21:14:31Z")

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Thanks again. 🙂