# Quidam exercitus fortior



## Mariya_Shch

Hello! I've been having some difficulties with the translation of this word-combination "quidam exercitus fortior". I need to do a more complex task with it, but first I need to be sure about the translation. Is it "Someone, who is stronger than an army"? 
If someone can help, please, feel free to comment!


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## Testing1234567

It would help if you could include the context, i.e. words before it, words after it, environment, era, etc.


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## Testing1234567

"quidam" can be a noun or an adjective, and the same goes with "exercitus". However, "fortior" must be an adjective.

Since your text has no verbs, we can assume that it is a noun phrase.

If you go with adj/n/adj, then the translation would be "certain stronger army".

Note that in general you need "quam" to express "... than ...", so "someone who is stronger than an army" would be "quidam qui quam exercitus fortior est".


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## Mariya_Shch

Testing1234567 said:


> It would help if you could include the context, i.e. words before it, words after it, environment, era, etc.


This is a task in a textbook, and it's just a word-phrase I need to decline. It is without any context, unfortunately.


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## Mariya_Shch

Testing1234567 said:


> "quidam" can be a noun or an adjective, and the same goes with "exercitus". However, "fortior" must be an adjective.
> 
> Since your text has no verbs, we can assume that it is a noun phrase.
> 
> If you go with adj/n/adj, then the translation would be "certain stronger army".
> 
> Note that in general you need "quam" to express "... than ...", so "someone who is stronger than an army" would be "quidam qui quam exercitus fortior est".



Thanks a lot! I was wondering about "quam" too, I read that sometimes a comparison can be without this word, but then "exercitus" must have another case (Ablativus comparationis). And I also was confused about no verb in that phrase, and your answer seems very helpful with that, I think your translation makes more sense than mine. Thanks!


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## Testing1234567

Mariya_Shch said:


> And I also was confused about no verb in that phrase



Now that you have provided me with the context, it is certain that there should be no verb in that phrase, because:



Mariya_Shch said:


> This is a task in a textbook, and it's just a word-phrase I need to decline. It is without any context, unfortunately.



You cannot decline a verb.


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## wandle

As it stands, the phrase means 'a certain stronger army'. So you have two adjectives in agreement with the noun.


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## Scholiast

saluete omnes, praesertim wandle conlega noster, quem potius Товарищ nominare uellem...

It seems pertinent to point out that _exercitus _may also be the past participle of the verb _exercere._ The noun phrase may therefore be construed as "someone skilled (/practised/disciplined) is the stronger [for it]".

It does not look like good Latin, however—which is always averse to ambiguity.

Σ


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