5.  The Genitives mei, tui, sui, nostri, vestri, when used in the Gerundive Construction, are regularly employed without reference to Gender or Number, since they were originally Neuter Singular Adjectives used substantively.  Thus:—­

    mulier sui servandi causa aufugit, the woman fled for the sake of
    saving herself;

    legati in castra venerunt sui purgandi causa, the envoys came into
    camp for the purpose of clearing themselves.

So nostri servandi causa, for the sake of saving ourselves.

6.  Occasionally the Genitive of the Gerundive Construction is used to denote purpose; as,—­

    quae ille cepit legum ac libertatis subvertundae, which he undertook
    for the purpose of overthrowing the laws and liberty.

7.  The Dative of the Gerundive Construction occurs in some expressions which have the character of formulas; as,—­

    decemviri legibus scribundis, decemvirs for codifying the laws;

    quindecimviri sacris faciundis, quindecimvirs for performing the
    sacrifices.

THE SUPINE.

340. 1.  The Supine in -um is used after Verbs of motion to express purpose; as,—­

    legati ad Caesarem gratulatum convenerunt, envoys came to Caesar to
    congratulate him.

  a.  The Supine in -um may take an Object; as,—­

    pacem petitum oratores Romam mittunt, they send envoys to Rome to ask
    for peace.

  b.  Note the phrase:—­

    do (colloco) filiam nuptum, I give my daughter in marriage.

2.  The Supine in -u is used as an Ablative of Specification with facilis, difficilis, incredibilis, jucundus, optimus, etc.; also with fas est, nefas est, opus est; as,—­

    haec res est facilis cognitu, this thing is easy to learn;

    hoc est optimum factu, this is best to do.

  a.  Only a few Supines in -u are in common use, chiefly auditu, cognitu,
  dictu, factu, visu.

  b.  The Supine in -u never takes an Object.

* * * * *

CHAPTER VI.—­Particles.

COOeRDINATE CONJUNCTIONS.

341.  Copulative Conjunctions.  These join one word, phrase, or clause to another.

1. a) et simply connects.

  b) -que joins more closely than et, and is used especially where the two
  members have an internal connection with each other; as,—­

    parentes liberique, parents and children;

    cum homines aestu febrique jactantur, when people are tossed about
    with heat and fever.

c) atque (ac) usually emphasizes the second of the two things connected,—­and also, and indeed, and in fact.  After words of likeness and difference, atque (ac) has the force of as, than.  Thus:—­

    ego idem sentio ac tu, I think the same as you;