Summa Theologiae - se extendit

Ali Nikzad

New Member

Summa Theologiae, Ia q. 14 a. 11 co.:
Et ideo aliter dicendum est, quod, cum Deus sit causa rerum per suam scientiam, ut dictum est, intantum se extendit scientia Dei, inquantum se extendit eius causalitas
What is the effect of se, which comes before extendit, on the meaning of sentence and is it omittable?
 

Pacifica

grammaticissima

  • Aedilis

Location:
Belgium
Se is the direct object of extendit. Literally, se extendit = stretches itself. However, the English verb "stretch", unlike the Latin extendo, can be intransitive, i.e. it can be used without a direct object, so in English you can omit the "itself" and the meaning will still be conveyed. In Latin, if you say extendit, it will mean "stretches (something, some object)", it can't mean just "stretches (itself)".
 

Ali Nikzad

New Member

Thank you for your consideration.
Minutes ago, I saw in Gaffiot, Félix Dictionary in the end of extendo index:
se extendere: se lancer, se deployer
According to your response, is French also different from English in this respect?
 

Pacifica

grammaticissima

  • Aedilis

Location:
Belgium
Yes, French is more like Latin than English in this case.
 
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