Using the Latin Intensive Pronoun Ipse (Self)

Using the Latin Intensive Pronoun ''Ipse'' (''Self'') When learning Latin, intensive pronouns function much as they do in English, intensifying the action or the noun they modify. For example, in English, we might say, The experts themselves say so. The intensive pronoun themselves  intensifies the noun experts, with the implication that if the emphasized experts say so, it must be correct. The intensive pronoun in the following Latin sentence,  Antonius  ipse  me laudavit,  means Anthony himself praised me. In both Latin ipse and English himself, the pronoun intensifies or emphasizes the noun. Ipso Facto The expression ipso facto is the best-known remnant in English of the Latin intensive pronoun. In Latin,  ipso  is masculine and in agreement with facto. Its in the ablative case (ablative indicates that a thing or person is being used as an instrument or tool by another and is translated as by or by means of). Thus ipso facto means by that very fact or act; as an inevitable result. A Few Rules There are a few generalizations we can make about Latin intensive pronouns: They intensify (thus, their name) the function or the noun they modify.Latin intensive pronouns  typically translate as the English -self pronouns: myself, yourself, herself, himself, itself in the singular and ourselves, yourselves and themselves in the plural.  But they  can also translate in English as the very... as in  femina ipsa...  (the very woman as an alternative to the woman herself).Latin intensive pronouns double as adjectives  and take the same form when doing so.   Intensive vs. Reflexive Intensive pronouns are often confused with Latin reflexive pronouns, but the two types of pronouns  have different functions. Latin reflexive pronouns  and adjectives (suus, sua, suum) show possession and translate as his or her own, its own, and their own. The reflexive pronoun must agree with the noun it describes in gender, number, and case, and the pronoun always refers back to the subject. Intensives emphasize other words besides the subject. This means that reflexive pronouns can never be nominative. Intensive pronouns, on the other hand, do not indicate possession. They intensify and they can be any case, including nominative. For example: Intensive pronoun:  Praefectus honores civibus ipsis dedit.  (The prefect bestowed/gave honors on/to the citizens themselves.)Reflexive pronoun:  Praefectus honores sibi dedit.  (The prefect bestowed/gave honors on/to himself.) Declension of Latin Intensive Pronouns   Singular (by case and gender: masculine, feminine, neuter) Nominative:  ipse, ipsa, ipsumGenitive:  ipsius, ipsius, ipsiusDative:  ipsi, ipsi, ipsiAccusative:  ipsum, ipsam, ipsumAblative:  ipso, ipsa, ipso Plural (by case and gender: masculine, feminine, neuter) Nominative: ipsi, ipsae, ipsaGenitive: ipsorum, ipsarum, ipsorumDative: ipsis, ipsis, ipsisAccusative: ipsos, ipsas, ipsaAblative: ipsis, ipsis, ipsis