2237. The gerundive is a verbal adjective (899). The gerund is a neuter
verbal substantive, used only in the oblique cases of the singular. Both
gerundives and gerunds express, in a noun form, the uncompleted action
of the verb.
2238. Gerundives and gerunds, like the English verbal in _-ing_, were
originally neither active nor passive (288), but might stand for either
an active or a passive. In time a prevailing passive meaning grew up in
the gerundive, and a prevailing active meaning in the gerund.
A gerund may be followed by the same case as its verb; but for the
gerund of verbs of transitive use, see 2242, 2255, 2259, 2265.
2239. Both gerundives and gerunds are modified like verbs, by adverbs,
not by adjectives.
(1.) THE GERUNDIVE CONSTRUCTION.
2240. The gerundive expresses, in an adjective form, the uncompleted
action of a verb of transitive use exerted on a substantive object, the
substantive standing in the case required by the context, and the
gerundive agreeing with it.
In this construction, which is called the _gerundive construction_, the
substantive and gerundive blend together in sense like the parts of a
compound.
#male gerendō negōtiō in aere aliēnō vacillant#, _C._ 2, 21, _owing to
bad business-managing they are staggering under debts_. #studium agrī
colendī#, _CM._ 59, _the occupation of land-tilling_. #vir regendae rē̆ī
pūblicae scientissimus#, _DO._ 1, 214, _a man of great experience in
state-managing_.
(2.) THE GERUND.
2241. The gerund expresses, in a substantive form, the uncompleted
action of a verb which has no direct object.
#ars vīvendī#, _Fin._ 1, 42, _the art of living_. #nōn est locus ad
tergiversandum#, _Att._ 7, 1, 4, _’tis no time for shill-I-shall-I-ing_.
#sum dēfessus quaeritandō#, Pl. _Am._ 1014, _I’m all worn out with
hunting_. #sē experiendō didicisse#, Ta. 1, 11, _he had learned by
experience_.
2242. Gerunds of verbs of transitive use are exceptionally found with a
substantive object (2255, 2259, 2265), and regularly with neuter
pronouns and neuter plural adjectives to avoid ambiguity (1106). See
also 2247.
#agendī aliquid discendīque causā#, _Fin._ 5, 54, _for the sake of doing
or learning something_. #faciendī aliquid vel nōn faciendī vēra ratiō#,
Plin. _Ep._ 6, 27, 4, _the true ground for doing or not doing a thing_.
#artem sē trādere vēra ac falsa dīiūdicandī#, _DO._ 2, 157, _that he
passed along the art of distinguishing between the true and the false_.
#regendī cūncta onus#, Ta. 1, 11, _the burden of governing the world_.