Saltat

Saltat is the third-person singular present active indicative form of the Latin verb saltare, meaning to jump, leap, or dance. In classical Latin, saltat translates as “he leaps” or “she leaps,” depending on the subject, and can also be used poetically to mean “he dances.”

Etymology and related forms

Saltare derives from saltus, a leap or jump, and the root salt- appears in several Latin words connected with jumping or leaping. Saltat is part of a full conjugation: the imperfect is saltabat, the perfect is saltavit, and the pluperfect is saltaverat. The supine is saltatum, and the participle saltatus can be used adjectivally to mean “having leaped.” The verb also yields common imperative forms: salta (singular) and saltate (plural).

Usage

In Latin texts, saltat commonly describes physical movement—humans, animals, or personified figures jumping or dancing. It can appear in narrative to convey action, in poetry to evoke grace or energy, or in religious and theatrical contexts where movement is part of ritual or performance. The word is typical of everyday Latin and is frequently encountered in elementary and intermediate Latin grammars as an exemplar of a first-conjugation verb.

Examples

- Marcus saltat in horto. (Marcus leaps/dances in the garden.)

- Nauta saltat de navi. (The sailor leaps off the ship.)

See also

Related terms include saltare (the infinitive), saltus (a leap or jump), and saltatus (the past participle).

Saltat remains primarily a grammatical form in Latin texts and is rarely used outside scholarly or educational contexts, where it serves as a representative example of movement verbs in Latin.