narrandum

Narrandum is a Latin term that functions as the neuter singular form of the present gerund of the verb narro, narrare, meaning "to tell" or "to relate." In Latin grammar, narrandum denotes the act or process of narrating and is used as a verbal noun capable of taking cases to express different syntactic relationships. In English-language discussions it is often glossed as "the act of narrating" or "to be narrated."

Form and syntax: The gerund is formed with the stem found in the present infinitive and the endings of the neuter singular, yielding narrandum for the nominative and accusative. The other cases are narrandī (genitive) and narrandō (dative and ablative). The gerund is a non-finite noun, distinct from the gerundive, which is an adjective (e.g., narrandus) used to express obligation or necessity. Narrandum commonly appears in constructions with esse to express necessity, as in "Narrandum est," meaning "It must be narrated" or "This must be told."

Usage: Narrandum refers to the act of narrating as a concept rather than as an action performed by a specific subject. It can function as the subject of esse or as the object of prepositions or possessive phrases, such as "causā narrandī" (for the sake of narrating) or "mihi narrandō" (for me to narrate, or for my narrating). It is encountered in classical Latin prose and poetry, particularly in discussions of method, memory, or rhetoric, where abstraction about the act of telling is appropriate.

See also: narro, narrare; gerund; gerundive.