Latin mens could be combined with an adjective in an ablative absolute expressing one's state of mind or intention, as in Catullus' obstinata mente perfer "endure it with a resolute mind" or Virgil's simulata mente locutam "spoken with false purpose". In some cases the combination simply expresses the manner in which a (mental) action is performed, as in Ovid's male sit tacita mente precare viro "silently pray for misfortune to befall her husband". Eventually this became a generalized adverbial construction, with clear examples documented by at least the eighth century AD (alterā mente "otherwise", sōlā mente "only") whence the Romance adverbial suffixes of the -mente type.