THE SUBJUNCTIVE IN LATIN A Guide (by no means complete)

Transcription

1 THE SUBJUNCTIVE IN LATIN A Guide (by no means complete) Independent Subjunctives Main Verb in Main Clause Will probably sound different than indicative Name Use Example Aff. intro Neg. intro Volative a. Hortatory b. Jussive c. Prohibitive d. Concession e. Supposition commands, suppositions a. Amemus patriam. (Let us love our fatherland.) b. Abeat. (Let him/her go away.) c. Ne dubitaveris. (Do not hesitate.) d. Sit fur. (Granted that he is a thief.) e. Fuerit malus civis. (Suppose he was a bad citizen.) ne Deliberative surprise, doubt, anger Quid faciam? (What am I to do?) ut or non Dubitative doubt, rhetorical ques. Quis hoc credat? (Who would belive this? [no one would]) non Optative wish Utinam dei id dent. (Would that / I wish that / I hope that the gods give it.) utinam (ut or uti in poetry) or (utinam) ne Potential possible or conceivable action Aliquis exeat. (Someone may go out.) non

2 Dependent Subjunctives/In SUBORDINATE CLAUSSES May sound like indicatives Indirect Question Name Example Key words Indirect question Rogavit quando venirent. ubi, quis, quae, quid, quando, qualis, (He asked when they came.) cur, qua de causa, num, etc. Num or -ne = whether or if Rogavit num venirent. (He asked whether they came.) Relative Clauses Name Purpose (see Purpose Clauses) Characteristic Concessive Causal Example Is est qui haec dicat. (He is the sort of man to say this.) Tum Caesar, qui hoc intellegeret, tamen redire statuit. (Then Caesar, in spite of being aware of this, nevertheless decided to return.) Gratiam tibi habeo qui vitam mean servaveris. (I am grateful to you for having saved my life.) NB: In indirect discourse most subordinate clauses, including what would be indicative relative clauses in direct discourse, are in the subjunctive.

3 Conditional Sentences Type English Latin Factual/Simple (uses INDICATIVE) Both clauses Indicative Contrary to Fact Remote Future Possibility (Future Less Vivid) Present: If he is here, it is well. Past: If he was here, it was well. If he has been (was) here, it has been (was) well. Future: If he is (will be) here, it will be well. If he is (will have been) here, it will be well. Present: If he were here, it would be well. Past: If he had been here, it would have been well. Future: If he should be here, it would be well. Si adest, bene est. Si aderat, bene erat. Si adfuit, bene fuit Si aderit, bene erit. Si adfuerit, bene erit. Both clauses Subjunctive Si adesset, bene esset. (imperf. subj.) Si adfuisset, bene fuisset. (pluperf subj) Both clauses Subjunctive Si adsit, bene sit. (present subj.) The Condition is expressed in a subordinate clause introduced in English by IF, IF NOT, UNLESS, and in Latin by SI, NISI. The Conclusion is expressed in the principal clause.

4 Cum Clauses Name Use Example Circumstantial circumstances under which the action took place in the past NB: for pres. or fut., use indicative. Cum id facerent, sonitus terribilis auditus est. (When they were doing this, a terrible sound was heard.) Causal Concessive cause or reason for action cum = since or because NB: quoniam takes indicative. quod and quia take indicative when the reason is a known fact. translates although (tamen often occurs in the main clause) NB: can be expressed by quamquam with indicative Quae cum ita sit, cur non exis? (Since this is so, why don t you leave?) Marcus aberat quod erat aeger. (Marcus was absent because he was sick.) Cum esset senex, tamen pugnare potuit. (Although he was old, still he was able to fight.) Quamquam est meus amicus, non ei confido. (Although he is my friend, I don t trust him.) Name Use Example Aff. Fear Clause to express a fear Timeo ut me videat. (I am afraid that he will not see me.) Timebam ne me videret. (I was afraid that he would see me.) Fear Clause Neg. Key Words ne ut A word of fearing in the main clause (e.g. timeo, metuo, vereor, timor, metus)

5 Purpose and Result Clauses Name Use Example Aff. Purpose to express Venit ut me videat. ut purpose (He/she comes to see me.) Neg. ne Key Words Relative clause of purpose to express purpose Legionem reliquit quae urbem defenderet. (He left a legion to protect the city.) qui, quae, quod ne + qui, quae, quod relative pronoun Substantive clause of purpose (Jussive noun) indirect command Oro te ut venias. (I beg you to come.) ut ne ACC-- hortor, rogo, moneo, oro, imploro DAT-- impero, mando, persuadeo, permitto ABL-- peto, postulo ab (a) EXCEPTION: iubeo, veto, patior -- acc. of person + infinitive volo, nolo, malo, cupio, studio can take a comp. infinitive Result result Tanta tempestas fuit ut naves deleverit. (The storm was so great that it destroyed the ships.) ut ut non tam, ita, sic, adeo, tantis, talis, tot Substantive clause of result result Accidit ut incolumnes pervenirent. (It happened that they arrived unharmed.) ut ut non facio ut, efficio ut, perficio ut, accidit ut, f ut, ius est, mos est