Level 3+; Subjunctive [12] independent uses [2]; jussive [iii] negative / prohibitive; cavē + present subjunctive (2) practice

3^rd person singular / plural: let him / her / them not …; (s)he/ they should not

2^nd singular / plural: don’t; you should not

cavē nē: mind you don’t …; take care not to ….; beware of … ing

[a]

1. Nē in casā tempus aget.
2. Nē Aurēlia deam terreat.
3. Nē in urbe cēnētis.
4. Nē ad oppidum currās.
5. Nē crēdātis omnibus!
6. Nē illī per Germāniam eant.

[b]

1. Nē abierītis.
2. illam … excūsātiōnem nē accēperīs (Cicero)
3. Nē timuerīs.
4. Nē obdormīverītis.
5. Nē rīserīs.

[c] Complete the quotations with the appropriate phrase with cavē which, when used with the subjunctive, is telling somebody not to do something:

1. "Don't you do it," he told me │ "__________," inquit (Cicero)
2. For do not think that anybody is suffering at this time more than me │ Nam __________ hōc tempore plūs mē quemquam cruciārī (Cicero)
3. But take care not to despise his folly │ Sed eius dēmentiās __________ (Cicero)
4. [Be sure not to doubt that │ Illud __________ (Cicero)
5. Beware of wasting time on influence and glory │ Grātiae glōriaeque __________ tempus __________ (Cicero)
6. Mind you don’t hurry or make the mistake … │ __________ aut __________ (Cicero)

cavē … āmittās; cavē contemnās; cavē dubitēs; cavē faciās; cavē festinēs … committās; cavē putēs

____________________

[a]

1. Do not let her / him spend time in the cottage; (s)he should not spend time … [literally: let her / him not spend …];
2. Let Aurelia not frighten the goddess; Aurelia should not frighten …
3. Do not dine in the city.
4. Don’t / you should not run to the town.
5. Do not believe everyone!
6. Let them not go through Germany; they should not go …

[b]

1. Do not accept that excuse.
2. Don’t hurry.
3. Don’t be afraid.
4. Do not fall asleep.
5. Do not laugh.

[c]

1. "Cavē faciās," inquit (Cicero)
2. Nam cavē putēs hōc tempore plūs mē quemquam cruciārī (Cicero)
3. Sed eius dēmentiās cavē contemnās (Cicero)
4. Illud cavē dubitēs (Cicero)
5. Grātiae glōriaeque cavē tempus āmittās (Cicero)
6. Cavē festinēs aut committās (Cicero)

Level 3+; Subjunctive [11] independent uses [2] negative commands (prohibitions); jussive [iii] negative; cavē + present subjunctive (1)

Latin Negative Commands (Prohibitions)

In Latin, a prohibitive expresses a command telling someone not to do something. There are several main constructions to express this:

[1] nolī(te) + infintive

Literally: be unwilling (to do something); this is the most familiar way to give a negative command. It is the construction that has been used up to now and is not a subjunctive form.

nōlī hoc facere │ Don’t do this!

nōlīte mentīrī │ Don’t lie!

[2] nē + present / perfect subjunctive (negative jussive subjunctive)

The negative of the jussive subjunctive expresses “let him/her/them not…” and is equivalent to a prohibitive.

Form: nē + present subjunctive or perfect subjunctive (emphasizes immediacy, completeness, or politeness).

Compare with affirmative jussive:

id faciat │ Let him do it

nē id faciat │ Let him not do it / He should not do it

[i] Examples with present subjunctive:

Nē ex urbe discēdat │ Let her not depart from the city

Nē putēs tē sapientem esse │ Do not think you are wise

Nē metuās │ Do not fear

Nē repugnētis │ Do not resist

Nē ā flūmine fugiātis │ Do not flee from the river

More literary examples:

Quī in tēctō est, nē dēscendat tollere aliquid dē domō suā (Vulgate) │ He who is on the roof, let him not come down to take anything from his house

Nocte veniente nē puerī deforis ludant │ Since night is coming, don’t let the boys play outdoors / the boys should not play … [literally: let not the boys play … ]

Sed dē argumentō nē exspectētis fābulam (Plautus) │ But do not expect the plot of the story

Et ait angelus eī: Nē timeās… (Vulgate) │ And the angel said to her: Do not be afraid

[ii] Examples with perfect subjunctive:

Singular:

Nē necesse habuerīs (Cicero) │ Do not consider it necessary

Nē Apellae quidem dīxerīs (Cicero) │ Do not even tell Apella

Cavē quicquam, nisi quod rogābō tē, mihi responderīs (plautus) │ Mind you don't give me any reply except what I ask

Plural:

Nē vōs quidem mortem timuerītis (Cicero) │ Do not even fear death

[3]  Other negative words + subjunctive

Sometimes other negatives replace nē:

Tū illī nihil dīxerīs (Cicero) │ Say nothing to her

Dē mē nihil timuerīs (Cicero) │ Do not be afraid for me

Nec mihi illud dīxerīs (Cicero) │ And do not say this to me

[4] cavē(te) + present subjunctive

The verb caveō, cavēre (“beware”) can form negative commands with the present subjunctive:

Cavē festinēs │ Don’t hurry

Cavē aliquid dīcās │ Don’t say anything

Cavē aliter faciās (Cicero) │ Be careful not to do otherwise

Bibliothēcam tuam cavē cuīquam dēspondeās (Cicero) │ Be sure you don’t promise your library to anyone

Librōs vērō tuōs cavē cuiquam trādās (Cicero) │ Be sure you don’t hand your books over to anybody

Tū Antōnī leōnēs pertimēscās cavē (Cicero) │ Don’t be too afraid of Antony’s lions

Sed cavē … existimēs mē … abiēcisse cūram rēī pūblicae (Cicero) │ But do not think that I have abandoned concern for the Republic

Cavēte rūmōrēs crēdulitāte vestrā ālātis (Livy) │ Take care that you do not nourish rumors by your gullibility

KEY POINTS: prohibition; negative jussive; cavē

• nōlī(te) + infinitive: simple negative command
• nē + subjunctive:  negative jussive; “let him/her/them not…”; can use present or perfect subjunctive
• other negatives: emphasize prohibition or restriction
• cavē(te) + subjunctive: “beware” constructions

The video provides an overview of the different ways in which prohibitions or negative commands can be expressed in Latin.

It is important to note that Latin sometimes expresses these ideas in other ways—for example, nē + the indicative may appear in poetry or early Latin. However, for the purposes of this discussion, the focus should remain on the use of the subjunctive to express prohibitions, rather than being sidetracked by less common forms.

Level 3+; Subjunctive [8] independent uses [2] jussive [ii] practice

Translate: Let him / her / them …; (s)he / they should …; may you / you should …

Ab oppidō abeās │ May you depart from the town / You should depart from the town / Depart from the town.

[i] Tullia domō veniat.

[ii] Cum deīs labōrēs.

[iii] Per Galliam currātis.

[iv] Fīlius pauperem līberet.

[v] In Graeciā maneat.

[vi] Trōiae habitētis.

[vii] Illa ā curiā iter faciat.

[viii] Per Āsiam fugiās.

[ix] Ille cōnsulēs timeat.

[x] Ad urbem veniās.

[xi] Mātrēs cum ducibus ambulent.

[xii] Adsītis.

[xiii] Illī effugiant.

[xiv] Fabulam mihi narrēs.

[xv] Rēgīnam dēcipiās.

____________________

[i] Let Tullia come away from home. / Tullia should come away from home.

[ii] (May you) work with the gods. / You should work with the gods.

[iii] You should all run through Gaul.

[iv] Let the son free the poor man. / The son should free …

[v] May he / he should stay in Greece.

[vi] Live in Troy / You should (all) live in Troy.

[vii] Let her journey from the Senate House.

[viii] (You should) flee through Asia.

[ix] Let him / he should fear the consuls.

[x] (You should) come to the city.

[xi] Let the mothers walk with the leaders / the mothers should walk …

[xii] Be / You should (all) be present.

[xiii] Let them escape.

[xiv] You should tell the story to me.

[xv] You should deceive the queen.

Level 3+; Subjunctive [7] independent uses [2] jussive [i]

The term jussive subjunctive is from La: iubeō, -ēre [2]: command

(1) The jussive subjunctive is generally interpreted as a form of command or strong suggestion. It translates as or “Let him / her / them (do something) or, dependent upon context, should (do something)” and is used with the 3^rd person singular or plural:

dīcat │ Let him (her) say.

discēdant │  Let them depart.

discipulus discat aut discēdat │ Let the student learn or leave / the student should learn or leave.

Habeat cōnsul cōnsilia cōnsilia senātōrum │ Let the consul have the advice of the senators / The consul should have …

[i] Vulgate: What God commanded

Dīxitque Deus: Fīat lūx │ And God said: Let there be light.

Fīat firmāmentum in mediō aquārum: et dīvidat aquās ab aquīs. │ Let there be / become / be made an expanse in the middle of the waters: and let it separate the waters from the waters.

Germinet terra herbam virentem │ Let the earth bring forth green vegetation.

Fīant lūmināria in firmāmentō caelī, et dīvidant diem ac noctem, et sint in signa et tempora, et diēs et annōs │ And God said: Let there be lights in the firmament of the sky, and let them divide the day and the night, and let them be for signs and seasons and for days and years.

Prōdūcat terra animam vīventem in genere suō │ And God also said: Let the land produce the living creature (living creatures), each according to its own kind

Prōdūcant aquae rēptile animae vīventis, et volātile super terram sub firmāmentō caelī. │ Let the waters bring forth a crawling creature of living breath,  and a flying creature above the earth beneath the firmament of the sky

[ii] Cēdant arma togae, concēdat laurea linguae (Cicero) │ Let arms give way to the toga, let the laurel be granted to eloquence.

[iii] Ēmittat ad mē Pūblius (Cicero) │ Let Publius send (someone) to me

[iv] Hoc tantum sciat (Livy) │ Let him know only this.

[v] Sit fūr, at est bonus imperātor (Cicero) │ Let him be a thief [he may be a thief], at least he is a good general.

(2) The jussive subjunctive can also be 2^nd person singular or plural:

Taceās, Antonī! │ Be quiet, Antony! [Literally: May you be quiet / you should be quiet]

[i] Abeās! (Plautus) │ Be off!

[ii] From the student song Gaudeāmus igitur:

Abeās ad īnferōs, │ May you go away to the underworld,

Trānseās ad superōs │ May you cross over to the heavens

The translations could equally work as “You should go away / cross over”

[iii] Doceās iter et sacra ōstia pandās (Vergil) │ (May you) show us the way and lay open the sacred portals.

[iv] Si nihil habēbis, tamen scrībās aliquid (Cicero) │ If you have nothing (to write about / no news), write something anyhow. 

[v] Iniūriās fortūnae … dēfugiendō relinquās (Cicero) │ The wrongs of fortune … (you should) leave behind by flight.

[vi] Sī vultis, habeātis (Cicero) │ If you want, (you may) have it (go ahead and take it).

Image #2: From three into one –shows the Latin translation of a three word title of a Beatles’ song. What’s the original title?

Image #3: Latin legal advice

KEY POINTS: jussive subjunctive [i]

• from iubeō, -ēre [2]: command
• expresses a command or strong suggestion
• usually translated as “let …”, or sometimes “should …” depending on context.
• 3rd person singular or plural: let him / her / them …; (s)he should …
• 2nd person singular or plural: may you; you should …
• typically present subjunctive