Level 3+; Subjunctive [58] dependent uses [4] verbs of wishing (2)

[1] The present subjunctive of volō i.e. velim is the equivalent of

English: I should / would like

French / Russian (conditional): je voudrais;  ya khotel by [Я хотел бы]

Spanish / German (imperfect subjunctive): quisiera / ich möchte

[2] The verb velim itself is considered in grammar to be a potential subjunctive i.e. something that you would like to do.  However, both in Latin and in the other languages given above, it conveys polite wish rather than a forceful command.

[i] Referring to self + infinitive

Scīre velim. (Cicero)│ I would like ¦ to know.

Aetātem velim servīre (Plautus) │ I would be willing ¦ to be a slave all my life.

[ii] Referring to others

(1)    + ut + subjunctive

Velim ut tibi amicus sit (Cicero) │ I would like ¦ him ¦ to be a friend to you

Velim quidem, hercle, ut ūnō nummō plūs petās (Plautus) │ I would certainly wish, by Hercules, ¦ that you would ask for one coin more.

(2)   + accusative + infinitive

Nunc ego illam mē velim convenīre (Plautus)  │ Now I should like her ¦ to meet me.

Velim tē arbitrārī factum (Plautus) │ I would like you ¦ to consider it done.

[iii] Cicero, for example, frequently omits ut with the subjunctive, but it is the same construction:

Velim ad mē scribās │  I would like you to write to me.

Velim domum ad tē scrībās │ I would like you to write (to your) home.

Et scrībās ad mē velim dē gladiātōribus │ And I would like you to write to me about the gladiators.

Et velim mihi mittās dē tuīs librāriolīs duōs aliquōs│ I would like you to send me two of your library slaves.

Ignōscās mihi velim │ I would like you to forgive me.

Dionȳsium velim salvēre iubeās │ I should like you to send greetings to Dionysius.

Faciās mē certiōrem velim │ I would like you to let me know.

From Plautus:

Nunc ego, ille hūc veniat, velim │ Now I do wish that he would come here.

[3] You will come across further examples of verbs of wishing which will show the features discussed above, but we will focus on:

nōlō, nōlle: to not want / refuse > present subjunctive; nōlim │ I would not wish

mālō, mālle: prefer > present subjunctive: mālim │  I would prefer

[i] Referring to self

Scīre nōlō (Plautus) │ I don’t want ¦ to know

Laudārī multō mālō (Plautus) │ I much prefer ¦ to be praised.

[ii] Referring to others

(1)

Nōlō ut fallās fidem (Hyginus) │ I don't want you to break faith.

Note the more common omission of ut:

Nōlō, inquam, ōrēs (Plautus) │ I wish you would not request me, I tell you. 

Nōlim praetermittās (Cicero) │ I would not want you to overlook (it).

“Tū mālim," inquiēs, "āctum nē agās." (Cicero) │ You will say, “I would prefer you not to do what has already been done.”

(2)

Nōlō ego tē assentārī mihi (Plautus) │ I don’t want you to flatter me.

Nōlō equidem tē afflīgī (Plautus) │ I really don’t want you to be hurt.

Mānīlium Persiumve haec legere nōlō (Gaius Lucilius) │ I do not want Manilius or Persius to read these things.

Num nōn vīs mē obviam hīsce īre? (Plautus) │ Won't you let ¦ me go to find them? [literally: Surely you don’t refuse …]

Nōn vult populus Rōmānus obsolētīs crīminibus accūsārī Verrem (Cicero) │ The Roman people do not want Verres to be accused on the basis of outdated charges.

Tē nōlim discēdere (Cicero)│ I would not want you to leave.

Id caput sānē nōlim novōs tribūnōs plēbis ferre (Cicero) │ That clause I would rather the new tribunes did not propose.

Mālim tē mihi graviter īrāscī quam libenter ignōscere (Fronto) │ I would prefer you to be seriously angry with me than willingly forgive me.

The key “take-away” is to be aware of different structures with verbs of wishing. There are other verbs that operate in similar ways.

Level 3+; Subjunctive [57] dependent uses [4] iubeō, vetō; verbs of wishing (1)

Now that you have seen the subjunctive in the formation of indirect commands, in this post, and in the next, we’ll look at constructions where [1] it is not used and, more widely, [2] there are alternative ways of expressing the same idea depending on the sense.

[1] Although indirect commands are commonly formed with ut + subjunctive, below are important exceptions.

iubeō, iubēre, iussī, iussus [2]: to order

vetō, vetāre, vetuī, vetitus [1]: forbid

These verbs most often take:

verb + accusative (person ordered/forbidden) + infinitive (action) i.e. they do not use the subjunctive + ut even though they convey indirect commands.

Examples:

Imperātor mīlitēs [accusative] pugnāre [infinitive] iubet. │ The general orders ¦ the soldiers ¦ to fight.

Magister discipulōs [accusative] loquī [infinitive] vetat.│ The teacher forbids the students to speak.

This construction mirrors English very closely.

Labiēnum … iugum montis ascendere iubet (Caesar) │ He orders Labienus to climb the ridge of the hill

Līberōs … ad sē addūcī iussit (Caesar) │ He ordered the children to be brought to him.

Esse trīstem mē meus vetat Paetus (Martial) │ My friend Paetus forbids me to be sad.

Ab opere lēgātōs discēdere vetuerat (Caesar) │ He had forbidden the lieutenants to leave the work.

Note: vetō is inherently negative: forbidding somebody to do something is equivalent to ordering somebody not to do something.

He told me not to leave = Mē abīre vetuit.

[2] Verbs of wishing take either the infinitive or the subjunctive

Here, we will look only at one verb – volō, velle (want) – in order to focus on the structures being used.

[1] verb + infinitive, for example ‘I want ¦ to do something’  i.e. identical to English, the infinitive referring back to the subject:

Ego sorōrī meae cēnam hodiē dare volō viāticam (Plautus) │ I want ¦ to give my sister dinner and travel provisions today.

Uterque rēgnāre vult (Cicero) │ Each (one) of them wishes ¦ to rule.

Multa scīre volunt (Cicero) │ They want ¦ to know many things.

[2] When the wish is referring to somebody else e.g. “I want you ¦ to do something” then there are two alternatives, the first one of which you have already seen, and the second is the same as English.

(1) volō + ut + subjunctive to express an indirect command:

Volō ut sciās (Plautus) │ I want you to know [literally: I want ¦ that you should know].

Volō ut dicās vēritātem. │ I want you to tell the truth

Volō ut servētis disciplīnam cūriae (Seneca) │ I want you to observe the discipline of the senate-house.

Volō ut illī istōc cōnfugiant (Plautus) │ I want them to take refuge there.

(2) It can also be used with an accusative-infinitive construction, which mirrors the English construction. The accusative noun or pronoun is the logical subject of the infinitive.

Tē [accusative] volō scrībere [infinitive] (Plautus) │ I want you ¦ to write

Tē [accusative] scīre [infinitive] volō (Cicero) │ I want you ¦ to know

Vim [accusative] volumus exstinguī [infinitive] (Cicero) │ We wish violence ¦ to be put down

Spectātōrēs, vōs [accusative] valēre [infinitive] volumus et clārē adplaudere [infinitive] (Plautus) │ Spectators, we wish you ¦ to be well and ¦ to applaud loudly.