Level 3+; Subjunctive [66] dependent uses [6] indirect questions (4); tense sequences (iii) practice

Complete the Latin with the words listed below.

[1] Primary Sequence

[i] The boys ask each other [literally: among themselves] what they should do.

Puerī __________ inter sē __________ __________.

[ii] The old man does not know where he lives.

Senex __________ __________ __________.

[iii] We want to find out who has arrived.

__________ volumus __________ __________.

[iv] He asks the boy on what day he found the gold.

Ā puerō __________ __________ diē aurum __________.

[v] I will ask him when he will / is going to / intends to set out.

Eum __________ __________ __________.

[vi] I do not know how long he is going to stay in the countryside.

__________ __________ rūrī __________.

[vii] Do you know how much money was / has been found?

__________ __________ pecūnia __________?

[viii] We know why the prisoners were / have been killed.

__________ __________  captīvī  __________.

cognōscere; nesciō; nescit; quaerit; rogābō; rogant; scīmus; scīsne

cūr; quamdiū; quandō; quanta; quid; quis; quō; ubi

advēnerit; faciant; habitet; interfectī sint; invēnerit; inventa sit; mānsurus sit; profectūrus sit

[2] Historic Sequence

[i] I asked the boys what they were doing in the field.

Puerōs __________ __________ in agrō __________.

[ii] I understood what kind of man he was.

__________ __________ vir __________.

[iii] All the citizens knew why the consul had come to Rome.

Omnēs cīvēs __________ __________ cōnsul Rōmam __________.

[iv] They asked the commander how many soldiers he had led into battle.

Imperātōrem __________ __________ mīlitēs in proelium __________.

[v] The boys were asking each other what they would / were going to do.

Puerī inter sē __________ __________  __________.

[vi] We were asking the king who would / was going to kill the enemies.

Ā rēge __________ __________  inimīcōs __________.

[vii] The slave told his master how much money had been stolen.

Servus dominō __________ __________  pecūnia __________.

[viii] We did not know where the gold had been hidden.

__________ __________  aurum __________.

dīxit; intellēxī; nesciēbāmus; quaerēbāmus; rogābant; rogāvērunt; rogāvī; sciēbant

cūr; quālis; quanta; quid; quid; quis; quot; ubi

ablāta esset; advēnisset; cēlātum esset; dūxisset; esset; facerent; factūrī essent; interfectūrus esset

____________________

[1]

[i] Puerī rogant inter sē quid faciant.

[ii] Senex nescit ubi habitet.

[iii] Cognōscere volumus quis advēnerit.

[iv] Ā puerō quaerit quō diē aurum invēnerit.

[v] Eum rogābō quandō profectūrus sit.

[vi] Nesciō quamdiū rūrī mānsūrus sit.

[vii] Scīsne quanta pecūnia inventa sit?

[viii] Scīmus cūr captīvī interfectī sint.

[2]

[i] Puerōs rogāvī quid in agrō facerent.

[ii] Intellēxī quālis vir esset.

[iii] Omnēs cīvēs sciēbant cūr cōnsul Rōmam advēnisset.

[iv] Imperātōrem rogāvērunt quot mīlitēs in proelium dūxisset.

[v] Puerī inter sē rogābant quid factūrī essent.

[vi] Ā rēge quaerēbāmus quis inimīcōs interfectūrus esset.

[vii] Servus dominō dīxit quanta pecūnia ablāta esset.

[viii] Nesciēbāmus ubi aurum cēlātum esset.

Level 3+; Subjunctive [65] dependent uses [6] indirect questions (3); tense sequences (ii) primary and historic

 Compare [1] the primary sequence with [2] the historic sequence

Note that English and Latin operate in a similar way, except that the indirect question in Latin uses the subjunctive.

[1] Primary Sequence (Image part #1):

[i] The present subjunctive is used when the action is happening at the time of the main verb.

I ask him ¦ what he is doing. │ Eum rogō ¦ quid faciat.

I will ask him ¦ what he is doing. │ Eum rogābō ¦ quid faciat.

I have asked him ¦ what he is doing. │ Eum rogāvī ¦ quid faciat.

Ask him ¦ what he is doing. │ Rogā eum ¦ quid faciat.

[ii] The perfect subjunctive refers to an action that happened / has happened before the time of the main verb.

I will ask him ¦ what he did / has done. │ Eum rogābō ¦ quid fēcerit.

• Ego illud sciō ¦ quam doluerit ¦ cordī meō (Plautus) │ I know one thing – how (much) it has grieved my heart.
• Ex mē quaeris ¦ quid dēlīquerīs (Plautus) │ And you ask from me ¦ what you have done wrong.
• Possum scīre … quid vēnerīs? (Plautus) │ Can I know … ¦ why you have come?

Look out for passive and deponent forms:

• Nunc iam summātim expōnam ¦ quibus crīminibus Oppianicus damnātus sit (Cicero) │ Now I shall briefly set out ¦ on what charges Oppianicus was convicted.
• Sed lege indicium et vidē ¦ quem ad modum nōminātus sit (Cicero) │ But read the evidence and see ¦ in what manner he was named.
• 'Nōn indicās' inquit 'quid locūtus sīs.' (Quintilian) │ ‘You do not make known,” he said “What you have said.’

[iii] the construction with the future participle + the subjunctive of esse is used when the action is going to / will happen after the time of the main verb

I ask him ¦ what he is going to / will do. │ Eum rogō ¦ quid factūrus sit.

• Hinc intellegimus, quālis futūrus sīs (Scrīptōrēs Historiae Augustae) │ From this we understand ¦ what kind of man you will be.

[2] Historic Sequence (Image part #2):

[i] The imperfect subjunctive is used when the action was happening at the time of the main verb.

I asked him ¦ what he was doing. │ Eum rogāvī ¦ quid faceret.

• Interrogāvit ¦ quid esset (Seneca the Elder) │ He asked ¦ what it was.
• Interrogāvitque, ¦ quis esset (Vitruvius) │ And he asked ¦ who he was.
• Eum interrogāvit ¦ quid significāret verbum (Gellius) │ He asked him ¦ what the word meant.

[ii] The pluperfect subjunctive is used when the action had already happened before the time of the main verb. Focus, in particular, on the English use of had to emphasise that an action was already completed.

I asked him ¦ what he had done. │ Eum rogāvī ¦ quid fēcisset.

• Interrogāvit, ¦ quis id lignum ita composuisset (Gellius)│ He asked ¦ who had arranged that wood like that.
• Interrogāvit eum pater ¦ ā quō vulnerātus esset (Quintilian) │ The father asked him ¦ by whom he had been injured.

Look out for passive and deponent forms:

• Interrogāvit eum pater ¦ ā quō vulnerātus esset (Quintilian) │ The father asked him ¦ by whom he had been injured.
• At ille etiam proximus torō sēdit, ¦ quō diē quā hōrā nāta esset ¦ interrogāvit (Cicero) │ But he also sat down close to the bed and asked ¦ on what day and at what hour she had been born.

[iii] the construction with the future participle + the imperfect subjunctive of esse is used when the action would  / was going to happen after the time of the main verb

I asked him ¦ what he would do. │ Eum rogāvī ¦ quid factūrus esset.

• Exspectābant hominēs ¦ quidnam āctūrus esset (Cicero) │ People were waiting (to see) ¦ what he intended to do / would do.
• Metellus Pius in Hispāniā interrogātus, ¦ quid posterā diē factūrus esset, ¦ "tunicam meam..." inquit, "combūrerem." (Frontinus) │ Metellus Pius, having been questioned in Spain ¦ about what he would do the next day, said “I would burn … my tunic.’

Bear the image in mind, because it clearly shows how English translates each of the different subjunctive uses. Translators may not always maintain this pattern, but at this stage it is better to keep the translations of each use distinct. You need to take time - and plenty of reading - to "absorb" these constructions. Go slowly and - unlike Metellus Pius - don't burn your tunic!

Level 3(+) (review); weather (5); hot and cold running English

Words associated with the weather very well illustrate how English has used derivatives to expand its vocabulary.

[1] English words referring to, for example, agriculture, domestic life and weather conditions are firmly rooted in Germanic.

Old English: hāt; Modern English: hot; Modern Dutch: heet

OE: ċeald; ME: cold; MD: koud

OE: cōl; ME: cool; MD: koel

OE: forst; ME: frost; MGmn: Frost

OE: īs; ME: ice; MD: ijs

OE: reġn; ME: rain; MD: regen

OE: reġnboga; ME: rainbow; MD: regenboog

OE: snāw; ME: snow; MD: sneeuw

OE: storm; ME: storm; MD: storm

OE: sunne; ME: sun; MD: zon

OE: wearm; ME: warm; MD: warm

OE: wind; ME: wind; MD: wind

After the Norman Conquest of 1066 a large number of Old / Middle French words of Latin origin were imported to England,  enhancing the language with words that are largely not synonyms but are connected to the original Latin meaning. English vocabulary was not always displaced but sat alongside Latin derivatives which tend to be abstract, technical, or elevated in register. This has added considerable nuance to English.

hot │ calorie < La: calor, -ōris [3/m]

cold │ frigid (of a person’s emotion); refrigerator; fridge* < La: frīgidus, -a, -um

*possibly from the French product name Frigidaire; compare Hoover for vacuum cleaner

frost │ pruinose (frosted in appearance) < La: pruīna, -ae [1/f]

ice │ glacial; glacier < La: glaciēs, -ēī [5/f]

rain │ pluviometer < La: pluvia, -ae [1/f] or pluvius, -a, -um

snow │ niveous (resembling snow) < La: nix, nivis [3/f]

storm │ tempestuous < La: tempestās, -tātis [3/f]

sun │ solar < La: sōl, -is [3/m]

warm │ tepid < La: tepidus, -a, -um

wind │ ventilate < La: ventilō, -āre [1]: expose to a draught

A nice example where the Latin word with the same original meaning is reassigned to mean something different:

rainbow │ iris < La: (Late) īris, -idis

[2]

OE: birnende; ME: burning │ ardent < La: ārdeō, -ēre [2]; La: fervent < ferveō, -ēre [2]

What is interesting, and possibly annoying to non-native speakers of English, is the way in which such words overlap in both literal and figurative usage, one at times preferable to another. You can say a burning building or a burning desire, but you cannot say an ardent building!

a burning building

a burning desire

fervent heat

fervent activity

ardent prayers

[3] Displacement: sometimes a word is displaced because another word takes over part of its meaning — or because history intervenes (we have Vikings and Normans to thank for that!).

OE: heofan

[i] sky

[ii] heaven

One meaning displaced by Old Norse: ský, but retaining heofan as “heaven”.

And then the Normans come:

celestial < La: caelestis, -e < caelum, -ī [2/n]

This sits alongside the Old English heofonlīċ: heavenly.

Are celestial and heavenly simply useful synonyms for essays? Not quite.

Heavenly (Germanic) is warmer and more emotional. It can mean divine, blissful, or simply extremely pleasant: heavenly music, a heavenly view, a heavenly taste.

Celestial (Latin-derived) is cooler and more elevated. It often belongs to astronomy or formal description: celestial bodies, celestial sphere, celestial navigation.

They overlap in meaning, but they differ in tone and register. English has not merely accumulated synonyms — it has layered them. And that layering is part of what makes the English language both expressive – and occasionally exasperating.

Level 3+; Subjunctive [64] dependent uses [6] indirect questions (2); tense sequences (i) primary

[1]

(1) Nescīs [present indicative] ¦ (2) quid sentiam [present subjunctive] │ (1) You don’t know ¦ (2) what I am thinking. Translations may well retain the subjunctive idea: You don’t know ¦ what I may be thinking.

[2]

(1) Rogābis [future indicative] mē ¦ (2) ubi sit [present subjunctive] (Plautus) │ (1) You’ll ask me ¦ (2) where he is.

[3]

(2) Tū quid agās, (2) ubi sīs, (2) cuius modī istae rēs sint [all present subjunctive] ¦ (1) fac [imperative] mē quam dīligentissimē certiōrem (Cicero)

(1) Please let me know as carefully as possible …

(2) … what you’re doing …

(2) … where you are …

(2) … of what manner these affairs are [ = how matters are progressing / the progress of our affairs]

Examples from Plautus:

• Sceleste, at etiam ¦ quid velim, ¦ id tū mē rogās│ Rascal! And you even ask me that —what I want?
• Neque ille scit ¦ quid det, ¦ quid damnī ¦ faciat│ And he doesn’t know ¦ what he is giving, ¦ what harm he’s causing.
• Nec ¦ quid dicātis ¦ scīre nec mē ¦ cūr lūdātis ¦ possum│ And I can neither know [ = understand]  ¦ what you are saying , nor ¦ why you’re playing with me.
• Mē miseram, ¦ quid agam ¦ nesciō│ Poor me! I don’t know ¦ what I should do.
• Nōn edepol nunc ¦ ubi terrārum sim ¦ sciō│ Good gracious, I don't know ¦ where in the world I am.
• Dēmīror ¦ ubi nunc ambulet Messēniō │ I wonder ¦ where Messenio is walking now.

Indicative and subjunctive of the same verb in the same sentence:

• Gaudeō, etsī ¦ nīl sciō ¦ quod gaudeam│ I am rejoicing, although I haven't the least idea ¦ why I am / should be rejoicing.

This very brief exchange from Plautus shows the same verb as both a direct question in the indicative and an indirect question in the subjunctive.

Quid negōtīst? [ = Quid negotī est?] │ What’s the matter?

Quid negōtī sit ¦ rogās? │ You ask me ¦ what the matter is?

[4]

The Latin subjunctive has no future tense. When a specific future intention is meant, the subjunctive of esse + a future participle is used:

Certum nōn habeō, ¦ ubi sīs [present] aut ¦ ubi futūrus sīs [future] (Cicero) │ I do not know ¦ where you are or ¦ where you are going to be.

primary sequence; practice

Complete the Latin sentences with the words listed below.

[i]

(1) I don’t know (2) why (3) I should be friendly with him [ = why we should love him].

(1) __________ (2) __________ eum (3) __________ (Cicero)

[ii]

I want (1) to know (2) what (3) is happening [ = what is being done] here

Scīre (1) __________ (2) __________ hīc (3) __________.

[iii] Now I cannot conceive (1) where or (2) when (3) I shall see you.

Nunc, nec (1) __________ (2) nec __________ tē (3) __________, possum suspicārī (Cicero)

[iv] You must (1) bear in mind only this: (2) how many cohorts Caesar (3) has at hand against you.

Dēbēs illud sōlum (1) __________, (2) __________ in praesentiā cohortēs contrā tē (3) __________  Caesar (Cicero)

[v] (1) What portents (2) we read every day, (3) you will understand from this pamphlet.

Nōs (1) __________ mōnstra cotīdiē (2) __________, (3) __________ ex illō libellō (Cicero)

[vi] (1) I know both (2) whom (3) I should fear and (4) for what reason.

Ego (1) __________, et (2) __________  (3) __________ et (4) __________ (Cicero)

animadvertere; intellegēs; nesciō; sciō; scīre

cūr; quae; quam ob rem; quandō; quem; quid; quot; ubi

agātur; amēmus; habeat; legāmus; metuam; sim vīsūrus

____________________

[i] Nesciō, cūr illum amēmus.

[ii] Scīre volō quid hīc agātur.

[iii] Nunc, nec ubi nec quandō tē sim vīsūrus, possum suspicārī

[iv] Dēbēs illud sōlum animadvertere, quot in praesentiā cohortēs contrā tē habeat Caesar.

[v] Nōs quae mōnstra cotīdiē lēgāmus, intellegēs ex illō libellō.

[vi] Ego sciō, et quem metuam et quam ob rem.

Level 3+; Subjunctive [63] dependent uses [6] indirect questions (1)

[1] Direct question: “What are you doing?”

[a] A direct question is an independent sentence introduced by interrogative words and phrases e.g. who? what? where? what time?

• Who is that man?
• Where is the station?
• Why did you do that?
• What time is it?

[b] A direct question in an independent sentence may also be expressed by inversion of the subject and verb or with the inclusion of do / does?

• Is he English?
• Does he speak French?

[2] Indirect question: I want to know what you are doing.

[a] An indirect question is introduced by a principal clause, the question itself contained within the subordinate clause:

• I want to know ¦ who that man is.
• Do you know ¦ where the station is?
• Can you tell me ¦ why you did that?
• Does anybody have any idea ¦ what time it is?

[b] Direct questions introduced by inversion or do / does:

• Do you know if he’s English? Do you know whether he’s English (or not)?
• Do you know if he speaks French? Do you know whether he speaks French (or not)?

[3] An important point to remember is that, although we use the term indirect question, no question is necessarily being asked:

• I’ve no idea ¦ where the library is.
• I know ¦ how the magician does that trick.
• The teacher told me ¦ how often John hadn’t done his homework.
• I’m not sure ¦ if he’s English.
• I don’t know ¦ whether or not he speaks French.

[4] The constructions laid out above are very similar to the way in which Latin distinguishes between direct and indirect questions. In Latin, however, all indirect questions use the subjunctive.

[5] We’ll begin with the way in which Latin most often introduces indirect questions – with a question word. Not all question words are included, but more than enough to see how the subjunctive is operating in the indirect question. Remember that, although we call them ‘indirect questions’, this rule applies to any subordinate clause introduced by a question word: the verb is subjunctive.

cūr: why

• Nesciō ¦ cūr nōn possint (Cicero) │ I don’t know ¦ why they can’t.

quārē: why

• Quārē id faciam fortasse requīris? (Catullus) │ Do you ask ¦ why I do this ¦ perhaps?

quis / quae / quid: who, which, what

• Quaerō ¦ quis sit nocēns (Cicero) │ I ask ¦ who is guilty.
• Quid ipse sentiam ¦ expōnam (Cicero) │ I will explain ¦ what I think.
• Rogat mē ¦ quid sentiam (Cicero) │ He asks me ¦ what I think.
• At ille cautior perītōs locōrum rogat, ¦ quis aestus sit, ¦ quae signa dent nūbēs (Seneca the Younger) │ But he, more cautious, asks the experts of the place, ¦ what the tide is like, ¦ what signs the clouds give.

ubi: where

• Ubi sit ¦ ego sciō (Plautus) │ I know ¦ where she is.
• Quaerunt ā mē ¦ ubi sit pecūnia (Cicero) │ They are asking me ¦ where the money is.

quō: to where

• Quō eat ¦ nōn cōgitat (Honoratus) │ He does not think about ¦ where he is going (to)

quandō: when

• Nesciō ¦ quandō rogem (Seneca the Elder) │ I do not know ¦ when I will ask.

quōmodo: how

• Quōmodo hinc abeam ¦ nesciō (Terence) │ I don't know ¦ how I may get away from here.

quam: how

• Quam sīs audāx ¦ omnēs intellegere potuērunt (Cicero) │ All could understand ¦ how bold you are.

quot: how much / many

• Scīre equidem volō ¦ quot mihi sint dominī (Terence) │ For my part, I should like to know ¦ how many masters I have [literally: there are to me]

[6] In the quotations above, a number of different verbs were used to introduce the indirect question, for example:

cōgitō: I think

expōnō: I explain

intellegō: I understand

nesciō: I do not know

rogō: I ask

sciō: I know

The image shows a fuller, but still not exhaustive list of verbs of asking, knowing, saying, perceiving, or considering that may signal an indirect question.

Level 3(+) (review); weather (4); hot and cold running Romans [2]

 [5]

ārdeō, -ēre [2]: burn (consumed by fire); the verb is a good example of conveying both literal and figurative meaning

Domus ārdēbat in Palātiō nōn fortuitō, sed oblātō incendiō (Cicero)

• The house was burning on the Palatine, not by chance, but because the fire had been deliberately set.

Ārdent oculī (Plautus)

• His eyes are glowing.

Ārdēbat amōre illīus hospitae (Cicero)

• He was burning with love for that hostess.

[6]

aestus, -ūs [4/m]: [i] heat / fire [ii] tide [iii] passion

aestuōsus, -a, -um:  [i] hot / sultry [ii] agitated

aestuō, -āre [1]: [i] (of fire) burn; (as a result of fire) be hot / glow [ii] burn (with desire) [iii] be in agitation (or other similar upset or turmoil)

Aestuat ut clausīs rapidus fornācibus ignis (Vergil)

• As the rapacious fire blazes in a sealed furnace.

Vēnit enim tempus, quō torridus aestuat āēr, incipit et siccō fervēre terra Cane (Propertius)

• For the season has come when the scorching air seethes with heat, and the earth begins to burn beneath the dry Dog-star.

Exustus ager morientibus aestuat herbīs (Vergil)

• The scorched land burns with withering grasses.

Aestuat unda mināx (Lucan)

• The threatening wave seethes.

Quod ubi audītum est aestuāre illī quī pecūniam dederant (Cicero)

• And when this was known, they began to fret who had paid the money.

Sīc anceps inter utrumque animus aestuat (Quintilian)

• Consequently, the mind wavers in doubt between the two alternatives.

[7] ferveō, -ēre [2] or fervō, -ere [3]: [i] be hot / burn / boil [ii] be inflamed / agitated

aqua fervēns: boiling water

opere omnis sēmita fervet (Vergil)

• The whole trail swarms with activity.

Fōns mediā nocte fervet, mox et paulātim tepēscēns fit lūce frīgidus, tunc ut sōl surgit ita subinde frīgidior per merīdiem maximē riget, sūmit dein tepōrem iterum, et prīmā nocte calidus, atque ut illa prōcēdit ita caldior rūrsus cum est media perfervet (Pomponius Mela)

Fōns mediā nocte fervet, │ The spring boils at midnight;

mox et paulātim tepēscēns fit lūce frīgidus, │ soon, and gradually growing tepid, it becomes cold at dawn

tunc ut sōl surgit ita subinde frīgidior per merīdiem maximē riget, │ then, as the sun rises, it grows successively colder and is at its most numb / chilled about midday

sūmit dein tepōrem iterum, │ it then takes warmth again,

et prīmā nocte calidus │ and is warm in the first part of the night,

atque ut illa prōcēdit ita caldior rūrsus cum est media perfervet │ and as it (the night) goes on, it becomes warmer; then, when it is the middle (of the night) / midnight, it grows very hot.

Level 3(+) (review); weather (3); hot and cold running Romans [1]

The vocabulary listed here and in the next post is not confined to weather; some words are also used to convey people’s emotions e.g. burning with passion, or in specific contexts e.g. fire.

At this level you should begin to differentiate between literal / physical and figurative meaning. Compare:

• She’s been out in the snow. She’s cold (literal / physical).
• I don’t like her. She’s very cold (figurative) towards me.

[1]

algus, -ūs [4/m]: feeling of cold / coldness

algidus, -a, -um: cold

algeō, -ēre [2]: feel cold

algēscit: it’s getting cold

Verbs with the infix -sc- are known as inchoative or inceptive verbs denoting the beginning or intensification of an action, for example:

liquēre [2]: to be fluid / liquid > nix liquēscit: the snow is melting

https://adckl.blogspot.com/search/label/inchoative%20verbs

[2]

frīgus, -oris [3/n]: cold(ness)

frīgidus, -a, -um: cold

frīgidulus, -a, -um: a little cold; chilly

frīgeō, -ēre: be cold / chilly; freeze

frīgēscit: it’s getting cold

[3]

tepor, -ōris [3/m]: (gentle) warmth

tepidus, -a, -um: warm

tepeō, -ēre [2]: be warm / lukewarm / tepid

tepēscit: it’s getting (moderately) warm

[4]

calor, -ōris / caldor, -ōris [3] warmth; heat

calidus, -a, -um / caldus, -a, -um: hot

caleō, -ēre [2]: be warm / hot; glow

calēscit: it’s getting warm / hot

Hīc Sīrius alget, brūma tepet (Statius)

• Here Sirius (the Dog Star) is cold, midwinter is warm.

Dum calet, dēvorārī decet iam (Plautus)

• While he's warm, it’s now proper for him to be gobbled up

atque etiam maria agitāta ventīs … tepēscunt (Cicero)

• and even the seas, stirred by the winds, grow warm

Per aestātem caelum merīdiānum sōle exoriente calēscit, merīdiē ārdet; item quod spectat ad occidentem, sōle exortō tepēscit, merīdiē calet, vespere fervet (Vitruvius)

• During the summer the southern sky, when the sun rises, grows warm; at midday it burns. Likewise that which faces west, when the sun has risen, becomes warm; at midday it is hot; in the evening it is blazing.