Latin for Beginners Part 39

LESSON LXII

THE SUBJUNCTIVE OF PURPOSE

<348.>> Observe the sentence

>, _Caesar sends men to find the bridge_

The verb > in the dependent clause is in the subjunctive because it tells us what Caesar wants the men to do; in other words, it expresses his will and the purpose in his mind. Such a use of the subjunctive is called the subjunctive of purpose.

<349.>> RULE. > _The subjunctive is used in a dependent clause to express the purpose of the action in the princ.i.p.al clause._

<350.>> A clause of purpose is introduced as follows:

I. If something is wanted, by

>, the relative p.r.o.noun (as above) >, conj., _in order that, that_ > (abl. of >, _by which_), _in order that, that_, used when the purpose clause contains a comparative. The ablative > expresses the measure of difference. (Cf. --317.)

II. If something is not wanted, by

>, conj., _in order that not, that not, lest_

<351.>> EXAMPLES

1. > _Caesar collects troops with which to pursue the foe_

2.

> _They ask for peace in order that they may return home_

3.

> _They build a bridge that they may take the town more easily_ (lit. _by which the more easily_)

4. > _They flee that they may not_ (or _lest they_) _be wounded_

<352.>> > In English, purpose clauses are sometimes introduced by _that_ or _in order that_, but much more frequently purpose is expressed in English by the infinitive, as _We eat to live_, _She stoops to conquer_. In Latin prose, on the other hand,

>. Be on your guard and do not let the English idiom betray you into this error.

<353.>> EXERCISES

I.

1. Veniunt ut { ducant, mittant, videant, audiant, { ducantur, mittantur, videantur, audiantur.

2. Fugimus ne { capiamur, tradamur, videamus, { necemur, rapiamur, resistamus.

3. Mitt.i.t nuntios qui { dicant, audiant, veniant, { narrent, audiantur, in concilio sedeant.

4. Castra muniunt { sese defendant, impetum sustineant, quo facilius { hostis vincant, salutem petant.

II. 1. The Helvetii send amba.s.sadors to seek[1] peace. 2. They are setting out at daybreak in order that they may make a longer march before night. 3. They will hide the women in the forest (_acc. with_ >) that they may not be captured. 4. The Gauls wage many wars to free[1] their fatherland from slavery. 5. They will resist the Romans[2]

bravely lest they be destroyed.

[Footnote 1: Not infinitive.]

[Footnote 2: Not accusative.]

LESSON LXIII

INFLECTION OF THE IMPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE THE SEQUENCE OF TENSES

<354.>> The imperfect subjunctive may be formed by adding the personal endings to the present active infinitive.

CONJ. I CONJ. II CONJ. III CONJ. IV ACTIVE 1. ama'rem mone'rem re'gerem ca'perem audi'rem 2. ama'res mone'res re'geres ca'peres audi'res 3. ama'ret mone'ret re'geret ca'peret audi'ret

1. amare'mus monere'mus regere'mus capere'mus audire'mus 2. amare'tis monere'tis regere'tis capere'tis audire'tis 3. ama'rent mone'rent re'gerent ca'perent audi'rent

Pa.s.sIVE 1. ama'rer mone'rer re'gerer ca'perer audi'rer 2. amare'ris monere'ris regere'ris capere'ris audire'ris (-re) (-re) (-re) (-re) (-re) 3. amare'tur monere'tur regere'tur capere'tur audire'tur

1. amare'mur monere'mur regere'mur capere'mur audire'mur 2. amare'mini monere'mini regere'mini capere'mini audire'mini 3. amaren'tur moneren'tur regeren'tur caperen'tur audiren'tur

_a._ In a similar way inflect the imperfect subjunctive, active and pa.s.sive, of >, >, >, >, >.

<355.>> The imperfect subjunctive of the irregular verb > is inflected as follows:

{ 1. es'sem { 1. esse'mus SING. { 2. es'ses PLURAL { 2. esse'tis { 3. es'set { 3. es'sent

<356.>> The three great distinctions of time are _present_, _past_, and _future_. All tenses referring to present or future time are called

>, and those referring to past time are called >. Now it is a very common law of language that in a complex sentence the tense in the dependent clause should be of the same kind as the tense in the princ.i.p.al clause. In the sentence _He > that he > coming_, the princ.i.p.al verb, _says_, is present, that is, is in a primary tense; and _is coming_, in the dependent clause, is naturally also primary. If I change _he says_ to _he said_,--in other words, if I make the princ.i.p.al verb secondary in character,--I feel it natural to change the verb in the dependent clause also, and I say, _He > that he > coming_. This following of a tense by another of the same kind is called _tense sequence_, from _sequi_, "to follow."

In Latin the law of tense sequence is obeyed with considerable regularity, especially when an indicative in the princ.i.p.al clause is followed by a subjunctive in the dependent clause. Then a primary tense of the indicative is followed by a primary tense of the subjunctive, and a secondary tense of the indicative is followed by a secondary tense of the subjunctive. Learn the following table:

<357.>> TABLE FOR SEQUENCE OF TENSES

+-----+-------------------+-------------------------------------------+ PRINc.i.p.aL VERB DEPENDENT VERBS IN THE SUBJUNCTIVE P IN THE +---------------------+---------------------+ R INDICATIVE _Incomplete or_ _Completed Action_ I _Continuing Action_ M +-------------------+---------------------+---------------------+ A Present R Future Present Perfect T Future perfect +-----+-------------------+---------------------+---------------------+ S D E A Imperfect C R Perfect Imperfect Pluperfect O Y Pluperfect N- +-----+-------------------+---------------------+---------------------+

<358.>> RULE. > _Primary tenses are followed by primary tenses and secondary by secondary._

<359.>> EXAMPLES

I. Primary tenses in princ.i.p.al and dependent clauses:

> } > } > > }

{ _sends_ } { _that they may_ } _He_ { _will send_ } _men_ { _in order to_ } { _will have sent_ } { _to lay waste the fields_ }

II. Secondary tenses in princ.i.p.al and dependent clauses:

>} > } > > }

{ _was sending_ } { _that they might_ } _He_ { _sent or has sent_ } _men_ { _in order to_ } { _had sent_ } { _to lay waste the fields_ }

<360.>> EXERCISES

I.

1. Venerant ut {ducerent, mitterent, viderent, audirent, {ducerentur, mitterentur, viderentur, audirentur