nēmō fuit omnīnō mīlitum quīn vulnerārētur, Caes.C.3, 53, 3,there was absolutely not a single soldier but was wounded.nūllust Ephesī quīn sciat, Pl.B.336,there’s not a soul at Ephesus but knows.quis in circum vēnit, quīn is ūnōquōque gradū dē avāritiā tuā commonērētur?V.1, 154,who came to the circus without being reminded of your avarice at each and every step?nūlla fuit cīvitās quīn partem senātūs Cordubam mitteret, nōn cīvis Rōmānus quīn convenīret, Caes.C.2, 19, 2,there was not a community but sent a part of its local senate to Corduba, not a Roman citizen, but went to the meeting. Forquī nōnafter such expressions, see1821. The main sentence often hastam,ita,sīc, ortantus: as,nēmō est tam fortis, quīn rē̆ī novitāte perturbētur, 6, 39, 3,there was nobody so brave but was demoralized by the strangeness of the situation.nīl tam difficilest quīn quaerendō investīgārī possiet, T.Hau.675,there’s naught so hard but may by searching be tracked out. Instead ofquīn,ut nōnorquī nōnis often used in such combinations (1821).
1989.The subjunctive in an untenable reason, negatively put, is sometimes introduced bynōn quīninstead ofnōn quod nōnornōn quō nōn(1855): as,nōn quīn parī virtūte aliī fuerint,Ph.7, 6,not that others may not have been his peers in virtue.
1990.quīnis used very rarely instead ofquōminusto introduce clauses completing the sense of verbs which have no negative expressed or implied: as, once each in theBellum Alexandrīnum, in Tacitus, and in Seneca’s prose.
1991.With the temporal particlesdum,while,until, anddōnec,until(in old Latindōnicumand in Lucretiusdōnique), may be conveniently treated the relativequaadorquoad(that isquāorquōcombined withad),while,until, and the comparativequamdiū,as long as.
1992.dum,while, means originallya while(1151): as,circumspice dum, Pl.Tri.146,look round you a while,a minute,just look round(1573).dum servī meī perplacet mihi cōnsilium, dum haud placet, Pl.Merc.348,one while my slave’s plan suits me completely, another while it doesn’t suit.dum . . . dum, Accius inDN.2, 89,one while . . . another.
1993.As a pure conjunctive particle,dum,while, means either (A.)in the time while, or (B.)all the time while; in the latter sensequoadandquamdiūare also used. Fromall the time while,dumcomes to mean (C.)as long as,provided; and (D.)until; in this sensequoadanddōnecare also used.
1994.The indicative is used in a protasis introduced bydum,quoad, orquamdiū,while; and the subjunctive in a protasis introduced bydum,provided, oruntil.
The subjunctive is also used for special reasons, as in indirect discourse (1725), by attraction (1728), of action conceivable (1731), or by late writers to express repeated past action (1730). See also1997and2009, end.
(A.)dum,in the time while.
1995.The present indicative is regularly used withdum,in the time while(1739).
dumsometimes has as correlativesubitō,repente;iam,intereā, &c.
The main verb may be present, future, or past; as,dum haec dīcit, abiīt hōra, T.Eu.341,while he thus prated, sped an hour away.īnficī dēbet iīs artibus quās sī, dum est tener, combiberit, ad maiōra veniet parātior,Fin.3, 9,he should be imbued with such arts as will, if absorbed while he is young, render him the better equipped to deal with weightier business.nunc rem ipsam, ut gesta sit, dum breviter vōbīs dēmōnstrō, attendite,Tul.13,now give your attention to the case itself, while I set forth to you briefly how it occurred.dum in hīs locīs Caesar morātur, ad eum lēgātī vēnērunt, 4, 22, 1,while Caesar tarried in these regions, some envoys came to him.dum haec aguntur, vōce clārā exclāmat, Pl.Am.1120,while this was going on, with clarion voice he cries aloud.haec dum aguntur, intereā Cleomenēs iam ad Helōrī lītus pervēnerat,V.5, 91,while this was going on, Cleomenes meantime had already arrived at the shore of Helorum. The phrasedum haec geruntur,meanwhile, is often used by the historians to shift the scene: as,dum haec in Venetīs geruntur, Q. Titūrius Sabīnus in fīnēs Venellōrum pervēnit, 3, 17, 1,while this was going on among the Veneti, Sabinus arrived in the territory of the Venelli. The present indicative is sometimes retained in indirect discourse, chiefly in poetry or late prose: as,dīc, hospes, Spartae nōs tē hīc vīdisse iacentīs, dum sānctīs patriae lēgibus obsequimur,TD.1, 101,tell it at Sparta, friend, that thou hast seen us lying here, obedient to our country’s holy laws.dīcit sēsē illī ānulum, dum lūctat, dētrāxisse, T.Hec.829,he says that, in the struggle, he pulled off her ring.
1996.The future is rare and chiefly confined to old Latin: as,
animum advortite, dum huius argūmentum ēloquar cōmoediae, Pl.prol. Am.95,attention lend, while I set forth the subject of this comedy.dum pauca dīcam, breviter attendite,V.3, 163,while I speak briefly, give me your attention a few moments.
1997.The imperfect indicative is rare; the imperfect subjunctive is sometimes used, chiefly by the poets and historians: as,
(a.)dum haec Vēīs agēbantur, interim capitōlium in ingentī perīculō fuit, L. 5, 47, 1,while this was going on at Vei, the capital meanwhile was in terrible peril. The pluperfect of resulting state is rarer: as,dum in ūnam partem oculōs hostium certāmen āverterat, plūribus locīs capitur mūrus, L. 32, 24, 5,while the eyes of the enemy were turned away in one direction toward the fight, the wall is carried in several places(1615). (b.)dum sē rēx āverteret, alter ēlātam secūrim in caput dēiēcit, L. 1, 40, 7,while the king was looking another way, the second man raised his axe and brought it down on his head.
1998.The clause withdumoften denotes the cause of the main action, particularly when the subjects of both verbs are the same and the action of the protasis is coincident with that of the apodosis (1733).
dum docent, discunt, Sen.E.7, 8,while they are teaching, they are learning, or,by teaching they learn.nīmīrum didicī etiam, dum in istum inquīrō, artificum nōmina,V.4, 4,preposterous as it may seem, in hunting up evidence against the defendant, I have actually learned artists’ names. The main action is often one not anticipated or desired: as,ita dum pauca mancipia retinēre volt, fortūnās omnīs lībertātemque suam perdidit,Caecil.56,so in her attempt to keep a few human chattels, she sacrificed all her possessions and her own liberty.dum vītant stultī vitia, in contrāria currunt, H.S.1, 2, 24,while fools essay a vice to shun, into its opposite they run. Sometimes with the perfect: as,dum Alexandrī similis esse voluit, L. Crassī inventus est dissimillimus,Br.282,from his desire to be like Alexander, he came out just the opposite of Crassus.
(B.)dum,quoad,quamdiū(dōnec),all the time while.
1999.dum,quoad, orquamdiū,all the time while, often has as correlativetamdiū,tantum,tantummodo,tantisper,usque, orita. Whentamdiūis used,quamoften stands forquamdiū.
2000.(1.) When the main verb is present or future, the protasis withdum,quoad, orquamdiū,all the time while, is usually in the same tense as the main verb: as,
mane dum scrībit, Pl.B.737,wait while he writes.aegrōtō dum anima est, spēs esse dīcitur,Att.9, 10, 3,as long as a sick man has breath he is said to have hope.vidua vīvitō vel usque dum rēgnum optinēbit Iuppiter, Pl.Men.727,may’st widowed live e’en long as Jupiter shall reign.ego tē meum esse dīcī tantisper volō, dum quod tē dignumst faciēs, T.Hau.106,I’ll have thee called my son but just so long as thou shalt act as doth become thee.dum Latīnae loquentur litterae, quercus huic locō nōn deerit,Leg.1, 2,as long as Latin literature has the gift of speech, this spot will not lack its oak(1733).quamdiū quisquam erit quī tē dēfendere audeat, vīvēs,C.1, 6,as long as there shall be a soul who will venture to defend you, you shall live on.discēs quamdiū volēs, tamdiū autem velle dēbēbis quoad tē quantum prōficiās nōn paenitēbit,Off.1, 2,you shall study as long as you want to, and it will be proper for you to want to, as long as you are satisfied with your progress.dandum hordeum et furfurēs usque quaad erunt lactantēs, VarroR. R.2, 7, 12,give them barley and bran as long as they are sucklings.quoad,as long as, is not found in Terence.
2001.(2.) Withquamdiūthe perfect is used when the main verb is perfect; withdumorquoadthe perfect or imperfect is used when the main verb is perfect or pluperfect, and the imperfect usually when the main verb is imperfect: as,
(a.)quōrum quamdiū mānsit imitātiō, tamdiū genus illud dīcendī vīxit,DO.2, 94,as long as the imitation of these men lasted, so long was that style in vogue.tenuit locum tamdiū quam ferre potuit labōrem,Br.236,he held the position as long as he could stand the work. In this usequamdiūis found first in Cicero.
(b.)vīxit, dum vīxit, bene, T.Hec.461,he lived well all the time he lived(1733).avus noster quoad vīxit, restitit M. Grātidiō,Leg.3, 36,our grandfather as long as he lived, opposed Gratidius.
(c.)Massiliēnsēs quoad licēbat, circumvenīre nostrōs contendēbant, Caes.C.1, 58, 1,as long as the Massilia people had a chance, they kept trying to surround our men.dum necesse erat, rēsque ipsa cōgēbat, ūnus omnia poterat,RA.139,as long as it had to be, and circumstances demanded, one man controlled the world(1733). From Sallust on, the present of vivid narration (1590) is occasionally found withdumin this sense.
2002.In poetry and in late prose writers, beginning with Lucretius and Livy,dōnecis used in the sense ofall the time while, usually with the indicative, but sometimes with the subjunctive of repeated past action: as,dōnec grātus eram tibī, Persārum viguī rēge beātior, H. 3, 9, 1,as long as I was loved of thee, I flourished happier than the Persians’ king.dōnec armātī cōnfertīque abībant, peditum labor in persequendō fuit, L. 6, 13, 4,as long as they were moving off under arms and in close array, the task of pursuit fell to the infantry.vulgus trucīdātum est dōnec īra et diēs permānsit, Ta. 1, 68,the rank and file were butchered as long as wrath and daylight held out.nihil trepidābant, dōnec continentī velut ponte agerentur, L. 21, 28, 10,the elephants were not a bit skittish as long as they were driven along what seemed a continuous bridge(1730). The future is rare: as,nātus enim dēbet quīcumque est velle manēre in vītā, dōnec retinēbit blanda voluptās, Lucr. 5, 177,whoe’er is born must wish in life to abide, so long as him fond pleasure shall detain.dōnec eris fēlīx, multōs numerābis amīcōs, O.Tr.1, 9, 5,as long as fortune smiles, thou troops shalt count of friends.
(C.)dum,as long as,provided,so.
2003.The present and imperfect subjunctive are used in provisos introduced bydum,as long as,provided,so.
dumis sometimes accompanied bymodo,only, orquidem,that is; or (from Terence on)modois used withoutdum. The negative isnē(from Ovid on, sometimesnōn);nēsometimes has as correlativeita.
ōderint dum metuant, Poet. in Suet.Cal.30,let them hate, so they fear.absit, dum modo laude partā domum recipiat sē, Pl.Am.644,let him go, so only he come home with glory won.postulābant prō homine miserrimō, quī vel ipse sēsē in cruciātum darī cuperet, dum dē patris morte quaererētur,RA.119,they made the request in behalf of a pitiable wretch, who would be only too glad to be put to the rack himself, so his father’s death might be investigated.itaque dum locus comminus pugnandī darētur, aequō animō singulās bīnīs nāvibus obiciēbant, Caes.C.1, 58, 4,therefore, so a chance was given to fight hand to hand, they did not mind pitting one of their vessels against two of the enemy’s.sī ē̆ī permissum esset, ita id sacrum faceret, dum nē plūs quīnque sacrificiō interessent, L. 39, 18, 9,if he were allowed, he might perform the sacrifice far better, provided that not more than five people should have a part in the ceremonial.dum quidem nēquid percontēris quod nōn lubeat prōloquī, Pl.Aul.211,provided at least you ask nothing that I may not like to disclose.volet, cīvis modo haec sit, T.Eu.889,he’ll consent, only let her be a free born maid.magnō mē metū līberābis, dum modo inter mē atque tē mūrus intersit,C.1, 10,you will relieve me of great fear, provided only there be a wall interposed between you and myself.
(D.)dum,quoad,dōnec,until.
2004.dum,quoadordōnec,until, often has as correlativeusque,usque eō,usque ad eum fīnemortamdiū.
dum,until.
2005.The subjunctive present is used in a protasis introduced bydum,until, when the main verb denotes either indefinite or present time, and the subjunctive imperfect when the main verb is past.
The subjunctive is an extension of the subjunctive of desire (1540); the clause denotes something expected or proposed.
is dum veniat sedens ibī̆ opperībere, Pl.B.48,you shall sit there waiting till he comes.ōrandī sunt, ut sī quam habent ulcīscendī vim, differant in tempus aliud, dum dēfervēscat īra,TD.4, 78,we must always ask such people, if they have any chance to take vengeance, to put it off to some other time, till their rage cool down.cēnseō latendum tantisper ibīdem, dum effervēscit haec grātulātiō et simul dum audiāmus, quemadmodum negōtium cōnfectum sit,Fam.9, 2, 4,I advise lying low where you are, while the present congratulation excitement is cooling off, and at the same time till we may hear how the job was done.dum reliquae nāvēs eō convenīrent, in ancorīs exspectāvit, 4, 23, 4,he waited at anchor till the rest of the vessels should gather there(1725).Verginius dum collēgam cōnsuleret morātus, dictātōrem dīxit, L. 4, 21, 10,Verginius, after waiting till he should consult his colleague, appointed a dictator.observāvit dum dormitāret canēs, Pl.Tri.170,he watched till the dog should be napping.
2006.The present indicative withdum,while, is sometimes used where the subjunctive might be expected withdum,until(1593). Other indicative tenses are rarely thus used: as,
(a.)expectābō, dum venit, T.Eu.206,I will wait while he comes.ego hīc tantisper, dum exīs, tē opperiar, Pl.Most.683,I’ll wait for you here a while till you come out.ego in Arcānō opperior, dum ista cōgnōscō,Att.10, 3,for myself I am waiting at the Arcae place, till I ascertain this. (b.)mihī̆ quidem usque cūrae erit, quid agās, dum quid ēgerīs, scierō,Fam.12, 19, 3,for me I shall be anxious all the time to know what you are doing, till I know what you have done.mānsit in condiciōne usque ad eum fīnem dum iūdicēs rēiectī sunt,V. a. pr.16,he stuck to his bargain till the jurors were challenged.
quoad,dōnec,until.
2007.quoadordōnec,until, introduces a protasis in the present subjunctive when the main verb is present or future; and in the perfect indicative when the main verb is past or a general present.
quoadis found once in Plautus with the imperfect subjunctive (2008); in other authors here and there with both moods; not in Tacitus. Withdōnecthe present subjunctive is found once in Plautus, rarely in late Latin and in poetry; the perfect indicative is found at all periods; the present indicative (1590), found once in Plautus, is poetic and late. Butdōnecis rarely used by Cicero, and never by Caesar or Sallust.dōnicumis found in old Latin (not in Terence) with the indicative (2009), and once in Nepos with the subjunctive of indirect discourse.dōniqueis found four times in Lucretius with the indicative, always before vowels (2009).dōnequeanddōneque cumseem to occur a few times in Vitruvius.
(a.)ego hīc cōgitō commorārī, quoad mē reficiam,Fam.7, 26, 2,I am thinking of staying here till I feel better.ea continēbis, quoad ipse tē videam,Att.13, 21, 4,you will keep this back till I see you myself.expergēfactīque secuntur inānia saepe cervōrum simulācra, dōnec discussīs redeant errōribus ad sē, Lucr. 4, 995,and when awakened, often they still keep hunting the shadowy forms of stags, until the delusion is shaken off and they come to themselves.magnus mīrandusque cliēns sedet ad praetōria rēgis, dōnec Bīthȳnō libeat vigilāre tyrannō, J. 10, 160,a vassal great and strange he sits in the king’s gate, till it may suit his oriental majesty to wake.inter eadem pecora dēgunt, dōnec aetās sēparet ingenuōs, Ta.G.20,they always live among the same flocks and herds, till maturity puts the free-born by themselves.
(b.)nostrī reppulērunt neque fīnem sequendī fēcērunt, quoad equitēs praecipitēs hostēs ēgērunt, 5, 17, 3,our people routed them and did not give up the pursuit till the cavalry drove the enemy headlong.Milō cum in senātū fuisset eō diē quoad senātus est dīmissus, domum vēnit,Mil.28,after staying in the senate that day till the senate adjourned, Milo went home.numquam dēstitit ōrāre usque adeō dōnec perpulit, T.Andr.660,he never ceased to tease until he gained his point.usque eō timuī, dōnec ad rēiciundōs iūdicēs vēnimus,V.1, 17,I was afraid all the time till we came to challenging jurors. The present indicative of vivid narration (1590) is found in Vergil and Livy: as,sociī cōnsurgere tōnsīs, dōnec rōstra tenent siccum et sēdēre carīnae omnēs innocuae, V. 10, 299,with one accord the shipmates rose to oars, until the beaks dry land attain, and keels all sat unscathed.
2008.An imperfect subjunctive is rarely found withquoad,until(1725): as,haec diēs praestitūtast, quoad referret, Pl.Ps.623,this day was set by which he was to pay.exercēbātur currendō et lūctandō ad eum fīnem, quoad stāns complectī posset, N. 15, 2, 5,he used to practise running and wrestling, till he could give a grip standing. Fordōnec, see2009at the end.
2009.Other constructions occur, chiefly in old Latin or poetry, withdōnec, ordōnicum,until. (a.) The future perfect: as,haud dēsinam, dōnec perfēcerō hōc, T.Ph.419,I shall not stop till I have finished this.dēlīcta maiōrum luēs, dōnec templa refēceris, H. 3, 6, 1,for sins of sires thou shalt atone, till thou hast shrines repaired. (b.) The future:coquitō usque dōnec conmadēbit bene, Cato,RR.156, 5,boil until it is very soft.ter centum rēgnābitur annōs, dōnec geminam partū dabit Īlia prōlem, V. 1, 272,for thrice a hundred years there will be kings, till Ilia gives birth to twins. (c.) The perfect indicative, less frequently the present, introductory to a general present:impedit piscīs usque adeō, dōnicum ēdūxit forās, Pl.Tru.38,he always draws his net about the fish, until he’s brought them out(1613).usque mantant neque id faciunt, dōnicum parietēs ruont, Pl.Most.116,they keep waiting and don’t do it until the walls are falling. (d.) The pluperfect indicative:horriferīs accībant vōcibus Orcum, dōnique eōs vītā prīvārant vermina saeva, Lucr. 5, 996,with horrid cries on Death they’d call till gripings sore had set them free from life. The imperfect indicative is found once in Tacitus, who also has the infinitive of intimation (1539) once or twice. An imperfect or pluperfect subjunctive sometimes occurs where purpose is intimated, and in Livy and late Latin to express repeated past action: as,dōnec ēgregius properāret exsul, H. 3, 5, 45,till he could hasten forth a peerless exile.trepidātiōnis aliquantum ēdēbant, dōnec quiētem ipse timor fēcisset, L. 21, 28, 11,the elephants always displayed some nervousness, till terror itself restored quiet(1730). But the habit of using the imperfect subjunctive is very common in Tacitus where neither purpose nor repetition is intimated: asneque proelium omīsit dōnec caderet, Ta. 3, 20,he ceased not fighting till he fell.
2010.quandō, originally a temporal particle, has the meaningwhen, which readily passes over to a causal meaning,since,because. In both meanings it introduces the indicative. For special reasons, however, the subjunctive is used, as in indirect discourse (1725) or of action conceivable (1731).quandōis also used to introduce a conditional protasis (2110).
In simple sentences, temporalquandōis used in pronoun questions (1526). As an indefinite adverb it has the meaningever.
(A.) Temporalquandō.
2011.quandō,when, introduces a temporal clause with the indicative.
The time is often indefinite or iterative; so usually in old Latin.quandōoften hastumas correlative.
fīō Iuppiter quandō lubet, Pl.Am.864,I turn into Jupiter at my sweet will.laudātō quandō illud quod cupis effēcerō, Pl.Cu.364,cry your bravo when I’ve done what you desire.quandō occāsiō illaec periīt, post sērō cupit, Pl.Aul.249,when that chance is lost, he wants it all too late(1613).quandō omnēs creātī sunt, tum ad eōs deus fātur,Tim.40,when all were created, then to them spake the god.quandō pars maior in eandem sententiam ībat, bellum erat cōnsēnsum, L. 1, 32, 12,when the majority voted for the same motion, war was always agreed upon. Temporalquandōis found sporadically at all periods; not in Terence or Caesar.
2012.quandōque,whenever, is found once in the Twelve Tables, a few times in Cicero (chiefly in legal formulae), three times in Horace, and here and there in later authors. Not in Caesar.
(B.) Causalquandō.
2013.quandō,since,seeing that, introduces a causal clause with the indicative.
The reason is usually one known to the person addressed or one generally known (1884).quandōis often strengthened byquidem.
quandō hīc serviō, haec patriast mea, Pl.Per.641,now that I am a slave here, this is my country.quīn ergō abeis, quandō respōnsumst?Pl.MG.1085,why don’t you go then, since you’ve had your answer?melius est, quandōquidem hoc numquam mī ipse voluit dīcere, T.Ad.639,better so, since he wouldn’t ever tell me about it of his own accord.quandō mē in hunc locum dēdūxit ōrātiō, docēbō.DN.3, 43,seeing that my discourse has brought me to this point, I will show.haec dētur cūra cēnsōribus, quandōquidem eōs in rē pūblicā semper volumus esse,Leg.3, 47,let this be the charge of the censors, seeing that we want such officers always in our state.prō urbe ac penātibus dīmicandum esse, quandō Ītaliam tuērī nequīssent, L. 22, 8, 7,that they must fight for home and country, now that they had failed to preserve Italy(1724). Causalquandōis found at all periods, though not in Caesar, and in Cicero’s orations only withquidem.
2014.quandōque,inasmuch as, is used a few times in a formal or legal sense in Cicero and Livy: as,quandōque hīsce hominēs iniussū populī Rōmānī Quirītium foedus ictum īrī spopondērunt, L. 9, 10, 9,inasmuch as these persons have promised that a covenant should be made, without the order of the Roman nation of Quirites.
2015.sī, in early Latinsei, is originally a locative, meaningunder those circumstances,so. With the enclitic-ce, it formssīceorsīc,so. The two are sometimes found as correlatives in colloquial style: as,sīc scrībēs aliquid, sī vacābis,Att.12, 38, 2,so you shall have time, so you will write something. See708.
Conditional Periods.
2016.A protasis introduced bysī,so,if, ornisi,unless,if not, states a condition; the apodosis states action occurring under that condition. The conditional protasis and apodosis combined make aConditional Period.
Thus,sī diēs est,if it is day, is a conditional protasis; combined with an apodosis,lūcet,it is light, it makes a conditional period:sī diēs est, lūcet,Inv.1, 86,if it is day, it is light.
2017.A parenthesis withut(1943) is added when the speaker asserts that the action of the protasis is not only assumed, but actually occurs: as,sī virtūs digna est glōriātiōne, ut est, beātus esse poterit virtūte ūnā praeditus,Fin.4, 51,if virtue is entitled to glorification, as it really is, he will find it possible to be happy in the possession of virtue alone.sī nox opportūna est ēruptiōnī, sīcut est, haec profectō noctis aptissima hōra est, L. 7, 35, 10,if night is always favourable for a sortie, and it always is, this particular hour of the night is surely the very best time.
2018.The apodosis is usually declarative. Often, however, it is interrogative, exclamatory, or imperative, or it may take any other form which the thought or the context may require. The apodosis has rarely a correlative tosī: as,igitur,it follows that,idcircō,for all that,tum,then,ita,sīc,only,eā condiciōne,on condition;at,but,tamen,nevertheless,certē,saltem,at any rate,tum dēnique,tum dēmum,then and not till then.
2019.sīis sometimes followed byquidemor, from Cicero on, bymodo:sī quidem,that is if,since,even if,sī modo,if only.sī tamen,at least if, is found in Lucretius, Sallust, the Augustan poets and in late writers.sīve ... sīve(seu . . . seu) or, in old Latin,sī . . . sīve,whether . . . or, with the indicative or the subjunctive of the indefinite second person (1556), leaves a choice between two cases possible. By abbreviation of the protasissīvebecomes a coordinating particle: see1672.
2020.The negative ofsīissī nōn,if not(sī nēmō,sī nūllus, &c.), ornisi,unless,if not, used especially of an exception or after a negative,nisi sī, chiefly in old, colloquial, or late Latin, or, particularly in solemn language or poetry,nīis sometimes used fornisi. A restriction, usually an ironical afterthought, may be introduced bynisi forte(rare before Cicero) ornisi vērō(in Cicero and Pliny the Younger) with the indicative.
nisiis sometimes found in an adversative sense in old and colloquial Latin, especially afternesciō; from Cicero on, it may be strengthened bytamen. Fornisi quod, see1848.
2021.When a second conditional period is opposed to a first, it is sometimes introduced bysī(orsī autem), but usually bysīn(orsīn autem). If the second period is negative, and its verb is not expressed,minusoraliteris preferred tonōn.
CLASSES OF CONDITIONAL PROTASES.
2022.Conditional protases may be divided into two classes:
2023.I.Indeterminateprotases, that is such as merely suppose an action, without implying either its occurrence or its non-occurrence; these may take:
(A.) Any tense of the indicative required by the sense; or (B.) the present subjunctive, less frequently the perfect subjunctive, to express a condition in the future.
2024.II. Protases ofACTION NON-OCCURRENT, that is such as suppose action not taking place. These take the imperfect or pluperfect subjunctive.
Thus, in the periodsī diēs est, lūcet,Inv.1, 86,if it is day, it is light, the protasisif it is dayis indeterminate, neither implying thatit is, oris not day. But insī vīveret, verba eius audīrētis,if he were alive, you would hear his evidence,RC.42, the protasis denotes action non-occurrent,if he were alive, implyingbut he is not. The whole period, like the protasis, is either anIndeterminate Periodor aPeriod of Action non-occurrent.
I. INDETERMINATE PROTASES.
(A.) INDICATIVE USE.
2025.The indicative in a conditional protasis may state present, past, or future time.
The mood and tense of the apodosis are determined by the sense. The following combinations occur:
(1.) Protasis in the Present.
2026.
(a.)Apodosis in the Present.
sī sunt dī, beneficī in hominēs sunt,Div.2, 104,if there are gods, they are kind to men.sī nescīs, tibī̆ īgnōscō,Fam.10, 26, 3,if you do not know, I pardon you.deus sum, sī hoc itast, T.Hec.843,I am a god, if this is so.erus sī tuos domīst, quīn prōvocās?Pl.Ps.638,in case your master is at home, why don’t you call him out?hōc mortuō, aut sī quī ex reliquīs excellit dignitāte, succēdit, aut, sī sunt plūrēs parēs, dē prīncipātū contendunt, 6, 13, 9,when this man dies, if there is any one of the rest superior in position, he always takes his place; or if there are several with equal claims, they have a contest about the supremacy.sī vīs, potes, H.S.2, 6, 39,you can, if you will.in corpore sī quid eius modī est quod reliquō corporī noceat, id ūrī secārīque patimur,Ph.8, 15,in the human body if there is anything likely to damage the rest of the body, we always allow it to be cauterized and cut.sī cui vēnae sīc moventur, is habet febrim,Fat.15,if a man’s pulse beats thus and so, he always has fever. The present is sometimes loosely used of future time (1593): as,sī illum relinquō, e͡i͡us vītae timeō, T.Andr.210,if I desert him, I tremble for his life.assequor omnia, sī properō; sī cunctor, āmittō,Att.10, 8, 5,I shall compass all my ends, if I hurry; if I delay, I shall lose everything.castra nunc vōbīs hostium praedae dō, sī mihī̆ pollicēminī vōs fortiter operam nāvātūrōs, L. 7, 16, 4,I give you the camp of the enemy as booty now, if you promise me you will quit you like men.
2027.
(b.)Apodosis in the Perfect.
sī hominēs ratiōnem ā dīs datam in fraudem convertunt, nōn darī illam quam darī hūmānō generī melius fuit,DN.3, 78,if men apply reason, the gift of the gods, to purposes of mischief, it would have been better it should not be given to the human race than given(1495). The perfect of the apodosis is ordinarily used of future time (1612): as,occidī, sī tū vēra memorās, Pl.Most.369,I’m a dead man, if what you say is true.nunc sī indicium faciō, interiī; sī taceō, interiī tamen, Pl.MG.306,now if I tell, I’m dead and gone; if I keep dark, I’m dead and gone the same.nī illōs hominēs expellō, ego occidī plānissumē, Pl.St.401,if I don’t drive those people off, all’s up with me.nam sī argentum prius adfert, continuō nōs ambō exclūsī sumus, Pl.As.360,for if he brings the money first, then we’re at once left out in the cold.
2028.
(c.)Apodosis in the Imperfect.
sed sī domīst, Dēmaenetum volēbam, Pl.As.452,but if he is at home, Demaenetus I wanted.iam tum erat senex, senectūs sī verēcundōs facit, T.Ph.1023,he was already old, if age is what makes shamefastness.sī singula vōs forte nōn movent, ūniversa certē tamen movēre dēbēbant,DN.2, 163,if these points taken severally do not affect you, yet collectively they surely should have done so(1495).