Throwing a Fit

The impersonal phrase ‘fit ut‘ may be rendered in English as ‘it happens that…’ or ‘it comes about that…’ and takes a subjunctive clause in Latin. This ut-clause may be classed as one of result.

Recall that fit is the third person singular active indicative of fiō, which bears a complicated relationship to faciō, explained best by Mark Damen here. For more information on fiō, don’t bother with the Perseus edition of Lewis and Short. Even the advanced entry looks like this—

So detailed! So precise!

Here are a few examples of fit ut in action—

Fit ut hominēs causā nullā multa timeant: It (often) happens that men fear many things with little (good) reason.

Fit ut imbri crebrō certāmen differat: It is the case that, with the heavy rain, the match shall be cancelled.

The Essential A&G: 568n2, 569.2

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Hedging in Latin

How does one hedge their language in Latin? One option might be a relative clause of characteristic (with the subjunctive!)

• So far as I know, she never left the house: quod sciam, numquam domum abiit.
• From what I have heard, he enjoys three cocktails every evening: quod audīverim, tribus mixtīs cotīdiē fruitur.
• She’s an idiot, at least in my view: stulta est, quō modō videam.

The Essential AG: 535d

Minus and Minimē with Negative Force

Minus and minimē are the comparative adverbs meaning less so and least of all. However, in colloquial Latin they typically fill the role of ‘not’ and ‘no.’

• Sī minus possunt, exeāmus. If they are unable, let us head out.
• Audācissimus ego tand’ ex omnibus?—minimē. Am I therefore the most outrageous of men? Certainly not.

This effect is also present in in phrases with the subjunctive and quōminus (= ut eō minus).

• Nōn aetās impedit quōminus agrī colendī studia teneāmus. Age does not prevent us from retaining an interest in tilling the soil.
• Nihil impedit quōminus id facere possīmus. Nothing prevents us from doing that.

The Essential AG: 558b

Well, At Least Try

Two related of clauses of effort take a substantive clause of purpose with ut + subjunctive. They are classed under the general heading of such phrases that denote an action directed toward the future.

• I will give it my best shot so that you will be satisfied: huic optīmam operam dābō tibi gratum sīs.
• Let us attempt it now, to spare ourselves later pains: operam nunc dēmus ut postmodo onera vītēmus.

• I will chew this over tomorrow: huic negōtium dābō postrīdiē.
• Take care of this matter so that the plants do not die: huic negōtium dāte ne germina excīdant.

Note this alternative construction for operam dare.

• He made the effort for the sake of learning: operam dedit discēndō. (gerundive clause)

The Essential AG: 505, 505n1, 563

There Was a Time When…

Quite closely relate to expression of existence / non-existence are expressions of past time, which make use of the phrase est cum and fuit cum, which may be translated as ‘there was a time when…’ Like the phrases that describe existence, these make use of a relative clause of characteristic (w/ subjunctive!) to describe an indefinite period of present/past time.

• est cum …. present subjunctive
• fuit cum …. imperfect subjunctive

• est cum in omnis virī aevō domum parentis linquat: there comes a time in every man’s life when he must leave the home of his father
• est cum omnibus deceat: there is a season for all things

• fuit cum mihi quoque initium requiēscendī fore iūstum arbitrārer: there was a time when I thought a beginning of rest would be justifiable on my part
• fuit cum nōn altior meīs genibus essēs: there was a time when you were no taller than my knees

The Essential AG: 535an3

Expressions of Existence

In Latin, expression of existence and non-existence are handled by a Relative Clause of Characteristic (subjunctive!).

Expressions of Existence

• sunt quī discessum animī ā corpore putent esse mortem: there are some (there exist some) who think that the departure of the soul from the body constitutes death
• erant quī hōc cēnsērent, there were some of this opinion
• quis est quī id nōn maximīs efferat laudibus: who is there that does not extol it with the highest praise?

• sunt quī orbem arsum modō videre velint: some men just want to watch the world burn.

Expressions of Non-Existence

• nihil videō quod timeam: I see nothing to fear.
• nihil est quod adventum nostrum extimēscās: there is no reason to fear our arrival.

• nēmō est qui SuīLocō tamen ūtātur: no one uses MySpace anymore.

A&G add that with these phrases the indicative is possible but less common, and point out that certain grammar books reference these phrases as ‘Relative Clauses with an Indefinite Antecedent.’

The Essential AG: 535a, 525an1, 535an2

Verbs of Permitting / Clauses of Purpose

Verbs of permitting will take either a Substantive Clause of Purpose (ut/nē + subjunctive) or an Infinitive.

• He permitted them to make toys: permīsit ut facerent lūdibria.
• He did not allow tents to be pitched: tentōria statuī nōn passus est.
• She will allow you to pass: concēdet perīre.
• They do not allow the importation of wine: vinum importārī nōn sinunt.

After writing this post, I realized that I’ve already discussed permission constructions, external to my ongoing analysis of A&G on Clauses of Purpose. Take a look at my older post for comparison.

https://latinforaddicts.wordpress.com/2012/03/16/ne-allow-me/

The Essential AG: 563c

Substantive Clauses of Purpose (p1)

To understand the distinction between a substantive clause and a relative clause, follow this link.

Of substantive clauses, those that take the subjunctive have two central uses:

• To express purpose
• To describe results

Both such clauses either take ut or nē (where the purpose/results are negative).

• He warns him to avoid all suspicious activities: monet ut omnēs suspīciōnēs vītet.
• I beg that you aid her: tē rogō ut eam iuvēs.
• He persuades them to leave: persuādet ut abeant.
• He orders his men not to return: suīs imperāvit nē redeant.

A few things to note in the examples above:

• The third phrase would look identical as either a substantive clause of purpose or result. One must use context to determine whether he is in the process of persuading them to leave, or whether he has already achieved this result.
• The verbs that take substantive clauses may also take secondary objects (I beg you; He orders them) in any case except the nominative.

Substantive Clauses of Purpose are used with a variety of verbs and verbal phrases to denote actions that have future/planned directive. Such as:

• (id) agō, agere, ēgī, actum, I do it (so that)
• censeō, censēre, censuī, censum, I think, suppose, judge, recommend
• ēdīcō, ēdīcere, ēdīxī, ēdictum, I publish, decree
• mandō, mandāre, mandāvī, mandātum, I order, command
• precor, precārī, precātus sum, I beg, pray

In general, verbs of admonishing, asking, bargaining, commanding, decreeing, determining, permitting, persuading, resolving, urging and wishing are apt to take an ut/nē substantive clause of purpose. For a fuller list, see A&G 563 fn1.

In poetry, don’t be surprised to find an infinitive clause standing as a substitute for the substantive. There are also more common prose variations for particular verbs and verbal phrases under this general heading, which I’ll sort through in coming posts.

The Essential AG: 563

Substantive Clauses

A&G define the substantive clause as “a clause…used as a noun,” in contrast to the relative clause, which operates in place of adjectives or adverbs.

• I am the man whom you are seeking. (relative clause, as adjective)
• She ascended, as Ariadne ascended with Dionysius. (relative clause, as adverb)

• They warned us this would happen. (substantive clause, as noun)
• She wishes to see you immediately. (substantive clause, as noun)

To tease this out more explicitly, the relative clauses redefine or redescribe ‘man’ and ‘ascended,’ whereas the substantive clauses are effectively an apposition of the verb.

• They warned us this would happen = their warning was ‘this would happen’
• Shes wishes to see you immediately = this is her wish: to see you immediately

A&G refine this, stating that a substantive clause will always apposite a nominative or accusative case. (In the example above, she wishes x and they warned us x would both be in the accusative in Latin.)

English is partial to abstract nouns, where Latin is partial to verbal phrases.

• She demanded an investigation: postulābat ut quaestiō habērētur.

Substantive Clauses Take Four General Forms:

• Subjunctive Clauses
• Indicative Clauses with quod
• Indirect Questions (with the Subjunctive)
• Infinitive Clauses

This fourth form, the infinitive (with possible subjective accusative) is not properly a clause. Still these often replace ut clauses with the subjunctive, and are the mainstay of indirect discourse.

The Essential AG: 560-62

Perhaps If You Read This…

There’s a particular distinction between fortisan and fortasse (both meaning ‘perhaps’) that isn’t intuitive.

• Fortisan regularly take a (Potential) subjunctive, except in those rare moments of poetry, where it takes the indicative.
• Fortasse usually takes the indicative, except in those rare moments of poetry, where it takes the subjunctive.
• Fortasse occasionally takes an infinitive, but only in Roman Comedy

• Perhaps you will ask what all this fuss is: forsitan quaerātis quī iste terror sit.
• Perhaps I have acted rashly: forsitan temerē fēcerim.

• Perhaps you will ask me what all this fuss is about: quaerēs fortasse, quī iste terror sit.
• Perhaps that was a mistake: fortasse errāvī.

Other ‘Perhaps’ Constructions:

• forsan, chiefly takes the indicative, though it takes both pretty evenly-handed.
• fors, rare to begin with, it takes either the indicative or the subjunctive
• forsit / for sit, occurs just once, in Horace, and takes the subjunctive
• fortassis, rare and takes the indicative
• fortasse an (note the switch) is rare and takes the subjunctive (whereas fortasse is usually with the indicative)

The Essential AG: 447a-b