Chapter 8: The Subjunctive Mood—Dependent Uses

Cōgitā is the imperative singular form of cōgitō, cōgitāre, cōgitāvī, cōgitātum (1): to think, reflect; plan, intend. Quamdiū (interrog. adv.): how long? Iam (adv.): now; already. Idem is the neuter accusative singular form of īdem/eadem/idem (pron.): the same. Faciās is the second person singular subjunctive form of faciō, facere, fēcī, factum (3, –iō): to do; make (subjunctive because it’s in an indirect question).

Nesciō, nescīre, nescīvī/nesciī, nescītum (4): to not know. Cūr (interrog. adv.): why? Illum is the masculine accusative singular form of ille/illa/illud (pron.): that; he, she, it. Amēmus is the first person plural subjunctive form of amō, amāre, amāvī, amātum (1): to love (subjunctive because it’s part of an indirect question, and also a deliberative one).

Nēmō, nēminis (3m): no one. Ita (adv.): so, thus, in such a way. Cadit is the third person singular form of cadō, cadere, cecidī, cāsum (3): to fall. Ut (conj.): that, with the result that. Nōn: not. Et (adv.): even; also. Alium is the masculine accusative singular form of alius/alia/aliud (1/2, irreg.): other, another. In (prep.): (with abl.) in, on; (with acc.) into, onto, toward. Sē is the accusative form of the reflexive pronoun. Adtrahat is the third person singular subjunctive form of adtrahō, adtrahere, adtrāxī, adtractum (3): to draw or drag toward oneself, attract; drag together (subjunctive because it’s in a result clause).

Obsecrō, obsecrāre, obsecrāvī, obsecrātum (1): to entreat, implore, beg. Tē is the accusative form of tū: you. Nē (adv. or conj.): not (in commands); that not, lest. Mē is the accusative form of ego. Torqueās is the second person singular subjunctive form of torqueō, torquēre, torsī, tortum (2): to torment, torture. (Subjunctive because it’s a command. If this were written by a classical author, it would definitely be an indirect command (the literal translation above). Since it's in the Vulgate, it could also be read as a direct command (the first translation above). The Vulgate sometimes uses the present subjunctive to express negative direct commands in places where classical Latin would use the perfect subjunctive. See Chapter 18 of The Latin Tamer.)

Sī (conj.): if. Nōn: not. Dēs is the second person singular subjunctive form of dō, dare, dedī, datum (1, irreg.): to give; offer (subjunctive because it describes a potential; the sentence is a future-less-vivid conditional—see Chapter 18 of The Latin Tamer). Optet is the third person singular subjunctive form of optō, optāre, optāvī, optātum (1): to choose; wish for; pray for (subjunctive because it describes a potential).

Incidet is the third person singular future form of incidō, incidere, incidī, incāsum (3): to fall upon; happen (to), befall. Aliquis/aliqua/ aliquid (pron.): someone, something; anyone, anything. Quī/quae/ quod (rel. pron.): who, which, that, what. Impediat is the third person singular subjunctive form of impediō, impedīre, impedīvī/impediī, impedītum (4): to impede, hinder, obstruct (subjunctive because it’s in a relative clause of characteristic).

(A bit like saying in English: is it so great to have the ghost just so you can give up the ghost a little later?) Est: is it. Tantum, tantī (2n): so much, so great an amount. Habeō, habēre, habuī, habitum (2): to have. Animam is the accusative singular form of anima, animae (1f): breath; soul; life. Ut (conj.): that, so that. Agam is the first person singular subjunctive form of agō, agere, ēgī, āctum (3): to drive, put in motion; do; act; stir up; throw out (subjunctive because it’s in a purpose clause). Animam agere = to gasp for breath; be dying, breathe one’s last.

Quaeris is the second person singular form of quaerō, quaerere, quaesīvī/quaesiī, quaesītum (3): to ask; seek. Num (interrog. particle): starts a question where the answer no is expected or where some tentativeness is expressed; when the question is indirect it gets translated as if or whether (by any chance). Disertus /diserta/disertum (1/2): eloquent. Sit is the third person singular subjunctive form of sum, esse, fuī, futūrus (irreg.): to be (subjunctive because it’s in an indirect question).

Ego: I. Certē (adv.): certainly, surely, of course. Adhūc (adv.): still, yet. Nesciō, nescīre, nescīvī/nesciī, nescītum (4): to not know, be ignorant of. Quālem is the m/f accusative singular form of quālis/quālis/quāle (3, interrog. adj.): of what kind? what kind of? Fīliam is the accusative singular form of fīlia, fīliae (1f): daughter. Habeās is the second person singular subjunctive form of habeō, habēre, habuī, habitum (2): to have (subjunctive because it’s in an indirect question).

(The it is death: mors, mortis (3f).) Interest is the third person singular form of intersum, interesse, interfuī, interfutūrus (irreg.): to lie between; differ; (impersonally) to make a difference, matter. Nihil (n, indeclinable, nom. or acc. only): nothing; accusative used adverbially: in no respect, not at all. Ille/ illa /illud (pron.): that; he, she it. Ad (prep.): to (takes the accusative). Nōs is the accusative form of nōs: we. Veniat is the third person singular subjunctive form of veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventum (4): to come (subjunctive because it’s in an indirect question). An (interrog. particle): whether; or (in a question); it can also start a direct question. Illam is the feminine accusative singular form of ille/illa/illud (pron.): that; he, she it. Nōs: we.

Possum, posse, potuī, — (irreg.): to be able, can. Pedēs is the accusative plural form of pēs, pedis (3m): foot. eMoveō, movēre, mōvī, mōtum (2): to move. Ut (conj.): so that, such that, in such a way that, with the result that; although; provided that. Nōn: not. Curram is the first person singular subjunctive form of currō, currere, cucurrī, cursum (3): to run (subjunctive because it’s in a result clause). Currō, currere, cucurrī, cursum (3): to run. Moveam is the first person singular subjunctive form of moveō, movēre, mōvī, mōtum (2): to move (subjunctive because it’s in a result clause).

(He’s talking about sex.) Det is the third person singular subjunctive form of dō, dare, dedī, datum (1, irreg.): to give; offer (subjunctive because it’s in an indirect question). Quam (interrog. adv.): how (much)? to what degree? Bene (adv.): well. Quaeris is the second person singular form of quaerō, quaerere, quaesīvī/quaesiī, quaesītum (3): to ask; seek.

Sed (conj.): but. Iam (adv.): already; now; soon. Sciam is the first person singular future form of sciō, scīre, scīvī/sciī, scītum (4): to know. Quid is the neuter accusative singular form of quis/quis/quid (interrog. pron.): who? what? Agat is the third person singular subjunctive form of agō, agere, ēgī, āctum (3): to drive, put in motion; do; act (subjunctive because it’s in an indirect question). Quid agis? quid agit? etc. are standard ways of saying how are you? how is he? etc.

(Something defiant to say to Fortune: don’t mess with me.) Quaere is the imperative singular form of quaerō, quaerere, quaesīvī/quaesiī, quaesītum (3): to ask; seek. Quem is the masculine accusative singular form of quī/quae/quod (rel. pron.): who, which, that, what. Vincās is the second person singular subjunctive form of vincō, vincere, vīcī, victum (3): to win, conquer, surpass (subjunctive because it’s in a relative clause of characteristic).

Very literally: . . . how small bodies are to you?

Nōn: not. Vultis is the second person plural form of volō, velle, voluī, — (irreg.): to want; be willing. Cōgitō, cōgitāre, cōgitāvī, cōgitātum (1): to think, reflect; plan, intend. Quam (interrog. adv.): how (much)? to what degree? Parva is the neuter nominative plural form of parvus/parva/parvum (1/2): small; unimportant. Vōbīs is the dative form of vōs: you (pl.). Corpora is the nominative plural form of corpus, corporis (3n): body. Sint is the third person plural subjunctive form of sum, esse, fuī, futūrus (irreg.): to be (subjunctive because it’s in an indirect question).

Nōn: not. Quid is the neuter accusative singular form of quis/quis/quid (interrog. pron.): who? what? Dīcat is the third person singular subjunctive form of dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictum (3): to say (subjunctive because it’s in an indirect question). Sed (conj.): but. Sentiat is the third person singular subjunctive form of sentiō, sentīre, sēnsī, sēnsum (4): to feel; perceive, notice; think, judge, suppose (subjunctive because it’s in an indirect question). Rēfert, rēferre, rētulit, — (3, irreg. , impers.): it matters, it is important, it makes a difference.

(A letter from Pollius, not Cicero.) Quaerēs is the second person singular future form of quaerō, quaerere, quaesīvī/quaesiī, quaesītum (3): to ask; seek. Quantum, quantī (interrog. pron.): how much? how great an amount? Id is the neuter accusative singular form of is/ea/id (pron.): he, she, it; this, that. Aestimem is the first person singular subjunctive form of aestimō, aestimāre, aestimāvī, aestimātum (1): to value, assess, reckon (subjunctive because it’s in an indirect question).

(Recounting a saying from the age of Sulla, to which he adds, “I would not want even to be loved on those terms.”) Ōderint is the third person plural subjunctive form of ōdī, ōdisse, ōsum (irreg.): to hate (perfect forms are given present-tense meanings; this one is subjunctive because it’s jussive). Quis/quis/ quid (pron.): who? what? Dum (conj.): while; until; so long as, provided that (verbs go in the subjunctive with dum to convey intention or expectancy; thus dum is always followed by the subjunctive when it means so long as or provided that). Pāreant is the third person plural subjunctive form of pāreō, pārēre, pāruī, pāritum (2): to obey, submit. Nōn: not, no. Probent is the third person plural subjunctive form of probō, probāre, probāvī, probātum (1): to approve. Ergō (particle): therefore, then. Timeant is the third person plural subjunctive form of timeō, timēre, timuī, — (2): to fear.