Salvete, discipuli!

Chapter XXV: Infinitive Uses 2

Verbal Aspects

Indicative Subjunctive Imperative Infinitive Participle

Active Passive

Present Imperfect Future Perfect Pluperfect Future Perfect

1st 2nd 3rd

Singular Plural

How many Infinitives are there?

• Now that we have learned to recognize and form infinitives in Latin, let’s begin to look at the basic syntactic uses of the infinitive:

• In Latin, there are THREE infinitival functions in a sentence….

Infinitival Functions

1.Complementary

2.Nominal

3. Indirect Statement

Infinitival Functions

1.Complementary

2.Objective

3.Subjective

4. Indirect Statement

Complementary Infinitives•We have already encountered complementary infinitives in our study of Latin.•Complementary infinitives act to complete the meaning of a verb:

Ad scholam currere possum.I am able to run to school.

Oratorem in forō cernere non poteramus.We weren’t able to understand the orator in the forum.

Infinitival Functions

1.Complementary

2.Nominal

3. Indirect Statement

Infinitival Functions

1.Complementary

2.Objective

3.Subjective

4. Indirect Statement

Nominal Infinitives•Nominal Infinitives are rare in Latin but are commonly used in English.•Nominal Infinitives are infinitives that emphasize the nominal aspect of their status of ‘verbal noun’ and act as a noun in a sentence.•As such, nominal infinitives can be the subject OR the object of a sentence.

Nominal Infinitives•Examples:

1.Dulce est pro patriā vitam dāre.It is a sweet thing to give (one’s) life for (one’s)

country.

2.Errāre est humanum. To err is human.

3. Latinam linguam legere amō!I love to read Latin.

Infinitival Functions

1.Complementary

2.Subjective

3.Objective

4. Indirect Statement

Infinitival Functions

1.Complementary

2.Subjective

3.Objective

4. Indirect Statement

Complementary Infinitives•We have already encountered complementary infinitives in our study of Latin.•Complementary infinitives act to complete the meaning of a verb:

Ad scholam currere possum.I am able to run to school.

Oratōrem in forō cernere nōn poterāmus.We weren’t able to understand the orator in the forum.

Infinitival Functions

1.Complementary

2.Subjective

3.Objective

4. Indirect Statement

Subjective Infinitives•As a verbal noun, an Infinitive can act as a noun in a sentence.•As such, nominal infinitives can be the subject OR the object of a sentence.•Subjective infinitives are infinitives that fulfill the former role, that of subject.

Subjective Infinitives•Examples:

1.Dare vītam tuam prō patriā est pulchrum.It is a beautiful thing to give your life for (your)

fatherland.

2.Errāre est humanum, ignōscere dīvīnum. To err is human, to forgive divine.

Infinitival Functions

1.Complementary

2.Subjective

3.Objective

4. Indirect Statement

Objective Infinitives•As a verbal noun, an Infinitive can act as a noun in a sentence.•As such, nominal infinitives can be the subject OR the object of a sentence.•Objective infinitives are infinitives that fulfill the latter role, that of object.

Objective Infinitives•Examples:

1. Omnēs Latīnam legere amāmus! We all love to read Latin.

2. Rēx et rēgīna crās nōn audēbunt remanēre. The king and queen will not dare to stay tomorrow.

Infinitival Functions

1.Complementary

2.Subjective

3.Objective

4. Indirect Statement

Indirect Statement•Indirect Statement is best defined as “reported speech”.•It occurs when one person reports to another person what someone said without using a direct quotation.•In English, it involves the word “that”.

Indirect Statement

Direct quote:

The teacher says, “Julia is a good student.”

Indirect statement:

The teacher says that Julia is a good student.

Indirect Statement•English also extends the idea of Indirect Statement not only to verbs of speech but also verbs of thinking and feeling:

She thought that it was a good idea.I heard that he said that!We think that it’s a bad move.The players saw that he was injured.

Practice

• Brad says, “Julia seems to be enjoying herself.”

• John thinks, “Anne is a beautiful girl.”• Mary feels, “It’s a bad idea.”

Indirect Statement•In Latin, Indirect Statement operates in much the same way except instead of the word “that”, it uses a construction called the accusative-infinitive.

•In the reported speech, the subject is in the accusative case and the verb is an infinitive.•Like with the Ablative Absolute, this is done to avoid confusion about which noun goes with which verb.

Indirect Statement•In the reported speech, the subject is in the accusative case and the verb is an infinitive.

The teacher says that Julia is a good student.Magister dicit Juliam bonam discipulam esse.

In this sentence, the subject of the reported speech (Julia) is put in the accusative case and the verb (is) is put in the infinitive mood.

Indirect StatementThe general says that soldiers love war.Imperator dicit militēs bellum amāre.

The orator thinks words are beautiful.Orator putat verba pulchra esse.

Marcus knows that he is a good student.Marcus scit sē bonum discipulum esse.

Practice

1. We know that Rome is beautiful.

2. Everybody says that the sisters don’t know.

3. The Romans think that Cicero loves himself.

Practice

1. Putāvimus tuās sororēs litteram scribere.

2. Dixit litteram numquam scripsisse.

3. Monstrābunt litteram ā servō scriptam esse.

PerfectPluperfect FuturePresent

Classwork?

p. 359-60, #1-10

Homework?

HW 36