Learning Latin

Infinitives

The Objective Infinitive
Indirect Discourse

Indirect Discourse by Dr. Richard E. Prior

Pay attention the next time you are reading or hear someone speaking. You will be amazed at how much of what is communicated is really just the reporting of what someone else — sometimes even the speaker himself! — is saying, thinking, feeling, or asking. “He was saying that …,” “We knew that it …,” “I hear that she …,” “They wondered why I….” This type of reporting is called indirect discourse. In this chapter you will be introduced to two types of indirect discourse, namely indirect statement and indirect question.

Constructing an Indirect Statement

Indirect statement is the most common infinitive use in Latin. It is also the grammatical construction that is least like the construction English uses to express the same thing. In fact, if you try to translate the Latin literally, you get a hopeless garble of words. Let's take a look at how English reports things first.

Direct Statement: Caesar has a powerful army.

Indirect Statement: I hear that Caesar has a strong army.

English takes the original, direct subject-verb-object statement (“Caesar”- “has”-“a strong army”), and uses the conjunction “that” to link it to a main, subject-verb clause (“I”-“hear”). On the whole, the resulting sentence is actually just a normal subject-verb-object sentence. What differentiates a normal English sentence from one with an indirect statement is that English uses an entire clause as a direct object instead of a simple noun (or noun phrase).

It will come as no surprise that Latin is entirely logical about this construction. If the construction needs a direct object, Latin says that a direct object it shall have.

Direct Statement: Caesar exercitum potentem habet.

Indirect Statement: Ego Caesarem exercitum potentem habē re audiī.

All indirect statements are introduced by a verb of saying, thinking, knowing, or perceiving; for example, “I told you that …,” “I believe that …,” “I understand that …,” “I see that …,” and so on. The indirect statement itself consists of an accusative subject, a complement, and an infinitive. So here we have:

ego	Caesarem exercitum potentem habē re	audiī
subject	object	main verb (of saying, thinking, etc.)

If we take a closer look at the infinitive phrase that is serving as the object of audiī, a little “subclause” of predictable word order appears:

Caesarem	exercitum potentem	habē re
subject	object	main verb

Caesarem is accusative because it is the subject of the infinitive habē re, and subjects of infinitives are always in the accusative case.
Exercitum is accusative because it is the direct object of the infinitive habē re and direct objects of transitive verbs are always in the accusative case.
Potentem is accusative because it is an adjective modifying exercitum and adjectives agree with their nouns in gender, case, and number.
Habē re is an infinitive because infinitives are used as main verbs for indirect statement.

Tenses</h2> As noted earlier, the three tenses of infinitives show time relative to the main verb. The relationships are the same as for participles. The present infinitive shows something happening at the same time as the main verb, the perfect infinitive shows time before, and the future infinitive time after. <div class="npsb"> Caesarem exercitum potentem habē re audiī. (present infinitive) I hear that Caesar has a powerful army. (same time) Caesarem exercitum potentem habuisse audiī. (perfect infinitive) I hear that Caesar had a powerful army. (time before) Caesarem exercitum potentem habitū rum audiī.(future infinitive) I hear that Caesar will have a powerful army. (time after) </div> <div class="npsb"> Shouldn't the future infinitive of habeōbe habitū rum esse? Strictly speaking, yes. Future infinitives, however, are quite frequently found without the esse. You can tell the infinitive from the participle by the construction. In indirect statement, for example, an infinitive would be called for.</div> These during, before, and after relationships are all relative to the tense of the main verb, whatever that tense happens to be. In the above examples, the main verb (audiī) is present tense. If we change it to the perfect, for instance, the meanings (i.e., translations) will shift as well. <div class="npsb"> Caesarem exercitum potentem habē re audī vī.(present infinitive) I heard that Caesar had a powerful army. (same time) Caesarem exercitum potentem habuisse audī vī. (perfect infinitive) I heard that Caesar had had a powerful army. (time before) Caesarem exercitum potentem habitū rum audī vī. (future infinitive) I heard that Caesar was going to have a powerful army. (time after) </div> <h2>Constructing an Indirect Question</h2> Indirect statement can be challenging because its construction is very different from that of English. The construction of indirect question in Latin, on the other hand, is virtually identical to that in English. The only real, notable difference is that Latin uses a subjunctive. <div class="npsb"> Direct question: Where is Caesar's army? Indirect question: I wonder where Caesar's army is. Direct question: Ubi est exercitus Casaeris? Indirect question: Mī ror ubi exercitus Caesaris sit. </div> As you can see, the Latin construction parallels the English beautifully. The only exception is in the mood of the verb in the clause expressing the indirect question. You can usually expect some type of indirect discourse if the main verb of a sentence pertains to saying, thinking, knowing, or perceiving. Use those types of verbs as signposts. With an accusative, you can expect an infinitive (indirect statement). With a question word, you can expect a subjunctive (indirect question). <h2>Tenses</h2> The relative nature of infinitive tense in indirect statement finds some similarity with the tenses of the subjunctive in indirect question. In indirect question, however, verbal aspect also plays an important role. If a main verb is in a present or future tense, you can expect to find a present subjunctive if the action in the subjunctive clause happens at the same time or after, and a perfect subjunctive if it is the time before. This is called primary sequence. If the main verb is in a past tense, then the imperfect is used for same time or after actions, and a pluperfect for time before. This is called secondary sequence. <ul> <li>Primary sequence: Mī ror ubi exercitus Caesaris sit. (I wonder where Caesar's army is [or will be].) Mī ror ubi exercitus Caesaris fuerit. (I wonder where Caesar's army was [or has been].)</li> <li>Secondary sequence: Mī rā bar ubi exercitus Caesaris esset. (I wondered where Caesar's army was.) Mī rā bar ubi exercitus Caesaris fuisset. (I wondered where Caesar's army had been.)</li> </ul> <div class="npsb"> When there is a subordinate clause within an indirect statement or question, its verb goes in the subjunctive, even though it would ordinarily go in the indicative. Putō Caesarem legiō nem quae modo advē nerit trā ns Alpēs mox ductū rum esse. (“I think that Caesar will soon take across the Alps the legion that just arrived.”)</div> Table 17-2 Vocabulary <table frame="none"> <tgroup cols="2"> <colspec colname="col1" colnum="1"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="2"/> <tbody> <tr> <td>albus, -a, -um</td> <td>white (dull, flat white)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>anima, -ae, f.</td> <td>soul, breath (of life)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>candidus, -a, -um</td> <td>white (bright, shiny white)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>citus, -a, -um</td> <td>fast, quick</td> </tr> <tr> <td>cī gī,-ere, coē gī , coactum</td> <td>to drive together, force, compel</td> </tr> <tr> <td>constī , constā re, consititī , constā tum</td> <td>to stand together, depend on, stand still (constat, impersonal, it is agreed, certain, sure)</td> </tr> <tr> <entry/> </tr> <tr> <td>cor, cordis, n.</td> <td>heart</td> </tr> <tr> <td>cras, adv.</td> <td>tomorrow</td> </tr> <tr> <td>dī vī nus, -a, -um</td> <td>holy, divine</td> </tr> <tr> <td>foedus, -a, -um</td> <td>foul, nasty, stinky</td> </tr> <tr> <entry/> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> <table frame="none"> <tgroup cols="2"> <colspec colname="col1" colnum="1"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="2"/> <tbody> <tr> <td>foris, adv.</td> <td>outside</td> </tr> <tr> <td>herī, adv.</td> <td>yesterday</td> </tr> <tr> <td>hodiē adv.</td> <td>today</td> </tr> <tr> <td>interim, adv.</td> <td>meanwhile</td> </tr> <tr> <td>licet, licē re, licuit, licitum, impersonal</td> <td>it is allowed</td> </tr> <tr> <td>lū men, lū minis, n.</td> <td>light, eyes</td> </tr> <tr> <td>magister, -trī , m.</td> <td>master, chief</td> </tr> <tr> <td>modo, adv.</td> <td>just, just now, recently</td> </tr> <tr> <td>mollis, -e</td> <td>soft, flexible</td> </tr> <tr> <td>mundus, -a, -um</td> <td>neat, clean</td> </tr> <tr> <td>mundus, -ī , m.</td> <td>world, universe</td> </tr> <tr> <td>negī, -ā re,-ā vī, -ā tum</td> <td>to deny, say no</td> </tr> <tr> <td>nesciī, -ī re, -ī vī, -ī tum</td> <td>not to know</td> </tr> <tr> <td>nondum, adv.</td> <td>not yet</td> </tr> <tr> <td>num, adv.</td> <td>whether</td> </tr> <tr> <td>ordī , ordinis, m.</td> <td>row, order, rank</td> </tr> <tr> <td>placeī , placē re, placuī , placitum</td> <td>to please (placet, it is pleasing)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>pū rus, -a, -um</td> <td>pure, clean</td> </tr> <tr> <td>putī, -ā re, -ā vī, -ā tum</td> <td>to think</td> </tr> <tr> <td>quaerī, -ere, quaesī vī, quaesī tum</td> <td>to look for, miss, ask</td> </tr> <tr> <td>quondam, adv.</td> <td>former, at a certain time</td> </tr> <tr> <td>rogī, -ā re, -ā vī, -ā tum</td> <td>to ask</td> </tr> <tr> <td>rursus, adv.</td> <td>back, again, in return</td> </tr> <tr> <td>sciī, -ī re, -ī vī, -ī tum</td> <td>to know</td> </tr> <tr> <td>sentiē, -ī re, sensī, sensum</td> <td>to perceive, feel</td> </tr> <tr> <td>somnus, -ī , m.</td> <td>sleep</td> </tr> <tr> <td>tamquam, adv.</td> <td>like, as</td> </tr> <tr> <td>tū tus, -a, -um</td> <td>safe</td> </tr> <tr> <td>utrum … an</td> <td>whether … or</td> </tr> <tr> <td>uxor, -is, f.</td> <td>wife</td> </tr> <tr> <td>venus, veneris, f.</td> <td>charm, grace, beauty (Venus, Veneris, f., Venus)</td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> Latin-to-English Translations Translate these Latin sentences into English. <ul> <li>Troiā relictā,Aenē asā Venere, deā mā treque suā, Hesperiam petere coactus est. </li> <li>Titus Livius scripsit Hersiliam uxō rem Rō mulī -esse. </li> <li>Dī -citur cor istius virī -foedum fuisse et minimē mundum. </li> <li>Negā vit iterum iterumque sē ubi aurum celā tum esset scī -re. </li> <li>Mulierēs inter sē colloquentēs nondum nesciē bant sē spectā rī . </li> </ul> English-to-Latin Translations Translate these English sentences into Latin. <ul> <li>We felt that we would be safer at home. </li> <li>They kept asking whether we had seen the god himself. </li> <li>The senator said that Caesar was sending a messenger to Rome. (nuntius, -ī, m.“messenger”) </li> <li>The senator said that Caesar would send a messenger to Rome. </li> <li>The senator said that Caesar had sent a messenger to Rome. </li> </ul>  <div id="pagination"><ul><li class="prev"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/infinitives/the-objective-infinitive.htm" title="The Objective Infinitive">The Objective Infinitive</a></li><li class="next"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/getting-attention-and-giving-commands/" title=" Getting Attention and Giving Commands"> Getting Attention and Giving Commands</a> </li></ul></div></div> <div id="coda"> <div id="rel"><div class="n5">Related Articles</div><ul> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/infinitives/indirect-discourse.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> Indirect Discourse - Learning Latin </a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/infinitives/tenses-2.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> Tenses - Learning Latin </a></li> <li><a href="http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/latin/qt/sequencetenses.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> Latin Verbs - Sequence of Tenses in Indirect Discourse </a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/infinitives/tenses.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> Tenses - Learning Latin </a></li> <li><a href="http://java.about.com/od/s/g/statement.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> Statement - Definition for the Term: Statement </a></li> </ul></div> <div id="sec"><div class="n5">Read More Infinitives</div><ul><ul class="col1"><li ><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/infinitives/the-form-of-infinitives.htm">The Form of Infinitives</a></li> <li ><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/infinitives/the-subjective-infinitive.htm">The Subjective Infinitive</a></li> </ul><ul class="col2"><li ><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/infinitives/the-objective-infinitive.htm">The Objective Infinitive</a></li> <li class="btO">Indirect Discourse</li> </ul></ul></div> </div> <script>if(zSbL<1)zSbL=3;zSB(2);zSbL=0</script> </div> <div id="widgets"><script type="text/javascript">if(z336>0){w('<div id="adB">'+ap[0]+at[4]+as[0]);adunit('','','about.com',ch,gs,336,280,'1','bb',3);w('</div>')}if(z155>0){w('<div id="adP">'+ap[0]+at[4]+as[0]);adunit('','','about.com',ch,gs,336,155,'1','ps',4);w('</div>')}</script> <div id="pg" class="pane"><div class="n3">Shopping</div><div class="cntnr"><a href="http://shop.everything.com/product/the-everything-learning-latin-book/"><img src="http://0.tqn.com/d/np/learning-latin/Cover.jpg"></a><h4><a href="http://shop.everything.com/product/the-everything-learning-latin-book/">THE EVERYTHING LEARNING LATIN BOOK</a></h4><a href="http://shop.everything.com/product/the-everything-learning-latin-book/">By Dr. Richard E. Prior</a><div id="fp"><a href="http://shop.everything.com/product/the-everything-learning-latin-book/">Buy This Book</a></div></div></div> <div id="toc" class="pane"><div class="n3">Learning Latin Sections</div><ul><li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/top-ten-reasons-to-learn-latin/">Top 10 Reasons to Learn Latin</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/the-key-to-understanding-latin/"> The Key to Understanding Latin</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/helps-and-hindrances/"> Helps and Hindrances</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/the-importance-of-verbs/"> The Importance of Verbs</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/the-imperfect-and-perfect-tenses/"> The Imperfect and Perfect Tenses</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/knowing-nouns/"> Knowing Nouns</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/using-adjectives/"> Using Adjectives</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/making-comparisons/"> Making Comparisons</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/prepositions-and-the-ablative-case/">Prepositions and the Ablative Case</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/genitive-case-and-dative-case/"> Genitive Case and Dative Case</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/grammatical-mood/"> Grammatical Mood</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/time-and-tense/"> Time and Tense</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/vocabulary-building/"> Vocabulary Building</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/pronouns/"> Pronouns</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/grammatical-voice/"> Grammatical Voice</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/participles/"> Participles</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/asking-questions/"> Asking Questions</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/infinitives/"> Infinitives</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/getting-attention-and-giving-commands/"> Getting Attention and Giving Commands</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/reading-latin/"> Reading Latin</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/quae-cum-ita-sint/">Quae cum ita sint …</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/latin-english-vocabulary/">Latin-English Vocabulary</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/latin-literature/">Latin Literature</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/answer-key-to-exercises/">Answer Key to Exercises</a></li> </ul></div></div> <script type="text/javascript">zCi();validateForms();</script> <div id="abf" style="padding-right:0"><ol class="crumbtrail"><li class="home"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/">Home</a></li><li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/">Learning Latin</a></li><li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/learning-latin/infinitives/">Infinitives</a></li><li>Indirect Discourse</li></ol></div> <div id="aboutinfo" class="hlist"><div id="morefrom"><h6>Visit other About.com sites:</h6><ul><li><a href="http://caloriecount.about.com/" rel="nofollow">Calorie Count</a></li><li><a href="http://www.consumersearch.com/" rel="nofollow">ConsumerSearch</a></li><li class="last"><a href="http://www.allexperts.com/" rel="nofollow">Allexperts.com</a></li></ul></div> <ul id="siteinfo"><li><a href="http://spiderbites.about.com/sitemap.htm">SiteMap</a></li><li><a href="http://www.about.com/gi/pages/hc.htm" rel="nofollow">Help</a></li><li><a href="http://www.about.com/gi/pages/mprivacy.htm" rel="nofollow">Privacy Policy</a></li><li><a href="http://www.about.com/gi/pages/mprivacy.htm#adchoices" rel="nofollow">Your Ad Choices</a></li><li class="last"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/pform.htm" rel="nofollow">Contact Us</a></li></ul> <ul id="companyinfo"><li class="last"><a href="http://shop.everything.com/ " rel="nofollow">Buy Books</a></li></ul><div id="disclaimer">Netplaces.com, a part of <a href="http://www.nytco.com/">The New York Times Company</a>.All rights reserved.</div></div></div> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript">(function(){var po=document.createElement('script');po.type='text/javascript';po.async=true;po.src='https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js';var s=document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(po,s)})();</script> </body></html>