(Intensive) Latin s20
Bates College
Short Term, '01

introduction
Present General
Past General
Future More Vivid (FMV)
Future Less Vivid (FLV)
Present Contrary to Fact (Pr CTF)
Past Contrary to Fact (Past CTF)
Table of Conditions
Mixed Conditions

Conditional sentences are a good example of the way the subjunctive is used to indicated less than factual assertions.  Conditions are "if...then" statements and they fall into a general framework: a) simple or general conditions(in the past and present); conditions about the future; and conditions which assume a fact which is admittedly not true (contrary to fact).  We use conditional statements in English all the time (e.g., if I were you, I'd study the subjunctive tonight!).

In Latin, the "if" part of the condition is called "protasis" and is often marked by the work "sï or nisï" [if/unless].  The "then" part of the statement is called the "apodosis."  Latin doesn't have a word (like the English, "then") to indicate the apodosis).

Present General

English example: If he works, then he desires money.

[i.e., whenever the condition, "he is working" is true, the outcome "he desires money" is also true.]
 

Latin:

protasis: present indicative;
apodosis: present indicative

e.g.: sï labörat, pecüniam optat.

Past General
 

English example: If he worked, then he desired money.
or:                     If he was working, then he was desiring money.

[i.e., whenever the condition, "he is working" was true in the past, the outcome "he desired money" was also true.]

Latin:

protasis: perfect or imperfect indicative
apodosis: perfect or imperfect indicative

e.g.

sï laböräbat, pecüniam optäbat
sï labörävit, pecüniam optävit

note: the English and Latin grammar are similar for general conditions (present indicative + present indicative; past indicative + past indicative).

Future More Vivid (FMV)

English example: If he works, then he will desire money
 

[i.e., if the condition, "he is working" will be true in the future, then the outcome, "he desires money" will also be true in the future.]
 

Latin:

protasis: future indicative [may also be future perfect]
apodosis: future indicative [may also be future perfect]

e.g.

Sï laböräbit, pecüniam optäbit.
Sï laböräverit, pecüniam optäbit.
 

note: the English and Latin grammar are different for FMV conditions (English: present + future; Latin: future + future).

Future Less Vivid (FLV)
 

English example: If he should work, he would desire money
 

[In such conditions the future is conditional event is possible but not as likely to occur as in FMVs.  i.e., He may work in the future (don't hold your breath), and if that ever happens, then he will want  money)].
 

Latin:

protasis: present subjunctive
apodosis: present subjunctive

e.g.:

Sï laböret, pec¨üniam optet.

note: the English and Latin grammar are similar for FLV conditions (present subj + present subj in both English and Latin).

Present Contrary to Fact (Pr CTF)

English exmple: If he were working, then he would want money.
 

[i.e., the postulate in the protasis is not true (he is not presently working).  If it were true, then the apodosis would be true (he would want money).]
 

Latin

protasis: imperfect subjunctive
apodosis: imperfect subjunctive

e.g.

sï laböräret, pecüniam optäret.
 

note: the English and Latin grammar are similar for Present CTF conditions (imperfect subj + imperfect subj in both English and Latin).  NB: this is a present condition (don't be fooled by the fact that it uses the "imperfect" subjunctive.

Past Contrary to Fact (Past CTF)
 

English example: If had had worked, he would have desired money.
 

[i.e., the postulate in the protasis is not true (he did not work in the past).  If it were true in the past, then the apodosis would also have been true in the past (he would have wanted money).]
 

Latin:

protasis: pluperfect subjunctive
apodosis: pluperfect subjunctive

e.g.:
 

sï labörävisset, pecüniam optävisset

note: the English and Latin grammar are similar for Past CTF conditions (pluperfect subj + pluperfect subj in both English and Latin).

 

Table of Conditions
 
 

	PROTASIS	APODOSIS
GENERAL
present If he works, he desires money. sï labörat, pecüniam optat.	present indicative	present indicative
past If he worked, then he desired money.  If he was working, then he was desiring money. sï laböräbat, pecüniam optäbat sï labörävit, pecüniam optävit	past indicative   perfect  imperfect	past indicative     perfect imperfect
FUTURE
future more vivid If he works, then he will desire money. Sï laböräbit, pecüniam optäbit. Sï laböräverit, pecüniam optäbit.	future indicative   future future perfect	future indicative   future future perfect
future less vivid If he should work, he would desire money. Sï laböret, pec¨üniam optet.	present subjunctive	present subjunctive
CONTARY TO FACT
present If he were working, then he would want money. sï laböräret, pecüniam optäret.	imperfect subjunctive	imperfect subjunctive
past If had had worked, he would have desired money. sï labörävisset, pecüniam optävisset	pluperfect subjunctive	pluperfect subjunctive

 
 

Mixed Conditions
 

While this framework for conditions will explain most, don't forget that in English and in Latin, it is possible to mix protases and apodoses.  For example, you could logically assert that if someone had worked in the past (although the bum never worked at all) and had not been paid, he would still expect to be paid in the present (i.e., why people sue each other).  You could express that conditional statement with a past contrary to fact protasis and present contrary to fact apodosis.

e.g,: sï labörävisset, pecüniam optäret.

If he had worked (that bum), you can bet your bottom dollar he'd still be wanting his paycheck.