Latin_periphrases

Latin periphrases

Latin periphrases

Add article description


In Latin, there are multiple periphrases for tense and mode. Here we list the most common.

Perfect periphrasis

The perfect periphrasis is composed of the sum auxiliary and a perfect participle such as ductus, ducta, ductum or by the īrī auxiliary and a supine such as ductum.

The auxiliary varies according to the speech role and number of the subject.

ego : ā Caesare : ductus sum = I : was led : by Caesar
 : ā Caesare : ductus es = you : were led : by Caesar
homō : ā Caesare : ductus est = the man : was led : by Caesar

Moreover, the participle varies according to the gender and number of the subject.

homō : ā Caesare : ductus est = the man : was led : by Caesar
mulier : ā Caesare : ducta est = the woman : was led : by Caesar
puerī : ā Caesare : ductī sunt = the boys : were led : by Caesar

However, the supine in the 'īrī infinitive' paradigm does not vary.

hominem : ā Caesare : ductum īrī = that : the man : would be led : by Caesar
mulierem : ā Caesare : ductum īrī = that : the woman : would be led : by Caesar
puerōs : ā Caesare : ductum īrī = that : the boys : would be led : by Caesar
More information Paradigm, Meaning ...


More information Paradigm, Meaning ...

Habeō perfect periphrasis


The habeō perfect periphrasis is composed of the habeō auxiliary and a perfect participle such as occultum.

The auxiliary varies according to the speech role and number of the subject.

ego : Caesarem : occultum habeō = I : held : Caesar : hidden
 : Caesarem : occultum habēs = you : held : Caesar : hidden
homō : Caesarem : occultum habet = the man : held : Caesar : hidden

The participle varies according to the gender and number of the object.

Caesar : hominem : occultum habet = Caesar : held : the man : hidden
Caesar : mulierem : occultam habet = Caesar : held : the woman : hidden
Caesar : puerōs : occultōs habet = Caesar : held : the boys : hidden

This became the regular way of forming the perfect in French and Italian.[1]

More information Paradigm, Meaning ...

Teneō perfect periphrasis

The teneō perfect periphrasis is composed of the teneō auxiliary and a perfect paticiple such as occultum.

The auxiliary varies according to the speech role and number of the subject.

ego : Caesarem : occultum teneō = I : held : Caesar : hidden
 : Caesarem : occultum tenēs = you : held : Caesar : hidden
homō : Caesarem : occultum tenet = the man : held : Caesar : hidden

The participle varies according to the gender and number of the object.

Caesar : hominem : occultum tenet = Caesar : held : the man : hidden
Caesar : mulierem : occultam tenet = Caesar : held : the woman : hidden
Caesar : puerōs : occultōs tenet = Caesar : held : the boys : hidden
More information Paradigm, Meaning ...

Future periphrasis

The future periphrasis is composed of the sum auxiliary and a future paticiple such as ductūrus.

The auxiliary varies according to the speech role and number of also the subject.

ego : Caesarem : ductūrus eram = I : would lead : Ceasar
 : Caesarem : ductūrus erās = you : would lead : Ceasar
homō : Caesarem : ductūrus erat = the man : would lead : Ceasar

The participle varies according to the gender and number of the subject.

homō : Caesarem : ductūrus erat = the man : would lead : Ceasar
mulier : Caesarem : ductūra erat = the woman : would lead : Ceasar
puerī : Caesarem : ductūrī sunt = the boys : would lead : Ceasar
More information Paradigm, Meaning ...

Future infinitive periphrases

The future infinitive periphrases are composed of one of three auxiliaries (fore, futūrum or futūrum esse), the word ut and a verb from one of two verb paradigms ('present subjunctive' or 'imperfect subjunctive').[2]

The auxiliary does not vary.

The verb varies according to the speech role and number of the subject.

fore ut : ego : Caesarem : dūcerem = that: I : would lead : Caesar
fore ut :  : Caesarem : dūcerēs = that: you : would lead : Caesar
fore ut : homō : Caesarem : dūceret = that: the man : would lead : Caesar
More information Paradigm, Meaning ...
More information Paradigm, Meaning ...
More information Paradigm, Meaning ...

Gerundive periphrasis

The gerundive periphrasis (aka periphrastic conjugation of the passive[3]) is composed of the sum auxiliary and a gerundive such as dūcendus.

The auxiliary varies according to the speech role and number of the subject.

ego : ā Caesare : dūcendus eram = I : needed to be led : by Caesar
 : ā Caesare : dūcendus erās = you : needed to be led : by Caesar
homō : ā Caesare : dūcendus erat = the man : needed to be led : by Caesar

The participle varies according to the gender and number of the subject.

homō : ā Caesare : dūcendus erat = the man : needed to be led : by Caesar
mulier : ā Caesare : dūcenda erat = the woman : needed to be led : by Caesar
puerī : ā Caesare : dūcendī erant = the boys : needed to be led : by Caesar

Although the gerundive periphrasis is similar to the future periphrasis in appearance, they are not parallel in meaning nor function. Woodcock writes of the gerundive periphrasis: "But for the introduction of the idea of necessity, it would form a periphrastic future passive tense parallel to the periphrastic future active."[4]

More information Paradigm, Meaning ...

Coepī present periphrasis

The coepī present periphrasis is composed of the coepī auxiliary and an infinitive such as dūcere.

The auxiliary varies according to the speech role and number of the subject.

ego : Caesarem : dūcere coeperam = I : was leading : Caesar
 : Caesarem : dūcere coeperās = you : were leading : Caesar
homō : Caesarem : dūcere coeperat = the man : was leading : Caesar

The infinitive does not vary.

More information Paradigm, Meaning ...

References

  1. The development of these tenses is discussed in Pinkster (1987).
  2. Gildersleeve & Lodge (1895), pp. 165, 334.
  3. Gildersleeve & Lodge (1895), p. 166.
  4. Woodcock (1959), p. 163.

Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Latin_periphrases, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.