CL210: Intermediate Latin
Skidmore College/Spring, 2008
C. Welser
The Subjunctive in Purpose and Result Clauses
Two of the main uses of the subjunctive in subordinate clauses is to express purpose or
result.
I. Purpose Clauses
Purpose causes are also sometimes called final clauses because they express the end (fīnis,
fīnis [m.]) toward which the activity expressed in the main clause is directed.
►A purpose clause has a verb in the subjunctive and is typically introduced by the Latin
conjunction ut.*
An English translation of a purpose clause can take a wide variety of forms:
Senātus convocātur ut cōnsilia imperātōris audient.
The senate is being summoned to hear the emperor’s plans.
The senate is being summoned in order to hear the emperor’s plans.
The senate is being summoned for the sake of hearing the emperor’s plans.
The senate is being summoned for the purpose of hearing the emperor’s plans.
The senate is being summoned so that they may hear the emperor’s plans.
The senate is being summoned that they may hear the emperor’s plans.
etc. etc. etc.
►A negative purpose clause -- one which indicates that the action in the main clause is being
performed so that something will not happen – is introduced by nē:
Iūdicēs vīs dēlectāre nē gravēs poenās dēs.
You want to please the judges so that you won’t pay heavy penalties.
You want to please the judges in order not to pay heavy penalties.
You want to please the judges to avoid paying heavy penalties.
You want to please the judges so as not to pay heavy penalties.
*
etc.
ut can sometimes simply mean “as,” and may be followed by a clause containing the indicative. You
have already seen this usage in Wheelock (Chapter 24).
Hostēs nostrī, ut dixī, sociōs quaerunt ex illīs.
Our enemies, as I said, are seeking allies from among those men.
Ut ambulābāmus in silvīs, vīdimus multa animālia.
As we were walking in the woods, we saw many animals.
If the main clause refers to present or future time, the subjunctive in the purpose clause
will be in the present tense. If the main clause refers to past time, the subjunctive in the
purpose clause will be in the imperfect tense.
[EXAMPLES]
II. Jussive Noun Clauses / Substantive Clauses of Purpose
Closely related to purpose clauses are a type of subordinate clause which Wheelock
(Chapter 36) calls a jussive noun clause. Distinguishing them from “normal” purpose
clauses is a bit tricky, but the basic difference is that, whereas other purpose clauses
function as adverbs (explaining why an action takes place), these clauses function as
nouns, usually serving as an object of the main verb (and explaining what is supposed to
happen). Jussive nouns clauses demand slightly different translations than other
purpose clauses.
Mē monuit ut vitārem īram vulgī.
She advised me to avoid the anger of the mob. OR
She advised me that I should avoid the anger of the mob.
The subordinate clause says what she advised me to do, not why she advised me. (A
typical purpose clause translation, “She advised me in order that I might avoid…,”
would not really make sense here.)
Sometimes, an English translation of a jussive noun clause will have to depart
significantly from the structure of the Latin if it is to make sense:
Imperat rēgina nē quis fugientēs admittat.
The queen commands that no one should receive the fugitives (lit. “fleeing men”).
III. Result Clauses
The subjunctive can be used in subordinate clauses is to express a result of the action in
the main clause. Purpose causes are also sometimes called consecutive clauses because
they express what follows from (Latin cōnsequor, cōnsequī, cōnsecūtus est “follow upon”)
the activity expressed in the main clause.
►Result clauses look exactly like purpose clauses, except that a negative result clause is
expressed by ut (with a nōn or other negative word somewhere in the clause) rather than nē.
Usually the presence of a result clause is signaled by some word – generally an adverb
or adjective -- in the main clause that “expects” a result (see below). Sometimes a result
clause can simply be recognized by its context.
►The tenses of the subjunctive in result clauses follow the same rule as for purpose
clauses: If the main clause refers to present or future time, the subjunctive in the result clause
will be in the present tense. If the main clause refers to past time, the subjunctive in the result
clause will be in the imperfect tense.
A result clause can usually be translated in English with “that” or “so that.”
Here is an example of a result clause easily recognizable from context:
Audientēs sunt stultī ut nihil intellegant.
The listeners are stupid, so that they understand nothing.
The listeners are stupid, with the result that they understand nothing.
And here is an example of the same result clause “signaled” by the adverb tam (“so, to
such a degree”):
Audientēs sunt tam stultī ut nihil intellegant.
The listeners are so stupid, that they understand nothing.
A different result clause signaled by tam:
Memoria eius tam mala est ut nōn sciat quid herī ēgit.
His memory is so bad that he doesn’t know what he did yesterday.
Here is a list of words that commonly signal the presence of a result clause:
tam (adv.)
sīc (adv.)
adeō (adv.)
ita (adv.)
tot (adv.)
tantus, -a, -um (adj.)
tālis, tāle (adj.)
so, too such a degree (usu. modifies an adj. or another adv.)
so, thus, in such a way (usually modifies a verb)
thus, to such an extent (usu. modifies a verb)
so, thus (can modify a verb, adj., or adv.)
so many
so great, so big
such, of such a kind
And here are some examples of their use:
II. Object Clauses With Verbs of Effort / Substantive Clauses of Result
An especially tricky example of a substantive clause of result occurs at Ars Amatoria line
38:
tertius (labor est) ut longō tempore dūret amor
the third task is to see to it that love may endure a long time
the third task is to make sure that love endures a long time
the third task is to get love to endure a long time
etc.