Hack Your Latin Supplemental: Get a Grip on quidem

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Get a grip on quidem. It’s a particle, one of the only ones in Latin. Either translate it “yes” or “(it’s) true” or don’t translate it at all. It implies or points forward to a contrast, usually marked by the word sed (but). For example, the sentence homo stultus quidem est, sed bonus means “The guy is an idiot, it’s true, but he’s good.” You could also translate that “The guy is an idiot, yes, but he’s good” or “The guy is an idiot, but he’s good.” Never translate it “indeed” since it doesn’t mean that in the English of 2016.

aliqua exempla collegi

meus vir hic quidem est. “This is my husband” (Plaut. Amph. 660)

me quidem praesente numquam factum est, quod sciam. “This never happened in my presence, as far as I know.” (Plaut. Amph. 749)

facile id quidem edepol possum, si tu vis. “I can easily do that, if you want.” (Plaut. Cist. 234)

ne id quidem tam breve spatium potest opitulari. “Not even that brief amount of time can help.” (Cornelia, mater Gracchorum, epistula, fragmenta 2.8)

nimis stulte faciunt, mea quidem sententia. “They behave very stupidly, in my opinion.” (Plaut. Men. 81)

adeo veritatis diligens, ut ne ioco quidem mentiretur. “So careful about the truth that he did not lie even for a joke.” (Nepos Epam. 3)

utinam quidem istuc evenisset! Sed non accidit. “If only it had turned out that way! But it did not happen.” (Nepos Eum. 11)

simulacrum Cereris unum, quod a viro non modo tangi sed ne aspici quidem fas fuit. “A statue of Ceres that it was forbidden for men to touch, or even to look at.” (Cic. In Verr. 2.5.187)

Hack Your Latin Supplemental: Learn the Word modo

Fontaine scripsit

Learn the word modo. It means “only” or “just,” so eam modo vidi means “I just saw her” and Tu modo ausculta means “You just listen” or “Just you listen” or “Just listen.” It’s common with imperatives.

aliqua exempla collegi

cum imperativo

accede huc modo. “Just come here” (Plaut. Cas. 965)

redi modo: non eris deceptus. “Just come back. You won’t be deceived.” (Plaut. Pseud. 1236)

tace modo ac sequere hac. “Just shut up and follow this way.” (Ter. Adelph. 281)

iam ipsa res dicet tibi. abi modo intro. “The facts will speak for themselves in a moment. Just go inside.” (Plaut. Epid. 714)

non modo…sed/verum etiam/quoque

non modo vinosus, sed virosus quoque. “not only wine-loving, but man-loving, too.” (P. Cornel. Scipio Aem. Afr., orationes 17.5)

non modo ipsa lepidast, commode quoque hercle fabulatur. “Not only is she herself pretty, she also speaks in a pleasant way.” (Plaut. Cist. 315)

non modo luctum mors patris attulit, verum etiam egestatem. “His father’s death brought not only sorrow, but also poverty.” (Cic. Pro Rosc. 13)

non modo his temporibus, sed etiam apud maiores nostros. “Not only in our time, but in the days of our ancestors.” (Cic. In Verr. II.1.106)

modo … modo

modo his, modo illis ex partibus. “now on one side, now on the other.” (Cic. DND 2.49)

tum in vicem modo his cibis, modo illis utendum est.  “Use is to be made of these foods in turn.” (Cels. De Med. 3.22.11)

modo hoc modo illud probabilius videtur. “At one moment one seems the more probable, and at another moment the other.” (Cic. Acad. 2.121)

modō > modus -i m.

ecce id nullō modō Latine exprimere possim. “I could not possibly express this in Latin.” (Sen. Ep. 58.7)

pecuniam magnam bonō modō invenire. “To obtain great wealth in an honorable way.” (Plin. NH 7.140)

eadem sed non eōdem modō facere. “To do the same things, but not in the same way.” (Sen. Ep. 18.4)

numquam ullō modō me potes deterrere. “You can never deter me in any way.” (Plaut. Amph. 559-60)

pecorum modō inulti trucidantur. “They would be butchered with impunity, like cattle.” (Liv. 25.16.19)

servorum modō praeter spem repente manumissorum. “Like slaves suddenly and unexpectedly manumitted.” (Liv. 39.26.8)

Hack Your Latin Supplemental: Future Less Vivid Conditions

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Remember the Future Less Vivid condition? Probably you were taught to translate it “should/would.” If so, get rid of it. The kids today don’t say that. They say “were to/would.” Example: Si tu mihi cervisiam des, libens accipiam means “If you were to give me a beer, I’d gladly take it.”

Aliqua exempla Plautiniana collegi:

Quadrigas si nunc inscendas Iovis atque hinc fugias, ita vix poteris ecfugere infortunium. “If you were to get onto Jupiter’s four-horse chariot now and flee from here, even so you’ll hardly be able to escape misfortune.” (Plaut. Amph. 450)

hercle ego huic die, si liceat, oculos ecfodiam lubens. “Well, if I were allowed to, I’d happily tear out this day’s eyes” (Plaut. Capt. 464)

si sciat noster senex fidem non esse huic habitam, suscenseat. “If our old man was to know you didn’t trust this one, he’d be angry.” (Plaut. Asin. 458)

Noctem tuam et vini cadum velim, si optata fiant. “I’d wish for a night with you and a jar of wine if my wishes came true.” (Plaut. Asin. 624)

Nauteam bibere malim, si necessum sit. “I’d rather drink bilge-water, if necessary” (Plaut. Asin. 895)

Si sit domi, dicam tibi. “If he were at home, I would tell you” (Plaut. Asin. 393)

si haec habeat aurum quod illi renumeret, faciat lubens. “If she had the money to pay him back, she’d do so happily. (Plaut. Bacch. 46)

si decem habeas linguas mutum esse addecet. “Even if you had ten tongues, you still ought to be silent.” (Plaut. Bacch. 128)