Chapter 450Allen and Greenough's Latin GrammarDickinson CollegeChristopher Francese
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Prohibition is regularly expressed in classic prose (1) by
nōlī
with the Infinitive, (2) by
cavē
with the Present Subjunctive, or (3) by
nē
with the Perfect Subjunctive:—
In prohibitions the subjunctive with
nē
is hortatory; that with
cavē
is an object clause (cf. §§
450
. N.2, 565. N.1).
(1)
nōlī
putāre
(Lig. 33)
,
do not suppose
(be unwilling to suppose).
nōlī
impudēns esse
(Fam. 12.30.1)
,
don't be shameless.nōlīte
cōgere sociōs
(Verr. 2.1.82)
,
do not compel the allies.
(2)
cavēputēs(Att. 7.20)
,
don't suppose
(take care lest you suppose).
cavē
īgnōscās
(Lig. 14)
,
do not pardon.cavē
festīnēs
(Fam. 16.12.6)
,
do not be in haste.
(3)
nē
necesse habueris
(Att. 16.2.5)
,
do not regard it as necessary.nē sīs admīrātus(Fam. 7.18.3)
,
do not be surprised.
hōc facitō; hōc
nē fēceris(Div. 2.127)
,
thou shalt do this, thou shalt not do that.
nē
Apellae quidem
dīxeris(Fam. 7.25.2)
,
do not tell Apella even.nē
vōs quidem mortem
timueritis(Tusc. 1.98)
,
nor must you fear death.
All three of these constructions are well established in classic prose. The first, which is the most ceremonious, occurs oftenest; the third, though not discourteous, is usually less formal and more peremptory than the others.
Instead of
nōlī
the poets sometimes use other imperatives of similar meaning (cf. §
457
.
a
):—
parce
piās scelerāre manūs
(Aen. 3.42)
,
forbear to defile your pious hands.
cētera
mitte
loquī
;
(
Hor. Epod. 13.7
),
forbear to say the rest.fuge
quaerere
(Hor. Od. 1.9.13)
,
do not inquire.Cavē nē
is sometimes used in prohibitions; also
vidē nē
and (colloquially)
fac nē
: as,
fac nē
quid aliud
cūrēs (
Fam. 16.11
),
see that you attend to nothing else.
The present subjunctive with
nē
and the perfect with
cavē
are found in old writers;
nē
with the present is common in poetry at all periods:—
nē exspectētis(Pl. Ps. 1234)
,
do not wait.nē metuās(Mart. Ep. 1.70.13)
,
do not fear.cave
quicquam
responderis(Pl. Am. 608)
,
do not make any reply.
Other negatives sometimes take the place of
nē
:—
nihil
īgnōveris
(Mur. 65)
,
grant no pardon
(pardon nothing).
nec
mihi illud dīxeris
(Fin. 1.25)
,
and do not say this to me.
The regular
connective
,
and do not
, is
nēve
.
The Present Imperative with
nē
is used in prohibitions by early writers and the poets:—
nē
timē(Pl. Curc. 520)
,
don't be afraid.
nimium nē
crēde
colōrī
;
(
Ecl. 2.17
),
trust not too much to complexion.
equō nē
crēdite(Aen. 2.48)
,
trust not the horse.
The Future Imperative with
nē
is used in prohibitions in laws and formal precepts (see §
449
. 2).