Chapter 559 Allen and Greenough's Latin Grammar Dickinson College Christopher Francese

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A clause of Result or Characteristic may be introduced by quīn after a general negative, where quīn is equivalent to quī ( quae , quod ) nōn :—

Clauses of Result:— nēmō est tam fortis quīn [= quī nōn] reī novitāte perturbētur (B. G. 6.39) , no one is so brave as not to be disturbed by the unexpected occurrence. nēmō erat adeō tardus quīn putāret (B. C. 1.69) , no one was so slothful as not to think , etc. quis est tam dēmēns quīn sentiat (Balb. 43) , who is so senseless as not to think , etc.? nīl tam difficilest quīn quaerendō investīgārī possiet (Ter. Haut. 675) , nothing's so hard but search will find it out (Herrick). Clauses of Characteristic:— nēmō nostrum est quīn [= quī nōn] sciat (Rosc. Am. 55) , there is no one of us who does not know. nēmō fuit mīlitum quīn vulnerārētur (B. C. 3.53) , there was not one of the soldiers who was not wounded. ecquis fuit quīn lacrimāret (Verr. 5.121) , was there any one who did not shed tears? quis est quīn intellegat (Fin. 5.64) , who is there who does not understand? hōrum nihil est quīn [= quod nōn] intereat (N. D. 3.30) , there is none of these (elements) which does not perish. nihil est illōrum quīn [= quod nōn] ego illī dīxerim (Pl. Bac. 1012) , there is nothing of this that I have not told him. Quīn sometimes introduces a pure clause of result with the sense of ut nōn : as, numquam tam male est Siculīs quīn aliquid facētē et commodē dīcant (Verr. 4.95) , things are never so bad with the Sicilians but that they have something pleasant or witty to say.

For quīn in independent constructions. see § 449. b.

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