08.12.25: Level 3; indefinites [18] -vīs; -libet

[1] -vīs; -libet (-lubet); these two are easy to spot because there are English equivalents which, like the Latin, have the same meaning

Consider English: Do whatever you want, do whatever you like, do whatever you please etc. They all mean the same thing: it’s up to you what you do. Both quīvīs and quīlibet convey that idea i.e. whoever / whatever (you please); nomatter who / what

[i] quīvīs, quaevīs, quidvīs / quodvīs i.e. from vīs (you want)

Etenim ille, cuius hūc iussū veniō, Iuppiter nōn minus quam vostrum quīvīs formīdat malum (Plautus) │ For, in fact, this Jupiter, by whose command I am come, dreads a mishap not less than any one of you.

Pater, adsum, imperā quidvīs (Plautus) │ Here I am, father, command (me) as you please [whatever (thing) you want]

Eō modō quodvīs genus arborum facere poteris … (Cato) │ In this way you will be able to make any variety of trees …

Look out for: quamvīs [i] as much as you like; however much [ii] although

[ii] quīlibet, quaelibet, quidlibet / quodlibet i.e. from libet (it pleases)

Quīlibet nautārum vectōrumque tranquillō marī gubernāre potest (Livy) │ Anyone of the sailors and (of) the passengers can steer a ship on a quiet sea

Examples [i] -vīs

dīcere hīc quidvīs licet (Plautus) │ Now one can talk freely [ = say whatever one wants]

Tibi optiōnem sūmitō Leōnidam, fabricāre quidvīs, quidvīs comminīscere (Plautus) │ Take Leonida as your helper, make up / devise something [anything you want], contrive something

Pīnus⁠ eō, quia⁠ sēmen viride et mātūrum habet (id sēmen dē cupressō, dē pīnō quidvīs annī legere possīs), item quidvīs annī mātūra est et tempestīva (Cato) │ The pine, because it has both green and ripe seed (such seed may be gathered from the cypress and the pine at any season) is ripe and ready at any season [i.e. at any time you want]

certō sciō oppidum quodvīs, sī dētur, posse expugnārī dolīs (Plautus) │ I know for sure that any town, if it’s given to us, can be captured by our tricks (trickery / deceit)

ō Cupīdō, quantus es. nam tū quemvīs cōnfīdentem facile tuīs factīs facis (Plautus) │ O Cupid, how great you are! For with your actions you easily embolden whomever you want

Examples [ii]: -libet

Abeāmus igitur inde quālibet nāvigātiōne (Cicero) │ (The translator conveys it well) So let me depart on any kind of voyage

sī … quaelibet dēnique vel minima rēs reperiētur (Cicero) │ if, in short, any, even the least thing is found

Fīat in Hispāniā quidlibet (Cicero) │ Literally: Let whatever happen in Spain = Whatever happens in Spain, so be it.

et quī tangit rēptile et quodlibet inmundum cuius tāctus est sordidus … (Vulgate) │ … and (he) who [whoever also expresses the idea] touches a crawling thing and anything unclean the touch of which is dirty …

Quōslibet ¦ ex hīs ¦ ēlige (Seneca) │ Choose whomever you want ¦ from these ones