06.01.26: Level 3; indirect statement; the accusative-infinitive [7]; the present passive infinitive

Apart from the present active infinitive shown in the previous posts, other infinitives come into play when using this construction.

The present passive infinitive was discussed here:

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/10/110125-level-2-passive-voice-19-present.html

1^st conjugation: laudāre │to praise > laudārī │ to be praised

2nd conjugation: monēre │ to warn > monērī │ to be warned

3rd and 3rd-iō conjugation verbs add -ī directly to the stem of the verb:

dūc¦ere │ to lead > dūc¦ī │ to be led

cap¦ere │ to capture > cap¦ī │ to be captured

4th conjugation: audīre │ to hear > audīrī │ to be heard

Examples:

[i] Again, note that, while English shifts the tense, Latin uses the present passive infinitive for both:

Fīliae ā patre amantur. │ The daughters are loved by the father.

[a] > Crēdit ¦ [1] fīliās [2] amārī ā patre.

[literally: He believes [1] the daughters [2] to be loved by the father.]

> He believes ¦ that [1] the daughters [2] are loved by the father.

[b] > Crēdidit ¦ filiās amāri ā patre. 

> He believed ¦ that the daughters were loved by the father.

[ii] Obscūritās nox appellātur. │ The darkness is called the night.

> Intellegimus ¦ [1] obscūritātem noctem [2] appellārī.

[literally: We understand ¦ [1] the darkness [2] to be called the night.]

> We understand ¦ that [1] the darkness [2] is called the night.

[iii] Id lūmen candidum lūna vocātur. │ That shining white light is called the moon.

> Magister dīcit ¦ id lūmen candidum lūnam vocārī. │ The teacher says ¦ that that shining white light is called the moon.

[iv] Terra lūnaque lūmine aliēnō illūminantur. │ The Earth and the moon are illuminated by another light.

> Legimus ¦ terram lūnamque lūmine aliēnō illūminārī. │ We read ¦ that the Earth and the moon are lit by another light.

[v] Sōl parvus vidētur. │ The sun seems (literally: is seen) small.

> Magister dīcit ¦ sōlem parvum vidērī. │ The teacher says ¦ that the sun seems small.

[vi] Lūx diēs dīcitur. │ The light is called the day.

> Legō ¦ lūcem diem dīcī. │ I read ¦ that the light is called the day.

[vii] and [viii] below well illustrate a point made earlier that translation may convey the ideas in different ways, but you need to put aside that influence:

[vii] celāre [1]: to conceal > celārī: to be concealed; note how English could translate the following indirect statement in two ways using different tenses whereas Latin uses the present passive infinitive since the original statement refers to a situation happening at that time.

Gallī negāvērunt ¦ Druidēs cēlārī. │ [1] The Gauls denied ¦ that the Druids were being concealed; [2] The Gauls have denied ¦ that the Druids are being concealed.

What the Gauls said at the time was: “The Druids are not being concealed.”

[viii] vestīre [4]: to dress > vestīrī: to get dressed

Dīcam ¦ tē vestīrī. │ I shall say ¦ that you are getting dressed.

English could equally express this as “I shall say (if I’m asked later) that you were getting dressed.”

Infinitives of deponent verbs, the forms of which are the same as passive verbs, will also be used in indirect statements although, as explained in previous posts, have an active rather than passive meaning:

Putō  ¦ hunc  senem  mē  sequī. │ I think ¦ that this old man is following me.