01.05.26; Level 3+; Subjunctive [30] tenses; spot the difference; the perfect subjunctive

The perfect subjunctive also has a distinctive marker: -ERI- / -ERĪ-

amāvERIm

amāvERĪs

amāverit

amāverīmus

amāverītis

amāverint

[i] -im, as an ending also appears in the 1^st person singular present subjunctive of a few irregular verbs

sum, esse > sim

mālō, mālle > mālim

nōlo, nōlle > nōlim

possum, posse > possim

volō, velle > velim

[ii] Likewise, -int is the 3^rd person plural present subjunctive of those verbs:

sint

mālint

nōlint

possint

velint

Therefore, look for the -ERI- marker that indicates the perfect subjunctive:

nōlim (present subjunctive) │ nōluERIm (perfect subjunctive)

mālint (present subjunctive) │ māluERInt (perfect subjunctive)

[iii] This was mentioned in the post entitled:

xx.yy.26: Level 3; Subjunctive [9]; the tenses [2] perfect subjunctive

There is very little difference between the future perfect indicative and the perfect subjunctive, the main distinction being:

[i] first person singular:

amāverō (future perfect indicative) │ amāverim (perfect subjunctive)

the future perfect indicative is formed by the perfect stem + the future of esse

amāv¦ERŌ

the perfect subjunctive is formed by the perfect stem + -eri + personal ending -m

amāv¦ERIm

[ii] In unedited texts without macrons – both tenses are identical in form.

[a] When macrons are used, a distinction is indicated in:

(1) the 2nd person singular:

amāveris (future perfect indicative) │ amaverīs (perfect subjunctive)

(2) the 1^st and 2^nd person plural; the distinction is only between long and short /i/ of the ending:

amāverimus (future perfect indicative) │ amāverīmus (perfect subjunctive)

amāveritis (future perfect indicative) │ amāverītis (perfect subjunctive)

[b] In the 3^rd person singular and plural, both are identical i.e. a long /i/ is never used:

amāverit (future perfect indicative: amāv¦ERIT / perfect subjunctive: amāv¦ERI¦t)

amāverint (future perfect indicative: amāv¦ERINT  / perfect subjunctive: amāv¦ERI¦nt)

In other words, apart from the first person singular, there is no way superficially of identifying whether the verb is future perfect indicative or perfect subjunctive. Context and the particular structure e.g. clause type will determine which one is being used.