Quomodo dicere?

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Quis ut Deus
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Quomodo dicere?

Post by Quis ut Deus »

Salvete Amici Amicaeque!

Quaestionem habeo:

Quid est mos melior latine dicerndi "If only it were so."

Fortasse "si modo sic esset?"

Valete!
Last edited by Quis ut Deus on Mon Jun 07, 2010 9:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

cb
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Re: Quomodo dicere?

Post by cb »

hi, i would use VTINAM plus imperfect subjunctive. see woodcock pgs 88-89, s116 (in particular at the top of pg 89, paragraph (b) (referring to the present)):
http://books.google.fr/books?id=WmT6mS5v4dAC&pg=PA88

cicero said something very close to your sentence above (“QVOD VTINAM ITA ESSET!”) in his letter to atticus in book 11, letter 12, s3:
http://books.google.fr/books?id=fcurWFgaTXcC&pg=PA36

cheers, chad :)

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ptolemyauletes
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Re: Quomodo dicere?

Post by ptolemyauletes »

I might also suggest using a gerund for your question.
'quid est mos melior dicendi Latine...'

The use of the infinitive seems a bit off to me...

I know that's nothing to do with your query, but it might help nonetheless.

BTW I agree with cb about utinam.
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