cum sex annos natus essem

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Kachikawawa
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cum sex annos natus essem

Post by Kachikawawa »

Hello!!
I was trying to read Regulus, and I've read this phrase: "cum sex annos natus essem".
Could I use "natus sum" instead?
Last edited by Kachikawawa on Sun Mar 04, 2018 6:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

mwh
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Re: cum six annos natus essem

Post by mwh »

No six please, we’re not British.

I’m sure someone will give you a more sensible answer.

Kachikawawa
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Re: cum six annos natus essem

Post by Kachikawawa »

Oh, I will correct that, thanks!!

Timothée
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Re: cum sex annos natus essem

Post by Timothée »

I don’t have the book, but the logic does point to cum historicum (which governs conjunctive past or pluperfect), here with essem. Cum historicum is very common, used in narration which takes place in the past. ‘When I was six years old, — —.’

mwh
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Re: cum sex annos natus essem

Post by mwh »

By “conjunctive” Timothée means what among English-speakers is called “subjunctive.” And by “cum historicum” he means cum used with reference to the past; cum with a past subjunctive, e.g. essem, is in "historic" (aka secondary) "sequence," implying that the main verb too will have reference to the past. He doesn’t explain why the subjunctive rather than the indicative is used, and nor do I, sorry.

Kachikawawa
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Re: cum sex annos natus essem

Post by Kachikawawa »

Thanks!!

mwh
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Re: cum sex annos natus essem

Post by mwh »

Please don't correct your posts retroactively. It spoils my jokes (and that was such a good one!).

Kachikawawa
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Re: cum sex annos natus essem

Post by Kachikawawa »

Ok :lol: :lol:

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