Quid enim causae reperire possent, cur . . . .
McCracken, LCL, books 1-3 p. 179, translates this “What good reason could they find for . . . .”
While googling showed that “quid enim causae” is not an uncommon expression, nevertheless I had trouble finding a good explanation. Is “causae” some kind of dative?
That’s a quid + partitive genitive construction. See e.g. this article addressing quid causae.
Very helpful Ismail!!
As sometimes happens, I actually found this article while searching for light on quid causae, but in skimming it I failed to see its relevance. After your endorsement of it, I read more carefully all the way through, “and there was light.”
I’m glad to hear it. For me this construction is especially memorable as it turns up in my favourite Latin proverb, Ex Africa semper aliquid novi (there’s always something new [coming] out of Africa.)
Because your reply reminded me of Karen Blixen’s memoir, “Out of Africa”, I checked the wikipedia article, from which I quote:
The book’s title was likely derived from the title of a poem, “Ex Africa,” she had written in 1915 . . . . The poem’s title is probably an abbreviation of the famous ancient Latin adage (credited to sages from Aristotle to Pliny to Erasmus) Ex Africa semper aliquid novi, which translates as “Out of Africa, always something new.”[7]
That should help fix in memory the quid + partitive genitive usage.