Is a potential subjunctive in indirect discourse just represented by the accusative with the infinitive?
How would you translate " he says that he may go to the forum today." into Latin?
Dicit hodie ad forum concurrere. Itane? Magnum dubium in me ipsum redi.
I don’t think there is such a clear way as in English.
Dicit se ad forum hodie [fortasse] aditurum esse.
so there is no way of representing the subjunctive mood in indirect discourse?
I don’t believe so — I’ve never needed to, personally, and it’s possible the Romans felt the same. The only other way to form indirect discorse is in fact to use the subjunctive:
Oportet cantem = oportet me cantare
The main verb would have to express whatever specific mood you are looking for.
Hi all,
in fact there is a specific way (and only one) to put this construction into Latin. I explain it with an example.
Si hoc faciam, errem = = Dicit se, si hoc faciat, erraturum esse. (In the past: Dixit se, si hoc faceret, erraturum esse.)
So the main clause is put in a inf. fut. The verb of the si-clause is rendered by a subj. that follows the consecutio temporum.
Btw: this is only valid for the subj. in the present.
Moerus
but you are referring to a less vivid conditional sentence whereas I am referring to a simple sentence put into indirect discourse. In addition, if one uses the future infinitive in indirect discourse, there is no way to definitively differentiate it from the future indicative except perhaps context.
I know, but that’s how it’s done. I checked a few of my university grammars, but indeed, only one possibility. And indeed here it’s again about context …
The information in the subsequent link might make the question clear:
http://www.uark.edu/depts/latin/oratio-obliqua.html