ORATIO OBLIQUA: Indirect Discourse (Speech)

TEMPUS IN ORATIONE OBLIQUA

MODUS IN ORATIONE OBLIQUA

PRAEFATIO de ORATIONE OBLIQUA  DIRECT SPEECH: Direct statements of fact or possibility are termed DIRECT DISCOURSE or SPEECH.   INDIRECT SPEECH: When events (internal or external) are reported rather than directly stated, this is termed indirect discourse or speech. In English usage, indirect discourse is typically set off from the direct discourse in which it is embedded by the marker [that]: e.g. The man said THAT the boy looked well. [The man said] is direct discourse; [that the boy looked well] is indirect discourse. In Latin usage, indirect discourse is set off from direct discourse by being placed in a distinctive ACCUSATIVE-INFINITIVE CONSTRUCTION termed INDIRECT SPEECH.  DIRECT SPEECH  INDIRECT SPEECH  The boy is ugly.  He thinks [that the boy is ugly].  Puer foedus est. Arbitrat [puerum foedum esse].  The dog bites his leg.  He notices [that the dog is biting his leg.]  Canis crus eius mordet.  Animadvertit [canem crus suum mordere].  The girl bought an apple.  He says [that the girl bought an apple.]  Puella malum emit.  Dicit [puellam malum emisse.] NOTA BENE: When direct speech is transformed into indirect speech, its SUBJECT becomes ACCUSATIVE, while its VERB becomes an INFINITIVE. Only verbs of SAYING, THINKING, or SENSING (i.e. report, see, feel, consider, relate, respond, hear, believe, suspect, infer, indicate, denote, notice, tell, perceive, affirm, et cetera) are able to set up the indirect speech construction. Indirect discourse is an EXTREMELY COMMON construction in Latin usage. In indirect speech, all reflexive forms refer to the subject of the main verb.

TENSE in INDIRECT DISCOURSE: In indirect discourse, the TENSE of the infinitive matches that of the original statement or event in DIRECT DISCOURSE, regardless of the tense of the main verb (the verb of saying, thinking, or sensing which sets up the indirect speech). It is vital to note that, in indirect discourse, the TRANSLATION of the TENSE of the infinitive is RELATIVE to that of the main verb which sets up the construction.  TENSE of the INFINITIVE  MEANING  future  action after the main verb  present  action at the same time as the main verb  perfect  action before the main verb The main verbs sets up a point of reference in TIME, from which the events of the indirect discourse are reported.  FUTURE direct discourse  TENSE of main verb INDIRECT DISCOURSE  The dog will bite him.  future  She will say [that the dog will bite him.]  Canis eum mordebit.    Dicet [canem eum morsurum esse.]    present  She says [that the dog will bite him.]      Dicit [canem eum morsurum esse.]    perfect  She said [that the dog would bite him.] *      Dixit [canem eum morsurum esse.]  PRESENT direct discourse  TENSE of the main verb  INDIRECT DISCOURSE  The dog is biting him.  future  She will say [that the dog is biting him.]  Canis eum mordet.    Dicet [canem eum mordere.]    present  She says [that the dog is biting him.]      Dicit [canem eum mordere.]    perfect  She said [that the dog was biting him.] *      Dixit [canem eum mordere.]  PERFECT direct discourse  TENSE of the main verb  INDIRECT DISCOURSE  The dog bit him.  future  She will say [that the dog bit him.]  Canis eum momordit.    Dicet [canem eum momordisse.]    present  She says [that the dog bit him.]      Dicit [canem eum momordisse.]    perfect  She said [that the dog had bitten him.] *      Dixit [canem eum momordisse.] NOTA BENE: Only when the main verb is in past time does the translation from direct speech typically need to be altered.

Liber Grammaticus Latinus /\\||\\/ Classis Latina Pagina Villae