Ch. 47

Just for variety we are not doing sentences out of the book this time. Here's the assignment.

47 HW Dum Clause Sheet (Handed out in class)

1. I wanted to stay until he arrived (i.e. until he should arrive).


2. But, as long as I was waiting, the water kept rising higher until it reached my feet.


3. Meanwhile he was running as fast as he could (i.e. as quickly as possible) until he became too tired.


4. I decided to stay longer as long as (provided that) the waves did not reach my knees*.
*genu, genus n. knee


5. Meanwhile he walked till he could walk no more.


6. Then, while the water level (i.e. height/depth of the water) was still increasing, I saw him stumble.


7. Quickly I threw myself into the water and swam towards him, while he was falling beneath the waves.


8. [Write your own Latin sentence as an end to the story… It need not have a dum clause.]



THE CONJUNCTION DUM

Section 552-7 in your Allen and Greenough Grammar

Firstly, dum is a partial synonym of quoad and donec which may replace dum when it means "while" (in the sense "as long as") with any indicative tense or when it means "until" with indicative.

Dum can mean while, as long as, provided that (often with "modo"), until, or till.

See the summary at Section 476 for basic pointers.

TEMPORAL WHILE AND AS LONG AS

If translating a temporal "while" dum will take either present indicative or another indicative tense.

Dum as "while" with present indicative shows the time within which the main clauses happens/happened.

Dum as "while" with other indicative tenses (and also when both clauses have present indictive) means "as long as", in other words it shows that both clauses extended over the same extent of time.

Examples:
While he was walking this way, we shouted at him.
*One shout occured at one point within the time he was walking
Dum huc ambulat, ei adclamavimus.
While (As long as) he was walking, we kept on shouting at him.
*The shouting went on the whole time as he was walking.
Dum ambulabat, ei adclamabamus.
While (As long as) I have breath, I will fight.
*The breathing and fighting are supposed to extend over the same time.
Dum spiritus mihi erit^, pugnabo.
^Latin has future here as in simple future conditions; English has present.

CIRCUMSTANTIAL WHILE, SO LONG AS, OR PROVIDED THAT

These kinds of clauses are called clauses of proviso, and in Latin the dum will have a subjunctive verb and occasionally "modo" will follow dum. If a negative is needed for the dum clause, use "ne" as if in a purpose clause. The subjunctive verb is chosen as with purpose clauses following sequence of tenses. In English we may also use a subjunctive: So long as(Provided that) you should not need me, I will just stay out of the way.

Examples:
While (So long as/ Provided that) he is not coming, I can sleep a long time.
Rephrased with English subjunctive: Provided that he should not come, I can sleep a long time.
Dum (modo) ne veniat, possum diu dormire.

He wanted to leave so long as (provided that) it was not necessary to stay.
Rephrased with English subjunctive: He wanted to leave so long as it were not (or "should not be") necessary to stay.
Exire voluit dum (modo) ne manere necesse esset.

DUM AS UNTIL OR TILL

When only or primarily describing a temporal relationship, the dum clause uses an indicative verb.

When indicating another connection such as intention dum requires a subjunctive as do antequam and priusquam in such a context. Such intention is common after verbs such as "wait" (expectare). In such cases, English may use a subjunctive to though it sounds archaic or stilted. Note in these dum clauses the negatives are regular (non, nullus, etc.), not ne, because it is a sort of potential subjunctive.

WARNING
***Remember "until" after a negative main clause is translated with antequam or priusquam, not dum, in Latin (Section 455).***

Examples:
He waited until we came. (intention/purpose)
Rephrased with English subjunctive: He waited until we should/could come.
Expectabat dum veniremus.

I ran until I stumbled. (no intention)
Currebam dum prolapsus sum.

He advanced until the river blocked his course. (no intention)
Progressus est dum flumen iter suum impedivit.

He had wanted to help until you arrived.* (intention; see explanation below)
*"He" intended to help someone until "you" arrived to help, whereupon "he" intended to leave.
Rephrased with English subjunctive: He had wanted to help until you should/might arrive.
Adiuvare voluerat dum advenires.

We desire to run until we cannot (should not) be able to. (intention)
Currere cupimus dum non possimus.