8/13/2019 Nutting, Circumstantial-Temporal Cum-Clauses, 1916

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Circumstantial-Temporal Cum-Clauses Nutting, H C The Classical Weekly; Oct 1, 1916; 10, Periodicals Archive Online pg. 16

6 THE CLASSICAL WEEKLYCIRCUMSTANTIAL-TEMPORAL CUMCLAUSES

There -;eems to be some misunderstanding regardingthe article, Where the Latin Grammar Fails, whichappeared in THE CLASSICAL WEEKLY 9 153-I.'i7 Itschief thesis was that the statements of principles ofsvntax in the Grammars often fail to meet the needs ofstuclents who are attempting to write Latin.A striking illustration was found in the treatmentof circumstantial and temporal cum-clanses of the past.Most students of LR.tin composition have greatclifficulty in applying the mle provided by the Grammarbecause they do not really understand what is meant by'circumstantial' as contrasted with 'temporal'. As amatter of f2ct many instantly classify as temporal::mv clause introduced bv the word when.Not only do the students thus wrest the rule to theirown clestmction; it is more than doubtful whether theGrammars themselves are correct in attempting todraw a hard and fast modal line between circumstantialand pureiy temporal clauses. There is evidence inabundance that the subjunctive had penetrated,particularly in the writings of Caesar, far into thepurely temporal cum-clause. In Cicero, too, thereare plenty of such cases; e.g.Cat. 3 6: ipsi comprehensi acl me, cum i m diluces-ceret deducuntur.Tusc. Disp. 2. 34: Spartae vero pueri ad aram sicverberibns accipiuntnr, nt. . . sanguis exeat, nonnumquarn etia m, nt, cum i i essem audiebam, ad necem.Under these circumstances some teachers may bewilling to worry along with the Grammar rule as itstands, on the grouml that it rests upon a plausibletheory as to the s;>read of the use of the ~ u j u n c t i v emood in the cum-clause, historically considered, andthat it 'explains' the use of the mood.On the other hancl, it may be remembered thatnot every rule in the Grammar exptains; some rulesmerely state facts. And, for the teaching of Latincomposition, a mere rule of thumb thnt is workableis better than a rule that professes to explain, hutwhich really confuses. Thus the old-fashionecl statement that cum-temporal (i.e. circumstantial-temporal)introduces the imperfect and pluperfect subjunctiveand the indicative of other tenses-