Latin GrammarIndirect Reflexives in Indirect Statement

negō with Indirect Statement

(Grammar 4A, pp. 202-03)

The Reflexive Prounon—

sē

suī

sibi

sē

Direct Reflexives A direct reflexive pronoun refers back to the subject of its own

clause. Both English and Latin have direct reflexives.

Marcus sē amat.

Marcus loves himself.

Direct Reflexives

Marcus est sibi odiō.

Marcus is a source of hatred to himself.

Indirect Reflexives In addition to direct reflexives, Latin has indirect

reflexives. English does not have these. An indirect reflexive is a reflexive in a subordinate

clause that refers not to the subject of its own clause but to the subject of a main clause.

Don’t worry if you don’t get this terminology. You’ll understand by example.

Indirect Reflexives

Marcus scit Iūliam sē amāre.

Marcus knows that Julia loves herself.

Marcus scit Iuliam sē amāre

Marcus knows that Julia loves him.

DirectReflexive

IndirectReflexive

Indirect Reflexives In fact, indirect reflexives are mandatory!

Marcus knows that Julia loves him.

Marcus scit Iūliam sē amāre

Marcus scit Iūliam eum amāre.

NOT Marcus

Marcus

Indirect Reflexives Another example:

Marcus says that he will leave.

Marcus dīcit sē abitūrum esse.

Marcus dīcit eum abitūrum esse.

NOT Marcus

Marcus

negō For some strange reason, Latin does not

like to say things like:Bill said that Mary did not eat.

Instead it says:Bill denied that Mary ate.

So Latin doesn’t like to say: “say…not.” Instead, it uses the Latin word for

“deny.”

Bill said that Mary did not eat.

negō The word for “deny” in Latin is nēgō (1).

Marcus says that Julia doesn’t love him.

Marcus negat Iūliam sē amāre.