Hello!!
"Adestote amicis in periculis et rebus adversis; nam miseris amicis adfuisse laudabile est. "
I coudn't wrap my head around that past infinitive."Because It's praiseworthy to ? with miserable friends."
Thanks in advance.
nam miseris amicis adfuisse laudabile est
-
- Textkit Neophyte
- Posts: 47
- Joined: Mon Feb 05, 2018 10:44 pm
- bedwere
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 5102
- Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 10:23 pm
- Location: Didacopoli in California
- Contact:
Re: nam miseris amicis adfuisse laudabile est
Have been present.
Corrections are welcome (especially for projects).
Blogger Profile My library at the Internet Archive
Meae editiones librorum. Αἱ ἐμαὶ ἐκδόσεις βίβλων.
Blogger Profile My library at the Internet Archive
Meae editiones librorum. Αἱ ἐμαὶ ἐκδόσεις βίβλων.
-
- Textkit Neophyte
- Posts: 47
- Joined: Mon Feb 05, 2018 10:44 pm
Re: nam miseris amicis adfuisse laudabile est
Thanks. Now, everything makes sense!!
-
- Textkit Member
- Posts: 146
- Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2019 8:21 pm
Re: nam miseris amicis adfuisse laudabile est
Are you wondering why the infinitive is past rather than present?
- Constantinus Philo
- Textkit Zealot
- Posts: 1404
- Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 1:04 pm
-
- Textkit Zealot
- Posts: 1076
- Joined: Tue Mar 02, 2010 12:38 am
- Location: Tampa, Florida, USA
Re: nam miseris amicis adfuisse laudabile est
I usually ask questions, but I will hazard a grammatical explanation for the perfect tense of adfuisse.
Allen and Greenough say this, at #486:
Allen and Greenough say this, at #486:
As I read A&G, the perfect infinitive suggests that the completed action of having stood by a friend in need is the praiseworthy thing, in the meaning of this sentence.Except in Indirect Discourse, only the Present and Perfect Infinitives are used. The Present represents the action of the verb as in progress without distinct reference to time, the Perfect as completed.
Hugh Lawson