why don't you...?

Latin translation: Cur non / quidni + subjunctive

19:54 May 9, 2006

English to Latin translations [PRO]
Linguistics

English term or phrase: why don't you...?

Why don't you call him?

Would some form of the subjunctive work here?

sonja29 (X)

Latin translation:Cur non / quidni + subjunctive

Explanation:
If your sentence suggests wonder/suprise (Kind of: "You love him, so why (by Jupiter!) don't you call him?), then the subjunctive is correct.

From what you wrote, it looks like the speaker is saying something like: "You love him, so why don't you call him! (i.e. Call him!)
You could use a simple subjunctive + vero (come on) "Eum voces, vero!" or quin + indicative "Quin eum vocas!"(for a suggestion).
HIH

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Note added at 51 mins (2006-05-09 20:46:16 GMT)
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I suggested the jussive subjunctive (voces) instead of the imperative (voca), since the subjunctive is used for giving a command (call him!) in very familiar speech.

Selected response from:

Leonardo Marcello Pignataro (X)
Local time: 00:33

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4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

5 +5

Cur non / quidni + subjunctive

Leonardo Marcello Pignataro (X)

4 +1

Cur non + indicative

Fortiter

cur nolis + infinitive

Joseph Brazauskas

Discussion entries: 3

Answers

14 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

Cur non + indicative

Explanation:
Subj. is not correct. The right thing to clarify is that the "why don't..." questions are used to suggest something in English, which is not the proper meaning of the "cur non..." questions in Latin. "Cur non manducas?" asks of a fact7reality and means just "why don't/can't you eat?". It's not a polite way in order to suggest you to eat. For that you may use other linguistic schemes in Latin (also with subj.).

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Note added at 34 mins (2006-05-09 20:29:45 GMT)
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If you want to ask "Why don't you call him" while meaning "I'd like you call him/It would be a good idea you call him" the best thing is saying that or so, because Latin is very direct. Indeed, subj. is first of all the hypothesis mood, not that one of suggestions. Just in late Latin subj. was used in that "modern" sense. So I'd say something like: 1. Si placet, eum voca, quaeso (=if it's a pleasure/is ok (for/with you) call him please)

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Note added at 38 mins (2006-05-09 20:32:57 GMT)
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Warning: there are meny different ways to say "to call". I used vocare verb, but there's also appellare, nominare, petere, etc.. With no context is difficult to make a good translation into Latin (even more than to other languages I think)

Fortiter
Local time: 00:33
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Italian
PRO pts in category: 4

38 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +5

Cur non / quidni + subjunctive

Leonardo Marcello Pignataro (X)
Local time: 00:33
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Italian
PRO pts in category: 12

Grading comment

Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

1 day 21 hrs confidence:

cur nolis + infinitive

Explanation:
This is as good a way of rendering it as any other, and it is moreover the colloquial way of asking such a question, at least in classical Latin. So, for instance, if you wanted to ask, "Why don't you believe me?", the rendering would be, "Cur mihi credere nolis?' Or "nolitis", if the plural is called for.

Alternatively, you could use 'quidni' or 'cur non' with either the indicative or an independent subjunctive. The choice of mood will depend upon whether the question is purely interrogatory (indicative, e.g., 'Quidni id edis?', 'Why don't you eat it') or some nuance is intended, e.g., 'Quidni edas', ''Why wouldn't you eat it?', as form of potential subjunctive which is really the apodosis of a suppressed ideal (sometimes called 'future unreal') conditional sentence, e.g., 'Quidni id edas, (nisi venenum in eo esse credas)?', 'Why wouldn't you eat it, (unless you believe that there may be poison in it)'?. In indirect questions, however, the subjunctive is regular, the tense following the general rules for the sequence of tenses, e.g., 'Mihi dicit quidni domi cras adsit', 'She's telling me why she won't be at home tomorrow' (principal sequence), 'Mihi dixit quidni domi heri adfuerit.', 'She told me why she wasn't at home yesterday' (historical sequence).

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Note added at 1 day22 hrs (2006-05-11 17:55:47 GMT)
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But 'quidni' is quite rare in indirect questions. 'Cur ne' or even 'quid ne', would be the normal introductory particles.

Joseph Brazauskas
United States
Local time: 18:33
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English,

Spanish
PRO pts in category: 14

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