§ 471. ADDITION OF 'NE' IN SUBORDINATE SENTENCE. Ne is added usually in the Subordinate clause after certain verbs, conjunctions, etc., but not necessarily with any negative meaning:* 1. After verbs (a) of fearing, (b) hindering, (c) precaution, used affirmatively. (a) Je tremble J'ai peur Je crains qu'il ne vienne I fear lest he should come. (b) La pluie empêche qu'on ne sorte, The rain prevents one from going out. 2. Usually after douter, nier used negatively. Ne nie-t-il pas que nous ne l'ayons surpris ? Does he not deny that we have surprised him? We do not despair of his doing it... 8. After de crainte que, de peur que, etc., used affirmatively. Partons, de crainte qu'il ne nous surprenne, Let us set out, for fear he should surprise us. He speaks in a whisper, lest he should be heard. 4. After mieux, meilleur, pire, autre, plutôt, etc., employed affirmatively. Il est plus riche qu'il n'était, He is richer than he was. * Often the ne has no special meaning but as a rule it adds to the general uncertainty of the statement. § 472. THE SUBJUNCTIVE IN PRINCIPAL SENTENCE. The Subjunctive is often used without any preceding verb, to express a wish or exhortation (optative.) It is mostly the Simple Present Subjunctive that is thus used, but other tenses are also found. Que je vous retrouve à mon retour, Let him go at once. May you succeed. Vive l'Empereur, Long live the Emperor. Dieu vous bénisse, God bless you. Plût à Dieu, Would to God. The Present Subjunctive, first person plural, is not so employed. (See Imperative, below.) § 473. IMPERATIVE. The Imperative usually commands: Va, Go. Asseyez-vous, Sit down. But in the first person plural it expresses a wish rather than a command: Partons Ne tardons plus Let us set out. Let us no longer delay. Compare Optative use of the Subjunctive (§ 472). NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. § 474. Infinitive. A. The Infinitive is a Noun in Modern French as in Old French; but its modern uses differ in one or two important respects from its older uses: 1. Many Infinitives have become naturalised as substantives, and can take the article.* But in the process of such naturalisation they have lost in Modern French, their power as verbs. They are nouns and only nouns: plaisir, etc. In Old French, on the contrary, any Infinitive could be employed substantively, could take the article, could be declined as an ordinary substantive (see § 209), and yet retained its verbal power. A l'emouvoir l'ost le roy. Au tourner que je fiz ma teste. (JOINVILLE, 13th cent.) (ID.) (ID.) 2. The Infinitive is preceded in Modern French by any preposition except en; then the gerund in -ant is employed. In Old French the Present Infinitive could be preceded by en: Mettre ton cuer en amer Dieu. (JOINVILLE.) B. The Infinitive, both in French and Latin, is at once a verb and a substantive. As a verb it governs cases, as a noun it may be said itself to have cases. In Latin the pure Infinitive may stand as Subject or Direct object only. Other cases are supplied by means of gerunds and supines. These as distinctive forms have disappeared in French. But traces of their special uses remain in the Infinitive : 1. Infinitive without preposition appears mostly as Subject or as Direct Object. Often it is equivalent to the Latin accusative supine in -um expressing a purpose after verbs of motion. The accusative with infinitive' occurs occasionally. *The line may be said to be drawn at the article; if the article is put, the verbal power is gone. S'étonner est du peuple, admirer est du sage. (DELILLE.) 2. The Infinitive with de is usually equivalent to a genitive or ablative. More rarely it appears as Subject or Direct Object; this especially when que is added. L'art de vivre. Je suis sûr de l'avoir. Je suis jaloux d'acquérir votre estime. Le défaut de Fléchier est de toujours écrire et de ne jamais parler. C'est très mal d'effrayer ainsi ses amis. On l'accuse de voler. Je résolus de cultiver mon esprit. Dieu ordonne de tout pardonner. (DUMAS.) (LE SAGE.) (G. SAND.) The Infinitive with à is usually equivalent to a dative. It corresponds to the dative gerund; to the accusative gerund with ad; to the ablative supine in u. These remarks will explain many French constructions with Infinitive; but for practical purposes lists are necessary. And these must be supported by careful reading.* *The student who desires something more is referred to Diez's Grammatik der Romanischen Sprachen, and to Mätzner, Französische Grammatik. But even Diez and Mützner give little else than lists with short comparative notes. § 475. Verbs which require no Preposition before the following Infinitive. Aimer mieux, to prefer. Quoiqu'à peine à mes maux je puisse résister. Aller, to go. (CORNEILLE.) (RACINE.) La paix va refleurir, les beaux jours vont renaître. Hélène fut la seule de son sexe, parmi tant d'enfants de Jupiter, dont ce dieu daigna se déclarer le père. (P. L. COURRIER.) Devoir, have to. Je dois aller chez lui demain. Entendre, to hear. Le ciel dans tous leurs pleurs ne m'entend pas nommer. Envoyer, to send. On craignait qu' Amurat par un ordre sévère. Faire, to make. Veille auprès de Pyrrhus, fais-lui garder sa foi. (RACINE.) (ID.) (ID.) (CORNEILLE.) Falloir (impersonal), must, be necessary. Il faut affranchir Rome, il faut venger un père. S'imaginer, to imagine. Ces lâches chrétiens qui s'imaginent avancer leur mort. (BOSSUET.) ** This de before the second infinitive may be omitted. |