Chapter 528 Allen and Greenough's Latin Grammar Dickinson College Christopher Francese

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Dum , modo , dummodo , and tantum ut , introducing a Proviso, take the Subjunctive. The negative with these particles is : ōderint dum metuant (Off. 1.97) , let them hate, if only they fear. valētūdō modo bona sit (Brut. 64) , provided the health be good. dummodo inter mē atque tē mūrus intersit (Cat. 1.10) , provided only the wall (of the city) is between us. tantum ut sciant (Att. 16.11.1) , provided only they know. modo nē sit ex pecudum genere (Off. 1.105) , provided [in pleasure] he be not of the herd of cattle. id faciat saepe, dum nē lassus fīat (Cato R. R. 5.4) , let him do this often , provided he does not get tired. dummodo ea ( sevēritās ) nē variētur (Q. Fr. 1.1.20) , provided only it (strictness) be not allowed to swerve. tantum nē noceat (Ov. M. 9.21) , only let it do no harm. The Subjunctive with modo is hortatory or optative; that with dum and dummodo , a development from the use of the Subjunctive with dum in temporal clauses, § 553 (compare the colloquial so long as my health is good , I don't care ).

The Hortatory Subjunctive without a particle sometimes expresses a proviso:— sint Maecēnātēs, nōn deerunt Marōnēs (Mart. 8.56.5 ) , so there be Mœcenases , Virgils will not be lacking.

The Subjunctive with ut (negative ) is sometimes used to denote a proviso, usually with ita in the main clause:— probāta condiciō est, sed ita ut ille praesidia dēdūceret (Att. 7.14.1) , the terms were approved, but only on condition that he should withdraw the garrisons. This is a development of the construction of Characteristic or Result.

For a clause of Characteristic expressing Proviso, see § 535 . d.

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