4

Periphrastic verb forms, specifically a participle plus an auxiliary verb, are very common in English ("I am writing now"). They also appear in Latin and Ancient Greek and a number of Romance languages.

The types I'm most familiar with in Latin are the passives of the perfect system, and the gerundive of obligation.

Perfect passive participle + present = perfect passive
Perfect passive participle + imperfect = pluperfect passive
Perfect passive participle + future = future perfect passive
Future passive participle + present = future passive

This question indicates that you can also find perfect passive participle + perfect, to emphasize that an action is complete.

Are there any other attested combinations? For example, do we ever see a present participle combined with an auxiliary?

Draconis
  • 66,625
  • 6
  • 117
  • 269
  • I think you mean future active participle? // I believe forms like daturus erat are possible. There is also the subjunctive, daturus sit. // Present participles can be used with auxiliaries when the participle is felt to be like an adjective, I believe. // Habere + p.p.p. is also possible, although, in classical Latin, most would not call it an actual periphrastic tense, but rather a special construction. – Cerberus Mar 01 '18 at 01:32
  • @Cerberus Ah, no, I'm thinking of Carthago delenda est with the passive. Though the rest of those would make a good answer! – Draconis Mar 01 '18 at 02:01
  • Ah, I would call that a grundive! – Cerberus Mar 01 '18 at 02:23
  • @Cerberus True; I was taught that the gerundive was also effectively a passive participle, so the gerundive of obligation construction was a form of periphrastic. Do you think it belongs with the others? – Draconis Mar 01 '18 at 04:40
  • Hmm perhaps it depends on one's definition of periphrasis? But it is at least a very similar construction, so why not! – Cerberus Mar 01 '18 at 19:21
  • As brianpck wrote in his comment on this question (https://latin.stackexchange.com/questions/2978/can-esse-be-used-with-a-present-participle/2979), the Vulgate is full of examples of active present participle + esse, likely influenced by Greek. – Jasper May May 10 '20 at 23:48

0 Answers0