ch. 48

Fear Clauses

Fear clauses occur with main verbs and expressions such as vereor, timeo, metuo, or timor erat. They use subjunctive verbs in Latin and are introduced by ne (positive) or ut (negative). The subjunctive follows sequence of tenses; thus it will usually be present subjunctive in primary sequence and imperfect subjunctive in secondary sequence.

They use ne for for positive fear clauses because it is actually like a wish for the feared outcome not to happen. Similarly negative fear clauses may be introduced by ut because they are actually like a wish for something to happen, when it is feared it won't.

Examples:
Timebat ne Caesar ad se* veniret. (positive fear with ne)
He/She feared that Caesar would come to him/her. / ...lest Caesar should come to him/her.

*Notice in fear clause the reflexive sui, sibi, se, se refers back to the original subject as in purpose and indirect commands, unlike in results where a demonstrative pronoun (e.g. is, ea, id) would be used to refer to the main clause subject.

Timuerunt ne discederes.
They feared that you would leave. / ...lest you should leave.

Vereor ut Caesar veniat. (negative fear with ut)
I am afraid that Caesar will not come. / ...lest Caesar not come.

Vereberis ut discedam.
You will be afraid that I will not leave. / ...lest I not leave.

Note that verbs of fear and hesitation (e.g. dubitare) may also take object infinitive clauses in certain contexts. Consider the difference in the following:

Timemus discedere. We are afraid to leave.
(object infinitive, subject same as main verb)

Timemus ne discedat. We are afraid that he will/may depart.
(regular positive fear clause, subject different)

Timemus ne nimis celeriter discedamus. We are afraid that we will/may leave too quickly.
(regular positive fear clause with same subject as main verb.)