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Question and Answer.
336.
There is no one Latin word in common use
meaning simply yes or no. In answering a question
affirmatively, the verb or some other emphatic word is gellerally
repeated; in answering negatively, the verb, etc., with non or a similar negative: -
- valetne, is he well? valet, yes (he is well).
- eratne tecum, was he with
you?non erat, no (he was not).
- num quidnam novi? there is
nothing new, is there? nihil sane, oh!
nothing.
a. An intensive or negative particle, a
phrase, or a clause is sometimes used to answer a direct question: -
1. For YES: -
- vero, in truth, true, no
doubt, yes.
- ita vero, certainly (so in truth), etc.
- etiam, even so, yes, etc.
- sane quidem, yes, no doubt,
etc.
- ita, so, true, etc.
- ita est, it is so, true, etc.
- sane, surely, no doubt,
doubtless, etc.
- certe, certainly,
unquestionably, etc.
- factum, true, it's a fact, you're
right, etc. (lit., it was done).
2. For NO: -
- non, not so.
- nullo modo, by no means.
- minime, not at all (lit., in the smallest degree, cf. §329. a).
- minime vero, no, not by any
means; oh! no, etc.
- non quidem, why, no; certainly
not, etc.
- non hercle vero, why, gracious,
no! (certainly not, by Hercules!)
Examples are: -
- quidnam? an laudationes? ita,
why, what? is it eulogies? just so.
- aut etiam aut non respondere
(Acad. ii. 104), to answer (categorically) yes or no
- estne ut fertur forma? sane
(Ter. Ewl. 3G1), is she as handsome as they say she is? (is her beauty as it is said?) oh! yes.
- miser ergo Archelaus? certe si
iniustus (Tusc. v. 35), was Archelaus wretched then? certainly,
if he was unjust.
- an haec contemnitis? minime (De Or. ii. 295), do you despise these things? not at all.
- volucribusne et feris? minime vero
(Tusc. i. 104), to the birds and beasts? why, of course not.
- ex tui animi sententia tu uxorem habes?
non herele, ex mei animi sententia (De Or. ii. 260), Lord! no,
etc.