Syntax.
202
Use of Nisi, Si. Nan, Sin.
306.
Nisi, unless, negatives the entire protasis; si non negatives a single word; as,I.
ferreus
essem, nisi te amarem, I should be hard-hearted unless 1 loved you; butferreus essem, si te 110n amarem, I should be hard-hearted if I did NOT love you. In the first example, it is the notion of loving you that is negatived, in the second, the notion of loving. 2.
Si non (si minus) is regularly employed:a) When an apodosis with at, tamen, certe follows; as,dolorem si non potuerd frangere, tam en occultabo, I cannot crush my sorrow, yet I will hide it.
if
0) When an affirmative protasis is repeated in negative form; as,si feceris, magnam habebo gratiam; si non feceris, ignoscam, if you do it, I shall be deeply grateful; if you do not do it, I shall pardon you. a. But if the verb is omitted in the repetition, only si minus or sin minus is admissible; as,hoc si asseciitus sum, gaudeo; si minus, me consolor, if I Ilave attained this, I am glad,.
if 110t,I console myself.
3. Sin. Where one protasis is followed by another opposed in meaning, but affirmative in form, the second is introduced by sin; as,hunc mihi ttmorem eripe; si verus est, ne opprimar, sin falsus, ut timere desinam, relieve me of this fear; if it is well founded, that I may not be destroyed; but if it is groundless, that I may cease to fear. 4. Nisi has a fondness for combining with negatives (non, nemo, nihil) j as,nihil cogitavit a.
nisi caedem, he had no thought but murder.
Non and nlst are always separated in the best Latinity.
5. Nisi forte, nisi vera, nisi si, unless perchance, unless indeed (often with ironical force), take the Indicative; as,nisi vera, quia perfecta res non est, non videtur pilnienda, unless indeed, because an act is not consummated, it does not seem to merit punishmmt.