Subjunctive: Evolution from Classical Latin to Spanish

by María Constanza Pérez

See the Conjugation of the Latin Verbs.
 

II. Classical Latin and Subjunctive

Classical Latin had four classes of verbs which were characterized by the theme vowel of the infinitive ending: -âre, -êre, -ere, -îre. (See the Latin conjugations.)

In Latin, there existed confusion between the -êre and the -ere verbs (short and long e); another confusion existed between -ere verbs whose first person singular ended in -io and verbs of the -îre conjugation (see the Latin -io verbs). These factors contributed to considerable vacilation between conjugations.

Many verbs, therefore, came into Romance with a thematic vowel different from that of the original Latin verb.

Of the four conjugations -âre verbs have proven the most stable and abundant in Spanish.
 
 
A. Present Subjunctive in Classical Latin

The thematic vowels were reversed. The First conjugation (with thematic vowel -â-) used -ê- and the rest -â-, e.g. amem vs. legam.
 

		Active Voice	Passive Voice
Sg.	1. 2. 3.	amem ames amet	amer ameris ametur
Pl.	1. 2. 3.	amemus ametis ament	amemur amemini amentur

 
 
B. Imperfect Subjunctive in Classical Latin

It was formed with the morpheme -re- plus the personal endings:
 

		Active Voice	Passive Voice
Sg.	1. 2. 3.	amarem amares amaret	amarer amareris amaretur
Pl.	1. 2. 3.	amaremus amaretis amarent	amaremur amaremini amarentur

In Classical Latin, there were two types of Perfect Subjunctives: Present Perfect and Past Perfect or Pluperfect Subjunctive.

Note: The Grammars usually refers to them simply as Perfect and Pluperfect Subjunctive.
 
 
C. Present Perfect Subjunctive in Classical Latin

It was identical with the Future Perfect Indicative except in the first person singular:
 

		Present Perfect Subjunctive		Future Perfect Indicative
		Active Voice	Passive Voice	Active Voice	Passive Voice
Sg.	1. 2. 3.	amaverim amaveris amaverit	amatus, a, um sim amatus, a, um sis amatus, a, um sit	amavero amaveris amaverit	amatus, a, um ero amatus, a, um eris amatus, a, um erit
Pl.	1. 2. 3.	amaverimus amaveritis amaverint	amati, ae, a simus amati, ae, a sitis amati, ae, a sint	amaverimus amaveritis amaverint	amati, ae, a erimus amati, ae, a eritis amati, ae, a erunt

 
 
D. Past Perfect Subjunctive (Pluperfect Subj.) in Classical Latin

Its morpheme was -iss|e-:
 

		Active Voice	Passive Voice
Sg.	1. 2. 3.	amavissem amavisses amavisset	amatus, a, um essem amatus, a, um esses amatus, a, um esset
Pl.	1. 2. 3.	amavissemus amavissetis amavissent	amati, ae, a essemus amati, ae, a essetis amati, ae, a essent