# Quo usque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra?



## Interfector

More precisely, Cicero used it in his famous speech against Catilina. ("Quo usque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra?")

<< Moderator's note: This thread was split off from:  	 	  	  		  o tempora, o mores >>


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## Ben Jamin

Interfector said:


> Quo usque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra?")


 
I have always wondered why *abutere* is in infinitive. I would expect abutere in a finite form (for example in subjunctive mood) or together with a modal verb. 
Does anyone know what kind of construction this is?


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## Passante

abutere isn't infinitive
http://66.71.182.1/declinazione.php?lemma=A003BC00&parola=abutor
quousque  http://66.71.182.1/dizionario-latino.php is a single word for, i suppose, until in english (sorry but my english is not so good)


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## Ben Jamin

Passante said:


> abutere isn't infinitive
> http://66.71.182.1/declinazione.php?lemma=A003BC00&parola=abutor
> quousque http://66.71.182.1/dizionario-latino.php is a single word for, i suppose, until in english (sorry but my english is not so good)


 Molte grazie! Non sapevo que abutere sia una forma irregolare, ma sembra que esiste anche una forma regolare 'abuteris' que io esperavo.


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## Passante

Ben Jamin said:


> Molte grazie! Non sapevo que abutere sia una forma irregolare, ma sembra que esiste anche una forma regolare 'abuteris' que io esperavo.


Di niente, felice di essere stata utile. Ma quante lingue conosci? complimenti


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## Ben Jamin

Passante said:


> Di niente, felice di essere stata utile. Ma quante lingue conosci? complimenti


 Grazie. Conscere una lingua è una cosa relativa. Leggo dodici lingue, parlo e scrivo in vario grado otto. In italiano scrivo usando abbastanza molto un dizionario e grammatica.


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## Starfrown

Passante said:


> quousque  http://66.71.182.1/dizionario-latino.php is a single word for, i suppose, until in english (sorry but my english is not so good)


Even if written as a single word, it is a combination of the Latin _quo_ and _usque_, with the literal effect of "up to what point?" and best translated as "how long?; how far?"


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## Passante

Starfrown said:


> Even if written as a single word, it is a combination of the Latin _quo_ and _usque_, with the literal effect of "up to what point?" and best translated as "how long?; how far?"


 Thanks for the clarification


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