§576. Indirect Questions

In colloquial usage and in poetry the subject of an In direct Question is often attracted into the main clause as object (Accusative of Anticipation):—

• nōstī Mārcellum quam tardus sit (Fam. 8.10.3), you know how slow Marcellus is. [For nōstī quam tardus sit Mārcellus. Cf. “I know thee who thou art.”]
• Cf. potestne igitur eārum rērum, quā rē futūrae sint, ūlla esse praesēnsiō; (Div. 2.15), can there be, then, any foreknowledge as to those things, why they will occur? [A similar use of the Objective Genitive.]

• quīdam saepe in parvā pecūniā perspiciuntur quam sint levēs (Lael. 63), it is often seen, in a trifling matter of money, how unprincipled some people are (some people are often seen through, how unprincipled they are).
• quem ad modum Pompêium oppūgnārent ā mē indicātī sunt (Leg. Agr. 1.5), it has been shown by me in what way they attacked Pompey (they have been shown by me, how they attacked).

a. An indirect question is occasionally introduced by sī in the sense of whether (like if in English, cf. § 572. b. N.):—

• circumfunduntur hostēs sī quem aditum reperīre possent (B. G. 6.37), the enemy pour round [to see] if they can find entrance.
• vīsam sī domī est (Ter. Haut. 170), I will go see if he is at home.

For the Potential Subjunctive with forsitan (originally an Indirect Question), see § 447. a.