“only” in Latin

Denoting limitation or restriction, modo (subjective, denoting that one who speaks or thinks on a matter restricts it in his own mind to a certain case, or within certain limits): tantum (PROP., so much and no more, implies that the term which it qualifies bears the relation of the less to a greater, or of a part to a whole, to which it stands opposed): solum (only, merely; restricts to a certain case or object, in contradistinction to all others): tantummodo (only in so far as; restricts more strongly than tantum or modo, approximating to the meaning sometimes of the former, sometimes of the latter. ☞ Avoid solummodo, which is very rare, and not found at all in the best prose): non... nisi (= “not except under the condition specified;” hence not used of numbers. ☞ In the best prose nisi is prefixed to the condition, and the non [for which some other negative, neque, nihil, numquam, may stand] to the verb; e.g., it is only by an artist that art can be understood, ars intelligi nisi ab artifice non potest: he dreads only a witness and a judge, nihil timet nisi testem et judicem): dumtaxat (= dum taxat aliquis, “strictly speaking,” restricting a sentiment by some special reference; often preceded by sed): nihil aliud quam, quid aliud quam, nihil aliud praeterquam (= “he only, etc.,” “he did nothing but,” etc., a tense of facere being omitted; e.g., he only sleeps, nihil aliud quam dormltat: Vid: Zumpt, § 771; but ☞ this is peculiar to the style of the later historians). The foregoing words and phrases are used when the restriction relates only to an action or a state; but when “only” refers to a subject or object which it separates from all others, we find solus or unus; e.g., it is only man who is endued with reason, solus homo ratione praeditus est: I have seen only you, te unum vidi: it is only wisdom that, etc., sapientia est una quae, etc.: I only have seen, ego solum or unus vidi (but, I have only heard, not seen, it, haec audivi tantum, non vidi): not only... but also, non modo... sed etiam or verum etiam (proceeding usually from the less to the greater, or from the weaker to the stronger): non tantum or non tantum modo... sed etiam (from the greater to the less = “not only, but even”): non solum... sed etiam (leaving it undetermined which is the greater): et... et (as well... as). We sometimes find non modo... sed or verum; non tantum (or tantummodo)... sed or verum; non solum... sed (without an et or etiam: the second clause is then the stronger, the other being, as it were, put aside; Vid: Pr., Introd., ii, 504: the second clause may sometimes be strengthened by transposition; e.g., Dii quoque, non solum homines): not only not... but not even, non modo non... sed ne... quidem (☞ where observe, if both clauses are affected by the same verb, expressed in the second clause, the non after modo is omitted, its place being supplied by the ne in the second clause, since ne... quidem is = etiam non; e.g., talis vir non modo facere, sed ne cogitare quidem quidquam audebit quod non honestum sit. But if the negative is contained in a negative word, such as “none, never, “, etc., then the word nemo, nullus, nihil, numquam, etc., must be retained; e.g., quod non modo Siculus nemo, sed ne Sicilia quidem tota potuisset; ☞ Zumpt § 724, b): only in so far, that, duntaxat bactenus, ut: only so much, or so far as, tantum... quantum (Vid: Cic., Ecl., p. 121; Herzog, Caes., B.G., 2, 8).

Expressing a condition, modo; e.g., I will speak, only do you hear, loquar, modo audi: only that, modo ut, etc., or modo with the subjunctive; if only, dummodo; or dum with the subjunctive: if only not, dumne; dummodo ne with the subjunctive.

Expressing a wish, will, or permission, modo: quaeso (as a parenthesis, I pray): only let me, sine modo: only wait, mane modo: only begone, abi modo: only not, modo ne; e.g., modo ne redeat: in addressing persons, with the language of vehement deprecation or earnest warning, this may be rendered by noli with an infinitive, or by fac ne, or (in warnings) cave, with the subjunctive.