A formulaic aspect of the Plautinian language and metric: forms of subjunctive fuam, fuas, fuat, fui Antoine Foucher

Abstract

One still finds in Plautus’ language a few instances of archaic subjunctive forms fuam, fuas, fuat, fuant and, at the same time, forms that are in more general use like siem, sies, siet, sient. Although they have the same prosodic value, the author does not use them in the same conditions: fuam finds itself integrated into set phrases for reasons which are metrical as much as syntactical. Indeed we find these subjunctive forms in strongly structured lines, both in terms of rhythm (they remind us of versus quadrati that are so useful to express humour) and syntax (the subjunctive is employed in negative sentences, or sentences that have a negative connotation, linked with an idea of indefinite future). But these archaic forms would not have survived if they had not been integrated into these set phrases.