Grant me the power of perceiving when others use exceptional mental powers.

[Darklander]

I am wondering if I have accurately translated the following sentence?
Specifically I am wondering if I was correct in using the third person singular subjunctive of utor or if I should have used an alternate form?
I am also curious if I am correct in using the plural genitive of mentium since mental powers could be written as powers of the mind.

Grant me the power of perceiving when others use exceptional mental powers.

Da mihi potestatem sentiendi cum alios utatur eximiae potestates mentium.

 

[Callaina]

No, it would be 3rd person plural; also, you should know that utor takes ablative of the thing used, not accusative.

But I'm not sure I'd translate it this way anyway; accusative and infinitive might work better.

Da mihi potestatem sentiendi alios potestatibus mentis eximiis uti. = "Grant me the power of perceiving others to be using exceptional powers of the mind."

(I think this works better than any temporal clause, but others may disagree, so hang around a bit.)

 

[Ignis Umbra]

Da mihi potestatem sentiendi cum alios utatur eximiae potestates mentium.

In addition to Callaina's remarks, temporal cum clauses take the indicative, not the subjunctive.

Also:

(I think this works better than any temporal clause, but others may disagree, so hang around a bit.)

I actually think a temporal clause is fine here; I interpreted the sentence as "Whenever others use exceptional powers of the mind, grant me the power of perceiving".

 

[Callaina]

I actually think a temporal clause is fine here; I interpreted the sentence as "Whenever others use exceptional powers of the mind, grant me the power of perceiving".

That seems extremely unlikely to my mind.

 

[Darklander]

Thanks Callaina, though I have a question? In your rewording and translation:
Da mihi potestatem sentiendi alios potestatibus mentis eximiis uti. = "Grant me the power of perceiving others to be using exceptional powers of the mind."
Would there be an accurate way to translate that sentence should the words in bold be replaced with are?

 

[Callaina]

That is how it's translated.

"Others are using exceptional powers of the mind" -> Alii potestatibus mentis eximiis utuntur.

But this is just a statement. To talk about this as abstract information/an abstract idea -- e.g. "I know/perceive/think/believe that others are using exceptional powers of the mind" -- you need to put the subject of the original (alii) into accusative, and the verb (utuntur) into infinitive.

E.g. "I perceive that others are using exceptional powers of the mind" -> Sentio alios potestatibus mentis eximiis uti.

 

[Laurentius]

In addition to Callaina's remarks, temporal cum clauses take the indicative, not the subjunctive.

Doesn't it take subjunctive when it's circumstantial?

 

[Ignis Umbra]

Doesn't it take subjunctive when it's circumstantial?

It does, but circumstantial clauses refer only to a specific point in time. Temporal clauses are unrestricted by time, hence my rewording of the sentence so it read "whenever".

 

[Laurentius]

It does, but circumstantial clauses refer only to a specific point in time. Temporal clauses are unrestricted by time, hence my rewording of the sentence so it read "whenever".

What do you mean with unrestricted by time? Btw yes I looked L&S adn you are right about indicative I think.

 

[Ignis Umbra]

What do you mean with unrestricted by time? Btw yes I looked L&S adn you are right about indicative I think.

I mean that when you say cum + verb in the indicative, the action of that verb can occur at any given moment. So, for example:

Temporal: Cum curro, musicam audire mi placet - When I run, I like to listen to music --> Whenever I run (i.e. there's no indication as to exactly when the running occurs), I like to listen to music.

Circumstantial: Cum currerem, musicam audire mi placebat - When I was running, I liked to listen to music --> When I was running (i.e. at that specific time when I was running), I liked to listen to music.