Indirect speech within indirect speech - how does Latin handle it?

kmp

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How does Latin deal with nested indirect speech?

How do you say, for example,

She said he said he thought Marcus was stupid

or

She said she saw him fall.

Can these structures be nested - (is illa dixit se vedere eum cadere correct Latin?) or does Latin start to use something else - like ut?
 

Pacifica

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Can these structures be nested
Yes.
is illa dixit se vedere eum cadere correct Latin?
Not quite, because vedere isn't a word. You mean videre. But the sentence would then mean "she said she was seeing him fall". If he fell and after that she said she had seen him fall (which seems to me the most likely interpretation of "she said she saw him fall") you need the perfect infinitive vidisse.
 

kmp

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Sorry about vedere - I was thinking in Italian for a moment. And, yes, it should be vidisse. Thanks.

So would illa dixit eum dixisse se putare Marcum stultum esse mean she said he said he thinks Marcus is stupid (or, more simply) she said he said he thought Marcus was stupid?

In this case, is the se correct - it doesn't refer back to illa but to the male speaker (eum)? Do you need the se at all?
 

Pacifica

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Yes, it's correct. Se would usually be included.
 

kmp

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Wow! I can't believe I got that right.

Many thanks for your help. It's much appreciated.
 
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