[*] 336. There is no one Latin word in common use meaning simply yes or no. In answering a question affirmatively, the verb or some other emphatic word is generally repeated; in answering negatively, the verb, etc., with nōn or a similar negative:—
- valetne, is he well? valet, yes (he is well).
- eratne tēcum, was he with you? nōn erat, no (he was not).
- num quidnam novī? there is nothing new, is there? nihil sānē, oh! nothing.
- For YES:—
vērō, in truth, true, no doubt, yes. ita vērō, certainly (so in truth), etc. etiam, even so, yes, etc. sānē quidem, yes, no doubt, etc. ita, so, true, etc. ita est, it is so, true, etc. - For NO:—
- nōn, not so.
- nūllō modō, by no means.
- minimē, not at all (lit., in the smallest degree, cf. § 329. a).
- minimē vērō, no, not by any means; oh! no, etc.
- nōn quidem, why, no; certainly not, etc.
- nōn hercle vērō, why, gracious, no! (certainly not, by Hercules!)
- quidnam? an laudātiōnēs? ita, why, what? is it eulogies? just so.
- “aut etiam autnōn respondēre ” (Acad. 2.104) , to answer (categorically) yes or no.
- “estne ut fertur forma? sānē” (Ter. Eun. 361) , is she as handsome as they say she is? (is her beauty as it is said?) oh! yes.
- “miser ergō Archelāus?certē sī iniūstus ” (Tusc. 5.35) , was Archelaus wretched then? certainly, if he was unjust.
- “an haec contemnitis? minimē” (De Or. 2.295) , do you despise these things? not at all.
- “volucribusne et ferīs?minimē vērō” (Tusc. 1.104) , to the birds and beasts? why, of course not.
- ex tuī animī sententiā tū uxōrem habēs? nōn hercle, ex meī animī sententiā; (De Or. 2.260), Lord! no, etc.