Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary

I.conj. [abl. quī and ne].

I. As an interrog. particle, why not? wherefore not? (only in exhortation or remonstrance; not in inquiring for a fact; cf.: quidni, cur non).

1. Usu. with indic. pres.: “quid stas, lapis? Quin accipis?” Ter. Heaut. 4, 7, 4: “quin experimur,” id. Phorm. 3, 3, 5 Fleck. (Umpf experiemur): “quin continetis vocem?” Cic. Rab. Perd. 6, 18: “quin potius pacem aeternam Exercemus?” Verg. A. 4, 99: “quin igitur ulciscimur Graeciam?” Curt. 5, 7, 4: “quin conscendimus equos?” why not mount our horses? Liv. 1, 57.—

2. With imper.: “quin me aspice et contempla,” Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 16: “quin uno verbo dic, quid est, quod me velis,” just say in one word! Ter. And. 1, 1, 18: “quin tu hoc crimen obice ubi licet agere,” i. e. you had better, Cic. Rosc. Com. 9, 25. —

3. With subj. only in orat. obliq.: “quin illi congrederentur acie inclinandamque semel fortunae rem darent,” Liv. 3, 61, 14; 4, 43, 11; 40, 40, 4.—

II. Transf.

A. As a rel. particle, prop. quī or qui ne, and mostly where the rel. stands for a nom. masc. or for abl. of time, who ... not, that not, but that, but, often = Engl. without and a participial clause.

1. In gen.: “curiosus nemo est quin sit malevolus,” Plaut. Stich. 2, 1, 54: “neque aequom est occultum id haberi, quin participem te,” id. Aul. 2, 1, 13; id. Cas. 2, 8, 68: “nulla causast quin me condones cruci,” id. Rud. 4, 4, 26: “ut nullo modo Introire possem, quin me viderent,” Ter. Eun. 5, 2, 2: “facere non possum, quin ad te mittam,” I cannot forbear sending to you, Cic. Att. 12, 27, 3: “cum causae nihil esset, quin secus indicaret,” id. Quint. 9, 32: “nihil abest, quin sim miserrimus,” id. Att. 11, 15, 3: “neminem conveni, quin omnes mihi maximas gratias agant,” id. Fam. 9, 14, 1: “nemo est, quin ubivis quam ibi ubi est, esse malit,” id. ib. 6, 1, 1: “repertus est nemo quin mori diceret satius est,” Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 36, § 88: “nemo, qui aliquo esset in numero, scripsit orationem quin redigeret omnis sententias, etc.,” id. Or. 61, 208: “nihil praetermisi, quin enucleate ad te scriberem,” id. Q. Fr. 3, 3, 1: “neque ullus flare ventus poterat quin aliquā ex parte secundum cursum haberent,” Caes. B. C. 3, 47: “nulli ex itinere excedere licebat quin ab equitatu Caesaris exciperetur,” without being cut off, id. ib. 1, 79: “nullum fere tempus intermiserunt, quin trans Rhenum legatos mitterent,” without sending, id. B. G. 5, 55: “in castello nemo fuit omnino militum quin vulneraretur,” id. B. C. 3, 53: “quid recusare potest, quin et socii sibi consulant,” Liv. 32, 21: vix superat, quin triumphus decernatur, it wants little that, Quadrig. ap. Gell. 17, 13, 5: “paene factum est, quin castra relinquerentur,” i.e. they were very near deserting their camp, id. ib. 17, 13, 5.— So quin (= quī non) stands for a rel. abl. of time: “neque ullum fere tempus intercessit quin aliquem de motu Gallorum nuntium acciperet,” Caes. B. G. 5, 53.— More rarely quin stands for quae non, quod non, etc.: nulla est civitas quin ad id tempus partem senatus Cordubam mitteret. Caes. B. C. 2, 19: “nulla fuit Thessaliae civitas quin Caesari pareret,” id. ib. 3, 81: “nulla (natura), quin suam vim retineat,” Cic. Fin. 4, 13, 32: “horum autem nihil est quin intereat,” id. N. D. 3, 12, 30; id. Rep. 1, 2, 2: nihil est quin male narrando possit depravari, Ter. Phorm. 4, 4, 16: “nihil tam difficilest quin investigare possiet,” id. Heant. 4, 2, 8: “cum nemo esset, quin hoc se audisse liquido diceret,” Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 59, § 136: “Messanam nemo venit, quin viderit,” id. ib. 2, 4, 4, § “7: nego ullam picturam fuisse, quin inspexerit,” id. ib. 2, 4, 1, § 1; cf. Gell. 17, 13, 2 sq., and Cato ap. Gell. ib. § 3.— 2. Esp. after words expressing hesitation (usu. with neg.): “non dubitaturum, quin cederet, Cic Mil. 23, 63: nolite dubitare, quin,” id. Imp. Pomp. 23, 68: “et vos non dubitatis, quin,” id. Agr. 2, 26, 69: “dubitatis, Quirites, quin hoc tantum boni in rem publicam conferatis?” id. Imp. Pomp. 16, 49. —

3. Much more freq. after words expressing doubt, ignorance, etc.: “non dubitabat, quin,” Cic. Att. 6, 2, 3: “cave dubites, quin,” id. Fam. 5, 20, 6: “non dubitabat quin ... non posset,” id. Att. 5, 11, 7; id. Tusc. 1, 36, 88: “non esse dubium, quin . . . possent,” no doubt that, Caes. B. G. 1, 4; Ter. And. 2, 3, 17: “neque abest suspicio, quin,” a suspicion that, Caes. B. G. 1, 4: “quis ignerat, quin?” who is ignorant that? who does not know that? Cic. Fl. 27, 64: “dies fere nullus est, quin hic Satyrus domum meam ventitet,” hardly a day passes that he does not come, id. Att. 1, 1, 3.—

B. That not, as if not, as though not: “non quin ipse dissentiam, sed quod,” not but that, Cic. Fam. 4, 7, 1: non quin breviter reddi responsum potuerit, Liv 2, 15. —

C. For corroboration.

1. But, indeed, really, verily, of a truth: “Hercle quin tu recte dicis,” Plaut. Merc. 2, 3, 77: credo; “neque id injuria: quin Mihi molestum est,” Ter. Heaut. 3, 3, 20: “te nec hortor, nec rogo, ut domum redeas, quin hinc ipse evolare cupio,” Cic. Fam. 7, 30, 1.— Esp. in reaching a climax or adding a stronger assertion or proof: quin etiam, yea indeed, nay even: “credibile non est, quantum scribam die: quin etiam noctibus,” Cic. Att. 13, 26, 3; 14, 21, 3: “quin etiam necesse crit cupere et optare, ut, etc.,” id. Lael. 16, 59: “quin etiam voces jactare,” Verg. A. 2, 768: mortem non esse metuendam, quin etiam si, etc., nay, not even if, etc., Lact. 3, 27 fin.; cf.: “quin et Atridas Priamus fefellit,” Hor. C. 1, 10, 13.—

2. Rather, yea rather: “nihil ea res animum militaris viri imminuit, quin contra plus spei naotus,” Liv. 35, 26.—

D. In corrections, nay, rather: “non potest dici satis quantum in illo sceleris fuerit, Quin sic attendite, judices, etc.,” Cic. Mil. 29, 78 sq. (cf. Halm ad loc., and Lorenz ad Plaut. Most. 164).