Breakdown of Donec imber desinat, intra domum manemus.
domus
the house
manere
to stay
desinere
to stop
intra
inside
Questions & Answers about Donec imber desinat, intra domum manemus.
What does donec mean here, and what kind of clause does it introduce?
Donec means until here. It introduces a temporal clause: a clause that tells us up to what point the action of the main clause continues.
So in this sentence:
- Donec imber desinat = until the rain stops
- intra domum manemus = we stay inside the house
The idea is: we remain inside up to the point when the rain stops.
Why is it desinat and not desinit?
Because after donec, Latin often uses the subjunctive when the action is viewed as anticipated, future, or not yet completed from the speaker’s point of view.
So:
- desinit = it stops (indicative)
- desinat = it may stop / should stop / stops in a subjunctive clause
Here the rain has not stopped yet. The stopping is something expected in the future, so desinat is natural.
This is a common pattern with temporal conjunctions in Latin.
What form exactly is desinat?
Desinat is:
- 3rd person singular
- present subjunctive active