In Latin you may use the conjunction ut or not: dux imperat (ut) taceant = 'the leader orders that they be quiet.' Just as you would use ne for a negative command, so you use ne for the conjunction introducing a negative indirect command: dux imperat ne dicant. = 'Let them be quiet! The leader orders it.' These two sentences can become a single sentence by subordinating the command itself to the verb or commanding. One imagines two original statements: taceant! dux imperat. The most obvious subordinate use of the jussive subjunctive is the indirect command. The jussive subjunctive is used to give orders that is, it gives direct expression to someone's will, purpose, goal and so on.

In Classical Latin, however, most subordinate clauses with the subjunctive are still clear developments of their origin in paratactic or co-ordinate clauses. Hence, the name of the mood, 'subjunctive' or the mood that subjoins clauses to the main clause. As the Latin language changed the subjunctive mood became used more and more as a mark of subordination, even in clauses that could not have been subjunctive clauses when the language was more paratactic. Thus, two sentences like 'He is to go.' (A jussive subjunctive.) and 'His father says so.' (an indicative statement) were joined to become 'His father says he is to go.' The first example is called paratactic, or 'co-ordinate.' The second is called hypotactic, or 'subordinate.' Any clause that was originally in the subjunctive as a co-ordinate (paratactic) expression will keep the subjunctive when it becomes a subordinate (hypotactic) clause. Dependent Subjunctives seem to have developed from the three original uses of the independent subjunctive.

Latin grammar dum with aliquis