The combination acquires the meaning of obligation or propriety, and this meaning also passes over to the accusative with esse. The person who has the action to do is put in the dative of the possessor ([1215]). Instead of the dative, the ablative with ab is sometimes used, particularly where the dative would be ambiguous.
tibī̆ haec cūra suscipienda est, V. 4, 69, the undertaking of this care exists for you, i.e., you must undertake this charge. Caesarī omnia ūnō tempore erant agenda: vēxillum prōpōnendum, sīgnum tubā dandum, ab opere revocandī mīlitēs, aciēs īnstruenda, mīlitēs cohortandī, sīgnum dandum, 2, 20, 1, for Caesar there was everything to be done at the same moment: the standard to be raised, bugle call given, soldiers summoned in from their work, line of battle to be formed, soldiers harangued, signal given for engagement. quaerenda pecūnia prīmum est; virtūs post nummōs, H. E. 1, 1, 53, there is money-making to be the first aim: character second to dollars. adeundus mihī̆ illic est homō, Pl. R. 1298, I must draw near this fellow. Caesar statuit sibī̆ Rhēnum esse trānseundum, 4, 16, 1, Caesar made up his mind that he must cross the Rhine. ego istum iuvenem domī tenendum cēnseō, L. 21, 3, 6, for my part, I think that young man ought to be kept at home. ē̆ī ego ā mē referendam grātiam nōn putem? Planc. 78, should I not think that I ought to show my gratitude to him? quid ā mē amplius dīcendum putātis? V. 3, 60, what more do you think that I need say?
[2244.] fruendus, fungendus, potiundus, ūtendus, vēscendus, are also used in this construction, chiefly in the oblique cases; in the nominative the impersonal construction ([2246]) is usual. These verbs sometimes have a transitive use in old Latin ([1380]).
nōn paranda nōbīs sōlum ea, sed fruenda etiam est, Fin. 1, 3, that is a thing which we must not only obtain, but enjoy as well, of wisdom. nec tamen est potiunda tibī, O. 9, 754, she is not to be won by thee. Examples of the oblique cases in this use are cited below.
[2245.] habeō with the gerundive, as an equivalent of est mihī̆, est tibī̆, &c. ([2243]), is sometimes found, chiefly in late writers and particularly in Tacitus: as,
multī habent in praediīs, quibus frūmentum aut vīnum aliudve quid dēsit, inportandum, Varro, RR. 1, 16, 2, many on whose estates corn or wine or something else is lacking, have to bring it in. multum interest utrumne dē fūrtō dīcendum habeās an dē cīvibus trucīdātīs, Ta. D. 37, it makes a great difference whether you have to speak about a theft or about the murder of Romans. sī nunc prīmum statuendum habērēmus, Ta. 14, 44, if we had to decide the point to-day for the first time.
[2246.] The neuter of verbs of intransitive use takes the impersonal construction with est. Verbs ordinarily transitive also take the impersonal construction when used without an object.
nunc est bibendum, H. 1, 37, 1, now drinking exists, i.e. now we must drink. inambulandumst, Pl. As. 682, I must be moving on. ego amplius dēlīberandum cēnseō, T. Ph. 457, I opine there must be more pondering. linguae moderandumst mihī̆, Pl. Cu. 486, I must check my tongue. omne animal cōnfitendum est esse mortāle, DN. 3, 32, it must be admitted that every living thing is destined to die. nēmō umquam sapiēns prōditōrī crēdendum putāvit, V. 1, 38, no wise man ever held that a traitor was to be trusted.
[2247.] The impersonal construction with an object in the accusative, is old-fashioned and rare.