grammar - Is this grammatical construction an imperative for the third person?


Is the construction 'Let + subject + verb' considered as an order/imperative for the third person:



Let every man count his days



when it is intended to mean 'must'/'is ordered to'?



Answer



"Let" can introduce an imperative phrase, but it doesn't have to. Third person is a red herring here; "Let us go forth in peace" at the end of Anglican communions has exactly the same force of command. Exactly how strong an imperative it is depends very much on the context, though. It's not terribly strong in either your example or mine, but "Let my people go!" is a different kettle of fish entirely.


If I recall correctly, "Let + verb" is the standard way of translating subjunctive "imperatives" from Latin.


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