Explain what type of clause is in this sentence: timeo tamen ne non veniat.

Answer: Negative Fearing Clause
Translation: However, I am afraid that he will not come.
Students may find fearing clauses difficult due to the use of ne to mean 'that' (rather than ut as in indirect commands, purpose clauses etc). Latin idiom expresses fear about something which has not yet happened with ne and a subjunctive verb (here, veniat) unlike in English idiom where it is not negative. We can understand how there is a negative sense in fearing clauses because when you are afraid of something, you hope that it will not happen. The English word 'lest' may help to understand the negative sense but students should avoid translating ne as such since it is slightly old-fashioned. Instead they should learn that a verb of fearing (timeo, vereor etc) followed by ne should be translated as 'that'. The sentence above expresses a fear that something will not happen with ne non. Students should also note that sometimes ne non cancels out and is replaced with ut.