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mottoes1-msg - 10/25/00

 

Latin mottoes and phrases for SCA use.

 

NOTE: See also the files: mottoes2-msg, Latin-msg, languages-msg, Latin-online-art.

 

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NOTICE -

 

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

 

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

 

I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.

 

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors.

 

Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s).

 

Thank you,

   Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous

                                         Stefan at florilegium.org

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Please note:

------------------

A helpful hint for those wishing to translate phrases from Latin to English:

Before asking a Latin expert to translate your phrase for you, first try doing

a websearch for it.  Convert the phrase, if needed, to all lower case and enclose the whole phrase in quotes for your search.  There are a lot of famous Latin phrases already available on-line with translations.

------------------

 

From: gunnora at bga.com (Gunnora Hallakarva)

To: ansteorra at eden.com

Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 11:13:25 -0500

Subject: Re: Latin Translation, Please?

 

>Would anyone out there be able to help me with a translation into Latin,

>please? I would like the following phrase translated and simply don't

>have the knowledge (or the time, currently) to do so myself:

>

>This, too, shall pass.

 

Heilsa, Margaret!

 

I'll take a swing at it.  Try:   Hic quoque transiet.

 

I also have a collection of short Latin phrases, painfully learned in

school, that I think would make good mottoes for folks who may be shopping

for one.  Here they are:

 

Vestis virum reddit. (Clothes make the man).

 

Veritatem dies aperit. (Time discloses the truth).

 

Veritas numquam perit. (Truth never dies).

 

Vitam regit Fortuna, non sapientia. (Fortune rules our lives, not wisdom).

 

Vincit imitationem veritas. (Truth conquers imitation).

 

Amicus certus in re incerta cernitur. (A sure friend is discovered in an

unsure situation).

 

Numquam periculum sine periculo vincitur. (Danger is never conquered without

danger).

 

Nemo sine vitio est. (No one is without flaw).

 

Sapientia vino obumbratur. (Wisdom is overshadowed by wine).

 

Mens regnum bona possidet. (A noble mind possesses a kingdom).

 

Habet suum venenum blanda oratio. (Smooth speech has its own poison).

 

Fortes Fortuna adjuvat. (Fortune favors the brave).

 

Fortuna fortes metuit, ignavos premit. (Fortune fears the brave and crushes

the cowardly).

 

Stulti timent Fortunam, sapientes ferunt. (The foolish fear Fortune, the

wise endure her).

 

Ducunt volentem Fata, nolentum trahunt. (the Fates guide the willing and

drag the unwilling).

 

Parva leves capiunt animos. (Small things capture frivolous minds).

 

Certa stant omnia lege. (All things stand under a fixed law).

 

Oculi sunt in amore duces. (The eyes are leaders in love).

 

Justus, fortis, patiens. (Just, brave, and patient).

 

Ars longa, vita brevis.  (Life is brief, but Art endures).

 

Ira furor brevis est. (Anger is brief insanity).

 

Forma bonum fragile est. (Good form is fragile).

 

Leges sine moribus vanae. (Laws without morals are empty).

 

Vox audita perit, litteras scripta manet. (The spoken word vanishes, the

written word remains).

 

In virtute posita vera felicitas. (True happiness is places in virtue).

 

Qui pro innocente dicit satis est eloquens. (Who speaks for the innocent is

eloquent enough).

 

Deo, Regi, Patriae. (God, King, Country)

 

Artes serviunt vitae, sapienta imperat. (Education serves our life, wisdom

commands it).

 

Malitia ipsa maximam partem veneni sui bibit. (Malice itself drinks the

largest part of its own poison).

 

Gloria unmbra virtutis est. (Glory is the shadow of virtue).

 

Gravis ira regum est semper. (The anger of kings is always serious).

 

Nemo mortalium omnibus horis sapit. (No mortal is wise at all hours).

 

Fortitudo est domina et regina virtutem. (Courage is the mistress and queen

of all virtues).

 

Auribus teneo lupum. (I have the wolf by the ears).

 

Effugere non potes necessitates; vincere potes. (You can't escape necessity,

but you can conquer it).

 

Hodie mihi, cras tibi. (Today is mine, tomorrow is yours). colloq for

"You'll get yours"

 

Aut inveniam viam aut faciam.  (I will either find a way or make one).

 

Veritas vos liberabit. (The truth shall set you free).

 

Bonum certamen certavi, cursum consummavi, fidem servavi. (I have fought the

good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith).

 

 

Nil sine magno vita labore dedit mortalibus. (Life has given nothing to

mortals without great labor).

 

Quod non dedit Fortuna, non eripuit. (What Fortune does not give, she cannot

take away).

 

Aut amat aut odit: nil est tertium. (Love or hate: there is no third course).

 

Wassail!

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

From: "V. Allan Endel" <endel at tarleton.edu>

To: Ansteorra at eden.com

Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 15:56:40 -0500

Subject: Another Latin motto

 

A saying in Latin which I remember (probably because it is so short) is

"Festina lente", meaning "Make haste slowly". It was a favorite of one of

the Roman emperors, although I don't remember which one.

 

Alan

 

 

From: gunnora at bga.com (Gunnora Hallakarva)

To: ansteorra at eden.com

Date: Sat, 14 Dec 1996 19:08:08 -0600

Subject: More Latin Mottos

 

I recently received requests to translate the following mottos into Latin:

 

Glory is fleeting, Honor is forever.

(Gloria brevis, Honor longus)

 

and

 

Be as good as your word.

("Quam probus esto quam tu fides" or "Quam probus, quam fides")

 

The first motto is parallel to the famous epigram, "Vita brevis, Ars longa"

(Life is short, Art endures).  If you want a motto in this format (i.e., X

is temporary, y is permanent) you can simply substitute in the appropriate

pair of nouns.  Since they're in the nominative case, all you have to do is

use the word as it will appear in the Latin dictionary, no grammatical

finagling required.

 

The second motto is listed in two forms.  The first is the grammatical

version, the second is a shortened version which is much more

"motto-compatible." Latin epigrams frquently can leave out grammatical

constructions essential to a sentence and still be understood.  The

"grammatical" sentence reads "You should be as good as your given word"

while the second is literally "As good as the sworn word" ... like the first

motto listed above, there are no verbs (the grammatical version of "Glory is

fleeting, Honor endures" would be "Gloria brevis est, Honor longa est.")

 

Wassail and God Jul,

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

(Who is seriously considering translating, "The joys of peerage are

fleeting, Circles go on forever, and ever, and ever..." to use as my own motto!)

 

 

From: djheydt at uclink.berkeley.edu (Dorothy J Heydt)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Translation/Latin

Date: 30 Dec 1996 16:04:25 GMT

Organization: University of California at Berkeley

 

Jason C Kolton <kolton at kitts.u.arizona.edu> wrote:

>       I would be most appreciatitive if there is someone out there who

>could translate a phrase into latin for me.  That phrase is "In God there

>is Truth."  I would be very thankful for any help.

 

In Deo veritas.

 

Dorothea of Caer-Myrddin                          Dorothy J. Heydt

Mists/Mists/West                                Albany, California

PRO DEO ET REGE                                     djheydt at uclink

 

 

From: gunnora at bga.com (Gunnora Hallakarva)

To: ansteorra at eden.com, sca at mc.lcs.mit.edu

Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 10:18:37 -0600

Subject: More Latin Translations

 

I had a request to translate another Latin phrase, which I will share with

the rest of you for the benefit of those who collect such things.

 

"Time flies, whether you're having fun or not."

 

Tempus fugit utrum ludis necne.

 

Wassail,

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

From: djheydt at uclink.berkeley.edu (Dorothy J Heydt)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Latin Translation of this phrase, please?

Date: 16 Jan 1997 17:05:20 GMT

Organization: University of California at Berkeley

 

Anonymous      <CS23001 at MAINE.MAINE.EDU> wrote:

>Would appreciate a latin translation of this phrase:

>

>    " If lost, please return to: "

>

>or something close in meaning.

 

OK, I can do this, but let me first explain a difference in

usage.

 

The English phrase you quote is short for "If [this thing is]

lost [and found, would the finder] please return [it] to

(name and/or address of owner)."  The lost thing is being spoken

of in the third person.

 

But in period you tended to get inscriptions where, as it were,

the object speaks for itself in the first person.  "A made me."

"A made me for B."  "B owns me; may God keep her; a curse on any

who steals me."  "Alfred commanded me to be made."

 

So what you want is

 

Si erro, reduc me ad [name].

 

"If I wander, lead me back to [name]."

 

If you'll send me email with the name of the group you want

your wanderer returned to, I'll try and Latinate it for you.

 

Dorothea of Caer-Myrddin                          Dorothy J. Heydt

Mists/Mists/West                                Albany, California

PRO DEO ET REGE                                     djheydt at uclink

 

 

From: gunnora at bga.com (Gunnora Hallakarva)

To: Casey Weed <nextristan at n-link.com>

CC: markh at risc.sps.mot.com

Date: Thu, 6 Feb 1997 02:34:35 -0600

Subject: Re: More Latin Mottos

 

You said:

>I beg your assistance again on the issue of translation to Latin those words

>I would use as my motto: "Tis better to give than recieve."  Although my

>younger brother Adolphus wears the tonsure of the Benedictine order in

>nearby Trier, he is jealous of my station and frowns on the small time I

>dedicated to learning the higher tongue.  The last time I asked him for a

>similar boon- to paint in Latin the words "follow me" on the back of my

>surcoat just before we took the field at Seckenheim in June of last year- he

>saw a time to lower my standing with the right good Elector Frederick... and

>when I see him next I will show him the true meaning of "kick me."

 

You had been told:

>"Melio est dare quam recipere."

 

The proper Latin for "It is better to give than to receive" is:

 

       Melior dare quam accipere est.

 

"recipere" while it looks like it would be correct actually means "to keep

back, to keep in reserve, to withdraw" while "accipere" is "to take, to

receive, to accept" -- and of course we get our modern words receive and

accept from these Latin roots, but nuance has shifted slightly.  The other

change from what you were given is in the word order.  The phrase I have

given above has a more classical word order, with the verb falling at the

end of the sentence (as in formal Ciceronian oratory). Latin has no word

order per se, as the word forms tell you the part of speech you're looking

at, so you can put "est" (to be) either at the front or the back and not

affect the meaning.  If you plan on using this phrase as a motto, you'd drop

the verb altogether... most mottos lack the obvios verb when it's a form of

the verb "to be", thus:

 

       Melior dare quam accipere

 

would be a good motto.

 

Just so that you will not be deceived by your overeducated brother in the

future, "Follow me!" is:

 

       Sequare me!

 

While "Kick me!" is:

 

       Calcitrate me!

 

Bona fortuna!

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

From: gunnora at bga.com (Gunnora Hallakarva)

To: "Koch, KA Kimberly (4384)" <KochKA at gvlmailrtr.gvl.esys.com>

CC: markh at risc.sps.mot.com

Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 05:00:26 -0600

Subject: Re: translation

 

>I have been comissioned to do Mikaela's duchy scroll.  In the original that I'm

>working from, part of the design incorporates a short Latin motto

>repeated over and over.  Since Mikaela doesn't have a motto of her own

>as yet, the most obvious choice of phrase for her scroll seemed to me to

>be (gods of authenticity forgive me) "party on".  Would it be possible

>for you to work up a translation for me?  I would really appreciate any

>help you could give me.

 

Heilsa, Thyra!

 

OK. As you undoubtedly are aware, "party on" is Valley-speak.  The nearest

equivalent in Latin is:

 

       Usque Comissor (Party continually in the here and now)

 

       or

 

       Usque Comissare (Party continually into the future)

 

Here I have used usque in its meaning as on=continually.

 

Comissor, -are is a First Conjugation deponent verb emaning literally "to

join in bacchanalian celebration," "to revel," or "to guzzle wine or alcohol."

 

In general, I think the second translation with the future imperative makes

a better motto.

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

From: gunnora at bga.com (Gunnora Hallakarva)

To: CRICKETRED at aol.com

CC: markh at risc.sps.mot.com

Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 06:01:11 -0600

Subject: Re: latin???

 

>"While others debate the why, I have done the how."

 

Heilsa, Letha.

 

This is a tough one.  Latin does not use "how" or "why" as nouns, as you

have them in this sentence.  They appear as adverbs.  To say this in Latin,

you have to modify it somewhat to say, "While others debate why a thing is,

I have done the thing."  Of course, there may be some colloquial way of

saying this that I do not know...  otherwise it is thus:

 

Tempus alii disputant quapropter res est, effeci.

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

From: clevin at ripco.com (Craig Levin)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Latin Translation of simple Phrase

Date: 16 Feb 1997 18:57:51 GMT

Organization: Ripco Internet BBS, Chicago

 

Shire2308 <shire2308 at aol.com> wrote:

>"Here too Virtue has it's reward".

 

>I saw it etched on the blade of a sword at the Royal Armory in Madrid,

>Spain. I would like to have it engraved on a ring I'm having made.

 

>Armando Rafael D'Euzkadi

 

Sure, I'll give it a roll:

 

Hic quoque virtus proprium remunerationem habet.

 

Literally, "Here also virtue has its own special reward."

--

http://pages.ripco.com:8080/~clevin/index.html

clevin at ripco.com

Craig Levin

 

 

From: clevin at ripco.com (Craig Levin)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Another Latin translation

Date: 21 Feb 1997 15:03:50 GMT

Organization: Ripco Internet BBS, Chicago

 

Chris Bays  <coyote at pagan.com> wrote:

 

>       If you please, is there anyone who could translate the

>following phrase into Latin for me?

>       "Dreams are the Seedlings of Reality"

 

Somnia sunt surculos veritatis.

--

http://pages.ripco.com:8080/~clevin/index.html

clevin at ripco.com

Craig Levin

 

 

From: djheydt at uclink.berkeley.edu (Dorothy J Heydt)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Latin translation, please?

Date: 31 Mar 1997 20:34:26 GMT

Organization: University of California at Berkeley

 

A while back somebody posted,

 

>>> :: Can someone give me the Latin for "Your mother wears army boots"? I used

>>> :: to know it - it retranslates as "Your mother wears the samdals of a

>>> :: soldier" ....

 

Mater tua caligas gerit.

 

Dorothea of Caer-Myrddin                          Dorothy J. Heydt

Mists/Mists/West                                Albany, California

PRO DEO ET REGE                                     djheydt at uclink

 

 

From: djheydt at uclink.berkeley.edu (Dorothy J Heydt)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Latin translation please...

Date: 2 May 1997 15:25:28 GMT

Organization: University of California at Berkeley

 

BlackCat =^. .^= <blackcat at blueneptune.com> wrote:

>"In His spirit, the strength"

 

In spiritu eius virtus.

 

Dorothea of Caer-Myrddin                              Dorothy J. Heydt

Mists/Mists/West                                    Albany, California

PRO DEO ET REGE                                         djheydt at uclink

 

 

From: djheydt at uclink.berkeley.edu (Dorothy J Heydt)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Help in Latin Translation

Date: 9 May 1997 16:04:17 GMT

Organization: University of California at Berkeley

 

Shung Yar  <alsaden at singnet.com.sg> wrote:

>....help me translate "Men of Power and Glory",

 

Viri Potestatis et Gloriae.  (I'm assuming that you mean "men" =

"heroes" = "fighting men" = "male humans", as would've been used

in period.  If you want to include female humans also, use

"Homines" instead of "Viri.")

 

and "We don't let the bastards get us down" into Latin....

 

Nothos nos permolere non sinimus.

 

Dorothea of Caer-Myrddin                              Dorothy J. Heydt

Mists/Mists/West                                    Albany, California

PRO DEO ET REGE                                         djheydt at uclink

 

 

Date: Tue, 3 Jun 1997 11:04:06 -0500

To: "Ed Hopkins" <Ed.Hopkins at MCI.Com>

From: gunnora at bga.com (Gunnora Hallakarva)

Subject: Re: Latin Mottoes

Cc: markh at risc.sps.mot.com

 

>I think that there is a little bit of finagling required, namely

>that "longa" must be changed to match the gender of the second

>noun. In this case, it would make it:

>

>   Gloria brevis, Honor longus

>

>If I'm right, maybe you should contact Stefan li Rous about changing

>the archive. <corrected in original message above -stefan>

 

You are correct.  I had it in my head until just now when I looked it up

that "honor" was one of those strange-looking feminine words.  My dictionary

has it in black and white that it is indeed masculine.  Oh well...shows what

too many years of Latin will do to you.

 

>I have another question that I would ask you as someone who knows

>a great many Latin phrases:

>Are you aware of any Latin phrases that consist of exactly 36

>letters, with word-breaks occurring at least every sixth letter?

>I'll give the only two examples I know:

>

> Venari, lavari, ludere, ridere: occ est vivere.

> To hunt, to swim, to play, to grin: this is to live.

>

>and

>

> Leva te, da locu, lvdere nescis, idiota; recede.

> Rise up, get out, you can not win, layman; go away.

>

>(The translations are a little loose so that they, too, can

>fit the pattern.)

>

>You see, phrases in this form fit the old Roman boardgame

>Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum.  Supposedly, hundreds of gameboards

>have been found in Roman ruins, but I've only seen these

>two examples given in books on games.  Maybe some other ones have

>survived off the board.

>

>-- Alfredo el Bufon

>Canton of Elvegast

>Barony of Windmaster's Hill

>Kingdom of Atlantia

 

No, alas, I haven't any such phrases handy in my collection.  I would check

the Epigrams of Martial, though, which may very well have one or two phrases

in this format.  I gave my own copy to a dear friend, so I'm no help with

it, but Interlibrary Loan is a good resource.

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: wec1 at airmail.net

CC: Mark Harris

Date: Wed, 16 Jul 1997 17:12:23 -0500

Subject: Re: Latin translation

 

>The orignal problem I had was wanting to translate 'Anything for a true

>friend', but after reconsidering possible translations, I think

>something like '(I will)Sacrifice for the sake of friendship' might be

>more accurate to the motto I wish to use.

>

>I had two replies sent to me from the Latin-list. 'Amico mea impendam

>omnia' and 'Immolatio causa amicitiae'. (I had first suggested something

>like 'facio causa amicitia' but since I was just using a translator

>program I probably came up with something very odd sounding) <grin>

>

>If you can help me, I'd be very grateful.

 

My best shot at a translation is:

 

Periclitar proprium pro amicum fidum.

 

Amicus, of course, is "friend"

Fidus is "faithful, true, loyal, devoted"

Periclitar is a deponent verb, "I will risk"

Proprium is "one's all"

 

Giving the phrase the meaning, ultimately, of "I will risk my all for a

true friend."

 

"Amico mea impendam omnia" turns on the verb impendam, which has the sense

of "pay out, expend, devote, apply" all of which have an underlying sense

of monetary expenditure.  This phrase translates more or less as "For my

friend I will give everything."

 

"Immolatio causa amicitiae" is literally, "I will offer up sacrifice for

the cause of friendship," although "immolatio" is not the correct form.

The verb is immolare (meaning to make a burnt sacrafice), so the future

tense is immolabo, while the future perfect would be immolavero.  The

proper phrasing then should be "Immolabo causa amicitiae."  All the words

in Latin revolving closely around "sacrifice" reflect a culture in which

actual sacrifices by blood or burning are being made to the gods.  The

sense of "I will make sacrifices" or "self-sacrifice" all belong under the

categories of words reflecting risk or inconvenience.

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: "GARY BUCHHOLZ" <gzbuchholz at hotmail.com>

CC: Mark Harris

Date: Wed, 16 Jul 1997 18:11:11 -0500

Subject: Re: Latin translation

 

At 03:54 PM 6/4/97 PDT, you wrote:

>Could you give me some help translating this phrase?:

>      "We each create our own reality".

 

Sorry this took so long for me to get back to you.  First I was working 20

hours of overtime each week, then I tore cartilage in my knee and am

awaiting surgery.

 

My best shot at a translation is:

 

Quisque creat suus veritatem proprium.

 

Literally, "Each creates his own truth."

 

There is not a word meaning "reality" distinct from "truth" -- veritas does

double duty for both concepts in Latin.

 

Two verbs were candidates for this phrase.  Creare, "to create" was the

word chosen to describe the creation of the world in the Vulgate, and so

was the word I selected.  The other choice would be fingere (fingo, -ere,

finxi, fictum) which is the word from which we get our modern term

"fiction". Fingere means literally "to shape with one's hands, to mold,

form, model, sculpt".  In some ways, "Quisque finget suus veritatem

proprium" could be even more appropriate.

 

I suspect that a Latin speaker would get the same meaning from the shorter

phrase, "Creamus veritatem proprium," literally, "We create (our) own truth."

 

Hope this helps!

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: amazing at mail.utexas.edu (Dennis Grace)

CC: markh at risc.sps.mot.com

Date: Mon, 25 Aug 1997 07:55:24 -0500

Subject: Re: A little Latin

 

>I have a Man-at-Arms locally who wants a Latin translation of

>"Get over it."  Actually, of course, he wants an idiomatic meta-translation;

>a literal translation wouldn't make any sense (Illiud Latine dici non potest!).

>So, any ideas?  Do you perhaps know any idiomatic Latin parallels?

 

OK, here's a few that get in the neighborhood...

 

Solum cessators mane manet (Only an idler waits for morning, i.e., get on

with it).

 

Puls gelida non appetitentia (Cold porridge lacks appeal, i.e., don't wait,

get on with it).

 

Cadus et virginitas semel dirupi eramus non possum reparare (Casks and

maidenheads, once broached, cannot be repaired, i.e., don't cry over

spilled milk).

 

Non lacrima ob ovum quassum. (Don't cry over broken eggs.)

===========

I'm sending a copy to Stefan li Rous for his Floregium Latin file.

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: markh at risc.sps.mot.com

Date: Thu, 04 Sep 1997 11:34:26 -0500

Subject: Re: Another Latin translation

 

>I have today been asked to translate the following motto - can you help?

>

>Aude facere

>

>Matthew Coomber

 

Aude is the imperative singular form of the second conjugation verb "audeo"

(audeo, audere, ausus sum), "to dare, ventuire, or risk" from which we get

our modern word, "audacity."

 

Facere is the infinitive form of the fourth conjugation verb "facio"

(facio, facere, feci, factum), "to make, fashion, frame, create, or build."

 

Thus your phrase is a command:  Dare to create!

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 01:58:06 -0500

To: "Mark Harris" <mark_harris at risc.sps.mot.com>, kwarner at meridianmktg.com

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

Subject: Re: Let the seller beware in

 

>     Can you translate the phrase:    

>     "Let the seller beware" (opposite of caveat emptor)

 

Caveat venditor.

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Date: Wed, 08 Oct 1997 16:42:08 -0500

To: Max Rimoldi <arrow at ihug.co.nz>

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

Subject: Latin Mottos

Cc: markh at risc.sps.mot.com

 

>As someone preparing a school project identifying direct borrowings of

>Latin expressions for use in contemporary situations, I thought you

>might be able to direct me to an address of somebody who offers Latin

>mottoes to those who want them for their family, organisation or

>service. I originally came across Mark Harris's compilation containing

>your replies to people wanting translation into Latin of various

>phrases. With this in mind, I felt you might aid me in finding out about

>mottoes used for the more formal aforementioned purposes as opposed to

>the large number of sayings I found on this page.

 

I will upon request (and as I have time to do so) tranlate into or out of

Latin for people who ask.

 

There is an excellent discussion of the entire concept of mottos located

on-line at:

 

http://www.heraldica.org/topics/warcry.htm

 

The most common use of Latin in modern society is in mottos used by

academic institutions and govermental entities, though there are some

businesses that use mottos as well --- actually, most businesses have a

motto ("We bring good things to life", "Good to the last drop", etc.) but

most modern companies have abandoned the use of Latin for them.  Others who

use mottos include fraternities and other clubs and organizations.

 

Websites featuring mottos used in heraldry, as well as academic, government

or business situations include:

 

PERSONAL/HERALDIC

Nemo Me Impune Lacessit - "No one injures (attacks) me with impunity"

Associated with mourning bands and Police Memorial Day, was originally the

motto of the Order of the Thistle

http://www.bossnt.com/~lt2211/latin.html

 

Merito - "By merit"

Clan Dunlop

http://www.almac.co.uk/es/webclans/dtog/dunlop.html

 

Amo - "I love"

Clan Scott

http://www.tartans.com/clans/Scott/scott.html

 

Deus refugium nostrum - "God is our refuge" and also

In ardua tendit - "He takes on difficulties"

Clan MacCallum or Malcolm

http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/m/maccall.html

 

Vincit veritas - "Truth prevails"

Clan Baxter

http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/atoc/baxter.html

 

Ne obliviscaris - "Forget not"

The Campbells of Argyll

http://www.ece.concordia.ca/~ac_march/campbell.html

 

Vivat Rex - "May the King live"

Clan MacCorquodale

http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/m/maccorq.html

 

Per mare per terras - "By lands and by sea"

Clan MacDonald

http://www.tartans.com/clans/MacDonald/donald.html

 

Non inferiora secutus - "Not having followed inferior things"

Clan Buchan

http://www.almac.co.uk/es/webclans/atoc/buchan.html

 

Sto pro veritate - "I stand for truth"

Clan Guthrie

http://www.almac.co.uk/es/webclans/dtog/guthrie.html

 

Nunquam obliviscar - "I will never forget"

Clan MacIver

http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/m/maciver.html

 

Non oblitus - "Not forgotten"

Clan MacTavish

http://www.almac.co.uk/es/webclans/m/mactavi.html

 

Hoc marjorum virtus - "This is the valor of my ancestors"

Clan Logan

http://www.loadnet.co.uk/es/webclans/htol/logan.html

 

Per ardua ad alta - "Through difficulties to the heights"

Clan Hannay

http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/htol/hannay.html

 

Recte faciendo securus - "Safe, by right doing"

Clan Inglis

http://www.almac.co.uk/es/webclans/htol/inglis.html - size 598 bytes -

4-Apr-96 - English

 

Cursum perficio - "I have completed the course"

Clan Hunter

http://www.tartans.com/clans/Hunter/hunter.html

 

Si deus quis contra - "If God is for us, who is against?"

Clan Spens

http://www.almac.co.uk/es/webclans/stoz/spens.html

 

Usque conabor - "I will try all the time"

Clan Nairne

http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/ntor/nairn.html

 

Virescit vulnere virtus - "Courage gains strength from a wound"

Clan Burnett

http://www.beltane.co.uk/es/webclans/atoc/burnett.html

 

Ab obice suavior - "Sweeter for there having been difficulties"

Clan Galbraith

http://www.almac.co.uk/es/webclans/dtog/galbrai.html

 

Dulcis pro patria labor - "Sweet is toil for one's country"

Clan MacKerrell of Hillhouse

http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/m/mackerr.html

 

Consilio non impetu - "By thought not violence"

Clan Agnew

http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/atoc/agnew.html

 

Dum spiro spero - "While I breathe, I hope"

Clan MacLennan

http://www.tartans.com/clans/MacLennan/maclennan.html

 

ACADEMIC

Optima semper - "The best always"

Frankston High School

http://www.fhs.vic.edu.au/optima.htm

 

Ars non ob artem sed ob pecunium - "Art not for the sake of art but for the

sake of money"

The totally imaginary North American School of the Artsy and Somewhat

Musically Inclined

http://www.nashco.com/CLASSICS/SSCollCrest.html

 

Sol iustitiae nos illustra - "Sun of righteousness shine upon us"

Rutger's School of Law - Camden

http://www-camlaw.rutgers.edu/info/seal.html

 

Huius origo fontis - The source of this spring

Department of Classics and Humanities. San Diego State University

http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/dept/clasxhum/logo.html

 

Velut Arbor Aevo - As a Tree With the Passage of Time

University of Toronto

http://utl1.library.utoronto.ca:70/R33120-33658-gopher_root70%3a[_student._e

ssential]_essential.%3b2

 

Terras Irradient - an allusion to Isaiah 6:3: "The whole earth is full of

His glory"

Amherst College

http://www.forerunner.com/forerunner/X0608_Revival__Amherst.html

 

Carpe diem - "Seize the day"

Central Elgin Collegiate

http://www.icis.on.ca/home/ceci/about.htm

 

Tentanda via - "The Way Must Be Tried"

York University, Canada

http://www.collegenet.com/ataglanc/on/york/snap-on/gen.html

 

Arbor plena allouattarum - "A tree full of howler monkeys"

University of Ediacara (a virtual university)

http://www.ediacara.org/uesymbols.html

 

Lux et veritas - "Light and truth"

Yale University

http://www.cs.yale.edu/HTML/YALE/Seal.html

 

Scientia, Sollertia, Servitium - "Knowledge, Skills, and Service

Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science

http://www.p-i-m-s.com/objectiv.htm

 

Nil sine magno labore - "Nothing without great effort"

Brooklyn College

http://brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/bclogo.html

 

Labor Omnia Vincit - "Labour Conquers All"

St. Xavier's Institution, Malaysia

http://www.watchman.com/xaverian/song.htm

 

Vincit Omnia Veritas - "Truth Conquers All"

Ardrossan High School, Alberta Canada

http://gate.ei.educ.ab.ca/sch/ajs/facts.html

 

Nil sine labore - "Nothing without hard work"

Victoria Junior College, Singapore

http://www.moe.ac.sg/schools/vjc/logo.html

 

Ut Palma Florebit - "I will prosper by the palm of my hand"

Tang King Po School of Martial Arts

http://www.webdevelop.com/~patricklai/tkp/motto.html

 

Tendemus patrare valde - "Aiming to Achieve"

Consul School

http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/schools/consul/mot.html

 

Gratia Benedictus Nomine - "Blessed in grace and in name"

Saint Benedict's Preparatory School

http://www.intserv.com/~web/benedicts/admissions/seal.html

 

Omnia Omnibus - "To be all things to all"

Salesian College

http://www.salesianchad.vic.edu.au/motto.html

 

Deo Duce - "God our Leader"

LaSalle College

http://www.lasalle.wa.edu.au/motto.html

 

Velut arbor aevo - "As a tree in the passage of time"

University of Toronto

http://www.library.utoronto.ca/www/utmotto_translations.html

 

Integritas - "Integrity"

Nipissing University

http://www.unipissing.ca/calendar/nip0026.htm

 

Scientia terras irradumus - "We irradiate the Earth with knowledge."

Hackensack High School

http://village.ios.com/~rkc1/motto.html

 

Discere servire - "To learn to serve"

Serangoon Junior College

http://www.moe.ac.sg/schools/srjc/motto.htm

 

"A voice crying out in the wilderness."

Dartmouth

 

GOVERNMENT

Sic Semper Tyrannis - "Thus Ever to Tyrants"

State of Virginia

http://www.scvol.com/States/virginia.htm

 

Ut Sol lucebis Americae - "As the sun thou shalt enlighten America"

Maryland State Archives Trust Fund

http://www.mdarchives.state.md.us/msa/stagser/s1259/121/7273/html/0000.html

 

Crescite et Multiplicamini - "Increase and Multiply."

Laws of Maryland

http://www.mdarchives.state.md.us/msa/mm95_96/legbran/html/sparrow.html

 

Con Esta Vencemos (Spanish) or Cum hic vincemus (Latin) -  "With This We

Conquer"

Bernalillo County, New Mexico

http://www.bernco.gov/logo.html

 

Virute et Armis - "By valor and arms."

State of Mississippi

http://www.wre.liverpool.k12.ny.us/htmlpages/wetzel_elem/fifwilts.html

 

Audemus Jura Nostra Defendere - "We Dare Defend Our Rights."

State of Alabama

http://alaweb.asc.edu/general/st_motto.html

 

Oro y Plata (Spanish) or Aurum et argentum (Latin) - "Gold and silver"

State of Montana

http://woodrow.mpls.frb.fed.us/pubs/fedgaz/mt9610.html

 

Excelsior - "To strive higher"

State of New York

http://unix2.nysed.gov/emblems/motto.htm

 

Urbs in Horto - "City in a Garden"

City of Chicago

http://cpl.lib.uic.edu/004chicago/chimotto.html

 

Esto Perpetua - "It is perpetual"

State of Idaho

http://www.cs.uidaho.edu/~beers/Idaho/esto_perpetua.html

 

ORGANIZATIONS

Lex praesidium libertatis - "Law is the safeguard of freedom"

Fraternal Order of Police

http://www.fop.net/fop_seal.html

 

Honor Super Omnia - "Honor above all"

Kappa Delta Rho National Fraternity

http://www.ee.udel.edu/~whitcoe/kdr/purpose.html

 

Arte et Labore - "Skill and work"

FA CARling Premiereship Soccer Club

http://www.fa-carling.com/news9798/brfc/br11089701.html

 

Citius, Altius, Fortius - "Faster, Higher, Braver", often mistranslated as

"Swifter, Higher, Stronger"

The Olympic Games

http://www.forum.pt/atlanta/ol_sime.htm

 

Quando in dubium omitte - "When in doubt, leave it out"

Personal motto, Christopher W. Page

http://www.logrus.com/~cwp/iniel/cyc.html

 

Quod Sereris Metes - "As you sow, so shall you reap"

CyberPsych

http://www.cyberpsych.org/motto.htm

 

Inopia infulae rufae - Lack of red tape

Official Orthodox Antonism

http://www.pitzer.edu/~ahill/default.html

 

Audere Est Facere - "To Dare Is To Do"

Team 2

http://ait.halifax.iti.ca/~emcneil/web1.htm

 

Furor poeticus - "Poetic frenzy"

Aut Caesar aut nihil - "Either a Caesar or nothing"

Credo quia absurdem est -"I believe it because it is absurd"

Mottos from the Xmos Poem of the Day webpage

http://wombat.eden.com/users/POTD/poems/original.html

 

Pro Patria - For Country"

Royal Canadian Regiment

http://www.brunswickmicro.nb.ca/~infsch/rcreng.htm

 

Tandem triumphens (Latin) or Slutligen triumferande (Swedish)  - Triumphing

at last

Ordet Tandem

http://www.tandem.se/kul06.html

 

Nunquam reliquiae redire: carpe omniem impremis. - "Never go back for

seconds...take it all the first time"

Personal motto, Lawrence Kwon

http://www.aswas.com/mates/lkwon.html

 

Semper Fidelis - "Always faithful"

The United States Marine Corps

http://cpcug.org/user/gyrene/stuf-mc.html

 

Veritas et libertas - "Truth and liberty"

The Green Berets

http://www.goarmy.com/sord/insignia.htm

 

De Oppresso Liber - "To Free the Oppressed."

Special Forces Crest Motto

http://www.goarmy.com/sord/insignia.htm

 

Scientae cedit mare - "To give knowledge of the sea"

The United States Coast Guard Academy

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/cga62/

 

Termini Non Existent - "There are no bounds"

United States Air Force 60th Air Mobility Wing

http://www.travis.af.mil/60amw/emblem.html

 

This should serve to get you started.  Other excellent places to check

would be heraldry-related pages on the web, or genealogy-related pages.

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Date: Mon, 20 Oct 1997 00:50:13 -0500

To: Adrian Haynes <AdrianH at mccsf.attmail.com>

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

Subject: Re: Latin Epigram

Cc: markh at risc.sps.mot.com

 

>I came across your address while trying to find a latin epigram.

>I only remember the English version, which reads:

>Fate leads the willing, the unwilling it drags.

>I cannot recall the attribution; perhaps you might know that too.

 

Although I can't say for certain, the phrase has the flavor of Martial.

You might check a collection of Martial's Epigrams to find out for certain.

 

Though I am uncertain what the original Latin would be, it could be

translated thusly:

 

Parcae libentes ducunt, invitos trahunt

 

"Fate" is always plural, the goddesses of fate, known as the Parcae.  

 

"To lead" is the third conjugation verb, duco, ducere, duxi ductum

 

"Willing" is a thrid declension one termination I-stem adjective -- libens,

libentis. To form the substantive or noun form of an adjective, the

masculine plural is used.

 

"Unwilling" is likewise an adjective of the second declension, invitus, -a,

-um.

 

traho, trahere, traxi, tractum

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

From: tadhg at bigfoot.com (Tim of Angle)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: latin translation

Date: Sun, 09 Nov 1997 16:17:09 GMT

Organization: EDS

 

Scripsit tiernand at aol.com (TiernanD) :

> I was hoping to get a translation into latin for, "To the Battle"

> and "We go to fight the battle" or  something realy close.  If any one here

>  could help I'd be greatful.

 

Ad proelium.

================================================================================

Fra Tadhg Liath OFT                                            tadhg at bigfoot.com

The Grumpiest Pelican

 

 

Date: Fri, 28 Nov 1997 02:47:08 -0600

To: RoyWL at aol.com

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

Subject: Re: A Latin Question

 

>Yes, They Actually Pay Us To Do This

 

Ita, pecuniam nobis re vera solunt hoc agere.

"Yes, they actually pay us money to do this."

 

The verbs for "pay" have multiple meanings in all cases, unless one is

specifically discussing military pay.  Therefore I have stipulated that the

direct object of the verb is "money," which clarifies the exact meaning for

the verb solvere.  Classical Latin word order places the verb at the end of

the sentence or phrase.  The adverb is placed by the verb it modifies.

 

GLOSSARY

Ita = adv.  "thus, so, in this manner, yes, true, exactly, really, truly"

pecunia, pecuniae = 1st decl. noun, pecuniam = accusative case, direct

object "money"

nos = pron., "we, us"  nobis = dative case, indirect object "us"

re vera = adv. phrase "actually"

solvo, solvere, solvi, solutum = 3nd conj. verb; solunt = 3rd person plural

present tense "to loosen, untie, free, dissolve, break up, detach, absolve,

pay, pay off"

ago, agere, egi, actum = 3rd conj. verb;  agere = infinitive form "to

drive, lead, conduct, chase, do, act, perform, manage, administer,

excercise, practice, perform, deliver"

hic, haec, hoc = demonstrative pronoun; hoc = masculine & neuter accusative

"this"

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Latin Motto Archives

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Date: Mon, 01 Dec 1997 18:38:42 -0600

To: mik at cit.qc.ca

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

Subject: Re: Motto

 

>"The centre is strong"  or "In my center I am strong"

 

You might try something along the lines of:

 

In medio robur.

(robur = physical strength, toughness, power vigor, hard wood, weapons of

hard wood such as a lance or a club, the best part, the elite)

 

or

 

In medio vires.

(vis, vires = power, strength, force, energy, hostile force, violence, attack)

 

>Also if you have some examples (with translation) of mottos that would

>fit a late 13th century crusader knight...

 

I've placed quite a few Latin mottos with translations in the Rialto

Archive (now known as the Florilegium Archives) at

http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/rialto/mottoes-msg.html

 

If it's not there, I don't have it.

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for the Florilegium files

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Re: [Fwd: Re: Motto]

Date: Thu, 04 Dec 97 06:22:04 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: mik at cit.qc.ca

CC: "Mark.S Harris" <rsve60 at msgphx1>

 

To translate the phrase:

> >"The centre is strong"  or "In my center I am strong"

 

I had suggested either:

> In medio robur.

> In medio vires.

 

You asked:

>What about "In mides fortis",  would it have some similar meaning?

 

No. It would mean:

 

"Inside (of) brave Midas," as in King Midas and the Golden Touch.

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium files.

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Re: Latin Quandary

Date: Wed, 17 Dec 97 21:06:02 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: "Mark.S Harris" <rsve60 at msgphx1>

 

Drea di' Pellegrini wrote:

>I am creating a bayeux-tapestry  type panel commemmorating how our barony

>(The Flaming Gryphon) won their purple fret.  I've pretty much finished

>it, but just now realized that I have not a clue how one would say "Here

>The barony of Flaming Gryphon treats with Atlantia and wins a purple fret"

>in latin.  Baronies, Gryphons and Frets just don't exist in the latin

>dictionaries I've checked.

>Could you help me--or do you know anyone who could?  Any help would be

>really greatly appreciated, as it's due to be presented soon.

 

-----------------------

Hic populus urbs baronis Grypis Flammandi foedus cum Atlantia icerunt et

Cancellos Purpureos adipiscerunt.

-----------------------

"Here the people of the baron's city of the Flaming Griffon have treated

with Atlantia and have won the Purple Fret."

-----------------------

Vocabulary

-----------------------

cancelli, cancellorum (2nd declension masculine noun, always pl.) "lattice,

fretwork, grating, barrier"

 

baron, baronis (3rd declension masculine noun) "baron"

 

populus, populi (2nd declension masculine noun) "people, nation"

 

urbs, urbis (3rd declension masculine noun) "city"

 

gryps, grypis (3rd declension masculine noun) "griffon"

 

flammo, flammare, flammavi, flammatum (1st conjugation verb) "to flame"

flammandi (1st conjugation genitive gerund) "flaming (possessive)"

 

foedus icere (colloquial phrase) "to make a treaty, to treat"

foedus icerunt (plural perfect) "they have made a treaty, they have treated"

 

adipiscor, adipisci, adipesceptus sum (4th conjugation verb) "reach, get

win, obtain"

adipiscerunt (4th conjugation plural perfect) "they have won"

 

purpureus, -a, -um (adj) "purple"

 

cc:Stefan li Rous for the Florilegium files

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Re: help with latin?

Date: Wed, 24 Dec 97 15:35:42 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: Crystal_Glynn at mnd.uscourts.gov

CC: "Mark.S Harris" <rsve60 at msgphx1>

 

At 08:15 AM 10/10/97 -0400, you wrote:

>     It was suggested that you may be able to translate a motto into latin?

>

>     "When forced to choose -follow truth" or

>     "When one must choose - follow truth" or

>     "When a decision must be made - follow truth"

>     "When fate requires a choice - follow truth"

 

The phrase "When one must choose, one must follow truth" would translate as:

 

       Quando debent optare, veritas debent sequi.

 

This is extremely inbelegant and unbalanced as a phrase.  A much better

expression would be:

 

       Quando debent optare, vertitas opta.

 

This translates as, "When one must choose, choose truth."  There is balance

in the recurring use of the verb optare.  The second part of the sentence,

"veritas opta" is the imperative case (i.e., a command).

 

VOCABULARY

-----------------------

quando (adv and conj) "when"

 

debeo, debere, debui, debitum (2nd conjugation verb) with infinitive, "to

have to, to be bound to, to be obliged to, to be destined to, to be fated to"

 

opto, optare, optavi, optum (1st conjugation verb) "to choose, to select,

to wish for, to desire"

 

sequor, sequi, secutus sum (3rd conjugation deponent verb) "to follow, to

escort, to accompany, to chase, to pursue"

 

veritas, veritatis (3rd declension noun) "truth"

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for the Florilegium files

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Translations from the Latin Vulgate Bible

Date: Mon, 29 Dec 97 12:42:15 MST

From: clward at mmm.com

To: "bruin(a)transport.com" <bruin at transport.com>

CC: "Mark.S Harris" <rsve60 at msgphx1>

 

>    At the end of, or beginning of, a transmission, in my inexperience can't

> make a determination, was a quotation attributed to Pontius Pilatus "Quid

> est Veritas?"  Using my B&N, funky, cheap and totally inadequate Latin

> dictionary, but I am sure the only one in town, translate this to mean -

> "What is truth?"

>

>     However, does the same person have a source that would disclose the one

> attributred to him, 'Pontious', of, " I wash my hands of the whole thing."

> (or words to that effect!) in both Latin and also an accurate English

> translation.

> ... snipped ...

> For the Duchy of Strelsau:   Robert A. Brunner (Bruin)   e-mail =

> bruin at transport.com  FAX:1-541-763-2204

 

Greetings from Gunnora Hallakarva -- here I am writing from work, all

correspondence should, however, be addressed to:

gunnora at bga.com

 

I received the missive above from Stefan li Rous, and I'll address the question

in my comments below.

 

The Bible most often used in the Middle Ages is termed the Vulgate Bible, and

is written in a somewhat debased form of Latin which we call Church Latin.  The

Vulgate was compiled by Jerome (c. 347-420), who began his work in 382. In 386

he moved to Bethlehem and worked on the Old Testament. He began on using the

Greek LXX, but quickly decided to work directly from the Hebrew. In 405 the Old

Testament, as well as the rest of the New Testament was completed. Due to older

Latin texts in circulation, Jerome's work was not widely popular until the

ninth century. The influence of Jerome's Bible was quite extensive. For

instance, the first knowledge of the Bible in the British Isles was from the

Vulgate.

 

The complete Latin text of the Vulgate may be found on-line at:

http://kuhttp.cc.ukans.edu/carrie/stacks/vulgate_main.html

 

In Matthew 27:24, Pilate is shown washing his hands of the responsibility for

the condemnation of Jesus -- this is the only place this is described.  (Videns

autem Pilatus quia nihil proficeret sed magis tumultus fieret accepta aqua

lavit manus coram populo dicens innocens "Ego sum a sanguine iusti huius vos

videritis." --- When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather

a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude,

saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just person.")

 

Similarly, in John 18:38 the famous line, "Quid est Veritas?" is uttered, and

only in that verse is it found. (Dicit ei Pilatus, "Quid est veritas?" et cum

hoc dixisset iterum exivit ad Iudaeos et dicit eis, "Ego nullam invenio in eo

causam." --- Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he

went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find in him no fault at all.")

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium files

 

 

Subject: Latin Translation

Date: Tue, 27 Jan 98 21:12:19 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

CC: "Mark.S Harris" <rsve60 at msgphx1>

 

Alastair asked:

> If there is anyone who reads this that is fluent in ancient latin could

> you please translate the phrase below for me?  Appropriate style

> variations ok too.

>

> "keep your eye on what is really important"

 

"To keep an eye on" is a colloquial English phrase.  I'd be interested if

someone with access to an OED could tell us how far back the phrase goes.

 

The sense of the phrase is to watch, observe, be vigilant, etc.

 

so...

 

observo, observare (1st conj. verb) - to watch, watch out for, keep careful

note of, to guard, to pay attention to

specto, spectare (1st conj. verb) - to observe, watch, consider, bear in

mind, aim at, tend towards

exspecto, exspectare (1st conj. verb) - to watch out for

custodio, custodire (4th conj. verb) - to guard, watch over, protect, defend

vigilo, vigilare (1st conj. verb) - to keep watch, keep alert, stay awake

through the night

 

Given these verbs, I'd select spectare or maybe observare as having the

closest nuance to what the phrase intends.

 

gravitas, gravitatis (3rd decl. noun) - weight, seriousness, importantance,

dignity, pregnancy

magnus, -a, -um - large, great, important, momentous, significant,

impressive

 

The Romans placed a special importance on the word gravitas - it conveyed a

special quality of character that every nobleman should possess, a sense of

dignity, of what was right and important in the world.

 

ille, illa, illud (demonstrative pronoun) - that

qui, quae, quod (relative pronoun) - which

 

Thus the final phrase would be:

       Illum qui est gravitatis magni specte.

 

This would be something along the lines of:

       "Consider that which is of great importance."

       "Aim at that which is of great importance."

       "Bear in mind that which is of great importance"

 

If you choose observare instead, then the phrase is:

       Illum qui est gravitatis magni observe

 

This would have the meaning of:

       "Pay careful attention to that which is of great importance."

 

That should get you started.

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for the Florilegium files

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Re: ANST - Latin Translation

Date: Tue, 27 Jan 98 21:52:00 MST

From: Jodi McMaster <jmcmaste at accd.edu>

To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

 

Gunnora Hallakarva wrote:

 

> "To keep an eye on" is a colloquial English phrase.  I'd be interested if

> someone with access to an OED could tell us how far back the phrase goes.

 

Your wish is my command, good lady.  OED, under meaning 6 of "eye" has

1818 as the year of the earliest use of the exact phrase "keep an eye

on."   The earliest related phrase is from 1430: "Segryne had euer on

him his eye."  The other period quotes:

 

       c. 1460: "Looke ye bere good y{3}es vppon o{th}ur connynge kervers."

 

       c. 1475: "I mon...eirnestly efter him haue myne eay,"

 

       c. 1586: "Maurice Fitzgerald...gaue good eie and watched the matter

verie narrowlie."

 

Shakespeare and Milton both use the "have an eye on x" construction.

 

AElfwyn aet Gyrwum

 

 

Subject: Re: ANST - help with motto

Date: Wed, 04 Feb 98 15:57:25 MST

From: clward at mmm.com

To: "drwise(a)swbell.net" <drwise at swbell.net>,

    "Ansteorra(a)Ansteorra.org" <Ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG>

CC: "Mark.S Harris" <rsve60 at msgphx1>

 

Sir Alexis LaBouche asked:

>I would appreciate any help could get with translating the motto

>'Ensuring Justice' into latin.  Thanks in advance.

 

I'm not finding a Latin translation for "ensuring" -- not that there isn't one,

just that my Latin dictionary lacks one.  Instead, I used a similar term.

 

asseverero, asseverare (1st conj. verb) "assert strongly, vouch for, affirm,

insist upon"

asseverum (acc. gerund of asseverare)

 

justitia, justitiae (1st decl. noun) "justice, fairness"

 

Thus my suggested motto would be:

 

Asseverum justiciam, "Insisting on Justice"

 

(Alexis, if you have access to a large, unabridged Latin dictionary and can

find a term for "ensure" send it to me and I'll try again.  Note that after you

find the word in the "English to Latin" section you *always* have to go to the

"Latin to English" and double-check the word.  Nuance comes into play here

strongly!!)

 

::GUNNORA::

 

Writing from work.  All replies to gunnora at bga.com

 

cc: Stefan le Rous for his Florilegium files

 

 

Subject: Dirty Latin and Latin Phrases

Date: Thu, 12 Feb 98 18:37:21 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: tigerfan at dixie-net.com

CC: "Mark.S Harris" <rsve60 at msgphx1>, ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

 

At 05:25 PM 2/12/98 -0600, you wrote:

>Saw your offer to help translate on Mark Harris' site on the net.  Could

>you translate my proposed law office motto -- "Screw 'em if they can't

>take a joke" - into Latin.  It's been over 35 years since I had Latin in

>high school and my legal dictionaries aren't much help.

>Thank you for your assistance.

 

Ah, this request takes me back to my early school days learning Latin,

peeking in the big Latin dictionary looking for dirty words.

 

Did you know...

 

Our modern term "fornicate" derives from Latin fornix "arch, column,

colonnade" -- a term which also came to mean "brothel" since low-class

whores would sell their wares under the arches in the Colisseum and other

public buildings.

 

The formal Latin term for "intercourse" is "congressus." (Which I would

guess a lawyer would appreciate, especially given current events in

Washington!)

 

Other words dealing with sexual intercourse include:

 

imbuo, -ere (3rd conj. verb) "to wet, soak, stain, fill, impregnate"

fecundo, -are (1st conj. verb) "to fertilize, to impregnate"

 

The sense of the word for intercourse in the famous phrase "Screw 'em if

they can't take a joke" is one of forced or non-consensual sex, sex used as

a penalty or punishment. There are a couple of ways to translate this

concept, but principally the word used is:

 

stupro, -are (1st conj. verb) "to ravish, rape"  The singular imperative

would be "stupra."

 

Other vocabulary for this phrase includes:

 

eos (accusative plural masculine demonstrative pronoun from is, ea, id)

"them"

si (conjunction) if

nesciunt (present tense 3rd person plural of nescio, -ire, a 4th conj.

verb) "not know how to, not be able to"

accipio, -ere (3rd i-stem conj. verb) "to take, receive, admit, welcome,

entertain, hear, understand, approve of, assent to"

jocum (accusative sing. of jocus, joci, a 2nd declension noun) "joke"

 

Thus the phrase would be:

 

Eos stupra si jocum nesciunt accipere.

 

Hope this helps.

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium files.

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Re: Latin Translation

Date: Wed, 08 Apr 98 12:12:23 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: Cole Zimmermann <zcole at mindspring.com>

 

At 10:44 PM 4/1/98 -0500, you wrote:

>I wonder if you could possibly help me with a translation? If so please

>respond via e-mail to me.

>"My soul sails the endless night, with the stars not as guides, but crew"

 

The Latin phrase would be:

 

Anima mea infinitam noctem navigat, cum sideribus non ductoris, sed nautae

sunt.

 

Translating back literally:

 

"My soul sails the infinite night, with the stars not being guides, but

crew."

 

Depending on exact nuance, some of the words could be changed.  I have

provided a glossary of terms below, with alternate word choices where such

exist.

 

GLOSSARY

cum (preposition with ablative) "with"

non (adverb) "not"

sed (conjunction) "but"

 

sum, esse, fui, futurus (irregular verb) "to be"

sunt (3rd person plural) "they are, they are being"

 

meus, mea, meum (1st person possessive pronoun) "my"

 

anima, animae (fem. 1st declension noun) "air, wind, breath, breath of

life, soul, principle of life"

anima (nominative singular) "soul"

 

animus, animi (mas. 2nd declension noun) "spirit, ghost, principle of

thought or intellect"

animus (nominative singular) "mind"

 

navigo, navigare (1st conjugation verb) "to sail across, to navigate, to

put to sea"

navigat (3rd person singular present tense) "it sails"

navigabit (3rd person singular future tense) "it will sail"

navigavit (3rd person singular perfect tense) "it has sailed"

 

infinitus, infinita, infinitum (adjective) "unlimited, boundless, endless,

infinite, countless"

infinitam (singular accusative) "endless"

 

nox, noctis (fem. 3rd declension noun) "night, sleep, death, darkness"

noctem (singular accusative of place) "night"

 

stella, stellae (fem. 1st declension noun) "star, constellation"

stellis (ablative plural) "stars"

 

sidus, sideris (neut. 3rd declension noun) "constellation, star, heavenly

body, sky, heaven, light, glory, beauty, pride, season, climate, weather,

destiny"

sideribus (ablative plural) "heavenly bodies"

 

astrum, astri (neut. 2nd declension noun) "star, constellation"; pl."stars,

sky, heaven, immortality"

astris (ablative plural) "stars"

 

dux, ducis (masc. or fem. 3rd declension noun) "leader, warleader,

conductor, guide"

ducis (plural nominative) "guides"

 

ductor, ductoris (masc. 3rd declension noun) "leader, commander, guide,

pilot, navigator"

ductoris (plural nominative) "guides"

 

remex, remiges (masc. 3rd I-stem declension noun) "rower, oarsman,

crewmember"

 

nauta, nautae [or navita, navitae] (masc. 1st declension noun) "sailor,

seaman, mariner"

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for the Florilegium Files

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

From: Obsidian <"obsidian" at raex.com>

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Latin help, please

Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 13:41:26 -0400

Organization: The Obsidian Group

 

Gyelle wrote:

> My motto is "Blessed is she who seeks the pearls among the shit". For my

> standard I though I would shorten it to "seek the pearls".  First off, would

> this kind of shortening be appropriate, especially for use on a standard.

> Secondly, Could some kind gentle translate it into Latin for me?

>

> Gyelle

 

Yes, abbreviating mottoes, especially in order to fit them onto limited

spaces, is not at all unheard of. As long as you capture the essence of

the phrase, anyone will be able to recognize it. And, after all, a motto

is a purely personal thing; there are no rules that suggest that you

cannot modify it or adapt it to whatever you like.

       The abbreviation of your phrase would be: "Pete Perulae". Both E's in

Pete are short vowels.

       Just for reference sake, the full phrase would run something like: "Sit

qui perulae inter faeces petit benedicta." The word order can be changed

without damaging the meaning much, but the above is the closest

rendering I can come up with at the moment.

 

Nigel FitzMaurice, Forester

 

 

From: Obsidian <"obsidian" at raex.com>

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: translate English to Latin

Date: Thu, 30 Apr 1998 18:51:07 -0400

Organization: The Obsidian Group

 

eburhard at hotmail.com wrote:

> THE OLDER I GET, THE BETTER I WAS.

>

> I would like help translating this into Latin.

 

The phrase you want is...

 

FACTUS SUM SENIOR, FUERAM MELIOR.

 

This is a somewhat poetic rendering; a more literal translation would

be: Senior factus sum, fueram melior. The meaning remains the same in

either case.

 

Nigel FitzMaurice, forester

 

 

Subject: Latin Translations

Date: Tue, 26 May 98 13:52:37 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG, ches at io.com

 

>I apologize to those of you who receive this twice.

>I need a translation for a motto in Latin for a knighting scroll:

>"they came like the tide"

>"they" refers to the knight's circle.

>Ches

>AKA Chiara Francesca....

 

Although there are a couple of other Ansteorrans who read and/or write in

Latin, so far as I know right now I'm the one who does the most Latin

translation work.

 

Before asking anyone for a translation, it's a good idea to check Stefan li

Rous's Florilegium files for Latin phrases and mottos

(http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/rialto/mottoes-msg.html) -- he has quite a

collection of period mottos, modern mottos used by universities and other

institutions, plus stuff that I and others have translated.  If you come

across more examples, send 'em to Stefan as I'm sure he'd like to have them

to include in his files.

 

THEY [THE ORDER OF KNIGHTS] CAME LIKE A TIDE

 

Oh, my.  Given all the modern colloquial meanings of "they came" this could

be a *very* interesting translation!  ;-)  Kind of puts one in mind of a

group of adolescent boys in a circle...

 

OK, leaving the assorted rude interpretations, I assume you are indicating

that these knights arrived with overwhelming force, unstoppable like the

tide.

 

Your phrase would be:

 

[Comitatus] similes aestui pervenerunt.

 

Or the ruder version: [Comitatus] similes aestui emiserunt.

 

GLOSSARY

comitatus, comitatus (4th declension masculine noun) "warrior band, order

of knights, escort, retinue, court, company"

 

Eques, Equitis (3rd declension i-stem masculine noun) "knight, middle

class, bourgeoise"

 

eques, equitis (3rd declension i-stem masculine noun) "horseman,

cavalryman, trooper, rider"

 

equestris dignitas (phrase) "knighthood, the rank of knighthood"

 

equester, equestris, equestre  (adj) "knightly, cavalry, equestrian, middle

class, bourgeois"

 

equis virisque (phrase) "with might and main"

 

venio, venire, veni, ventum (fourth conjugation verb) "to come."  3rd

person plural, perfect tense: venerunt "they came"

 

pervenio, pervenire, perveni, perventum (fourth conjugation verb) "to come

to, reach, come up, arrive" 3rd person plural, perfect tense: pervenerunt

"they came, they arrived"

 

emitto, emittere, emisi, emissum (third conjugation verb) "to come,

ejaculate, discharge, shoot, hurl, send out, let escape" 3rd person plural,

perfect tense: emiserunt "they came, they ejaculated"

 

similis, simile + dative (3rd declension 2-termination i-stem adj) "like,

similar to, resembling"

 

instar + genitive (indecl. preposition) "like, equal to, as large as, as

good as"

 

tamquam (conjugation) "like, as, just as, as much as"

 

velut (conjugation) "like, as, just as, even as"

 

aestus, aestus (fourth declension masculine noun) "the tide, surge,

billows, heat, agitation, sultriness, raging, seething, passion"

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium files

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Re: Translation help?

Date: Mon, 25 May 98 01:01:54 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: hinsml at uleth.ca

CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

 

>Wow, thanks!  You can't believe how much I appreciate this...  The

>phrases which I would like translated are as follows:

>       "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

>       "Always thinking."

>       "Who wants some?"

 

PHRASE #! "IT SEEMED TO BE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME"

GLOSSARY

is, ea, id (demonstrative pronoun) "it, that, the"

 

videri (2nd conjugation intransitive verb) "to seem, appear, seem right,

seem good" Third person imperfect form: videbat

 

sum, esse, fui, futurus "to be".  Infinitive form: esse.

 

bonus, bona, bonum (adj) "good" Nominative singular feminine form: bona.

 

notitia, notitiae (1st declension feminine noun) "acquaintance, fame,

notion, conception, idea".  Nominative singular form: notitia.

 

imago, imaginis (3rd declension feminine noun) "image, likeness, picture,

bust, ghost, echo, vision, appearance, semblance, shadow, image,

conception, thought, idea, figure of speech, simile, metaphor".  Nominative

singular form: imago.

 

tempore/tempori (adverb) "in time, on time, in due time, at the right time"

 

id temporis (phrase) "at the time, at that time"

 

The completed phrase is thus:

 

Videbat esse notitia bona id temporis (It seemed to be a good idea at the

time.)

 

PHRASE #2 "ALWAYS THINKING"

GLOSSARY

semper (adverb) "always, ever, regularly"

 

cogitatio, cogitationis (3rd declension feminine noun) "thinking,

deliberating, reflection, meditation, thought, plan, design, reasoning,

imagination"

 

The phrase, therefore is:

 

Semper cogitatio (Always thinking)

 

PHRASE #3 "WHO WANTS SOME?"

GLOSSARY

 

quis (interrogative pronoun) "who?"

 

volo, velle, volui (2nd conjugation verb) "to wish, want, propose,

determine, hold, maintain, mean, prefer."  3rd person singular present

tense: volet

 

aliqui, aliqua, aliquam (adjective) "some, any"

 

ille, illa, illud (demonstrative pronoun) "this"

 

Your phrase would therefore be:

 

Quis aliqui volet? (Who wants some?)

 

or

 

Quis aliqui illius volet? (Who wants some of this?)

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium file on Latin mottos and

translations.

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Re: Latin Translation

Date: Sun, 24 May 98 17:31:48 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: Henri Gauci <4hg at qlink.queensu.ca>

CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

 

>We were wondering if you could provide us with a Latin translation for

>"never let school get in the way of your education"?

 

GLOSSARY -- words selected for the phrase are marked with a double asterisk

(**), other related vocabulary that was not selected due to nuance is

marked with a single asterisk (*).  Related concepts are grouped together,

with the selected vocabulary word at the top of the group.

 

** numquam (adv) "never"

 

** patior, pati, passus sum (1st conjugation deponent verb) "to experience,

undergo, suffer, put up with, allow, put up with sexually"  Imperative form

(a command, you do ___): patire

* sino, sinere, sivi/sii, situm (3rd conjugation verb) "to allow"

* permitto, permittere, permisi, permisum (3rd conjugation verb) "to let

through, let go through, throw, hurl, give up, surrender, concede,

relinquish, let loose, let go, allow, grant"

 

** schola, scholae (1st declension feminine noun) "learned debate,

disertation, lecture, school, sect, followers" -- implies higher education

-- Accusative (direct object) form: scholam

* ludus, ludi (2nd declension masculine noun) "play, game, sport, pasttime,

diversion, school, child's play, joke, fun, playing around" - usually

implies grade school or young children's education

* in ludum ire "to go to school"

* collegium, collegii (2nd declension neuter noun) "association, official

body, board, college, guild, company, corporation, society"

* academia, academiae (1st declension feminine noun) "academy, school of

philosophy, esp. Plato's Academy"

 

** intervenio, intervenire, interveni, interventum (4th conjugation verb)

"(with dative) to interfere with, interrupt, put a stop to, come in the way

of, oppose, prevent" Infinitive form: intervenire + dative

* interpello, interpellare (1st conjugation verb) "to interrupt, break in

on, disturb, obstruct, hinder, raise as an objection"

 

** tu, tui, tibi, te, te (2nd person singular pronoun) "you, your" Dative

form (to agree with dative case of eruditi) tibi

* vos, vestri, vobis, vos, vobis (2nd person plural pronoun) "you all,

your all's"

 

** eruditio, eruditionis (3rd declension i-stem feminine noun)

"instructing, instruction, education" Dative form (to go with intervenire):

eruditi

* educatio, educationis (3rd declension i-stem feminine noun) "rearing,

education"

 

The phrase you are looking for, "never let school get in the way of your

education" (actually, "never allow school to interfere with your

education") would therefore be:

 

Numquam scholam patire eruditi tibi intervenire.

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium files of Latin mottos and

translations

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Re: Latin translations

Date: Fri, 05 Jun 98 11:27:05 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: "Gervase Cunard" <gcunard at hotmail.com>

CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

 

>Our school motto is "Endure to the End". We want the latin translation

>on our school crest but are unable to find a reliable translation. Can

>you help?

 

I'm somewhat surprised that your school doesn't have a Latin teacher -

perhaps this is only because I had twelve years of Latin in school...

 

GLOSSARY

tolero, tolerare, toleravi, toleratum (1st conj verb) "to tolerate, bear,

endure, support, maintain, sustain"

toleraverimus (1st conj verb, 2nd person plural, future perfect tense) "We

will endure forever"

tolerate (1st conj verb, plural, imperative tense) "Endure!"

 

duro, durare, duravi, duratum (1st conj verb) "to make hard, harden,

solidify, harden, inure, toughen up, dull, blunt, endure, bear"

duraverimus (1st conj verb, 2nd person plural, future perfect tense) "We

will endure forever"

durate (1st conj verb, plural, imperative tense) "Endure!"

 

ad (preposition requiring an accusative noun object) "to"

 

finis, finis (3rd declension I-stem masculine) "boundary, border, limit,

end, purpose, aim, extreme limit, summit, highest degree, goal"

finem (3rd declension I-stem masculine singular, accusative case) "end"

 

What you want to say can really be said in a single word, since Latin verb

tenses can accurately express more in one word than English can.  In the

Perfect, Past Perfect and Future Perfect tenses, Latin verbs convey a sense

of completeness or eternity about them, something that is perfect and

unchanging.

 

Nuance is important in translation.  Latin has two verbs menaing "endure",

each with slightly different shades of meaning (see Glossary, above) hence

I've given both versions, allowing you to select which nuance suits your

meaning best.

 

The most elegant way to state the phrase "Endure to the End" is:

 

Toleraverimus

 

OR

 

Duraverimus

 

If you want to use a less elegant phrase, the same sense can be conveyed in

the imperative, giving the phrase as a command:

 

Tolerate ad finem "(You) must endure to the end!"

 

OR

 

Durate ad finem  "(You) must endure to the end!"

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium files

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Collecting Mottos

Date: Thu, 18 Jun 98 16:56:53 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

 

Greetings, All

I think it would be interesting to put together a file containing the

mottos of the varios peers and nobles - perhaps on the Ansteorran Heraldry

pages, or in Stefan li Rous's Florilegium files.

 

I don't recall what rank one has to have in order to have a motto, but for

myself and I'm sure others, it would be interesting and very

insight-provoking to know what various Ansteorran worthies have selected as

their mottos.

 

Here are a few that I have:

 

Mistress Gunnora Hallakarva

"Sisu"

(Finnish - not directly translatable to English but meaning, "heart,

courage, indominatable spirit")

 

Sir Hrothgar of Farley

Aptas Impudens

(Latin, "Acceptably rude")

 

Mistress Aeruin ni Aerin

Ire ubi volo, insidere ubi possum, volare ubi debeo.

(Latin - Go where I will, roost where I may, fly when I must)

 

H.L. Damaris of Greenhill

Quam Probis, Quam Fides

(Latin - "Be as good as your sworn word")

 

Duchess Mikaela of Monmouthshire

Usque Comissare

(Latin - "Party on!")

 

Sir Alexis LaBouche

Asseverum Justiciam

(Latin - "Insisting on Justice")

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: ANST - Aethelyan Moondragon's Motto

Date: Thu, 18 Jun 98 23:11:54 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: moondrgn at bga.com, ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

 

Tivar said:

>Mine [Tivar's motto] is

>"Patientia et persistancia

>(Latin, Patience and persistence)

>

>Aethelyan's is

>"Decadence is its own reward"

 

The Latin would be:

Occasus ejus praemium suum est.

 

GLOSSARY

occasus, occasus (4th declension masculine noun) "decadence"

 

sum, esse, fui, futurus (irregular verb) "to be"

 

is, ea, id (*3rd person demonstrative pronoun)

ejus (genitive or possessive case of id) "its"

 

suus, sua, suum (adjective) "one's own"

 

praemium, praemii (2nd declension neuter noun) "prize, reward, recompense,

gift, bribe"

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: ANST - House Starblade Motto

Date: Thu, 18 Jun 98 22:52:41 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

 

>House Starblade's motto is:

>"If you can't heal it, kill it."

 

In Latin that would be:

Si nequis sanare, neca.

 

GLOSSARY

si (conjugation) "if"

 

nequeo, nequire, neqivi, neqitum (4th conjugation verb requiring an

infinitive) "to be unable to"

nequis (2nd person singular present tense) "you can't"

 

sano, sanare, sanavi, sanatum (1st conjugation verb) "to heal, cure,

correct, repair, allay, quiet, relieve"

sanare (infinitive) "to heal"

 

neco, necare, necavi, nectum (1st conjugation verb) "to kill, murder, slay,

destroy"

neca (imperative singular present tense) "[you] kill it!"

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium Files

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Mikaela's Motto

Date: Thu, 18 Jun 98 23:12:07 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG, kimberly at mail.topher.net

CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

 

Thyra said:

>A minor clarification about Mikaela's motto:

>> Duchess Mikaela of Monmouthshire

>> Usque Comissare

>> (Latin - "Party on!")

>

>I did ask Gunnora for a Latin translation of 'party on' so I could

>include it in Mikaela's duchy scroll.  (What can I say?   It

>seemed appropriate, and it's way more subtle in Latin than in

>English. )  However, her chosen motto is 'My friends in June.'

 

OK - in Latin, *that* would be:

 

Amici mei in Junio.

 

GLOSSARY

mei (1st person singular pronoun, genitive case) "my"

 

amicus (2nd declension masculine noun) "friend"

amici (nominative plural) "friends"

 

in (preposition requiring an ablative case noun as its object) "in, on,

upon" etc.

 

Junius (2nd declension masculine noun) "June"

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium files

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Semper in excremento...

Date: Thu, 18 Jun 98 13:54:24 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: Richard Griffith <swmgr at rover.co.uk>

 

You asked me to translate the following phrase:

>"Always in the shit, only the depth varies."

 

To get a usable phrase, you pretty much have to assume the following:

 

[I am] always in the shit, only the depth varies.

 

The Latin would be:

 

Semper in excremento sum, solum profunditas mutat.

 

I have several synonyms for "excremento" listed below, and any of their

ablative case forms can be substituted in this sentence.  Likewise, there

are synonyms below for "solum" "profunditas" and "mutat", which can

likewise be substituted using the appropriate form of the word to match the

usage in the sentence.  If the nuance of one of the synonyms fits your

meaning more closely, make the substitution as needed.

 

GLOSSARY AND LANGUAGE NOTES

semper (adverb) "always, ever"

 

in (preposition requiring an ablative case noun as its object) "in, on,

upon" etc.

 

excrementum, excrementi (2nd declension neuter noun) "excrement, excretion"

excremento (2nd declension neuter noun, ablative singular case)

 

stercus, stercoris (3rd declension neuter consonant stem noun) "dung,

manure"

stercore (3rd declension neuter consonant stem noun, ablative singular case)

 

fimus, fimi (2nd declension masculine noun) "dung, manure, mire"

fimo (2nd declension masculine noun) [Note: don't you wonder what the

makers of the well-known PVC craft clay were thinking when they named their

product?]

 

cloaca, cloacae (1st declension feminine noun) "sewer, alimentary canal"

cloaca (1st declension feminine noun, ablative singular case)

 

Interestingly enough, our modern word "faeces" or "feces" seems to derive

from Latin "faex, faeces" (dregs, sediments, remains, lees) by way of

Medieval French to Middle English, ca. the 14th century.

 

Modern "ordure" devrives (also by way of Medieval French to Middle English)

from Latin "horridus" (bristling, bristly, shaggy, prickly, rude, uncouth,

rough, rugged, wild, disheveled, blunt, unpolished, coarse, frightful,

awful).

 

solum (adverb) "only, merely, barely"

 

modo (adverb) "only, merely, simply, solely"

 

altitudo, altitudinis (3rd declension feminine noun) "height, depth"

altitudo (3rd declension feminine noun, nominative singular case)

 

profunditas, profunditatis (3rd declension feminine noun) "depth, density"

profunditas (3rd declension feminine noun, nominative singular case)

 

muto, mutare (1st declension verb) "move, shift, change, alter, exchange,

intechange, barter, sell, vary, change for the worse, change for the

better" Related term: muto, mutonis (masculine noun) literally "the mover"

or "the changer" but used in Latin to mean "penis."

mutat (1st declension verb, present tense, 3rd person singular) "he/she/it

changes"

 

vario, variare (1st declension verb) "to diversify, vary, change, make

different, varigate, change color, waver"

variat (1st declension verb, present tense, 3rd person singular) "he/she/it

changes"

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium Files

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Re: ANST - Collecting Mottos

Date: Thu, 18 Jun 98 21:27:46 MST

From: "Casey&Coni" <cjw at vvm.com>

To: <ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG>

 

And for posterity's sake, my motto is:

 

"Melio dare quam accipere."

Better to give than to receive.

 

Ritter Dieterich Kempenich von Eltz

 

 

Subject: Re: ANST - Collecting Mottos

Date: Thu, 18 Jun 98 22:22:38 MST

From: "Timothy A. McDaniel" <tmcd at crl.com>

To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

 

On Thu, 18 Jun 1998, Gunnora Hallakarva wrote:

> I think it would be interesting to put together a file containing the

> mottos of the varios peers and nobles

 

Ulf Gunnarsson (John Ruble), Stellar Scroll, jruble at urocor.com,

handles registrations of Achievements of Arms in Ansteorra.  Part of

the registered achievement is a motto.  He has a file of all the

registered achievements.

 

   http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Aegean/2883/heraldry.html

 

should have info.

 

> I don't recall what rank one has to have in order to have a motto,

 

Well, of course, anyone can have a motto.  To *register* it and to get

Star Principal Herald to sign the pretty charter that has it on it,

you have to [rummage rummage rummage] be a peer.  (Nobility isn't

sufficient, but they get other pretties.)

 

Daniel "My object all sublime / I shall achieve in time" de Lincolia

--

Tim McDaniel (home); Reply-To: tmcd at crl.com;

if that fail, tmcd at austin.ibm.com is my work address.

 

 

Subject: Re: ANST - Collecting Mottos

Date: Thu, 18 Jun 98 20:16:28 MST

From: Angela Bellavance <bellavan at rice.edu>

To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

 

It is not an SCA motto, but rather belongs to my mundane family (the

Gagne-Bellavance family).  I hope to one day make it my SCA motto.

Anyway, it's :

 

"De bon vouloir a servir" (French)

or "Of good will to serve"

 

Cheers, Angela

_______

Angela Bellavance

bellavan at rice.edu                       home: (630) 293-7086

 

 

Subject: ANST - Collecting mottos

Date: Fri, 19 Jun 98 05:57:19 MST

From: Athena <mbaxter at flash.net>

To: Ansteorra <ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG>

 

Here's one we've been tossing around as a household:

 

qod insolitus in nobis ethologia vestrun est

What is unusual in us is mimicry of you.

 

Branwen Ýe B¾cestre

Bjornsborg

 

 

Subject: RE: ANST - Collecting Mottos

Date: Fri, 19 Jun 98 05:51:53 MST

From: Kevin Varner <kvarner at planview.com>

To: "'ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG'" <ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG>

 

Lord Duncan MacConacher of Dunheath

       Alea Iacta Est

       (Latin - "The die is cast")

 

 

Subject: Motto for Baron Alexander of the Midrealm

Date: Fri, 19 Jun 98 13:23:54 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: jhartel at net-link.net

CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

 

> Baron Alexander of the Midrealm inquired:

> How might one, if indeed one is able in the first place, say, "One miracle

> at a time" in latin.

 

Your phrase would be:

 

Unum miraculum ad tempus.

 

Of course, the prepositions of time vary in nuance - I've listed several

alternate prepositional phrases below, you may wish to substiture if you

feel one has a meaning that's closer to what you intended.

 

GLOSSARY

unus, una, unum (adjective) "one"

 

miraculum, miraculii (2nd declension neuter noun) "miracle, wonder, marvel"

 

tempus, temporis (3rd declension masculine noun) "time, season, occasion"

ad tempus (prepositional phrase) "at the right time, at the appointed time,

for the time being, for the moment"

in tempore (prepositional phrase) "at the right moment, just in time"

in tempus (prepositional phrase) "temporarily, for a time"

pro tempore (prepositional phrase) "as time permits, according to

circumstances"

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium Files

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Motto for Laird Steafan

Date: Fri, 19 Jun 98 13:08:24 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: Steafanmac at aol.com

CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

 

>*Sibili, si ergo, fortibuses in ero, nobili, demis trux, siwatis

>inem, cowsendux* was the family Latin joke when I was growing up.

 

Best I can tell this must be misremembered - some of these words don't

exist. What was this *supposed* to say?

 

The motto you asked me to translate is:

>"in living my own Dream, I serve the Dream of those around me."

 

Let's reword to "As I live my own Dream, I serve the Dream of those around

me." -- that will keep me from having to commit hari-kari over whether to

use a gerund or a particple (Lord knows I learned *nothing* about grammar

in any English class!  It wasn't until I took Latin that I actually found

out what gerunds and particples were!)

 

Your Latin phrase will be:

 

Dum Somnium mei vivo, Somnium horum circum me servio.

 

GLOSSARY

dum (conjunction) "as, while, during the time in which, as long as"

 

vivo, vivere, vixi, victum  (3rd conjugation verb) "to live, be alive, survive"

vivo (1st person singular present tense) "I live"

 

somnium, somnii (2nd declension neuter noun) "dream, daydream, nightmare"

somnium (accusative singular)

 

servio, servire, servii, servitum (4th conjugation verb) "to serve, be

obedient, work at"

 

hic/haec/hoc (demonstrative pronoun) "this, those"

horum (plural genitive of masculine hic) "of those"

 

circum (preposition requiring accusative)

 

mei (1st person singular genitive case personal pronoun) "my"

me (1st person singular accusative case personal pronoun) "me"

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium files

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: RE: ANST - Collecting Mottos

Date: Fri, 19 Jun 98 05:51:53 MST

From: Kevin Varner <kvarner at planview.com>

To: "'ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG'" <ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG>

 

Lord Duncan MacConacher of Dunheath

       Alea Iacta Est

       (Latin - "The die is cast")

 

 

Subject: Motto for Mistress Mara

Date: Thu, 18 Jun 98 22:37:28 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: Mstrsmara at aol.com, ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

 

Mara asked what the Latin would be for her motto:

>"Don't get caught"

 

What you're expressing here is a passive voice verb: instead of saying

"Don't catch" it's "Don't be caught."  The Latin for that is fairly easy:

 

Non captus est!

 

GLOSSARY

capio, capere, cepi, captum (3rd conjugation verb) "to take hold of, grasp,

seize, catch, capture, captivate, defeat, overcome"

captus est (3rd conjugation verb, passive voice, perfect case 3rd person

singular)

 

non (adverb) not

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Motto for Baroness Caterina

Date: Thu, 18 Jun 98 23:52:13 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: J-LTorrence at worldnet.att.net, ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

 

Baroness Caterina is trying to chose between the following mottos:

>"black of heart, light of spirit"

>"create beauty, yet celebrate darkness"

>"the devil made me do it"

 

The Latin would be:

 

>"black of heart, light of spirit"

Cor Nigrum, Spiritus Levis

 

>"create beauty, yet celebrate darkness"

Pulchritudem Crea, Tamen Tenebras Celebra

 

>"the devil made me do it"

Diabolus Me Facibant Id Agere.

 

GLOSSARY

niger, nigra, nigrum (adjective) "black, of bad character"

 

cor, cordis (3rd declension neuter noun) "heart" [but also "mind,

judgement, the seat of feelings"]

 

levis, leve (adjective) "light, mild, easygoing, fickle"

 

spiritus, spiritus (4th declension maculine noun) "spirit, breath, life,

character, courage"

 

creo, creare, creavi, creatum (1st conjugation verb) "to create, produce,

cause, beget, bear"

crea (present tense singular imperative) "[you] create!"

 

pulchritudo, pulchritudinis (3rd declension feminine noun) "beauty,

excellence, atrractiveness"

pulchritudem (accusative singular case, used as object of verb)

 

tamen (conjugation) "yet"

 

celebro, celebrare, celebravi, celebratum (1st conjugation verb) "to visit

in crowds, publicize, advertise, honor, celebrate, glorify, to cause to

resound"

celebra (present tense singular imperative) "[you] celebrate!"

 

tenebrae, tenebrarum (1st declension plural noun) "darkness, shadows,

night, the underworld, death, obscurity, ignorance"

 

diabolus, diaboli (2nd declension masculine noun) "devil"

 

Satanas, Satan (masculine proper noun) Satan

 

facio, facere, faci, factum (3rd conjugation verb) "to make, to cause, to

bring about"

 

me (1st person accusative case pronoun) "me"

 

ago, agere, egi, actum (3rd conjugation verb) "to do, drive, lead, conduct,

steal, act, perform, accuse, impeach, practice"

 

is, ea, id (3rd person demonstrative pronoun) "he/she/it"

id (accusative singular of id) "it"

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Mottos for 'wolf

Date: Fri, 19 Jun 98 00:37:41 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: jyeates at bga.com, ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

 

'wolf asked:

>what would one of my favorite sig lines be in latin ???

>       "when we hunt, we all function with one mind"

>       "lead, follow, or get out of the way"

 

The Latin would be:

 

>"when we hunt, we all function with one mind"

Quando Venantur Omnes Munus Implerimus Cum Una Menta.

 

>"lead, follow, or get out of the way"

Duc, Sequi, Aut Fuge!

 

GLOSSARY

quando (adverb) "when"

venor, venari, venatus sum (verb) "to hunt" - venantur (2nd person plural

present tense)

omnis, omne (adjective) "all"

munus implere (phrase) "to function"

cum (conjunction requiring ablative) "with"

unus, una, unum (adjective) "one"

mens, mentis (3rd declension feminine noun) "mind, intellect"

duco, ducere, duxi, ductum (3rd conjugation verb) "lead, conduct" - duc

(imperative singular form)

sequor, sequi, secutus sum (verb) "to follow, chase, pursue"

fugio, fugere, fugi, fugitum (3rd conjugation verb) "to flee, escape, run

away from leave"

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Subscriptio-elaborataphobia

Date: Thu, 18 Jun 98 12:42:20 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: Kevin Varner <kvarner at PlanView.com>

CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

 

You asked me to translate the following phrase into Latin:

 

Flamboyant Signature Phobia.

 

GLOSSARY

elaboratus, -a, -um (adj) "elaborate, flamboyant, studied, overdone"

floridus, -a, -um (adj) "florid, flowery, pretty, flamboyant"

 

subscriptio, subscriptionis (feminine noun) "inscription underneath,

signature, legal subscription"

 

-phobia (Greek suffix) "fear of" from Greek "fear, flee" Latin often used

Greek loan-words, and in this context I believe that "phobia" most closely

expresses the meaning desired.

 

"Subscriptio elaborata" would mean "a flamboyant signature", thus the

phobia would be:

 

Subscriptio-elaborataphobia

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Motto Suggested by Kayleigh

Date: Wed, 24 Jun 98 22:27:23 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

 

Baroness Kayleigh Drake suggested:

>Here is a cute one...........we have a new fighter who eventually would like

>to be a Knight.  His motto - "For Gods sakes, hit me in the head!" :-).

 

Dei gratia, me in capite ice!

 

* gratia+genitive "for the sake of"

* Deus, Dei (2nd declension masculine noun) "God" -- Dei (genitive singular)

* ico, icere, ici, ictum (3rd conjugation verb) "to strike, hit" -- ice

(imperative singular) "you hit!"

* ego, mei (personal pronoun) "I" -- me (accusative singular) "me"

* in (preposition requiring ablative) "in"

* caput, caputis (3rd declension neuter noun) "head" -- capite (ablative

singular case)

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Motto for Raven

Date: Wed, 24 Jun 98 22:17:16 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

 

Raven suggested:

>Actually, I kind of liked Catwoman's statement.

>No matter where you go, there you are.

 

"no matter where" is an English colloquial phrase.  The Latin equivalent

would also be a colloquial phrase based on "ubi gentium".  Gentium is

literally "tribe, clan, sept, nation" but is found in this particular

phrase meaning, more or less "where in the world".

 

So the phrase:

 

Ubicumque gentium is, ibi es.

 

Comes out, "Wherever in the world you go, there you are."

 

You could also just say, "Ubicumque is, ibi es," or "Wherever you go, there

you are."

 

GLOSSARY

* ubicumque (adverb) "wherever, wheresoever, anywhere, everywhere"

* ubi-compound + gentium (coloquial phrase) "where ___ in the world"

* eo, ire, ii, itum (irregular verb) "to go" -- is (2nd person singular

present tense) "you go"

* ibi (adverb) "there, in that place"

* sum, esse, fui, suturus (irregular verb) "to be" -- es (2nd person

singular present tense) "you are"

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Motto for Timo

Date: Wed, 24 Jun 98 21:57:36 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

 

Timo asked:

>OK, Mistress Gunnora, while youre at it, heres my motto....

>Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.

 

There are a couple of words meaning "overcome" suggested below, select the

one which has the best nuance for your meaning.  I suggest:

 

Compone! Accomoda! Supera!

 

This phrasing gives the imperative or command forms of the verbs.

 

However, most of the Latin mottos I've seen tend to use the infinitive

forms - rather than "Improvise!  Adapt! Overcome!" as a command it would be

"To Improvise, To Adapt, To Overcome" -- this second form of the phrase

would be:

 

Componere, Accomodare, Superare.

 

GLOSSARY

* compono, componere, composui, compositum (3rd conjugation verb) "to

improvise, construct, compose, build, write, invent, concoct, contrive" --

compone (singular imperative case) "you improvise!"

* accomodo, accomodare, accomodavi, accomodatum (1st conjugation verb) "to

adjust, adapt, apply" -- accomoda  (singular imperative case) "you adapt!"

* supero, superare, superavi, superatum  (1st conjugation verb) "to go

over, rise above, surpass, overcome, vanquish" -- supera  (singular

imperative case) "you overcome!"

* vinco, vincere, vinci, victum (3rd conjugation verb) "to conquer,

vanquish, surpass, excel, prevail, succeed" -- vince (singular imperative

case) "you overcome!"

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: A Royal Motto

Date: Wed, 24 Jun 98 21:47:03 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

 

His Royal Highness Barn asked for the following mottos:

>" Endeavor to persivear"  or if that is not possible "Strive to overcome"

 

"Endeavor" and "strive" are pretty much synonyms.  Depending on nuance,

several of the verbs below will fill the bill for that part of the phrase.

 

Endeavor to persevere

Conare Persevare

 

Strive to overcome

Enitare Superare

 

GLOSSARY

* conator, conari, conatus sum  (1st conjugation deponent verb) "to make an

effort, to endeavor" -- conare (imperative present form) "you endeavor!"

* enitor, eniti, enisus sum  (1st conjugation deponent verb) "to work one's

way up, climb, give birth to, exert oneself, make an effort" (+infinitive)

"to struggle to, to strive to"-- enitare (imperative present form) "you

struggle!"

* persevero, persevare, persevavi, perservatum  (1st conjugation verb) "to

persevere, persist" -- persevare (infinitive form) "to persevere"

* supero, superare, superavi, superatum  (1st conjugation verb) "to go

over, rise above, surpass, overcome, vanquish"

* vinco, vincere, vinci, victum (3rd conjugation verb) "to conquer,

vanquish, surpass, excel, prevail, succeed"

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: More Mottos for Cabana Boys

Date: Wed, 24 Jun 98 23:32:41 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

 

Lord Johann Kiefer Hayden  (Paul E. Kiefer, Jr.) asked

>What's latin for "You are taking life way too damn seriously"

 

Vitam gravite nimis vivis.

 

(Literally, "You live your life with too much seriousness.")

 

GLOSSARY

* gravitas, gravitatis (3rd declension feminine noun) "Roman dignity,

seriousness, importance, harshness, violence, vehemence"

* vivo, vivere, vixi, victum (3rd conjugation verb) "to live"

* vita, vitae (1st declension feminine noun) "life, way of life"

* nimis (adverb) "too much"

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Saepeque Multum Ridere

Date: Wed, 01 Jul 98 09:08:31 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: Jan Norsetter <jannorse at parkprinting.com>

 

>Looking for the latin translation of the following English:

>To laugh often and much

 

One could say:

 

Saepeque Multum Ridere

 

however, since "multum" literally means both "often" and "much" you could

also say simply:

 

Multum Ridere

 

GLOSSARY:

rideo, ridere, risi, risum (2nc conjugation verb) "to laugh"

saepe (adverb) "often"

multum (adverb) "much, greatly, very, often, frequently, far"

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium files

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Omniae illas meritas remuneraties dare

Date: Tue, 07 Jul 98 14:13:38 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: Carolyn Clarke <Carolyn.Clarke at alcs.co.uk>

 

>"To all, their fair rewards" or

>"To all, fair rewards for their contribution/labour"

>

>In partial repayment, perhaps you might want to

>submit my personal motto to Florilegium (this

>was created when I was considerably more fluent

>in [late] Latin than now):

>

>Numquam latrunculorum obliviscere.

 

Never forget small-time bandits?  Is that "Remember the Alamo!"?

 

Meanwhile...

 

The phrase you're looking for, "To all, their fair rewards" implies "[Give]

to all their fair rewards."

 

This could be said either as:

 

Omniae illas meritas remuneraties dare  -- [To give] to all their just

rewards.

 

or

 

Omniae illas meritas remuneraties da  -- [Give] to all their just rewards.

 

GLOSSARY

* do, dare, dedi, datum (1st conjugation verb) "to give, offer, dedicate,

pay money" -- dare (infinitive) "to give" -- da (imperative singular) "you

give!'

* omnia, omniae (1st declension feminine noun) "all" -- omniae (dative

singular of omnia) "to" is generally rendered by the dative, unless motion

is implied, thus "to all"

* ille, illa, illud (demonstrative pronoun) -- illas (accusative pl.)

"their" [modifies "rewards"]

* meritus, merita, meritum (adjective) "deserved, just, right, proper" --

meritas (accusative pl.) "just" [modifies "rewards"]

* remuneratio, remunerationis (3rd declension feminine noun) "reward,

recompense, repayment" -- remuneraties (accusative plural) "rewards"

[direct object]

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium files

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: "Nunquam latrunculorum obliviscere"

Date: Wed, 08 Jul 98 07:36:16 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

 

Here is the correct translation of "Nunquam latrunculorum obliviscere" --

it's "Never forget the pawns."  The term "latrunculus" meant "small-time

hill bandits" in the classical period, but was used to mean "chess-pawn" in

later medieval Latin.

 

>From: Carolyn Clarke <Carolyn.Clarke at alcs.co.uk>

>To: "'gunnora at bga.com'" <gunnora at bga.com>

>Subject: eternal thanks

>Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1998 09:38:33 +0100

>

>Dear Gunnora,

>Impossible to thank you enough!  I am weighing up the subtle but important

differences between the two versions, so as to be able to choose the most

apt. Both shall be treasured.

>

>My own motto "Nunquam latrunculorum obliviscere" takes a very late Latin

word for 'pawn' (as in chess pawn) to mean "never forget the pawns". I am a

mediaevalist by training and I got tired of histories that emphasise the

lords and ladies, princes and prelates, without finding interesting the 90%

of the populations that were the poor peasantry. Thus my motto, and thus my

area of specialisation!

>

>Again, thank you very, very much indeed not only for the mottoes, but for

the explication. I shall contemplate your erudition at length.

>

>Carolyn Clarke

>Data and Distributions Manager

>e-mail: carolyn.clarke at alcs.co.uk

>A.L.C.S

>Marlborough Court, 14-18 Holborn

>London EC1N 2LE

>Direct tel:  (0171) 395-0628   Fax: (0171) 395-0660

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Possible IronRose Mottoes in Latin

Date: Wed, 22 Jul 98 13:30:39 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: ironrose at peak.org

 

Resistere Futilis Est

"Resistance is Futile"

 

Resistere Futilis Fuerit

"Resistance is (and always will be) Futile"

 

Optas Ut Instar Virginis Ices

"You Wish You Hit Like a (young or virginal) Girl!"

 

Optas Ut Instar Puellae Ices

"You Wish You Hit Like a (young) Girl (or girlfirend or sweetheart)!"

 

Optas Ut Instar Femellae Ices

"You Wish You Hit Like a Girl!"

 

Letalior Specierum

"The Deadlier of the Species"

 

Letallima Sexus

"The Deadliest Sex"

 

Femina Indomabilis

"Indominable Woman"

 

Femina Indomita

"Untameable (or Wild) Woman"

 

Femina Indomabilesque Indomita

"Indominable and Untameable Woman"

 

Amazones Infernae

Amazons from Hell

 

Viragones Infernae

Warrior Women from Hell

 

Amazon Indomabilis

"Indominable Amazon"

 

Amazon Indomita

"Untameable (or Wild) Amazon"

 

Amazon Indomabilesque Indomita

"Indominable and Untameable Amazon"

 

Virago Indomabilis

"Indominable Warrior Woman"

 

Virago Indomita

"Untameable (or Wild) Warrior Woman"

 

Virago Indomabilesque Indomita

"Indominable and Untameable Warrior Woman"

 

Virago Principessa

Warrior Princess

 

Virago Regia Femina

Warrior Princess

 

GLOSSARY

* Amazon, Amazonis (3rd declension feminine noun) "Amazon"

* femella, femellae (1st declension feminine noun) "girl" - femellae

(genitive singular)

* femina, feminae (1st declension feminine noun) "woman, female"

* futilis, futile (adj) "futile, brittle, worthless, untrustworthy"

* indomabilis, indomabile (adj) "untameable, indominable"

* indomitus, -a, -um (adj) "untamed, wild, unmanageable"

* infernus, inferna, infernum (adj) "of or from hell, from the underworld"

* instar (indeclinable, takes genitive object) "like, equal to, as large

as, worth, as good as"

* letalis, letale (adj) "lethal, deadly, fatal" - Letalior (masc or

feminine comparative adjective) "more deadly" - Letallima ( feminine

superlative adjective) "most deadly"

* opto, optare, optavi, optatum (1st conjugation verb) "to choose, select,

wish for, opt, desire" - optas (2nd person singular present tense) "you

wish"

* principessa, principessae (1st declension feminine noun) - princess (late

medieval)

* puella, puellae (1st declension feminine noun) "girl, girlfirend,

sweetheart" - puellae (genitive singular)

* regia femina (phrase) "royal woman, princess"

* resisto, resistere, resistiti (3rd conjugation verb) "to resist, remain,

continue, stop"

* sexus, sexus (4th declension masculine noun) "sex"

* species, speciei (5th declension feminine noun) "species, sight, view,

shape, beauty, deceptive appearance, semblance, vision, idea, notion"

* ut, uti (conjugation of result or purpose) "that"

* virago, viraginis (3rd declension feminine noun) "female warrior, woman

hero"

* virgo, virginis (3rd declension feminine noun) "young girl, maiden, young

wife, young woman, virgin" - virginis (genitive singular)

*ico, icere, ici, ictum (3rd conjugation verb) "to hit, aim at, strike,

shoot, throw a weapon" - ices (2nd person singular future tense) "you will

hit", "you could hit"

*sum, esse, fui, futurus est (irregular verb) "to be" - est (3rd person

singular present tense) "he/she/it is" - fuerit (3rd person singular future

perfect) "he/she/it will always be"

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium Files

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Facti fructus, verbi folii modo sunt

Date: Thu, 23 Jul 98 01:33:17 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: simone at hindin.co.nz (Simone Hindin)

 

"Deeds are fruit, words are but leaves".

Facti fructus sunt, verbi folii modo sunt.

 

This can probably also be said as:

Facti fructus, verbi folii modo sunt.

 

In the second instance, since the phrases are parallel the "be" verb is

assumed in the first half of the sentence.

 

As a note, while this seems an appropriate motto for a Pelican, those of us

who are Laurels think that the phrase "but leaves" implies that leaves are

not important or useful things!  We all know that Laurel Leaves serve to

keep our brains shaded so that strange fancies don't work their way into

our psyches.  ;-)

 

GLOSSARY

* facinus, facinoris (3rd declension neuter noun) "deed, action, crime,

villany"

* factus, -a, -um (neuter noun, pp of facio) "deed, action, accomplishment,

exploit"

* facio, facere, feci, factum (4th conjugation verb) "to make, fashion,

create"

* fructus, fructus (4th declension masculine noun) "fruit, produce,

proceeds, profit, payoff, income, reward"

* verbum, verbi (2nd declension neuter noun) "word, saying, expression,

verb, proverb"

* modo (adverb) "only, merely, simply, solely"

* folium, folii (2nd declension neuter noun) "leaf"

* sum, esse fui, futurus (irregular verb) "to be" - sunt (3rd person plural

present tense) "they are"

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium Files

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Quid in Vita Optima Est? (was Re: shirt sayings)

Date: Fri, 24 Jul 98 09:50:31 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: ironrose at peak.org

 

OK, here's another one in Latin.  Grainne may not use it, but I'm sure

*someone* will get at least amusement value from it!

 

It was suggested that we use the following REH/Conan quote as the IR motto:

>what is best in life: To crush your enemies,

>to drive them before you and to

>hear the lamentations of their kin.

 

Quid in vita optima est? Te hostes contundere, prae te eos depellere, et

lamentates te cognatorum audire.

 

GLOSSARY

* audio, audire , audivi, auditum (4th conjugation verb) "to hear"

* cognatus, cognati (2nd declension masculine noun) "sing. - relative, pl.

- kin"

* contundo, contundere, contudi, contusum (3rd conjugation verb) "to crush,

grind, pound, bruise, destroy, break, subdue"

* depello, depellere, depuli, depulsum (3rd conjugation verb) "to drive

off, drive away, drive out, expel"

* ego/nos/tu/vos (personal pronouns) - te (2nd person singular accusative

case) "your"

* hostis, hostis (3rd declension masculine or feminine noun) "enemy"

* in (preposition with ablative) "in, on, upon, among, at, etc."

* is/ea/id (demonstrative pronoun) - eos (masculine accusative) "them"

* lamentatio, lamentationis (3rd conjugation feminine noun) "lamentation" -

lamentates (accusative plural) - lamentations

* optimus. -a, -um (superlative adjective of bonus) "the best, most

excellent"

* prae (preposition with ablative) "before, in front of"

* quid (interrogative pronoun)

* sum, esse, fui, futurus (irregular verb) "to be" - est (3rd person

singular present tense) "he/she/it is"

* vita, vitae (1st declension feminine noun) "life, way of life, course of

life, career"

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium Files

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: "Strages!" clamare et canes Martis elabare.

Date: Thu, 20 Aug 98 06:44:35 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: "Mike and Vicky" <sheet_rock at email.msn.com>

 

>Would you please translate "cry havoc, let slip the dogs of war"

 

Into Latin?  It helps to specify what language when one is asking a

multilingual translator.  The quote is actually "Cry 'Havoc!' and let slip

the dogs of war," from Act iii. Sc. 1. of William Shakespeare's Julius

Caesar.

 

The phrase would be:

 

"Strages!" clamare et canes Martis elabare.

 

GLOSSARY

clamo, clamare, clamavi, clamatum (1st conjugation verb) "to call out, cry

out, yell, shout" -- clama (singular imperative) "you cry!" -- clamare

(infinitive) "to cry"

strages, stragis (3rd declension masculine noun) "havoc, massacre"

elabor, elabi, elapsus sum (1st conjugation passive verb) "to slip, to let

slip" -- elabare (singular imperative, passive voice) "you let slip!"

canis, canis (3rd declension masculine & feminine noun) "dog" -- canes

(accusative plural used as direct object) "dogs"

Mars, Martis (masculine proper noun) the God of War -- Martis (genitive

singular used to indicate possessive)

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium files.

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Opus Candidato Vel Candidatus Operi

Date: Mon, 24 Aug 98 17:42:36 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: sjn3 <sjn3 at snet.net>

 

>Also, how would "A candidate for the job, or a job for the candidate?" be

>translated?

>

>     I have long been looking for a translations engine on the internet,

>similar to [babelfish.altavista.digital.com], for working with Latin and

>Greek roots and have had no luck, so far, in finding anything.  Would you

>also know of any good Latin grammars/dictionaries for doing

>spur-of-the-moment translations?

 

Any translation engine is going to produce astronomically bad translations

as most programs cannot handle slang, nuance, innuendo, metaphors,

similies, etc.

 

Furthermore, in an inflected language (such as any of the Romance languages

including Latin) there are often not word-for-word translations possible.

For instance,  in the sentence fragments you propose above, "for" would not

be rendered as a separate word but rather by the dative case used as the

dative or purpose or the dative of reference.  Consider that "for" can be

used as a conjunction ("for instance"), a preposition denoting extent of

time or space ("for a while"), a price ("two for a dollar"), on behalf of

("for God's sake!"), Constructions such as these completely baffle a

word-for-word translation engine.

 

You are best off obtaining a good collegiate Latin dictionary (such as

Cassell's) and a high-school or college-level introductory Latin textbook.

 

A JOB FOR A CANDIDATE

Opus Candidato

 

A CANDIDATE FOR A JOB

Candidatus Operi

 

A JOB FOR A CANDIDATE OR A CANDIDATE FOR A JOB

Opus Candidato Vel Candidatus Operi

 

GLOSSARY

opus, operis (3rd declension neuter noun) "work, job, task, deed,

structure, work of art" -- opus (nominative singular case) -- operi (dative

singular case)

candidatorius, -a, -um (adjective) "of a candidate, candidate's"

candidatus, candidati (2nd declension masculine noun) "candidate, esp.

candidate for office" -- candidato (singular dative case)

vel (conjugation) "or"

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium Files

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Primus Detrimentum Non Affere

Date: Fri, 02 Oct 1998 23:52:26 -0500

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: Firetamer2 at aol.com

 

> Hi,  I saw your name on a web site of Latin translations and I was wondering

> if you would be able to help find the translation of this phrase "First Do No

> Harm".

 

That would be something like:

 

Primus Detrimentum Non Affere -- "First, To Do No Harm"

 

This is a part of the Hippocratic Oath, and I'm certain that medieval Latin

translations exist in plenty.  I'm not certain of what the wording would be

there, but it would be something close to this.

 

GLOSSARY

----------------

primus, prima, primum (adjective) "first, foremost"

non (adverb) "not, no, by no means"

injuria, injuriae (1st declension feminine noun) "harm, injury, wrong, insult"

detrimentum, -i (2nd neuter noun) "harm, detriment, loss, damage"

affero, affere, attuli, allatum (3rd conjugation verb) "to cause, produce,

occasion, impart"

detrimentum affere + dative (phrase) "to do harm to"

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium Files

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Nihil Interest Ubi Is Quod Ibi Es

Date: Sat, 03 Oct 1998 01:40:17 -0500

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: John Maher <JMaher at eentertainment.com>

 

>How about "No matter where you go, there you are"?

>One of my personal favorites.

>I realize I'm probably pushing it, but your help would be appreciated.

 

This would be "It does not matter where you go, because there you are" in a

grammatically correct sentence.

 

Nihil Interest Ubi Is Quod Ibi Es

 

GLOSSARY

-----------------

nihil (adverb) "not, not at all, in no respect"

intersum, interesse, interfui, interfuturus (irregular verb) + genitive "to

make a difference, to matter, to be of importance, to concern"

nihil interest (phrase) "it does not matter"

ubi (adverb) "where"

ibi (adverb) "there, in that place, therein"

eo, ire, ivi, itum (irregular verb) "to go" -- is (2nd person singular)

"you go" -- itis (2nd person plural "you all go"

sum, esse, fui, futurus (ireegular verb) "to be" -- es (2nd person

singular) "you are" -- estis (2nd person plural "you all are"

quod (conjugation) "because, insofar as, as far as"

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium Files

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Non Revertor Inustus

Date: Sat, 03 Oct 1998 01:22:26 -0500

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: NLM <nlment at gte.net>

 

>My name is Norma and I saw an email from you on a web site where you

>translated a phrase from English to Latin and I'm wondering if you can

>tell me what "Non Revertar Inuftus" means?  It is on an old coat of arms

>and I cannot find anything similar.  Thank you very much

 

"I do not turn from branding"  or perhaps, "I do not turn from making my mark"

 

There is no word "revertar" - this would be the nominative singular of

revertere, "revertor".

 

The "f" in "inuftus" is probably one of those archaic "s" characters you

see in Colonial period printing.  There is no word "inuftus".

 

GLOSSARY

------------------

non (adverb) "not, no, by no means"

revertor, revertere, reverti, reversus sum (3rd conjugation verb) "turn

back, turn around, come back, return"

inustus (pp of inuro, inurere, inussui, inustum) (3rd conjugation verb) "to

burn in, to brand, imprint" with dative "to brand upon, imprint upon, affix

to, inflict upon"

 

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium Files

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Deus tibi nosce/Omnes sibi noscere necesse est/Vita in regno Dei

Date: Thu, 03 Dec 98 00:59:11 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: manasseh at bigfoot.com

CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

 

>"Know God For Yourself"

Deus tibi nosce.

 

>"Every Person Must Know God For Himself"

Omnes sibi  noscere necesse est.

 

>"Life Is In His Kingdom"

Vita in regno Ejus

or

Vita in regno Dei

 

GLOSSARY:

nosco, noscere, novi, notum (3rd conjugation verb) "to know, get to know,

become acquainted with" -- nosce (imperative singular) "you must know!" --

noscite (imperative plural) "you all must know!" -- noscunt (3rd person

plural active indicative present tense) "they know"

necesse est (phrase + infinitive) "it is necessary"

Deus (2nd declension masculine noun) "God" -- Dei (genitive) "of or

belonging to God"

te (reflexive 2nd person pronoun) "yourself" -- tibi (dative of purpose)

"for yourself"

omnis, omne (adjective) "all ,every" -- omnes (masculine plural) "all

people, all men, everybody"

se (reflexive 3rd person pronoun) "himself" -- sibi (dative of purpose)

"for himself"

vita, vitae (1st declension feminine noun) "life, way of life, course of

life, career"

sum, esse, fui, futurus (irregular verb) "to be" - est (3rd person singular

present tense) "he/she/it is"

in (preposition with ablative) "in, on, upon, among, at, etc."

is/ea/id (3rd person demonstrative pronoun) - ejus (genitive singular) "his"

regnum, regni (2nd declension neuter noun) "realm, kingdom, monarchy, royal

power, kingship, soveregnty, domain" -- regno (ablative)

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Legatum illi habeo.

Date: Thu, 03 Dec 98 06:48:35 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: valerienne at ivillage.com

CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

 

>"I have a deputy for that".

 

Legatum illi habeo.

 

GLOSSARY

habeo, habere, habui, habitum (conjugation verb) "to have, hold, keep,

retain" -- habeo (1st person singular present tense) "I have"

legatus,legati (2nd declension masculine noun) "deputy, representative,

ambassador, envoy, adjutant" -- legatum (accusative singular)

ille/illa/illud (demonstrative pronoun) "that" -- illi (dative of purpose)

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Benignitas benignitem exciit.

Date: Thu, 03 Dec 98 08:27:11 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: M&P Bostick <mbostick at blarg.net>

CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

 

"Kindness causes kindness"

 

Benignitas benignitem exciit.

 

GLOSSARY

benignitas, benignitatis  (3rd declension feminine noun) "kindness,

friendlieness, courtesy, liberality, bounty, open-handedness" -- benignitem

(accusative singular)

excieo, exciere (3rd conjugation verb) "to call out, excite, awaken, cause

feelings" -- exciit (3rd person singular present tense)

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

 

Subject: Id a primo effice recte.

Date: Thu, 03 Dec 98 14:23:10 MST

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>

To: mick at m1wheat.force9.co.uk

CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

 

>I am working on a project and trying to find a

>suitable phrase,could someone please

>translate the following into Latin "Right First

>Time". Your help would be most appreciated.

 

The phrase would need to be a bit more complete, perhaps:

 

Get It Right The First Time

 

       or better yet,

 

Do It Right From the Very Beginning

 

Id a primo effice recte.

 

GLOSSARY

* efficio, efficere, effeci, effectum (4th conjugation verb) "to bring

about, bring to pass, effect, cause, produce, make, form, finish, complete,

accomplish" -- effice (imperative singular)

* is/ea/id (third person pronoun) "he/she/it"

* recte (adverb) "correctly, properly, in a straight line, suitably, well,

right"

* primus, -a, -um (adjective) "first, foremost" -- a primo (phrase) "from

the first, from the beginning"

 

Gunnora Hallakarva

Herskerinde

 

<the end>



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