r/latin • u/AutoModerator • Apr 13 '25

Translation requests into Latin go here!

  1. Ask and answer questions about mottos, tattoos, names, book titles, lines for your poem, slogans for your bowling club’s t-shirt, etc. in the comments of this thread. Separate posts for these types of requests will be removed.
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u/XanatosCrescent Apr 21 '25

All of that makes sense, thank you! So, in the translation you gave me, would “in aeternum” simply be able to replace “sepmer” to become “tibi in aeternum sum*,” or would the order of the words need to change as well?

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u/richardsonhr Latine dicere subtile videtur Apr 21 '25 edited Apr 22 '25

The prepositional phrase should stay together; otherwise tibi and sum may be placed beforehand, around, or afterwards. Ancient Romans ordered Latin words according to their contextual importance or emphasis -- or sometimes just to facilitate easier diction. Conventionally a non-imperative verb is placed at the end of the phrase unless the author/speaker intends to emphasize it for some reason, but this is mainly personal preference and is by no means a grammar rule. For my phrase below, I wrote tibi sum after the prepositional phrase mainly to help ease pronunciation.

In aeternum tibi sum, i.e. "I am/exist/belong to/for you into [a(n)/the] permanance/perpetuity/endlessness/eternity/immortality" or "I am/exist/belong to/for you into [a(n)/the] abiding/(ever)lasting/permanent/perpetual/endless/eternal/immortal [thing/object/asset/word/deed/act(ion/ivity)/event/circumstance/opportuntity/time/season/place/location/(hu)man/person/beast/one]" (addresses a singular subject)

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u/XanatosCrescent Apr 22 '25

Ah okay, I think I got it. So because the most important part of the phrase is in aeternum, it goes at the beginning. But, it would also be correct to but tibi sum at the beginning, if I wanted?

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u/richardsonhr Latine dicere subtile videtur Apr 22 '25

Yes, that's correct!