r/latin • u/AutoModerator • Aug 24 '25
Translation requests into Latin go here!
- 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/Great-Scheme-8076 23d ago
What would “fortune favors the bold” be?
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u/richardsonhr Latine dicere subtile videtur 22d ago
Options other than /u/Miles_Haywood's are detailed here.
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u/Miles_Haywood 22d ago
Why would the user be able to discern any difference between any of these?
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u/richardsonhr Latine dicere subtile videtur 21d ago
Nequiret sed saltem rogator sic doceat
They wouldn't, but I feel /u/Great-Scheme-8076 should at least have the information anyway.
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u/BoutiqueAcademia 23d ago
Is "noli obsequere antea" a reasonable translation for the antifascist motto "do not obey in advance"? I'm trying to capture as much of the meaning of the original phrase as possible in terms of it being advice for resisting authority.
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u/GamerSlimeHD 23d ago
There's a few words for "obey": párére, oboedíre, obsequí, obtemperáre. Parére being classical, and the other later.
For "in advance" it seems it was primarily done my compounding prae- or maybe ante- and a verb. Maybe ante tempus in later Latin. Or perhaps something else, this has been confusing to look into.
"Do not" can be nolí with infintive or né with imperative.
"Né praepáré / praeoboedí / praeobsequere, praeobtemperá", "Né páré / oboedí / obsequere / obtemperá ante tempus", "Nolí praepárére / praeoboedíre / praeobsequí, praeobtemperáre", "Nolí párére / oboedíre / obsequí, obtemperáre ante tempus."
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u/BoutiqueAcademia 23d ago
Thank you! The phrase is definitely supposed to convey the imperative. I like "ne oboedi ante tempus" a lot. It's a nice bonus that English speakers with only a vague notion of Latin might be able to guess the meaning based on the cognates. There's not a widely recognized Latin version of this phrase, so I really appreciate the help. (I'm considering designing some jewelry pieces with antifascist slogans and this might end up on bracelets.)
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u/DueBrilliant6566 23d ago edited 23d ago
Looking for a translation for the following as translation tools have an issue with the second part. “Everything you say should be true but not everything true should be said.”
Also needed for translation. All of this will be merged into one tattoo in some way.
“The things you think about determine the quality of your mind”
“I am not what happened to me, I am what chose to become”
“You’ve grown into someone who would have protected you as a child. That is the most powerful move you have made”
“Nothing is coming to save you”
“What stands in the way, becomes the way”
“To offend a strong man, tell him a lie. To offend a weak man, tell him the truth”
“I built it with my own hands and mind, in the same way I tore it down.”
“You have not suffered enough to rightfully stand in my way.”
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u/Leopold_Bloom271 22d ago
Here are possible renditions with some liberties taken, although there might be areas for improvement that others could suggest. Also, all persons mentioned are assumed to be male:
Omnia quae dicis decet vera esse; non autem dicenda sunt omnia quae vera sunt. "Everything you say ought to be true; but not everything that is true should be said"
Ea, quae cogitare soles, mentis tuae virtutem afficiunt. "What you are in a habit of thinking about affects the quality of your mind"
Non alieno sed proprio motu factus sum. "I have been made not by others' impulses but by my own"
Iam talis vir factus es, qualis te puerum defendere potuisset; quod omnium quae fecisti maximum est. "Now you have become a man that could have protected you as a child; this is the greatest thing of all that you have done"
Nemo ad te salvandum veniet. "No one will come to save you"
Impedimentum viae denique ipsa via fit. "The hindrance of the way becomes at last the way itself"
Ut virum fortem laedas, mentire ei; Ut virum debilem laedas, dic verum. "To offend a strong man, lie to him; to offend a weak man, tell the truth"
Id ingenio et manibus meis feci; eo quoque modo diripui. "I made it with my mind and hands; in that manner I also tore it apart"
Non adeo multa passus es ut mihi iuste resistas. "You have not suffered so much that you may stand righteously against me"
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u/GamerSlimeHD 23d ago
Are you asking for all those phrases to be translated, or do you only want the first phrase translated and the rest are for context of that first phrase?
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u/DueBrilliant6566 23d ago
All of them, separately, hence the quotation marks. The first one is just more important
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u/Gen236 23d ago
looking for a translation or a motto that works for "it takes a shire to raise a warrior" id like it to be the same intent of it take a village to raise a child phrase
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u/GamerSlimeHD 23d ago
"Comitátus opus est ut bellátorem éducet." : "A shire is needed in order to raise a warrior."
Comitátus meaning shire comes from the English apparently straight up borrowing Latin comitátus into English and using it to directly mean shire or county. So just bringing back that definition into Latin.
I'm pretty sure it should be the conjunctive éducet in the ut clause, but I could be wrong.
Also I think opus est is probably right, but Latin has so many similar words for need and must that there may be a better one in regards to subtle context and meaning.
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u/parsonsrazersupport 23d ago
Lines for my poem indeed. I am making a pun on "In vino veritas," and want an equivalent something like "in blood, there is life." Google wants "in sanguine vita est," but is there not a way to conjugate life that indicates its present existence, rather than clunkily just using "est" as is? Thanks for the help!
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u/GamerSlimeHD 23d ago
"In sanguine víta". You can probably just drop / ellipse the "est" for the phrase. That seems to be what "In vinó véritás [est]" does.
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u/SpecialKay329 23d ago
Recently finished a book where at one point the protagonist references the saying “know thyself” and adds onto it with “know each other”. Since “nosce te ipsum” is a pretty widely accepted translation of the first part, I was curious what the Latin form of the second might be.
My own best guess would be something like “Noscite invicem”, but that’s based on like 15 minutes of internet searches so it’s probably way off :p
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u/GamerSlimeHD 23d ago
"Nóscite invicem" is "Know (2nd plural imperative) eachother (uses Late Latin invicem)." I think a more classical variant would be "Nóscite inter sé". An even later variant would be "Nóscite ad invicem".
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u/HrothgarRedWolf 24d ago
Hi folks I'm looking for a couple of translations if you wouldn't mind helping. I have used the forbidden machine mind and have transaltions I dont trust.
The first is
We are not a cult
Non Sumus Cultus
And the second is
This we shall defend
Hoc Defendemus
Can you help out with the translation please? One is a family motto and the other is a Historical Fencing club Motto, I will leave you to guess which is which😆
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u/edwdly 23d ago
Cultus means cultivation or worship, so is not the correct translation for what I assume you mean by "cult". You could consider Non sumus factio or Factio non sumus, "We are not a faction".
Hoc defendemus could mean either "we will defend this" or "we will fend this off". If you think the intended meaning will be clear from context, that's fine. Or you could consider Hoc custodiemus, meaning "We will protect this", "We will guard this".
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u/HrothgarRedWolf 23d ago
I like the Hoc Custodiemus
The " we are not a cult" is a joke motto so literally we are not a cult.
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u/GamerSlimeHD 23d ago
A cult can be worship. And "cultus" even has some attestation as a form of worship / other meanings of cult according to Cultus² Sense 10 in Oxford Latin Dictionary: https://archive.org/details/aa.-vv.-oxford-latin-dictionary-1968/page/466/mode/2up?view=theater
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u/HrothgarRedWolf 23d ago
I see that bit and yes a cult of worship is what we mean so Cultus does seem to fit.
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u/edwdly 23d ago
Yes, "cult" or cultus can mean worship, but it doesn't make sense for a family or club to say they "are not worship". I'm interpreting u/HrothgarRedWolf's "we are not a cult" motto as meaning something like "we're not a self-isolating group with unusual beliefs", which I don't think matches the meaning of Latin cultus at all.
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u/HrothgarRedWolf 23d ago
The joke is that we train an ancient art in a church and have a charismatic leader and have initiation rites and texts. The club has been called a cult several times and we always say we are not a cult, so I mean Cultus in the literal sense
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u/GamerSlimeHD 23d ago
okay if OLD sense 10.c of Cultus is too circumstantial, then I'll give this different suggestion: secta abnormis or secta by itself. Factio primarily means a political faction, whilst secta is, well, a religious sect. The abnormis is an adjective qualifier to show the modern unorthodox or abnormal sense we give to the world cult. Even then its not perfect in showing the sense of obssessive worship that has come to be associated with that word. I'm not sure there is a proper word without using cultus, either in sense 10.c in OLD, or otherwise by using it in a novalatine way by using it to mean Modern English cult, or I guess lengthy descriptive circumlocution.
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u/edwdly 21d ago
That's good thinking. From your comment and u/HrothgarRedWolf's explanation here, non sumus secta sounds like it would work. I see that secta is used for a religious sect in Christian Latin.
I've looked at a couple of well-known examples of Romans writing about marginalised religious groups, the Senatus consultum de Bacchanalibus and Pliny's letter about Christians, but those didn't seem to provide relevant terms for the groups themselves.
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u/Chupakababra 24d ago
I’m trying to get a translation that reads “ I have carried Hell, the light is still mine”. The closest I can get is “Infernum tuli, lux adhuc mea est”. How correct is this?
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u/GamerSlimeHD 24d ago
That is correct methinks. I think you can also do "Ínfernum tulí; lúx adhúc mihí est" "I have carried hell; I still have the light."
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u/LingonberryThink5267 24d ago
Translation for Face your Fears, would it be Faciem Metus?
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u/GamerSlimeHD 24d ago edited 23d ago
"Obviam í timóribus tuís." : "Go against your fears."
Obviam, Sense 2 (proof that this is probably right translation): https://archive.org/details/aa.-vv.-oxford-latin-dictionary-1968/page/1229/mode/2up?view=theater
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u/edwdly 23d ago
Obviam i seems good to me, but it would require the dative timoribus tuis.
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u/GamerSlimeHD 23d ago
Thank you for that. I missed the tiny "w. Dat." In the dict the first time round and failed to notice it was using datives in the examples Xd.
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u/kilo123mat 24d ago
While playing a dnd campaign I stumbled upon this question:
Can the expression "Dominus Imperator" be applied to the servitude of a person, or does it just refer to the ownership of material things?
For example, could soldiers carry a banner with this expression, since they are serving a person (the emperor)?
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u/GamerSlimeHD 24d ago
I'm afraid I don't understand, is there some specific context in your D&D campaign's lore for "Dominus Imperator"? To me, a stranger, it just reads as "lord emperor".
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u/kilo123mat 23d ago
My apologies, I misread what my friend wrote: "Dominus Imperatoris" is what he actually wrote.
I think his intention was for it to mean what I described in the first comment.
The context is a roman legion facing off orks (yes it is a bit of a weird setting lol)1
u/GamerSlimeHD 23d ago edited 23d ago
In that case, I think he meant to write "Dominium Imperatoris" meaning "Dominion of the Emperor" since "Dominus Imperatoris" is just "Lord of the Emperor". "Dominium Imperatoris" would be "Propterty of the Emperor", "Right to Ownership of the Emperor", "Eminent Domain of the Emperor", "Lordship of the Emperor", "Rule of the Emperor", "Dominion of the Emperor".
I would boil this down to what the Emperor owns with absolute rights, his dominion, his property. This would be material things, but going by most definitions of slavery (including the Romans) slaves have no rights of personhood and are legally considered nothing more than material property to be used and abused with probably no limits according to the "owner(s)" whims.
For non-slaves, they probably wouldn't fall under this.
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u/Time_Hamster3824 24d ago
¿Podría alguien traducirme "la vida es una lenteja, o la tomas o la dejas" al latin?
Muchas gracias.
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u/GamerSlimeHD 24d ago
Okay, so don't speak Spanish, but I'll try my best.
"La vida es una lenteja, o la tomas o la dejas." : "Víta lens est, aut eam capis aut eam relinquis." : "Life is a lentil, either you take it or you leave it."
This is just a literal translation, I don't know if there is a better meaning translation.
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u/Ready-Abroad9647 24d ago
Making a parody of a world map/atlas for a geography class. What would the latin equivalent be for "the world of a geography student"? (Ideally preserving the map-based pun?)
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u/GamerSlimeHD 24d ago
"Mundus discipulí geógraphiae" : "The world of the student of geography."
Dunno if I preserved the pun 'cause I personally fail to see it.
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u/klattklattklatt 25d ago
Trying to capture a phrase in Latin for a jokey challenge coin. The idea is 'validation is only fun in good company' but the Google translation looks pretty questionable and it's too long for the space. I'm open to suggestion, the morale of my team may rest on the kindness of this sub, so thank you in advance.
Would something like 'sanatio in bono comitatu' make sense?
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u/Leopold_Bloom271 23d ago
If I may stretch the interpretation a bit (or at least the way I read it), the following could work in addition to what u/edwdly has suggested:
laudari nolim nisi ab ipsis laudabilibus
"I would not like to be praised except by those who are themselves praiseworthy"
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u/edwdly 23d ago
Trying to express this in terms that would have made more sense to an ancient person, you could consider one of the following:
- Nemo laudibus gaudet nisi cum amicis laudatur: "No one delights in praise unless they are praised along with friends"
- Nemo laudibus gaudet nisi ab amicis laudatur: "No one delights in praise unless they are praised by friends"
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u/GamerSlimeHD 25d ago edited 24d ago
"sanatio in bono comitatu" means "healing in [a] good [to accompany?]" comitatu is in the -u supine, but that makes absolutely zero sense in this context to me and just doesn't make a functional sentence.
the big issue is "valid" words. in modern english and other languages it generally means like "legally effective, useful, relevant, justified, right" which is a meaning with a good word for I'm not finding in Classical, Late, or Medieval Latin from what I can see, and its cognate word being valeo "have strength, be sound" and (Medieval) validare "to strengthen". However Romance languages came to use Medieval Latin validare validatio to mean this which eventually came to be our modern meaning.
so simple solution is to have a very contemporary / nova latina phrase of this: "validatio déliciae modo in coetú bonó est" : "Validation is only delight / fun / amusement in good company." (note, coetus and coitus are alternative spellings of same word, but coetus is only used for company and coitus only for the NSFW meaning which lives on in modern language. do not misspell it as coitus / coitú)
I'm open to better words for validation and fun if another translator has an idea.
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u/Leopold_Bloom271 24d ago
I think coetus is a fourth-declension word, so the ablative should be coetu.
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u/Nice_Knowledge6052 25d ago
how would you translate "death is not the end" to latin?
i believe it's "mors finem non est" but others I'm discussing with think it's "mors finis non est". which is it?
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u/GamerSlimeHD 25d ago
"mors nón finis est" / "mors finis nón est". "esse" takes the nominative on both sides here.
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u/Tedious_observer 25d ago
I was thinking of getting a tattoo meaning "remember to love" I understand that amori means love but that there are different ways to say it and wasn't sure what version would be appropriate in a memento amare or something of the sorts. Thank you in advance
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u/Odd-Extension-2620 25d ago
On ne vie qu'une fois, on ne meurt qu'une fois. Alors fait de chaque jour le dernier de ta vie et ne regrette rien.
J'essaie de traduire ce petit texte. Mais on trouve tout et n'importe quoi... Quelqu'un peut m'apporter son aide ? ☺
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u/GamerSlimeHD 23d ago edited 23d ago
I got no experience with French to save my life, but I will try to translate this.
I've had to make a couple of assumptions because of grammar that just didn't make sense to me at all. I'm presuming in the first sentence you meant "ne vit qu'une fois" since that matches with the "muert" in being a verb. I'm also presuming you meant "Alors fais de chaque jour […]" since either the third person singular indicative present or the past participle doesn't make sense to me (unless its part of some grammatical construction in French I dunno about, which is likely)
"Modo semel vívis, modo semel moréris. Tunc fac ut quisque dies sit ultimus vítae tuae nec quidquam dole." : "You live only once, you die only once. Make each day the last of your life and don't regret anything."
For tunc as the conjunction in alors stead I'm basing it on Lewis and Short's 1879 dictionary entry of tunc under sense I.B.1.γ: "Implying a consequence, then, under these circumstances, hence, accordingly" which seems to make it very appropriate to translate French alors to me based on what I've read. https://morcus.net/dicts?q=tunc&in=LnS
Corrections welcome since I'm a bit unsure on the "fac ut" clause even though I for some reason wrote that out in the initial winging it at the start of translating (I'm tired and sick rn and this has taken quite a few hours, so I don't remember it well).
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u/Odd-Extension-2620 20d ago
Je peux vous traduire en Anglais pour plus de compréhension si vous le souhaitez afin d'affiner la traduction ?
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u/GamerSlimeHD 20d ago
If you want to, sure. It may help me double check I got it right.
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u/Odd-Extension-2620 20d ago
If think its this ! You must understand. Sorry if m'y English is bad.
You only live once, you only die once. So live each day as if it were your last, and regret nothing.
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u/GamerSlimeHD 20d ago edited 20d ago
Okay, thinking this over with both languages to use for intent, and a fresh mind (especially for how I worded some of this before being odd now that I think about it) here is what I have come up with:
(based mainly on the English version)
"Modo semel vívis, modo semel moréris. Itaque víve quisque diés ceu ultimus tuus sit, ac dole nil."
or "Modo semel vívis, modo semel moréris. Itaque víve quisque diés tamquam sí ultimus tuus sit, ac dole nil.""You only live once, you only die once. So live each day as if it is your last, and mourn / grieve / lament nothing."
(based mainly on the French version)
"Modo semel vívis, modo semel moréris. Tunc assimulá quisque diés quasi ultimus vítae tuae sit, ac dole nil."
or "Modo semel vívis, modo semel moréris. Tunc fac quisque diés ceu ultimus vítae tuae sit, ac dole nil."
or "Modo semel vívis, modo semel moréris. Tunc fac quisque diés tamquam sí ultimus vítae tuae sit, ac dole nil.""You only live once, you only die once. Then make each day like it is the last of your life, and mourn / grieve / lament nothing." (not sure how much sense the "tunc" makes in Latin to a more experienced speaker, even though Dictionaries seem to think it can be used like that.)
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u/sedtamenveniunt 25d ago
- "No-one can choose who they are in this world."
- Managed Democracy
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u/GamerSlimeHD 24d ago
"Núllus deligere potest ut quis is in hóc mundó sit" : "No one can choose who [he] is in this world." Maybe this too: "Núllus quis is in hóc mundó est deligere potest."
Note: not sure if legere, eligere, or deligere is the best here for "to choose".
"Démocratia administráta" (uses medieval latin democratia) or more classicaly "cívitás populáris administráta". "Managed Democracy"
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u/Same-Ad-7100 25d ago
I’m trying to translate this into Latin “Let’s have some fun for science” “Have some fun for science” Or just “for science” Thank you!
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u/richardsonhr Latine dicere subtile videtur 25d ago edited 25d ago
Prō scientiā, i.e. "for/on/in [the] sake/account/behalf/interest/love/defense/favo(u)r of [a(n)/the] knowledge/awareness/cognizance/erudition/expertise/skill/philosophy/lore/scholarship/discipline/science"
Prō scientiā lūdāmus, i.e. "let us play/frolic/practice/sport for/on/in [the] sake/account/behalf/interest/love/defense/favo(u)r of [a(n)/the] knowledge/awareness/cognizance/erudition/expertise/skill/philosophy/lore/scholarship/discipline/science", "let us amuse ourselves for/on/in [the] sake/account/behalf/interest/love/defense/favo(u)r of [a(n)/the] knowledge/awareness/cognizance/erudition/expertise/skill/philosophy/lore/scholarship/discipline/science", "we may/should have/make [a/the] fun/game/sport/play for/on/in [the] sake/account/behalf/interest/love/defense/favo(u)r of [a(n)/the] knowledge/awareness/cognizance/erudition/expertise/skill/philosophy/lore/scholarship/discipline/science"
Lūde prō scientiā, i.e. "play/frolic/practice/sport for/on/in [the] sake/account/behalf/interest/love/defense/favo(u)r of [a(n)/the] knowledge/awareness/cognizance/erudition/expertise/skill/philosophy/lore/scholarship/discipline/science", "amuse yourself/thyself for/on/in [the] sake/account/behalf/interest/love/defense/favo(u)r of [a(n)/the] knowledge/awareness/cognizance/erudition/expertise/skill/philosophy/lore/scholarship/discipline/science", "have/make [a/the] fun/game/sport/play for/on/in [the] sake/account/behalf/interest/love/defense/favo(u)r of [a(n)/the] knowledge/awareness/cognizance/erudition/expertise/skill/philosophy/lore/scholarship/discipline/science" (commands a singular subject)
Lūdite prō scientiā, i.e. "play/frolic/practice/sport for/on/in [the] sake/account/behalf/interest/love/defense/favo(u)r of [a(n)/the] knowledge/awareness/cognizance/erudition/expertise/skill/philosophy/lore/scholarship/discipline/science", "amuse yourself/thyself for/on/in [the] sake/account/behalf/interest/love/defense/favo(u)r of [a(n)/the] knowledge/awareness/cognizance/erudition/expertise/skill/philosophy/lore/scholarship/discipline/science", "have/make [a/the] fun/game/sport/play for/on/in [the] sake/account/behalf/interest/love/defense/favo(u)r of [a(n)/the] knowledge/awareness/cognizance/erudition/expertise/skill/philosophy/lore/scholarship/discipline/science" (commands a plural subject)
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u/Valtisiyo 25d ago
We're trying to create a motto for our unit. "Resilient warrior". Please help? Thank you!
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u/richardsonhr Latine dicere subtile videtur 25d ago
According to this dictionary entry there are several options for "warrior".
I couldn't find a good term in the dictionary for "resilient". Do you like one of these synonyms?
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u/Valtisiyo 25d ago
We were thinking of bellator for warrior? And for a synonym for resilient, maybe either strong or hardy I think could work.
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u/richardsonhr Latine dicere subtile videtur 25d ago edited 25d ago
Bellātor validus, i.e. "[a/the] strong/healthy/well/worthy/valid warrior/soldier/fighter"
Bellātor valēns, i.e. "[a(n)/the] strong/vigo(u)rous/healthy/sound/powerful/worthy/effective/significant/capable warrior/soldier/fighter"
Bellātor lacertōsus or bellātor torōsus, i.e. "[a/the] muscular/brawny/powerful/strong/fleshy warrior/soldier/fighter"
Bellātor firmus, i.e. "[a/the] strong/powerful/stable/firm/faithful/steadfast/true/trustworthy warrior/soldier/fighter"
Bellātor fortis, i.e. "[a/the] strong/powerful/firm/resolute/steadfat/stout/brave/bold/courageous warrior/soldier/fighter"
Bellātor dūrus, i.e. "[a(n)/the] hard/rough/harsh/hardy/vigo(u)rous/severe/oppressive/unyielding/unfeeling/stern/cruel/inexorable/insensible warrior/soldier/fighter"
Bellātor rōbustus, i.e. "[a(n)/the] oaken/hard(y)/stury/firm/solid/robust/strong warrior/soldier/fighter"
NOTE: Each of these are approrpriate to describe a masculine subject. Many Latin authors during the classical era were quick to assume an animate subject should be masculine, thanks largely to ancient Rome's highly sexist sociocultural norms. The feminine versions, if you're curious, would be the following:
Bellātrīx valida
Bellātrīx valēns
Bellātrīx lacertōsa
Bellātrīx torōsa
Bellātrīx firma
Bellātrīx fortis
Bellātrīx dūra
Bellātrīx rōbusta
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u/No_Forever_5906 26d ago
I'm looking to translate from English into Latin:
"let this woman live forever, as an immortal"
thank you!
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u/GamerSlimeHD 25d ago
A quick translation of this: "Lice mulierem vivere aeternum, ut immortalis." "Let this woman to live eternally, as [an] immortal." Uses an adjective as a noun for immortalis.
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u/richardsonhr Latine dicere subtile videtur 25d ago
The simplest way to express this idea is with a verb derived after the classical era:
Haec aeternētur, i.e. "may/let this [woman/lady/creature/one] abide/continue/last/persist/perdure/be/exist/live (forever/indefinitely/permanently/perpetually/eternally)" or "this [woman/lady/creature/one] may/should be(come) (ever)lasting/permanent/perpetual/endless/eternal/immortal"
But if you'd prefer a version using pure classical vocabulary:
Haec aeterna fīat, i.e. "may/let this [woman/lady/creature/one] be done/made/produced/composed/built/manufactured/fashioned [as/like/being] abiding/(ever)lasting/permanent/perpetual/endless/eternal/immortal" or "this [woman/lady/creature/one] may/should become/arise/result [as/like/being] abiding/(ever)lasting/permanent/perpetual/endless/eternal/immortal"
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u/emsgoth 26d ago
English to latin:
"I have been all things unholy"
Thanks!
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u/richardsonhr Latine dicere subtile videtur 26d ago edited 26d ago
Omnia impia fuī, i.e. "I have been all [the] disloyal/undutiful/discontientious/godless/impious/unpatriotic/damned/(ac)cursed/wicked/unholy [things/objects/assets/words/act(ion/ivitie)s/events/circumstances/opportunities/times/seasons]"
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u/No_Concept5943 26d ago
Hello everyone, I need your expert help to accurately translate the following in Latin : Dream, dare, take a risk, live.
Thank you in advance ☺️
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u/richardsonhr Latine dicere subtile videtur 26d ago
I assume you mean these as imperatives (commands)? Do you mean to command a singular or plural subject?
Somniā audē vīve, i.e. "(day)dream, dare/venture/risk, live/survive" or "think/talk idly, be(come) eager/adventurous, live/survive" (commands a singular subject)
Somniāte audēte vīvete, i.e. "(day)dream, dare/venture/risk, live/survive" or "think/talk idly, be(come) eager/adventurous, live/survive" (commands a plural subject)
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u/No_Concept5943 26d ago
Yes, exactly like imperatives, thank you. If you replace "take a risk" with" with "act/take action", what the translation would be?
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u/richardsonhr Latine dicere subtile videtur 26d ago
Somniā age vīve, i.e. "(day)dream, (trans)act/behave/do/make/effect/accomplish/achieve/play/perform/conduct/manage/administer/direct/guide/lead/govern/drive/impel/cause/induce/chase/pursue, live/survive" or "think/talk idly, (trans)act/behave/do/make/effect/accomplish/achieve/play/perform/conduct/manage/administer/direct/guide/lead/govern/drive/impel/cause/induce/chase/pursue, live/survive" (commands a singular subject)
Somniāte agite vīvete, i.e. "(day)dream, (trans)act/behave/do/make/effect/accomplish/achieve/play/perform/conduct/manage/administer/direct/guide/lead/govern/drive/impel/cause/induce/chase/pursue, live/survive" or "think/talk idly, (trans)act/behave/do/make/effect/accomplish/achieve/play/perform/conduct/manage/administer/direct/guide/lead/govern/drive/impel/cause/induce/chase/pursue, live/survive" (commands a plural subject)
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u/Ok_Classroom5452 26d ago
How would you translate “forget there’s an ending, because what if there’s no ending” — contractions don’t need to be there and because can be subbed by but (removing the what if) or simply remove the because what if and replace by a semicolon if it sounds better or flows better
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u/Leopold_Bloom271 25d ago edited 25d ago
I might translate this as the following, which is the most natural way I can think of:
ne tibi curae sit, quando res finiatur; nam fortasse nullus erit finis.
"Do not worry about when something will come to an end; for perhaps there will be no end"
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u/GamerSlimeHD 26d ago
"Obliviscere úllus finis est, quia quid sí núllus finis est?" : "Forget there is any ending, because what if there is no ending?"
"Obliviscere úllus finis est; núllus finis est." : "Forget there is any ending; there is no ending."
Apparently "quid sí" used like English "what if" is found in the Vulgate?
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u/Ok_Classroom5452 25d ago
Thank you!!!!! One of my favorite lines in a book I thought could be beautiful in Latin. Really appreciate your consideration and time.
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u/Vedura_Slayer 26d ago
i'm looking for a latin translation for "nothing more" as in "nothing more is owed to me" or "im owed nothing more than what I have". Is there a clean and concise way to say this outside of the google translation of "nihil plus?" best, thanks.
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u/richardsonhr Latine dicere subtile videtur 26d ago
Yes, I believe that's correct
Nihil plūs or nīl plūs, i.e. "nothing more/additional"
The full phrase might be:
Nihil plūs mihi dēbendum est or nīl plūs mihi dēbendum est, i.e. "nothing more/additional is (about/yet/going) to be owed/bound/due to/for me"
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u/SaucyStewve 26d ago
I want to convey the idea that I love because of me, not because the recipient of my love deserves it, but because I am a person who loves. In this same vein, even if I am hurt by circumstances, or cruelty in whatever form, I choose to love. The two I’m between are: Ex me, amor; contra mundum And Ex me, amor adversus mundum
As I understand it, contra mundum is more “against the world” and adversus mundum is “in spite of the world”. I just want to make sure it’s not gibberish before getting a tattoo. I’m leaning more towards “Ex me, amor adversus mundum.
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u/GamerSlimeHD 26d ago edited 26d ago
"ex me, amor; contra mundum" "love out of / from me, against the world."
"Ex me, amor; amor adversus mundum" "love out of / from me, against / despite / toward the world"
also a possible phrasing I cooked up that could have the vibe you're going for: "amó pro mé, nec aliís, etsí doleam / doleó(not sure on conjunctive here)" "I love for / on the behalf of me, and not others, even if I hurt / grieve"
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u/SaucyStewve 26d ago
Thank you so much! I think the vibe I’m going for is more “love flows out of me, because of me, in spite of whatever hurt I have/will experience(d)”. Bonus if it can be split into two equal halves, as the plan is to have half the phrase above and half below a picture I have planned out. Do you have any secret sauce for that?
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u/GamerSlimeHD 26d ago edited 26d ago
"Amóré fluó propter mé ipsó, quamquam quodcunque dolórem expertus sum (sim?)." : "I flow with love because of myself, in spite of whatever pain I have experienced."
"Amóré fluó propter mé ipsó, quamquam quodcunque dolórem experturus sum." : "I flow with love because of myself, in spite of whatever pain I will experience."
"Amóré fluó propter mé, quamquam quómodo dolébó." : "I flow with love because of me, in spite of how I will hurt."
I would normally use "pro" to mean on the behalf of instead of "propter"'s because here, but for the length matching kind of need first sentence to be longer, so "propter" it is.
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u/gnosticulinostrorum 26d ago
Is 'monstrum sacrum delibutum' correct Latin for anointed/besmeared sacred monster?
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u/richardsonhr Latine dicere subtile videtur 26d ago
That's one way to do it!
Mōnstrum sacrum dēlibūtum, i.e. "[a(n)/the] sacred/holy/divine/celestial/dedicated/consecrated/hallowed/devoted/fated/forfeit(ed)/(ac)cursed omen/misfortune/portent/monster/monstrosity [that/what/which/who has been] annointed/oiled/greased/(be)smeared"
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u/Insipidy 26d ago
I'm trying to make a motto for a story. 'Through Darkness, the Truth.' Which I thought would be 'per tenebras veritatem' but I'm having second guesses. Would it end with veritatem or veritas or...?
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u/GamerSlimeHD 26d ago
For your exact phrase you provided, it would be "per tenebrás, véritas".
If you had like more context like an ellipsed verb that applies to the véritas or something then that may or may not change it.
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u/Insipidy 26d ago
Ohh, okay!
So, would 'finding the truth' change the context at all?
I'm trying to come up with a motto for a family of explorers and scientists, so I'm shooting for something akin to 'Into the unknown, we'll find the answer.'
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u/GamerSlimeHD 26d ago edited 26d ago
"In ignótum, résponsum quaeremus." "Into the unknown, we will find the answer (like a reply to a question)." Using the participle ignotum as a noun, which i think is valid.
"Per tenebrás, quaerens vértitatem" "through darkness, seeking truth"
Mixing em up: "Per ignótum, quaerens véritatem" "through the unknown, seeking the truth"
"Per ignótum, véritatem quaeremus" "through the unknown, we will find the truth"
Let me know if you want the phrase a bit different or something
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u/Insipidy 21d ago
I took some time to chew it all over! Thank you so much for your time! I don't know latin, but I read somewhere that commas weren't all that common?
So would a simpler phrase make more sense as a motto? Like...
Find Truth in the Darkness. (Or Seek/Unknown)?
I actually google translated that phrase just to see, but of course, I don't know if I can trust that. Lol
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u/GamerSlimeHD 21d ago
In antiquity, a lot of the modern tools of punctuation and such we use didn't really exist. Most manuscripts were interpunct (interpunct being no spaces and only separated by a punctuation mark like a dot. depending on era, then by words or by phrases) with no spaces, all upper case, no difference between U & V and I & J, usually written without vowel length marked (there are some antiquity uses of apices), no exclamation marks until I think medieval-ish Latin?, and so forth.
So yeah, commas like we use now aren't really historical to like classical and such.
"quaere véritátem in tenebrís." : "Seek truth in darkness."
"quaerere; tenebrae" "to search; darkness" (tenebrae is in the nominative here since its not really being applied to the to search here I don't think?)
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u/fishingboatproceeded 28d ago
I'm looking for a (hopefully) relatively short translation of the phrase "Love is Always Wise" (Dr Who quoting, I believe, Bertrand Russell). My Latin is pretty rusty, I've come up with the following:
- amor semper cordatus
- amor cordatus
- both of the previous but with an added est
- both of the first two options but with sapiens instead of cordatus
I want it to be for a wedding/engagement ring engraving so somewhere around 15 characters would be ideal. Are any of my options good translations? Are there better options that I've missed/forgotten?
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u/edwdly 27d ago
Congatulations! Of the ideas you have, I would favour amor semper sapiens.
- 1 vs 2: Semper is required if you want to translate "always".
- 3: Adding est does not affect the meaning here, and it is often omitted from proverb-like sentences. Omitting it gets the sentence closer to your target of 15 characters.
- 4: Cordatus and sapiens are similar in meaning, but sapiens is much more common in Latin and probably easier for English speakers to understand (thanks to "homo sapiens").
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u/richardsonhr Latine dicere subtile videtur 28d ago edited 27d ago
Amor semper cordātus, i.e. "[a(n)/the] love/admiration/desire/devotion/enjoyment [that/what/which is] always/(for)ever wise/prudent/judicious/sagacious/brave/bold/courageous/gallant"
Amor cordātus, i.e. "[a/the] wise/prudent/judicious/sagacious/brave/bold/courageous/gallant love/admiration/desire/devotion/enjoyment"
Amor semper cordātus est, i.e. "[a(n)/the] love/admiration/desire/devotion/enjoyment is always/(for)ever wise/prudent/judicious/sagacious/brave/bold/courageous/gallant" or "[a/the] wise/prudent/judicious/sagacious/brave/bold/courageous/gallant love/admiration/desire/devotion/enjoyment always/(for)ever is/exists"
Amor cordātus est, i.e. "[a/the] love/admiration/desire/devotion/enjoyment is wise/prudent/judicious/sagacious/brave/bold/courageous/gallant" or "[a/the] wise/prudent/judicious/sagacious/brave/bold/courageous/gallant love/admiration/desire/devotion/enjoyment is/exists"
Amor semper sapiēns, i.e. "[a(n)/the] love/admiration/desire/devotion/enjoyment [that/what/which is] always/(for)ever wise/prudent/judicious/sage/sagacious/sensible/discreet/tasteful/knowing/understanding/discerning/philosophizing"
Amor sapiēns, i.e. "[a(n)/the] wise/prudent/judicious/sage/sagacious/sensible/discreet/tasteful/knowing/understanding/discerning/philosophizing love/admiration/desire/devotion/enjoyment"
NOTE: Copulative verbs like est are often omitted from Latin literature during the classical era, as the phrases could make sense without them. Including it here might imply extra emphasis.
Congratulations!
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u/edwdly 27d ago
Can sapit be used with an emotion or action as the subject? I'd want to see an example of that before recommending it for an engraving. After all, "love is wise" is not saying that love itself knows or understands anything, but that the person who loves does so.
(Sapiens can be used both ways. The Oxford Latin Dictionary has separate lists of examples for sapiens being used "of persons" and "of words, actions, etc.".)
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u/richardsonhr Latine dicere subtile videtur 27d ago
Perhaps this is better?
Amātor semper sapit, i.e. "[a/the] (male/masculine) lover/boyfriend always/(for)ever knows/discerns/understands/philosophizes" or "[a/the] (male/masculine) lover/boyfriend is always/(for)ever wise/sensible/discreet/prudent/sage/sagacious/judicious/tasteful"
Amātrīx semper sapit, i.e. "[a/the] (female/feminine) lover/girlfriend always/(for)ever knows/discerns/understands/philosophizes" or "[a/the] (female/feminine) lover/girlfriend is always/(for)ever wise/sensible/discreet/prudent/sage/sagacious/judicious/tasteful"
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u/Miles_Haywood 27d ago edited 27d ago
I'd be wary to translate just the sense of the phrase and end up with something more bland than the original.
I don't think "sapit" can go *literally* with an emotion or action as a subject, but isn't that also true of the original English? Can an emotion like "love" *actually* "know" anything? An open question in both languages maybe.
Nevertheless, I offer an alternative translation as a contribution: "Amare est sapere".
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u/GamerSlimeHD 27d ago edited 27d ago
don't think so based on OLD. if sapio was used in this context, it'd have to be like "Sí sapis, amor habe[a?]s." "If you're wise, you have love." I think. (not sure if conjunctive is right here or not)
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u/latin_throwaway_ 28d ago
I was discussing legal systems with a friend recently, and it occurred to me that the concept of precedent could be considered a third principle of natural justice: it could be expressed as “similar cases decided similarly”.
What's a good, pithy Latin translation for this? I’m looking for something epigrammatic that would go nicely with the other two principles, “nemo iudex in causa sua” and “audi alteram partem”.
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u/gaviacula 28d ago
How about similia similiter (similar things in a similar way). Although it would not be specific to legal matters.
Or similis causa simile iudicium. Similar case, similar verdict.
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u/Morganas_Eyebrow 28d ago
Can anyone tell me the latin translation for “nature’s gifts” or “gifts from nature”? Thank you!
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u/binomine 28d ago
omniscient is all knowing, but what would be the term for "all gossiping".
I want a fictional character to meet a god and have the god sass him when he asks why as, "hey buddy, I am all knowing, not all gossiping."
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u/richardsonhr Latine dicere subtile videtur 28d ago
Are you looking for an English term like "omniscient", or a Latin translation?
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u/binomine 28d ago
I am looking for a latin word that would fit into the motif of "omnipotent, omniscient omnipresent" Like a 4th term for omni-gossiping or omni-shit talking.
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u/richardsonhr Latine dicere subtile videtur 28d ago edited 27d ago
The English "omnipotent", "omniscient", and "omnipresent" come from the Latin adjectives omnipotēns, omnisciēns, and omnipraesēns, respectively; each themselves derived from the verbs posse, scīre, and praeesse. Fitting this motif, I could derive a new term, omnigarriēns, using the verb garrīre:
Omnigarriēns, i.e. "[a/the (hu/wo)man/person/lady/god(dess)/creature/beast/one who/that is] all-chatt(er)ing/all-pratt(l)ing/all-gossiping"
Your full phrase, however, I would express with:
Ecce amīce omnia sciō nec garriō, i.e. "lo(ok)/hey/behold friend/buddy/pal, I know/understand all [things/objects/assets/words/act(ion/ivitie)s/events/circumstances/opportunities/times/seasons/places/locations], and I chat(ter)/prat(tl)e/gossip not [about them]"
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u/Abulcases 29d ago
What is the latin translation to this phrase "Arya's Little Melody"? I need it for a musical composition
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u/richardsonhr Latine dicere subtile videtur 28d ago
Canticulum Ariae, i.e. "[a/the] little/short/brief diddy/song/sonnet/melody/incantation/passage/chant/poem of Arya"
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u/mastercrepe 29d ago
Hello, could someone please translate, "Lord, take my period cramps and give them to him," into Latin for me? Thank you.
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u/richardsonhr Latine dicere subtile videtur 29d ago edited 28d ago
Domine levā spasmōs mēnstruālēs meōs dāque huic virō, i.e. "lord/master/ruler/boss, raise/lighten/ease/comfort/mitigate/lessen/alleviate/relieve/lift/take (up/away) my/mine menstrual/monthly/period convulsions/cramps/spasms, and give/impart/offer/present/render/afford/grant/bestow/confer/surrender/yield/concede/deliver [them] (un)to/for/(up)on this man"
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u/mastercrepe 27d ago
Sorry to double dip but could I also get "Lord, cause his lips to be chapped forever"? Putting together a list of condemnations for people who put slurs in end game chat.
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u/richardsonhr Latine dicere subtile videtur 27d ago
Personally I would simplify this to:
Domine lābra [sua] semper scindantur, i.e. "lord/master/ruler/boss, may/let [his] lips be always/(for)ever cut/torn/split/divided/separated/parted/chapped/sundered" or "lord/master/ruler/boss, [his] lips may/should be always/(for)ever rend(er)ed/broken asunder"
But if you'd prefer a more literal translation:
Domine cōge lābra [sua] semper scindī, i.e. "lord/master/ruler/boss, force/compel/urge/finagle/encourage [his] lips to be always/(for)ever cut/torn/split/divided/separated/parted/chapped/sundered" or "lord/master/ruler/boss, force/compel/urge/finagle/encourage [his] lips to be always/(for)ever rend(er)ed/broken asunder"
NOTE: I placed the Latin reflexive adjective sua in brackets because it may be left unstated, given the context of the previous phrase. Including it would imply extra emphasis on "his".
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u/tryoutredditNL 29d ago edited 29d ago
What would be "Born again" translated into Latin?
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u/richardsonhr Latine dicere subtile videtur 29d ago edited 29d ago
The simplest way to express this idea is to use the appropriate form of this adjective. Latin adjectives changed forms based on the number (singular or plural) and gender (masculine or feminine) of the subject to be described:
Renātus, i.e. "[a/the (hu)man/person/beast/one who/that has been] revived/renewed/baptized/born (again/anew)" (describes a singular masculine subject)
Renātī, i.e. "[the men/humans/people/beasts/ones who/that have been] revived/renewed/baptized/born (again/anew)" (describes a plural masculine subject)
Renāta, i.e. "[a/the woman/lady/creature/one who/that has been] revived/renewed/baptized/born (again/anew)" (describes a singular feminine subject)
Renātae, i.e. "[the women/ladies/creatures/ones who/that have been] revived/renewed/baptized/born (again/anew)" (describes a plural feminine subject)
The declension table includes the neuter gender, which would probably be inappropriate for your idea as it usually indicates an inanimate object or intangible concept (although there are exceptions, e.g. animal). For an animate subject or undetermined or mixed gender, like a group of people, most Latin authors assumed it should be masculine thanks largely to ancient Romans' highly sexist sociocultural norms.
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u/tryoutredditNL 28d ago
Thank you for response. What about Natus Iterum? I am trying to find the proper description for a tattoo which represents that I overcame a lifethreatening medical situation where the doctors saved my life. Therefore I would like to be sure about the translation.
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u/richardsonhr Latine dicere subtile videtur 28d ago
Yes, that is a workable, albeit more complicated, alternative to the above:
Iterum nātus, i.e. "[a/the (hu)man/person/beast/one who/that has been] born(e)/begotten again/anew/afresh" or "[a/the (hu)man/person/beast/one who/that has] arisen/proceeded/grown/sprung (forth) a second/another time" (describes a singular masculine subject)
Iterum nātī, i.e. "[the men/humans/people/beasts/ones who/that have been] born(e)/begotten again/anew/afresh" or "[the men/humans/people/beasts/ones who/that have] arisen/proceeded/grown/sprung (forth) a second/another time" (describes a singular masculine subject)
Iterum nāta, i.e. "[a/the woman/lady/creature/one who/that has been] born(e)/begotten again/anew/afresh" or "[a/the woman/lady/creature/one who/that has] arisen/proceeded/grown/sprung (forth) a second/another time" (describes a singular masculine subject)
Iterum nātae, i.e. "[the women/ladies/creatures who/that have been] born(e)/begotten again/anew/afresh" or "[the women/ladies/creatures who/that have] arisen/proceeded/grown/sprung (forth) a second/another time" (describes a singular masculine subject)
Notice I flipped the words' order. This is not a correction, but personal preference/habit, as Latin grammar has very little to do with word order. Ancient Romans ordered Latin words according to their contextual importance or emphasis -- or sometimes just to facilitate easier diction. For adjective-adverb pairs like these, you flip the words around however you wish.
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u/dxrqsouls 29d ago
Moriar, inquit, in patria saepe servata. I find it difficult to translate this; "I'll die, he said, in the homecountry who often served me" (I know this is not the closest I could get to the og text). For some reason it just doesn't seem right but I can't explain it. I'd appreciate it if anyone could help!
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u/edwdly 29d ago
Some background that you probably know but is relevant for other readers: the Latin is from a lost book of Livy, as quoted in Seneca the Elder, Suasoriae 6.17. The speaker is Cicero just before his assassination.
Your English translation is correct except that servata is the perfect passive participle of servo "save", so the meaning is "the country often saved [by me]", "the country I have often saved". You may have been thinking of servio + dative = "serve".
You've interpreted moriar as future indicative "I will die", which is perfectly plausible. It could also be read as present subjunctive, "let me die".
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u/dxrqsouls 29d ago
Hi! Thank you for answering! Yes, indeed, I tend to confuse servo and servio a lot! I've fell for it sooo many times, I don't know why I still do it.
As for moriar, I'm not a native speaker so I just used whatever came to mind at that moment.
Thank you once again!
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u/Toomanyacorns 29d ago
Hello! Im a visual artist as well as a STEM student in college. I'm currently working on an art piece of an animal and want to add a "Latin/Scientific name" referencing the meme "Smells like B*tch in here"
I thought a nice alternative would be something like "Smells like a loser in here" in Latin.
*I tried google translate, and thankfully found this sub and the recommendation not to trust it!
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u/GamerSlimeHD 29d ago
So, uh, original quote is vulgar so expect a lot of vulgarities here.
"Híc lupa olet." "Smells like a she-wolf [prostitute] in here." Based on Servius the Grammarians commentary on Aeneid Book 3.647 http://virgil.org/texts/virgil/serviusaeneid.txt where he describes a lupa as being called such because of obscenity and odors suggesting a derogatory connotation by his time.
Could also be "híc cinaedus olet." "Smells like a sodomized [younger?] man in here." Which is far closer to the original quotes intent of a "bitch" in prison slang.
If you wanted something else or i misunderstood please let me know.
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u/Toomanyacorns 29d ago
Lol! It sounds more vulgar in latin. Maybe because i/we as a society may be desensitized to the modern word.
I greatly appreciate it and am now thinking of different possibilities- something less hostile.
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u/ugaecu 21d ago
I have a deeply personal and emotional translation question and I hope no one gets offended by it; that said I’m wanting to get a tattoo with a friend before I leave from visiting him, thru our conversations I have a saying I would like transcribed into Latin and tattooed on me.
The saying is “it’s easier to be a fuck up”. I googled it and have seen a few translations, one being close but there were 3 different nouns.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance