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It is sometimes appropriate to add "I look forward to hearing from you" at the end of a letter or other similar communication. I am looking for a phrase that says more "I am happy if you react to this letter in some way" rather than "please write back". (To be precise, I really mean "please come to Latin.SE".) What would be an idiomatic way to express this in classical Latin? The Roman letters from antiquity must have a phrase that has this effect, but I'm not familiar with any.

A direct translation might be something like Expecto mihi de te audire licere, "I await a chance to hear about you".

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    @JoonasIlmavirta Is this to a close friend, an acquaintance, or something more formal?
    – cmw
    Mar 18, 2017 at 14:42
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    @C.M.Weimer What I had in mind is something like a hobby-related acquaintance or a distant colleague. For example, consider sending an email to a Latinist you met a year ago in an event, telling them about this site.
    – Joonas Ilmavirta
    Mar 18, 2017 at 15:33

1 Answer 1

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Would something as simple as

Té (vós) summé præstolámur.

or

Scító (-óte) té (vós) valde exspectátum (-ós).

do the trick? (I'm going with your real meaning rather than the specific sentence you asked for.)

(Præstolor seems to take the dative or the accusative indiscriminately.)

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    I will accept this answer for now. If someone hits the nail with an attested classical idiom, I will have to unaccept.
    – Joonas Ilmavirta
    Jul 3, 2016 at 22:38
  • I will brace myself for the possibility. :) Jul 3, 2016 at 22:56
  • By the way, I'm going here on Wednesday, so if I learn anything new I'll update or post a new answer. latin.org/programs/rusticatio/tironum Jul 4, 2016 at 22:49
  • That looks interesting. I might consider attending one of those if they were closer to me.
    – Joonas Ilmavirta
    Jul 5, 2016 at 13:06
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    Oh, and please remember to tell about our site there!
    – Joonas Ilmavirta
    Jul 5, 2016 at 13:14

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