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I have a healthy distrust of Google Translate, which translates the proper name "Memorial Day" into...

Diem in Monimentum

The reverse translation becomes "Day of Remembrance," which is accurate if not precise. Google translate often has alternatives and commentary from online participants, but in this case, there are none, which makes me nervous. Do you agree with this translation? I'm developing a poster for the U.S. holiday and want to be sure the expression I use represents not just the translation of words, but also the translation of intent (aka, an idiom).

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You could probably do something like Dies Memorialis (sing) or Dies Memorialum (plural), which should be fairly easy to understand for non-speakers of Latin. I personally like the latter better since Memorial Day is about more than a single person.

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  • The plural could also be "Dies Memorales" depending on if one wants a nominative phrase. – Nickimite May 18 '20 at 3:25
  • Dies memorialis can also be interpreted as a simple combination of noun and adjective in the nominative (and both can be declined in parallel). I like this best. – Sebastian Koppehel May 18 '20 at 19:07
  • @Nickimite What form of what word would memorales be? – Sebastian Koppehel May 18 '20 at 19:07
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"Diem in Monimentum" means '(someone does something) into/against a monument.'

If I would translate memorial day, it would either be a direct translation of the English phrase: "Dies Monumenti" aka Day of the Monument. 'Dies' is in the nominative case, as most Latin words are by default.

Otherwise, I would translate what you are celebrating. Memorial day is a day to honor the troops who have fallen in service to their country. Thus, I would suggest "Militum Dies Magnorum" or 'Day of Great Soldiers.'

Or perhaps "Dies Martis Militum" 'Day of the Soldiers of Mars,' which plays up the divine role of the soldiers.

And maybe "Dies in Memoria Tenenda" -- 'A day which must be held in memory.'

P.S. Most Roman holidays end in -ia. "Memorialia" could be a good Romanization of the English holiday.

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  • Monimentum does mean the monument; but also the person/ event remembered. Hence Monimentum Viret means both the monument is green and (their) memory is fresh. – Hugh May 18 '20 at 1:22
  • That information might make a good answer in and of itself! – Nickimite May 18 '20 at 2:16

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