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As the title says, how do you say notes in Latin? Originally I thought it would be nota, notae, but the online Perseus latin dictionary doesn't give the same sense of the word that I would like. Instead, I would like a word for the kind of notes I would take in a class room, or at a lecture.

I'm a little worried that this question might be too trivial, but I think that simple word requests are acceptable. I appreciate any feedback.

1 Answer 1

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I found a few options for you:

From William Whitaker's Words

  • adnotatio, adnotationis, f.- note or comment; writing/making notes; notice; rescript of emperor by his hand;
  • annotatio, annotationis, f.- note or comment; writing/making notes; notice; rescript of emperor by his hand;

From Lewis Elementary

  • commentarius, commentarii, m.- a notebook, notes, memorandum
  • commentarium, commentarii, n.- a notebook, notes, memorandum

From Morgan and Silva Furman University Lexicon

  • adversaria (scholastica), adversariorum, n.pl.- notes (for class)

Out of the options I gave you, the entries from Lewis Elementary are probably the most idiomatic for the type of notes you mean. However, the Morgan and Silva option is far more accurate in meaning (this dictionary attempts to find Latin words for modern concepts, so its entries are not idiomatic classically). I hope this helps!

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  • I like your 'memorandum.' "Memoranda," = things which should be remembered; though the Romans meant great deeds and worthy achievements.
    – Hugh
    Sep 23, 2016 at 10:31
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    A plug for the Morgan Lexicon—it's true that they're not classical idioms, but it's not so much that the lexicon attempts to find Latin words for modern concepts as that by going through the entire history of Latin it often finds words in late Latin that fit modern concepts much better than words in classical Latin. Adversaria, for example, is from a 1794 use, in which year our modern concept of "taking notes" was much more in the public consciousness. wyomingcatholiccollege.com/faculty-pages/patrick-owens/lexicon/… Sep 23, 2016 at 16:19
  • @JoelDerfner Thank you! See, I knew that they found words throughout history and all of that, I just couldn't figure out the right way to word it...
    – Sam K
    Sep 24, 2016 at 0:39

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