Questions tagged [idiom]
The idiom tag has no usage guidance.
293
questions
6
votes
1answer
84 views
Is “The beginning is half of every action” truly a Greek proverb?
I found in a book from 2015 a box with the quote:
The beginning is half of every action. (Greek proverb)
I googled it and there are many "pop websites" with the same quote. But none with a ...
4
votes
1answer
173 views
What do you say in Latin when something sucks?
In English you can say: "This job/movie/party/[anything] sucks!"
This is a concise and slightly profane way of expressing displeasure.
Is there something similar in Latin?
The corresponding Finnish ...
3
votes
2answers
135 views
“How do you do?”
How to ask "How do you do?" in Latin.
Quomodo te habes, is it common?
What other common greetings for the "How are you?" exist?
I have seen:
Quomodo es?
Quid agis?
Quomodo te habes?
1
vote
1answer
54 views
Elit Scelerisque Mauris Pellentesque Pulvinar - Could some one please help to translate this
Could someone please help to transtale "Elit Scelerisque Mauris Pellentesque Pulvinar" to English?
Many thanks and best regards,
Phuong
1
vote
1answer
49 views
My boy, my woman, my man, my girl
What would be the meaning for "my girl", "my man", "my boy", "my woman" in Latin?
If I use filia tua, it means you daughter, but could be used as puella tua to mean the same, or is there other ...
1
vote
0answers
42 views
Is it possible to use a prepositional phrase with a gerundive/gerund?
can we use prepositional phrases (like "de domo") linked to a gerund or
a gerundive, can it act as an object?
3
votes
1answer
73 views
Translation to Latin of “everything is revenge”
I'm trying to translate a phrase. I'm trying to say "everything is (part of) revenge", as in "every action is an act of revenge against the ones that tried to break you". Sorry if it's not too clear ...
5
votes
1answer
213 views
May they rest in peace
This may become an inscription written on a historical marker commemorating a mass grave. Which of the following is correct: Requiesce in Pace or Requiescant in Pace? The former was offered up by a ...
3
votes
1answer
74 views
Finer Tuning on Expressions-of-Time
Qs have been asked about expressions-of-time, of the type: "in the second year" = "secondo anno"; "within three days" = "tribus diebus"; "for two years" = "(per) duos annos" ("per" is optional) which ...
7
votes
1answer
676 views
Idiom for “I came, I saw, I ate” (or drank)
I'm trying to follow the "ee" sound pattern at the end of each word in the idiom "veni, vidi, vici" with translations of the following:
I came, I saw, I ate: Veni, Vidi, Edi
I came, I saw, I drank: ...
6
votes
0answers
77 views
Is there any database on idiomatic expressions in Latin?
It is often said that one has an excellent command of a language when one is able to use it in an idiomatic way, which typically involves making use of Idioms and Collocations, i.a. There are many ...
3
votes
2answers
81 views
Two by four meters in size
If I want to describe the dimensions of my office, I might say that it is about two by four meters.
How do I phrase this size, "two by four meters", in Latin?
I don't just want to say that the area ...
8
votes
4answers
2k views
How do I say “this is why…”?
I've seen this meme circulating lately, pointing out one of the many valid reasons to learn to speak dead languages properly:
My first thought was, "this is why we need to mark long vowels!" But I ...
3
votes
0answers
66 views
“Laughing our heads off” in Latin
As a follow-up of an interesting question on a typological classification of Latin (Are Latin verbs of motion satellite-framed or verb-framed? ), I was wondering if Latin has (semi)idiomatic ...
5
votes
2answers
461 views
“A killed B” translation
I hope this is the correct place to ask, I have 0 experience with Latin but need this one phrase translated.
"A killed B" as in "Tom killed John".
From what I understand, for my context the best ...
4
votes
1answer
62 views
“Any thoughts” in Latin
How would one translate "any thoughts?" into Latin?
It is an ellipse for "does anyone have any thoughts?"
I would think "ullas cogitationes?" for "Aliquis ullas cogitationes habet?"
2
votes
1answer
77 views
In high enough pressure shit becomes a diamond
I have this proverb I use quite commonly. I was wondering what it would be in latin. Can you help me?
*"In high enough pressure even shit becomes a diamond."
5
votes
3answers
1k views
Phrasing “it says” or “it reads”
I occasionally want to say something like:
Did you see the sign? It says: beware of the dog.
How can I phrase "it says" in Latin?
In English one can say "it says" or "it reads", and the direct ...
2
votes
2answers
117 views
Pro paganos civitate est civitate dei
I want to say 'the City of God is established by the existence of (aggresive) pagans. What would be the grammatical and elegant (in the style of St. Augustine) way of saying this in Latin?
I am ...
4
votes
1answer
1k views
Socratic Paradox
According to the Wikipedia page of the Socratic paradox 'I know that I know nothing', Latin version of the same is — 'Scio me nescire' (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_know_that_I_know_nothing).
...
4
votes
2answers
120 views
Translation of “Do it for her”
Could someone help me translate "Do it for her" into Latin?
Context:
The "it" refers to keep working, fighting, striving, while "her" actually refers to two persons; sometimes individually (so I'd ...
1
vote
1answer
286 views
Why is the phrase “horror vacui” commonly interpreted as “nature abhors a vacuum”?
Why is the Latin phrase: horror vacui commonly interpreted as: nature abhors a vacuum?
It may well be Aristotle's intended message, given the context, but it seems like a bit of a jump. Doesn't it? ...
2
votes
1answer
61 views
Latin original for “Would you have a great empire?” saying, by Publilius Syrus
Can someone provide the original Latin translation for Publilius Syrus's famous axiom, "Would you have a great empire? Rule over yourself." I have searched online and not been able to find it in Latin....
2
votes
2answers
61 views
How to translate “Argument To Proof of Work”
Is the following the correct way to translate Argument To Proof of Work
Argumentum Ad Probationem Operis
The intention is to translate it in the same way as Argument to the Person
Argumentum Ad ...
2
votes
1answer
56 views
An idiom for working as something
I would like to have a good idiom or two to express working in some position.
A structure like this seems to be missing from my vocabulary, or at least I don't feel confident enough that what I might ...
2
votes
2answers
114 views
Expressing outrage
I'm looking for a way to express in Latin "she broke a blood-vessel in a fit of passion".
It's an English idiom, not to be taken literally, but used to express a burst of outrage or anger. I need ...
22
votes
3answers
7k views
“Oh no!” in Latin
Are there idiomatic Latin exclamations similar to the English "oh no!" used when one finds oneself in an unfortunate situation?
The only thing that I came up with is that I might want to use vae or o ...
1
vote
0answers
250 views
please translate, ‘forward, always forward’. and ‘what’s behind us is behind us’. thanks [closed]
Would you please translate the following?
‘forward, always forward’ and ‘what’s behind us is behind us’.
Thank you.
4
votes
1answer
101 views
“I came, I saw, I am playing” = “veni, vidi, ludo”?
This came up as an idea for a team phrase for a sports team. The purpose would be to convey that people visited, joined, and are still playing the sport. (Disclaimer: I know almost nothing of Latin.)
...
3
votes
1answer
109 views
Where does the saying “Quod licet Jovi not licet bovi” come from?
Where does the saying "Quod licet Jovi non licet bovi" come from? My Google research was not satisfactory. Any book or article you know of that can guide me?
3
votes
1answer
118 views
How to say “shake hands” (or handshake) in Latin?
In Galatians 2:9 there is a reference to a handshake between Paul and other Apostles:
So, James, Cephas and John, these leaders, these pillars, shook hands with Barnabas and me as a sign of ...
6
votes
1answer
175 views
How to translate “Carpe That Diem” properly into Latin?
I was in a store today when I came across a notebook that said "Carpe That Diem" on the cover. How would one translate this phrase into Latin properly?
At first I thought to simply translate "that" ...
2
votes
4answers
325 views
How do you say “three times a week” in Latin?
How do you say "three times a week" in Latin?
For context, I want to say that I swim three times a week.
6
votes
1answer
139 views
<quality> even for being a <noun>
Salvēte omnēs, hocc erit mihi prīmum rogātum hāc in sēde. Haud dūdum vīdī quendam hominem scīscitārī, quōmodo posset Latīnē dīcī "he has a long tail, even for a cat". Ad quod rogātum cum respondēre ...
3
votes
3answers
177 views
Phrasing “based on” in Latin
I have failed to find a way to say "based on" in Latin.
For a concrete example, I want to be able to write:
The movie is based on the book.
How would you go about phrasing this in Latin?
Going by ...
5
votes
3answers
143 views
How do I break someone's heart?
In English, "heartbreak" is a well-attested and living metaphor, with phrases like "I'm going to break his heart", "my heart is broken", "he looks broken-hearted", "he's dealing with heartbreak", "he'...
5
votes
2answers
79 views
How to construct the title of a house: House of the Large Cups?
I have read the thread on Domus optima, but I am looking for the idiom: how did Romans title their houses (vs. describe them)?
In English, I would title our place "House of the Large Cups" because ...
6
votes
2answers
276 views
“Explaining oneself” in Classical Latin
How should I say in Classical Latin the following phrases?
"Explain yourself!"
"I didn't explain myself well", "I didn't make myself / wasn't clear"
I've been thinking of the verbs explico and ...
5
votes
4answers
147 views
“Over promise under perform” motto
As this is the time when we're all coming up with wacky mottos, I thought I'd try my hand at our department's private motto.
Having run a few variants through Google Translate, and coming out with a ...
6
votes
1answer
4k views
Meaning of “supra se servitium”
Background
In the TV series Fallet, some of the upper class of the fictional town of Norbacka use the phrase
supra se servitium
as a sort of salutation. Its meaning is never elaborated upon.
My ...
4
votes
2answers
247 views
How to say “me importa un comino” (or equivalent) in Latin?
In Spanish there is a whole array of phrases of the type:
Me importa un comino.
where the word "comino" can be replaced by many alternatives (e.g. pito, pepino, bledo, etc). This phrase, in a more ...
8
votes
2answers
2k views
An error message in Latin for my programming language
I am writing a piece of software that translates programs into programs (a "compiler", in informatics lingo) and my source language allows the programmer to specify Latin numerals.
In case the ...
6
votes
3answers
687 views
How to phrase “I like the way you think” in Latin?
Is there a concise way to phrase "I like the way you think" in Latin?
I can find ways to say this, but everything I could think of is a little unwieldy compared to the English.
For example, I might ...
5
votes
2answers
790 views
Understanding “jam nunc”
The expression (idiom?) jam nunc appears several times in the Vulgata. So far I've seen two common translations. One is that of "now presently". For instance, Exodus 9:19:
(Latin) Mitte ergo jam ...
8
votes
1answer
163 views
Is it idiomatic to say “Intellego” to assure the speaker you're understanding?
In other words, when an English speaking person would say "I see" meaning "I understand what you're saying", is it natural in classical Latin to say Intellego, as in, maybe even more than once? If not,...
4
votes
2answers
59 views
in order of temporal proximity
In Latin, how would you refer to the concept of sorting events according to temporal proximity (i.e. most recent, or nearest to now, first); as opposed to sorting by priority, or starting from the ...
4
votes
2answers
210 views
Why is plural of “mons pubis” not “montes pubum”
Latin newbie here. Was talking with a friend about Martian landforms like Olympus Mons. Then we talked about other uses of mons, like mons pubis. But then I realized I didn’t understand something.
...
9
votes
3answers
174 views
Did the Romans 'tip' for good service?
I need to refer in Latin to the modern practice of 'tipping' in return for good service. I am well aware of words and phrases for 'reward', which are essentially correct for my purpose, but I should ...
6
votes
2answers
344 views
A classical Latin phrase for “all or nothing”
Is there a saying in classical Latin similar to "all or nothing"?
I am aware of aut Caesar aut nihil, and that would be fine if it was classical.
In most cases the era of origin is irrelevant, but I ...
5
votes
1answer
91 views
Idiomatic phrasing of “to the [cardinal direction] of [something]”
I am currently writing a small geography of the Roman Empire at its greatest extent (in the year 117 AD, under Emperor Trajan) in an effort to practice my composition skills. So far everything has ...
