Questions tagged [vocabulary]
This tag is for questions concerning the meaning and usage of individual words or a few words in conjunction with each other.
1
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1answer
25 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? ...
3
votes
1answer
35 views
What would a Roman call modern necromancy?
Originally, the word necromantīa referred to a sort of divination using ghosts, like what Odysseus did on his journey home: he made an offering and summoned the shade of Tiresias, in order to ask him ...
7
votes
1answer
99 views
The opposing meanings of the word donec?
I saw that "donec" might mean: "as long as", but it also can mean "till". In a sense those are opposing meanings. let's consider this example:
I'm happy as long as there is daylight outside
I'm ...
6
votes
4answers
749 views
A latin word for “area of interest”
Looking for a word that expresses "Area of Interest", "Sphere of Interest" basically a word that expresses everything a person may be interested in.
Google translate says "Rem" means interest, but ...
8
votes
1answer
391 views
What is Plautus’s pun about frustum and frustrum?
The word frustum is often mispronounced as frustrum.
Wikipedia states that this mispronunciation goes back a long time and a pun about them is included in the works of Plautus.
Can anyone direct me ...
6
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2answers
81 views
How were fractions written and pronounced?
In English, when we want to express parts of wholes and certain numbers of said parts, we use fractions consisting of a denominator indicating how many equal pieces an item has been broken or divided ...
2
votes
1answer
63 views
Is the Latin word verenda a noun? If so, which lexical root it has?
Is the Latin word verenda a noun? If so, which lexical root does it have?
Deu.25:11:
"Si habuerint inter se jurgium viri duo, et unus contra alterum rixari coeperit, volensque uxor alterius eruere ...
8
votes
1answer
280 views
Is crescere the correct word meaning to to grow or cultivate?
I am creating a program that helps people learn a growth mindset and “grow” into what they want to become. Is crescere the correct word meaning to to grow or cultivate?
3
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2answers
70 views
What would be a literal translation of “Satan”?
In Ancient Greek, the Hebrew word שָׂטָן (satan, "adversary") is sometimes translated as διάβολος (diábolos, "betrayer") and sometimes adapted as Σατανᾶς (Satanâs).
In Latin, it seems like there ...
15
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4answers
8k views
Is Cola “probably the best-known” Latin word in the world? If not, which might it be?
I found this in an ecological park:
Cola is actually a Latin word (a scientific one, referring to the plant), albeit its etymology is African.
I am curious about whether it is "probably" the best-...
4
votes
2answers
296 views
How to find the stem of any word?
I am wondering if the stem of every word has an exact form?
For example:
For the word genus, how could you determine is it gen or gener?
For the word līber, how could you determine is it līber or ...
4
votes
3answers
81 views
Why there are several words for swimming?
The words nō, natō, adnō are all verbs which means to swim. They have their own conjugation respectively.
Maybe there are not only three, but I'm not sure.
I wonder why there are several words in ...
2
votes
3answers
131 views
Does 'ipse' truly mean change?
This quote hails from the liner notes to this CD: John Adams's Violin Concerto performed by Leila Josefowicz, David Robertson of St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Alice Miller Cotter has a BA in Music (...
7
votes
6answers
1k views
How to say 'striped' in Latin
I'm looking for a way to describe striped cloth — that is, with regular stripes all over, or like the stripes on the flag of the USA.
I'm well aware of the stripe on a toga, angusticlavus, etc. But ...
6
votes
1answer
99 views
In what sense is a university (universitas) a whole?
The word for a university in many languages (not Finnish though!) comes the Latin word universitas.
The word appears to mean roughly "the whole", but one might also analyze it along the lines of "...
3
votes
3answers
87 views
How do you translate: What things, then, will you do?
How do you translate the following sentence:
What things, then, will you do?
I am particularly doubtful of the translation of "things" here. Would we use res, rei?
2
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2answers
75 views
How would you say “same thing” in Latin?
How would you say "same thing" in Latin? As in the sentence: If only you were feeling the same thing that I feel for you?
3
votes
1answer
337 views
What would the Romans have called “sorcery”?
In Christian Latin, the word maleficia is used for "witchcraft" or "sorcery": supernatural powers that don't come from God, and are probably associated with demons. A person who uses these powers is a ...
2
votes
1answer
52 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 ...
6
votes
2answers
513 views
What is a romance in Latin?
The word "romance" seems to come from Latin, but no similar Latin word appears to mean anything related.
Is there a good Latin word for a romance, a kind of an intimate relationship?
I cannot think of ...
3
votes
1answer
22 views
Usage of Exigo, Exigere
Can the verb "exigo, exigere, exegi, exactum," be used to mean "that man will pull through, despite his many injuries?"
Wheelocks' translation allows for the meanings of "drive through, complete, ...
20
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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 ...
5
votes
1answer
145 views
Can “nemo” be an adjective?
I subscribe to a "Latin word of the day" email, which sends me a random vocabulary word and an example sentence every day. Last night's email had this:
pecco, to sin.
Nemo accusator caret culpa; ...
4
votes
1answer
64 views
Please translate: “Bacon Machine” (Apologies in advance for the somewhat silly question)
For a game I'm working on, I'm looking for a phrase in Latin that describes a robot created for the purpose of making synthetic bacon.
After looking at Latin grammar books, my current guess as to a ...
2
votes
1answer
52 views
Understanding the use of “regnavit”
Regnavit is the
third-person singular perfect active indicative of rēgnō
(Wiktionary)
Now, many times this word translated as if present, regnat, which is puzzling. For example, consider Psalm ...
3
votes
1answer
63 views
Is “eloquii mystici” a correct translation of “sorcerers/enchanters”?
Is "Omnus nos eloquii mystici" correctly written to say "We are all sorcerers/enchanters"? I know there are different ways to say sorcerer or enchanter, but I really want to use "eloquii mystici". I ...
23
votes
4answers
11k views
How do I say “Brexit” in Latin?
Londinium, Britannia, 284 AD. The military commander Carausius is leading a movement to take Britannia out of the Imperium Romanum. He thinks there is a conspiracy between locals and foreigners to ...
4
votes
1answer
65 views
What does the f. adjective “tulda” mean?
In the scientific name Bambusa tulda, I would like to know what tulda (tuldus?) means.
3
votes
2answers
154 views
What is the Latin word for “will”, as in “willpower”?
The English noun "will" has a few different meanings. One is the choice or intention to do something, as in "willing" and "free will": Latin voluntās.
Another meaning, though, is more like "resolve" ...
3
votes
1answer
55 views
Lost and Confused--Supplemental
I am advised to re-submit this as a separate question (had thought, initially, it was just an aside, barely worthy of mention); anyway, North & Hillard Ex. 195: "All order thus being lost, Nicias ...
3
votes
2answers
130 views
Uter vs. Uterque
The way I learned 'uter' and 'uterque' was as follows. 'Uter' is like the Greek 'πότερος', meaning (in interrogative uses) 'which, of two?' and (in non-interrogative uses) 'either, of two'. I learned ...
3
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2answers
56 views
Trying to come up with a sort of wordplay phrase that translates to “power takes control”
Trying to come up with a sort of wordplay phrase that translates to “power takes control” but uses a Latin word that can mean both takes as in requires and takes as in takes away from you. This is for ...
2
votes
1answer
50 views
How do I translate “On the Nature of Renewal” into Latin?
I'm trying to create a title in latin:
On the Nature of Renewal
where Renewal could be exchanged with Rebirth or Regeneration, and Nature is maybe better as Subject. With this structure, I figured ...
3
votes
2answers
262 views
Why is “ita vero” two words?
I was taught the way to say "yes" in Latin is two words: "ita vero". It seems counter-intuitive that it's two words, but why is that so? In essence, why is the Latin word for yes two words? Does "ita" ...
6
votes
1answer
129 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 ...
4
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1answer
128 views
Are there any words in Latin that are “light”?
In Latin, every syllable is either "light" or "heavy". A "heavy" syllable is one that has a long vowel and/or a coda consonant, and a "light" syllable is anything else. This distinction is important ...
4
votes
1answer
269 views
Phrasing “I am enough” in Latin
Can someone help me distinguish between "ego satis" vs "sum satis" vs "Ego satis superque sum"?
I want to say "I am enough" as in "good enough as a person".
3
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1answer
63 views
How many letters are words in Latin?
In English, there are a few words that sound the same as a single letter. Some are spelled with a single letter ("I", "a") while others are just pronounced that way ("eye", "cue", "why").
How many of ...
3
votes
1answer
229 views
What does 'i' mean in Latin
I was reading a story in Latin, and part of it said "i nunc, Mercuri". I don't know what i is in Latin. By the way, this line is said in dialogue. Is it a filler word similar to the "umm" or does it ...
6
votes
1answer
1k views
Scius as the name for a company
After a long time looking for Latin names for the name of my startup, I came up with "Scius", which from what I was reading means cognizant. This will be a company in the area of data science. So I'd ...
5
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0answers
41 views
Is *rīcus attested?
The word for "rich" in most Romance languages looks something like, well, "rich". It declines like a first/second declension adjective, and seems to go back to Germanic *rīkijaz (possibly through ...
4
votes
3answers
80 views
Choosing a “wait” - exspecto, opperior or maneo
I hope that my question won't seem too flippant or strange... I'm not any sort of Latin scholar or student, but I am trying to coin a term based on Latin. I've been trying through several routes to ...
4
votes
2answers
263 views
Why and when would “num” be used?
According to what I understand num is used when the asker of the question is already aware that the answer will be no. Does this have any other uses besides rhetorical questions?
5
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2answers
72 views
Latin form of Igor
How would you translate the name Igor into Latin? The Latin Wikipedia uses Inguarus (e.g. Inguarus Stravinskij), which is the Latinised version of Ingvar.
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0answers
31 views
Natural or unflavoured products
There are a number of different flavours of, say, yogurts, and one of them is plain, without any added flavours besides what is needed to make the yogurt.
In English this flavour seems to be often ...
12
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2answers
1k views
What is the Latin name for the Romani people?
The Romani (aka Gypsies, though some consider that a slur) are nomadic people who dispersed across Europe about a thousand years ago. In other languages they have exonyms like tzigane, gitan, and ...
3
votes
2answers
64 views
A translation for 'stirrup'
I have to translate the word 'stirrup' into Latin. Since the Romans (famously) rode without stirrups I can find no useful classical reference and have decided to use stapes, which is used by ...
9
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3answers
500 views
Minimal pair [y] – [y:] in Latin
Are there minimal pairs distinguished only by length of [y] in Latin? Was the short variant of /y/ pronounced like [ʏ]?
7
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1answer
365 views
What to call a Christmas present in Latin?
What would be a good way to call Christmas presents on contemporary Latin?
Are there attested Latin descriptions of early Christmas where presents are given, or should we perhaps choose something ...
3
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0answers
104 views
Are there Classical Latin words whose meanings are unknown to us?
Are there any attested Classical Latin words whose meanings are unknown to us?
Given the intensive study of the Classical Latin corpus and the many methods of getting at the meanings of words (...
