This tag is for questions concerning the meaning and usage of individual words or a few words in conjunction with each other.
4
votes
1answer
61 views
Does a form “spiritum”, second declension neuter, exist?
Today, as I browsed Quora, I saw a question with an (apparently) blatant case error. I opened it, and curiously, one answer stated it could have been a correct case, since, while there is indeed "...
3
votes
1answer
797 views
What is the meaning of “e pluribus smart assimus”?
I am just curious what a phrase "e pluribus smart assimus" means.
3
votes
1answer
257 views
How do I do something “hard”?
"Hard" is sometimes used as an adverb in English to emphasize a physical action, or indicate that it was especially vigorous or forceful. For example, "he hit the ground hard when he fell", or "she ...
2
votes
0answers
51 views
How the Greek word “oikonomia” got meaning of “thrift”?
Some dictionaries seems to include the word "thrift" at the end of definition for oikonomia (good examples here and here):
Greek oikonomia "household management, thrift.
I would like to know the ...
4
votes
0answers
28 views
Seeking simple Latin translation for motto “fire, flow, transcendence”
I am in a community of flow artists and fire performers. I'm putting together a "coat of arms" of sorts for this community, and would like to include a motto in Latin. The motto in English would be ...
8
votes
2answers
36 views
What is a good deed?
Suppose I wanted to talk about good deeds. Generally this means acts done by someone for selfless reasons, solely to benefit others.
For a literal translation I could go with bona facta, but the ...
4
votes
1answer
52 views
What exactly are βροτολοιγῶ?
From Procopius's Secret History (or Arcana Historia) XII.12-14:
Διὸ δὴ ἐμοί τε καὶ τοῖς πολλοῖς ἠμῶν οὐδεπώποτε ἔδοξαν οὗτοι ἄνθρωποι εἶναι, ἀλλὰ δαίμονες παλαμναῖοί τινες καὶ ὥσπερ οἱ ποιηταὶ ...
3
votes
5answers
107 views
Translating “child of freedom”
How would I translate the phrase “child of freedom" in feminine form?
2
votes
0answers
28 views
meaning of “status” and “condiciones”
I'm reading Olaus Magnus's 1550 Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus, earumque diversis statibus, condicionibus, moribus, ritibus, superstitionibus, disciplinis, exercitiis, regimine, victu, bellis, ...
4
votes
1answer
62 views
Art and science in Greek and Latin (Greek)
Consider these pairs:
τέχνη και ἐπιστήμη (?)
ars et scientia (?)
art and science
Kunst und Wissenschaft
Did Antiquity have this opposition or division between art and science? If not, when ...
3
votes
1answer
66 views
Is there an Ancient Greek verb with this very particular (and nsfw) meaning?
I heard it claimed recently that Ancient Greek had a verb similar to irrumāre, but specifically for irrumātiō performed on a corpse.
This seems somewhat absurd, and the claim had no source attached, ...
2
votes
0answers
36 views
What is “sense of humour” in Latin?
What would be a good classical Latin translation of "sense of humour"?
I can find words for "humour", but I am not sure how to go about "sense of".
Would one of the humour words be adequate on its own ...
2
votes
1answer
16 views
Proper use of De Jure and De Facto in the context of “what is” and “what is right”
I work in IT. For a long time I've said to my team "Build for de jure, change for de facto".
Meaning: Build a perfect world version, change it to fit the way things are.
An example: When planning ...
2
votes
2answers
42 views
What is an opera in Latin?
The genre of "opera" (as in, a particular type of theatre involving a lot of singing) post-dates the Roman Empire, and the English word for it transparently comes from the plural of opus. In most ...
11
votes
2answers
718 views
What is “parecbolae”?
Researching an answer for this question, I found a book of regulations of the University of Oxford, dating from the early 19th century. The title is:
I cannot find the meaning of Parecbolae anywhere. ...
8
votes
1answer
95 views
Does mentula (“penis”) derive from the same root as mens (“mind”), and if so why?
The Latin word mentula isn't properly defined in the Lewis & Short dictionary, but it does show up on Latin-Dictionary.net and Wiktionary. Both those dictionaries define mentula as "penis". But ...
3
votes
0answers
36 views
Idiom like “Fair enough!”
If someone disagrees with you and the argument makes you change your opinion, you might say "Fair enough!" in English. This seems to be essentially equivalent to "Oh, good point! I agree."
Is ...
4
votes
1answer
60 views
What is an undergraduate student?
What would be a good way to say "undergraduate student" in Latin?
The exact meaning depends on context: in Finland I would use that to refer to a student without a master's degree even if they have a ...
3
votes
3answers
38 views
What is “mechanical”?
If I wanted to describe something as "mechanical", as opposed to electronic or human-run, how would I do this in Classical Latin?
As the Romans had no electronics, the main distinction I'm interested ...
4
votes
1answer
57 views
Has “tribalis” ever been used in Latin?
I was recently looking up the etymologies of some obscure words related to the English word tribe (like the adjective tribual), and I came across a Wiktionary page that asserts that there is or was a ...
2
votes
1answer
55 views
Forming compound words in Latin: helicopter
I would like to understand the formation of Latin compound words through the example of the word "helicopter".
This obviously has a Greek origin, and I would like redo the construction with two Latin ...
5
votes
2answers
543 views
What is “legendary” in Latin?
The English word "legendary" obviously comes from Latin, from the gerundive legendus, "that which is to be read".
(Less clumsy wording ideas are welcome!)
I might base a translation of the noun "...
9
votes
1answer
72 views
Ablative considered as an accusative
In my Latin-Italian dictionary I found this expression:
arva sanguineo gyro scribo
that is translated as:
I draw a blood circle on the ground.
But, gyro is an ablative. Why is it considered as ...
7
votes
1answer
52 views
Are there any Latin words with sharply contrasting meanings?
The English word madam can mean
A polite form of address for a woman or lady.
(slang) A woman who runs a brothel, particularly one that specializes in finding prostitutes for rich and ...
6
votes
2answers
67 views
Quōmodo rēctē “derivative of f(x)” dīcere?
I am currently struggling to figure out how to translate the following phrase:
[...] derivative of f(x) [...]
I had a couple of initial ideas, namely:
dēductīva [fūnctiō] dē f(x)
dēductīva ...
5
votes
1answer
62 views
Roman children's diminutive for parents
I read - I believe on here - that a Roman child's equivalent for, eg "Daddy, Pop" etc was tata. Was there an equivalent for "Mummy"?
12
votes
0answers
139 views
What is the proper parsing of “macte virtute”?
As indicated in another answer, macte virtute is a common way of saying, "Well done."
The consensus seems to be that macte is the vocative of mactus. L&S states (contradictorily?):
(only in ...
4
votes
1answer
105 views
Does nux also mean a toy?
In his translation of the following passage from Seneca's De Ira, John Basore renders nucibus as "toys":
Non pietas illam iram sed infirmitas movet, sicut pueris, qui tam
parentibus amissis ...
3
votes
0answers
76 views
How to translate “sexy”?
How would one translate “sexy” into Latin? In particular, I’m looking for a word or phrase that has a similar “slangy” feel to the English version.
I’ve considered a few possibilities: Catullus 10 ...
5
votes
5answers
493 views
Touching emotionally
In English or Finnish I can say that I was touched by something or an experience was touching, meaning that I was touched emotionally, not physically.
How can I express the same in Latin?
Does tangere ...
2
votes
1answer
34 views
Which modern cities are urbes?
I have understood that urbs is not just a "city", but more properly a "major city".
The L&S entry implies that it refers to a walled town, but city walls are rare nowadays.
What makes a city an ...
1
vote
0answers
27 views
How to translate “associative movement”
How could we translate "associative movement" in Latin?
I know "association" is usually "consociatio", but what about the adjective?
"Associative movement" means (more or less) the fact that people ...
1
vote
1answer
38 views
What is chat in Latin?
What would be a good Latin noun or verb to translate "chat" in the sense that would apply to our chat room, for example?
There are verbs like garrire, fabulari, verbigerare, and simply colloqui but I ...
3
votes
0answers
110 views
What is the best Latin word for “career”?
What would be the best Latin word(s) for "career", to be used together with a specification such as "academic", "military", or "industrial"?
The Roman phrase cursus honorum might refer too ...
6
votes
1answer
67 views
How to describe qualifications?
I recently obtained formal qualifications to teach Latin (and mathematics and physics) in a number of Finnish schools and I got my diploma yesterday.
How should I go about expressing this in Latin?
Is ...
2
votes
3answers
112 views
What is analysis in Latin?
The word "analysis" is found in some form in a number of languages, and it is of Greek origin.
I could not think of a Latin term meaning "analysis" (as the word is used today, which may or may not be ...
8
votes
1answer
71 views
How did the literal meaning of “putare” develop into “to judge, to think, etc.”?
For the verb puto -are, Cassell's and Lewis & Short give a primary meaning of "to clean, cleanse" and a literal meaning of "to trim, prune or lop trees or vines". I can easily imagine the path ...
5
votes
3answers
95 views
What is “obituary” in Latin?
The English word "obituary" seems to come from the Latin verb obire.
One can derive the adjective obituarius from that verb, and using the neuter obituarium would make possible translation.
However, I ...
2
votes
1answer
44 views
Does the avenger arise from bones or ashes?
A famous quote of Dido's from Aeneid 4.625 is
exoriare aliquis nostris ex ossibus ultor
of which my preferred poetic translation is Fitzgerald's
Rise up from my bones, avenging spirit
...
3
votes
1answer
247 views
Does Vires acquirit eundo translate to “He gathers…” or “We gather…”?
Does Vires acquirit eundo actually translate to "we gather strength as we go", or, "he gathers strength as he goes", or "he gathers strength along the way"? This is part of a possible tattoo design so ...
11
votes
2answers
87 views
Is the usage of “id est” in Latin exactly like the usage of “i.e.” or “that is” in English?
There was a question a little while back on the English SE asking about the "plural form of i.e." (unfortunately, it got closed because the author didn't clarify what they meant).
While I was trying ...
10
votes
2answers
1k views
What is “gullible” in Latin?
Did you know that Lewis and Short's dictionary doesn't contain the word "gullible"?
That is an appropriate question for the first of April, but it turns out that I indeed found no trace of that word.
...
3
votes
2answers
42 views
How to describe a gazette to stakeholders in Latin?
Suppose a university sends a periodic magazine or gazette out to alumni, companies, and other stakeholders.
What would be a good Latin word for this kind of a publication?
Would it be simply nuntii?
...
3
votes
1answer
50 views
What would be a traffic circle or roundabout in Latin?
Out of idle curiosity, how would you translate "traffic circle" or "roundabout" into Latin?
I assume the Romans did not have them, but there must be some analogues to draw on.
The best I could think ...
5
votes
2answers
133 views
What is the meaning and history of the word Imperator?
As most people with historical interests know, the English word "emperor" is derived from Old French empereor which is derived from Latin imperator. IMHO it seems more correct to refer to a Roman ...
6
votes
1answer
70 views
Did “paganus” mean a non-believer before Christianity?
The adjective paganus is derived from pagus and seems to originally mean roughly "belonging to a village".
According to the L&S entry the sense "non-military" is also classically attested.
In ...
8
votes
3answers
367 views
Where does Pliny, or any ancient author, write about a stilus plumbeus?
Researching the history of the pencil the German speaking web is full of quotes that attribute to Pliny the mentioning of a stilus plumbeus as the historical and etymological source for the word ...
5
votes
1answer
40 views
What is “Sleep debt” in Latin?
How can I say "sleep debt" or "chronically not sleeping enough" in classical Latin? I have big doubts that this term was not used by doctors, but can not find a correct translation.
16
votes
2answers
2k views
What are the moon phases in Latin?
Here is a list of phases that we distinguish in English (taken from here):
Full Moon
Waning Gibbous Moon
Last Quarter Moon
Waning Crescent Moon
New Moon
Waxing Crescent Moon
First Quarter Moon
Waxing ...
6
votes
1answer
882 views
What does “et alibi” mean?
Here are few definitions, which I found, of what "et alibi" means:
And elsewhere; used to terminate lists of passages in a text (link).
In lists of places, et alibi (meaning "and elsewhere") is used ...
