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.
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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
48 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
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0answers
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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
36 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
110 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
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1answer
56 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
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1answer
53 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
56 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
196 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
votes
0answers
30 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
72 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
222 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
votes
2answers
63 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
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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
votes
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
56 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
480 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
362 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
95 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 (...
4
votes
2answers
196 views
What is a forum in Latin?
The word "forum" as used in English and many other modern languages obviously comes from Latin.
It means a place where people gather to discuss, like an online forum or a scientific conference, but ...
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votes
0answers
66 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 ...
2
votes
1answer
54 views
What was the standard ancient term for a thermopolium?
This page on thermopolia reports a quotation from Mary Beard, classics professor at Cambridge University:
“The best way to escape a diet of bread, cheese and fruit, eaten in small lodginggs over a ...
2
votes
1answer
49 views
How to say “of the” as in “Church of The Blessed Virgin” with the sense of “belonging to” or “patronage”?
I would be glad if anyone could help me how to translate the name "Church of the Virgin Mary" or at least how to place "of the" in the sense of "belonging in patronage" in such contexts? Other ...
4
votes
2answers
152 views
What is a boyfriend or a girlfriend in Latin?
When answering this question, it occurred to me that I don't know what to call a "boyfriend" or a "girlfriend" in Latin.
What would be good words?
I assume that the same solution will work for both ...
6
votes
1answer
56 views
how to interpret ‘formosus’ via its morphological components
The adj. formosus can be decomposed as follows:
forma + -os-us
where forma means ‘shape, form’ and -os- ‘with abundance’. However, when the two notions come together, the whole, which literally ...
2
votes
2answers
115 views
Is there a verb for people of the same sex marrying in latin?
As far as I know there are two words in Latin that indicate two people marrying
nubere
This means to veil oneself for marriage. It thus has to be said by a female member and it is implied that this ...
4
votes
1answer
103 views
on the word–analysis of ‘viridis’
According to OLD, the adj. viridis derives from the verb vireo, but nothing is mentioned about the suffix that turns the verb to the adj. Could anyone tell about the suffix that transforms the verb ...
4
votes
2answers
75 views
Putting “spread” on a bread in Latin
There are various kinds of spreads one can put on a bread, made from butter, vegetable oils, or other ingredients.
What would be a good general word for these products for use in contemporary Latin?
...
5
votes
1answer
46 views
how to interpret the diminutive-suffixed adj. **lacteolus**
I read the following content in the Oxford Latin Dictionary:
lacteolus = lacteus+ -olus,
where -olus is a diminutive suffix.
The ‘normal’ form lacteus and the diminutive form lacteolus share ...
8
votes
1answer
130 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
1answer
54 views
What to call a visa in Latin?
Is there an established Latin word for "visa", the kind of document you need to enter some countries?
The English word seems to come from the past participle of the Latin verb videre, and so does the ...
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votes
2answers
77 views
How to choose correct word variants?
I asked a question earlier.
For some time now, it's occured to me that a pattern is forming: All my questions about the Latin language are basically the same. The subjects change, but the underlying ...
7
votes
1answer
343 views
Are there Latin angry oaths like the English “damn it!” or “for God's sake!”?
Nowadays (I guess) every language has both vulgar and non-vulgar ways to express anger, frustration and/or exasperation , in response to some nuisance. Looking e.g. at Catullus, it seems unlikely that ...
12
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2answers
699 views
When and how was “bombax!” used?
I found the exclamation bombax! in Plautus' Pseudolus (Pl. Ps. 1.3.131), where note 19 specifies it is a Greek loanword (βομβάξ in fact) used as an interjection of contempt. This agrees with what is ...
4
votes
2answers
62 views
What is the general word for a religious ceremony or observation?
Suppose I wish to talk about the various aspects of Roman religion: prayers, festivals, sacrifices, and everything else. In English, "observances" is a fairly general term for all of these aspects ...
4
votes
1answer
60 views
What does a versipellis turn into?
I asked a question before about a passage in the Satyricon describing a werewolf: a man who transforms into a wolf and back. The Latin word used for this creature is versipellis, from vertō "turn" + ...
9
votes
1answer
115 views
What's the Latin or Greek for ladybug?
I'm curious whether we know the Classical Latin or Greek names of the ladybug. I can't find the word in any of the dictionaries I have access to at the moment, and googling turns up this reddit thread ...
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2answers
153 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.
...
5
votes
2answers
199 views
Hesychius quote: where are those words from?
Sappho Voigt 117A Campbell 117A number 2 (Campbell has two 117As, one is a quotation from Michael of Italy, the same as Voigt 194A, and the other one is Voigt 117A) is a quote from Hesychius, which ...
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1answer
36 views
Need translation Please of: Promissary of the future
Dear Translation Helpers, Could you please help me translate "Promissary of the Future" into true Latin? I have looked the words up, but they don't seem to make sense as the syntax is different and I ...
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2answers
60 views
Meaning of “naturam unibilitatis”
In Summa theologiae (ST I q. 29 a. 1 ad 5) one can read:
Ad quintum dicendum quod anima est pars humanae speciei, et ideo, licet sit separata, quia tamen retinet naturam unibilitatis, non potest ...
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0answers
67 views
Does *meditari* mean “measure”?
Does meditari have a meaning like "measure"?
Using Google (I don't know which dictionary it's quoting), I see ...
However I don't think I'm seeing that in a Latin dictionary, e.g. Lewis and Short or ...
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votes
1answer
67 views
Does “plurimi” imply “vast majority” in Augustine's Enchiridion?
In Augustine's Enchiridion, §112, he writes:
Frustra itaque nonnulli, immo quam plurimi, aeternam damnatorum poenam et cruciatus sine intermissione perpetuos humano miserantur affectu, atque ita ...
3
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2answers
152 views
“Malo” in Motto Maelstrom
The motto for Concordia University Saint Paul (MN) reads:
"In litteris proficere volo, malo diligere Jesum."
The CSP website, magazine (Spring 2009), and various internet sources offer these ...
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2answers
539 views
What is “terror” in Latin?
If I have understood correctly, the English word "terror" roughly means various activities invoking fear, such as attacks on civilians, and "terrorism" is the use of terror for political purposes.
The ...
4
votes
1answer
481 views
What is a ball as in meat ball?
There are various foods that are called "balls" in English, perhaps most famously "meat balls".
What would be a good Latin word for a ball in this sense?
I can think of words for a ball in general, ...
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votes
2answers
51 views
What is the origin for the act of “sex” and definition?
What is the origin for the word "sex" in its various grammatical forms (the noun "sex" and the verb "sex")? What is the historical definition of this word? How has it morphed into the definition of ...
3
votes
1answer
65 views
Can “libella maris” be “sea level”?
I came across the expression libella maris in a scientific text from 19th century.
There are many ways to parse it in the context, and one option that occurred to me is that maybe it stands for "sea ...
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vote
1answer
89 views
About an Athenaeus quote marginally related to Sappho
Here is the quote:
ἐκαλεῖτο δέ τις καὶ βαλανωτὴ φιάλη, ἧς τῷ πυθμένι χρυσοῖ ὑπέκειντο ἀστράγαλοι. Σῆμος δ᾽ ἐν Δήλῳ ἀνακεῖσθαί φησι χαλκοῦν φοίνικα, Ναξίων ἀνάθημα, καὶ καρυωτὰς φιάλας χρυσᾶς. ...
