Questions tagged [word-choice]
For questions concerning how to choose the correct word from a selection of similar-looking alternatives
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How do you say "ubi librum in eundem locum ubi eum repperit posuit" more elegantly?
In Cornelia (a Latin reader by Mima Maxey written in 1933), there is the following sentence:
ubi librum in eundem locum ubi eum repperit posuit, …
which roughly translates to:
when she placed the ...
user15883
4
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1
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Is "tandem tamen" a classical paronym?
I've noted the use of the expression tandem tamen (~ in the end however, but yet, and yet), in various Latin texts. It's a paronym that appears in many post-classical and neo-Latin texts; by example :
...
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'Antisemitism' in Greek and/or Latin
This is a purely linguistics inquiry.
One term that's piqued my interest is "anti-Semitism." While it's widely used, the construction (anti- + -ism) feels recent compared to terms like "...
user15476
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Clean the house
A friend of mine put a reminder to clean his house before going out, in the inner-facing side of the front door. As a humorous note, he wrote it in Latin, attached to a well-known quote:
Memento mori....
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Differences between φρονεω and νοεω
What is the difference between the meaning of these two words? How is it different when I φρονεω vs when I νοεω?
So far as I understand it, νοεω is from the νους or καρδια, and φρονεω is from the φρην....
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0
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Adverbial numeral for the "teen"s
I noticed this numeral while reading Regulus, the Latin version of the Little Prince. In the scene that the businessman shows his sum of stars, he says:
Cinq cent un millions six cent vingt-deux ...
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Latin word for a person who eats meat but not fish
In Latin, meat is called "carnis". Is there a specific Latin word or expression for a person who eats meat but not fish or seafood in general? Is "carnitarian" a Latin word?
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"To sound (like)" in Latin
The verb sound in English sometimes acts copulative. The definition of this sense in Merriam–Webster's dictionary is
to make or convey an impression especially when heard
// it sounds good to me
// ...
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Is *musica* a *scientia* or an *ars*?
If I understand correctly, ars would correspond to nowaday's "technical sciences" whereas scientia would correspond to "theoretical sciences".
Therefore, which word would best ...
user13971
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How would I say something along the lines of "no kicks no glory", "no kickstart no glory"
The intention is to point out that there is no glory in starting your motorcycle with electricity. Starting up your engine by kicking your kickstart is the one true and pure way. I tried to figure it ...
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Quo itis or quo vadis?
What's the difference? Web translators in both cases come back with "where are you going to". Both vadere and ire are "to go". There has to be some, possible subtle difference. Can ...
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Do we use "satis multum" + genitive to convey "a sufficient amount of"?
The following sentence comes from lines 126-128 of chapter XVI of Lingua latina per se illustrata. Familia Romana:
Nāvis aquā implērī incipit, neque enim nautae satis multum aquae haurīre possunt.
...
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8
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Quidquid vs quæcumque
Both quidquid and quæcumque are ways of translating English whatever or all things that [sth.], but is there any difference in meaning in that specific context?
I have a vague notion, not based in ...
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Does "virtus" apply to women?
Virtus, literally "manlihood", is the origin of English virtue and is often so translated. As far as I know, virtus mainly refers to "courage", "strength" and other "...
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Why does "Oedipus Rex" most commonly have a Latin rather than Greek title?
Nearly 2500 years ago, Sophocles wrote the Greek play Oedipus the King.
It was originally titled Oedipus Tyrannus in Greek.
Yet today, it is almost universally known as Oedipus Rex.
Why and when did ...
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What is the best Latin translation of 'towards truth'?
I am looking to create a Substack publication where I can share articles I have written on philosophy. I want to choose a name for the website that best summarises or encapsulates the nature of the ...
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Translation of “God’s Favorite” to Latin [duplicate]
I have been trying to get “God’s favorite” translated into Latin. I’ve tried google translate English to Latin and “Dei Ventus” comes up. When I swap the languages to double check, Latin to English, I ...
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What is the latin preposition for "Upon"?
as in the phrase "you want to Call upon my skill". There seem to be lots of prepositions that translate as "on" (which upon is a more formal and abstract form of), but I'm not sure ...
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Both "fēmina" and "mulier" mean "woman": what's the difference?
The word fēmina is used with the meaning "woman":
Of human beings, a female, woman (cf.: uxor, mulier, matrona; conjux, marita)
(Lewis and Short)
(Fēmina also means "female" when ...
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"Semitic languages" in Classical Latin
The term semiticus is attested in Rudimenta linguae Hebraicae (C. H. Vosen, 1883) but I am more interested in Classical Latin.
In English, the expression "Syro-Arabian languages" is ...
user12055
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Translating command "Be of highest value!" to Latin for jewelery engraving
What is the most accurate translation for the command "Be of highest value!"? The meaning of the phrase is to behave as someone who brings out the best in others. As in, be the highest value ...
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Philip III of France in Latin
Philip III of France is called "the Bold" ("le Hardi" in French).
The Latin Wikipedia page translates: "Philippus Animosus" but I can't find any historical source using ...
user11811
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How to say "in solid rock" in Latin to convey specific technical meaning?
I am writing a paper that describes nuclear reactions that take place in the earth's crust leading to the formation of volatile gases. In several places, I need to distinguish between things that ...
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How to translate the word "ukulele"?
The ukulele also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii.
(Wikipedia)
Cithara Havaiana is used in Vicipaedia but it seems wrong since ...
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How would Roman name an Übermensch?
I was thinking of "homo superus/superior" but I don’t know which one is better.
I’m referring to the concept introduced by Nietzsche.
user11281
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Is a logician a “logicus” or a “logicista”?
I am wondering how to translate the noun “logician” into Latin.
Smith & Hall suggests “dialecticus” but I had in mind the modern discipline as a formal science, not the argumentation exercise of ...
user11274
5
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1
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How to say "programming language" in Latin?
Reading the Latin version of Wikipedia, I noticed that the term "programming language" was translated in many ways.
Depending on the page, you can find almost any combination of lingua/codex/...
user10919
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How to translate "hall of fame" into Latin?
What would be the idiomatic way to say "hall of fame" (a structure housing memorials to famous or illustrious individuals) in Latin?
I feel like "templum/aedes gloariae/famae/honoris&...
user10351
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What would be the Latin word for an entry in a dictionary or an encyclopedia?
entry An item in a list, such as an article in a dictionary or encyclopedia. — Wiktionary
What would be the best Latin word to translate entry in this context?
The online dictionary I use don't give ...
user10919
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3
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Translating “Claim Joy” as a Personal Motto
I’m trying to come up with a good translation for my own personal motto, “Claim Joy.” I use it in the context of my own mental health struggles and a reminder that you can’t wait for happiness, you ...
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General vs specific "mors" and "vita"
To my understanding, words like vita and mors can either refer to the general concepts of life and death ("life is precious", "remember death") or to specific people's lifespans or ...
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How does one say "Beyond the curtain (for a theatre)", in Latin?
I don't really know enough about Latin morphology or grammar to get a clear cut answer (already knowing that Latin is a very free-form language), so how does one say it? I was thinking something like ...
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Why does Müller read "accusatius" in Satyrica 119.11?
Petronius' Satyrica 119.11-12, in Konrad Müller's Teubner edition (1995), reads:
hinc Numidae †accusatius†, illinc nova vellera Seres,
atque Arabum populus sua despoliaverat arva.
What reasons could ...
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Tellus' "briny robes"
I read in Keats' Hyperion:
[...] No, by Tellus and her briny robes!
(Hyperion, 246)
Tellus is a Latin goddess, her Greek counterpart being Gaia.
I am looking for the Greek or Latin source of the ...
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What is the difference between ἀρχαῖος and παλαιός?
What is the difference between the two adjectives ἀρχαῖος and παλαιός?
In particular, what word would fit the best to mean "history" between ἀρχαιολογία and παλαιολογία?
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Two kinds of falling
The English verb "fall", when the subject is a human, has two main kinds of literal1 meaning as far as I can tell:
A change of position: Moving suddenly from higher elevation to lower. (The ...
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translation for Strength, love and courage to Latin
I would like to engrave a piece in Latin for my teenage son with our “family motto.” The motto is strength, love and courage. He is studying Latin and I want to be sure the word choice is accurate. ...
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"For all" and "there exists"
The two most common mathematical quantifiers are "for all" (∀) and "there exists" (∃).
I wondered how to render them in Latin. Here is my proposal:
for all x: pro omnis x
for all ...
user8582
4
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"From her hands, to life" in Latin
I want to gift someone who is a nurse something with an engraving. I thought about the phrase "from her hands, into life", but in Latin.
Based on what I remember from school, my idea is:
E ...
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How do I best translate "A big window into history"?
As I've only recently begun to study Latin, I'm not yet sure how to best translate "A big window into history".
First of all, I'm not sure whether the adjective should precede, or rather ...
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How to say that I have used up all of something?
Suppose that I have a book that has given me a lot of good hints but now I feel that I have exhausted the book and used up all it can give.
Is there a Latin verb that I could use to express this?
The ...
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"Project Management" in Latin
I was looking for a translation for "project management" and its adjacents (project manager etc.). There's surprisingly few direct translations for "project", but I've managed to ...
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μολὼν λαβέ but in Latin
What would be a Latin phrase similar to the sentiment supposedly expressed by Leonidas the first in 'MOLON LABE' "come and take them" in response to Xerxes demanding the Spartans to lay down ...
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What is the closest Latin equivalent to the modern conception of "(nuclear) family"?
When translating the word "family" into Latin it seems obvious to go to "familia". However, multiple sources (most quoting Richard Saller) tell me that "familia" derives ...
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Difference between 'urbe' and 'oppidum'?
I have found that LLPSI uses oppidum to describe cities (at least in the early chapters) while Duolingo uses urbe. What is the difference, and which should I usually use?
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When/whether to use "ineō" instead of "eō"
I am learning Latin for the first time this year, and I have a question about the usage of the verb 'eō', I go. The textbook that I am using, Henle Latin 1st Year, lists 'eō' as follows:
eō, īre, ...
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What should the corona virus be called in Latin?
The corona virus (or a specific kind thereof) is a hot topic, and one should of course be able to discuss it in Latin.
But what should we call the thing in Latin?
Both corona and virus are Latin words,...
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"Venire ad" or "Venire in"?
When can I use "venire ad", or "venire in". (excepting the few locative cases)
What kind of buildings, place, etc, can accept the one or the other?
Is "venire ad" insists more on the move than "in"?
...
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Difference between "senex "and "senilis"?
What would be the differences in uses of "senilis" and "senex".
I know "senilis" is constructed with senex+illis, it should help me, but I don't get it.
Thank you.
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What is "heart" as the emotional organ?
In English one uses the word "heart" in a variety of ways to express deep emotion, as in "She will always be in our hearts".
Is there a corresponding "emotional organ" in Latin?
How should I go about ...
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