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Questions tagged [word-order]

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What word order resolves the ambiguity of two nominative nouns in a sentence?

This question is a beginner's confusion about sentences of the form: [subject_noun] [object_noun] est. E.g. Bob agricola est. From my understanding, both the subject and object are declined in ...
modulus0's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
533 views

What is the term for extremely loose Latin word order?

For a Latin-language artificial intelligence called Mensa Latina the user manual will need to discuss and therefore refer to the phenomenon in Latin prose where meaning comes from grammar and ...
Mentifex's user avatar
20 votes
5 answers
9k views

Is Duolingo good for Latin?

On August 28*, 2019 Duolingo announced its Latin course for English speakers. Out of curiosity, I subscribed, but I'm just starting to peek into it. My question is (if anyone has tried it in depth ...
Rafael's user avatar
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20 votes
1 answer
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Why might "Philosophiae Doctor" (the source of "Ph.D.") have been preferred over "Doctor Philosophiae"?

The English abbreviation Ph.D. comes from the Latin for Doctor of Philosophy, which I understand would be either Philosophiae Doctor or Doctor Philosophiae. I know word order is flexible in Latin, ...
Nathaniel is protesting's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
318 views

Word order in latin

A few days ago, I found the following sentence: Est mea cunctorum terror vox daemoniorum. The sentence is readily translated as "My voice is the fear of all demons". But it prompted another ...
FusRoDah's user avatar
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15 votes
1 answer
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Why is it "nomen mihi est" for "my name is", but it's "tibi nomen est" for "your name is"?

I understand that there is no strict order, but why is it that this specific order is preferable over something like "mihi nomen est" or "nomen tibi est". The image below is from ...
hifromdev's user avatar
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14 votes
1 answer
403 views

Did word order have any function in colloquial Latin?

In Latin, word order is mostly free. This is used intensively by poets and other authors to achieve a desired rhythm or rhetoric figures like chiasms. However, this does not apply to regular, spoken ...
Wrzlprmft's user avatar
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9 votes
2 answers
1k views

Yoda's distinctive speech syntax in Latin, "lost in translation"?

You might be familiar with Yoda's speech style, with phrases like: Powerful you have become... Patience you must have... Wars not make one great... If ..., only pain will you find. As Wikipedia ...
luchonacho's user avatar
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6 votes
1 answer
363 views

Use of the chiasmus in Latin

Was the chiasma common in Latin? Or an uncommon figure of speech? (Words in a sentence with the pattern ABBA or ABBCBBA, etc...) Where could we meet the greatest amount of chiasma? In poetry? In ...
Quidam's user avatar
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6 votes
2 answers
170 views

Would the meaning change a bit if I changed "mea culpa" to "culpa mea" even if Latin doesn't care about word order?

At a Catholic Mass (Roman rite) people sometimes say (either in vernacular or Latin): "Confiteor Deo omnipotenti, et vobis fratres, quia peccavi nimis cogitatione, verbo, opere et omissione: mea ...
Hank's user avatar
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2 answers
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Is there an explanation for this word order?

This website has the Liturgy of the Hours online. The closing prayer for Laudes and Vespers is (line break mine): Dominus nos benedicat et ab omni malo defendat et ad vitam perducat eternam. ...
luchonacho's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
1k views

Trying to translate "Best Man, True Friend, Bad Influence" into latin for an inscription

I'm trying to translate "Best Man - True Friend - Bad Influence" into Latin for a gift inscription for (unsurprisingly) my best man. So far I've got to "Optimum Vir - Verum Amicus - Malum Auctoritas." ...
Alan S's user avatar
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3 votes
2 answers
279 views

Can you split "natus sum"?

What are the conditions to make a reasonable hyperbate? Reasonable, I mean, if I don't want to sound to poetical, as I know the word order is more free in poetry, the same rules for word orders don't ...
Quidam's user avatar
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