14
votes
Accepted
Why might "Philosophiae Doctor" (the source of "Ph.D.") have been preferred over "Doctor Philosophiae"?
There is no significance to the word order, and both are perfectly acceptable in Latin. In fact, it is only in English translation that there is a difference felt. The genitive in Latin is perfectly ...
cmw♦
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10
votes
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What would "high school" be in Latin?
If you want a single word meaning "high school" specifically, I think the closest would be lycēum. I think the word schŏla "school" would also be appropriate in reference to a high school.
As you ...
- 23.8k
9
votes
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Historical recordings of ex tempore contemporary Latin used in university lectures?
Professor Wilifried Stroh's lectures on the history of Latin literature and on other subjects are incredibly entertaining, learned, and eloquent. I don't know when he made them, but since he was born ...
- 16.1k
9
votes
Accepted
Parsing "quod Deus optime vertat"
A Google search reveals several instances of Quod Deus Optime Vertat or simply QDOV in titles of things, but most of them seem similarly ambiguous.
However, a letter written on September 21 of 1520 ...
- 16.1k
9
votes
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Are Latin feminine academic titles used in formal occasions?
The first ever female professor (and second ever female laureate) was Laura Bassi, who held her dissertation in philosophy in 1732 at the university of Bologna and taught Newtonian physics there. I've ...
- 439
9
votes
Accepted
What is an academic fellow?
The proper word for 'fellow' seems to be socius, at least according to John G. Griffith, the former Public Orator at Oxford University (1973-80) and Fellow and Tutor in Classics, Jesus College (1938-...
- 17.8k
8
votes
How to translate "Rochester Catholic Schools" into Latin
The most general words for 'school' are ludus and schola, the latter usually being reserved for more advanced students. (You might also like academia, but it really refers to a place for philosophical ...
- 17.8k
8
votes
Accepted
Why does the author use "illuminated" for "ignibus"?
It's actually not ignibus that's translated as "illuminated", but ignibus aucta.
One of the meanings of augeō is to supply something (accusative) abundantly with something (ablative). So the ...
- 56.2k
7
votes
Accepted
What is the etymology of the Latin name of Cambridge?
It is a 17th-century Latinisation of the Anglo-Saxon name for the town:
"The term is derived from Cantabrigia, a medieval Latin name for Cambridge invented on the basis of the Anglo-Saxon name ...
- 8,421
7
votes
In which case should book authors be written?
The title page of Gauss's book says "auctore D. Carolo Friderico Gauss". It is an ablative absolute: "the author being C.F.G." Without "auctore" it would make no sense.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
- 16.5k
7
votes
Are there official Latin translators?
In the Czech Republic there are many diplomas issued in Latin (definitely the largest Charles University does so) and hence official translation services are available. The services do include ...
7
votes
Knowledge of Moonlight among Latin writer
For the record, here is the quote from Cicero (De Natuara Deorum):
ipse sol mundum omnem sua luce compleat, ab eoque luna inluminata graviditates et partus adferat maturitatesque gignendi.
and the ...
- 8,537
7
votes
How grammatical mistake transmitted in manuscripts
Although it sounds paradoxical, a good scribe is one who does not correct mistakes.
Looking through the whole corpus of transmitted texts, among the commonest errors are:
Correcting a non-existent ...
- 1,390
6
votes
A Latin word for the Finnish doctoral sword
While the Romans did not give swords to those who became educated at a higher level (education was not as formal as it is today), they did give swords for other occasions, such as when a gladiator was ...
- 3,928
6
votes
Accepted
In which case should book authors be written?
It depends on context.
You could use Medea Ovidii (Ovid's Medea) in most contexts.
In the title page of a book, it is typical to write something like Medea actore ovidio (Medea, the author being Ovid)...
- 107k
6
votes
What would "high school" be in Latin?
First of all, I think @sumelic's answer is excellent (and I've upvoted it), but I think it would be remiss not to mention a reasonable alternative, gymnasium.
- 4,598
6
votes
Knowledge of Moonlight among Latin writer
The hypothesis that the moon reflects the light of the sun was well known to the ancient Greeks and Romans. Pliny the Elder describes the moon as reflecting sunlight, and also gives an explanation of ...
- 23.8k
5
votes
What does J.S.J.P. stand for?
In my experience, academic theses are defended in public with permission — and perhaps protection — of high university officials, and this is often indicated on the title page.
Consider ...
- 107k
5
votes
Accepted
A Latin word for the Finnish doctoral sword
It seems there are quite a lot of places to look for thoughts about the various words for swords. I offer passages from three, in chronological order:
Ramshorn (1841) gives the following commentary ...
- 16.1k
5
votes
Accepted
Latin names of Cambridge terms
These phrases come from English Law Latin, which divides the Legal Year into four quarters: Terminus Paschae, Terminus Trinitatis, Terminus Sancti Michaelis, Terminus Sancti Hilarii.
See this: https:/...
- 16.5k
5
votes
Accepted
Invitation to a thesis defence
My suggestion:
Franciscus te/vos libenter invitat in dissertationem, in qua thesem suam nomine "Aptatio spectralis proteinorum lucipetorum theoria electrostatica explicata" defendet die inedita ...
- 107k
5
votes
Latin gender and non-binary gender identity
Given that this question has gone unanswered for over a year, I'll provide what partial evidence I can. Here's what Macrobius had to say about the gender of Venus (Sat III.8.2 onward):
signum etiam ...
- 56.2k
5
votes
Accepted
Latin gender and non-binary gender identity
I am a nonbinary latin student and I do sometimes use masculine, but mainly neuter terms. I realize it is not typically used for humans, but language is made to be adjusted to the people's needs. I ...
- 66
5
votes
Accepted
In what sense is a university (universitas) a whole?
Interesting question! I quote in extenso from a 1907's book titled "The rise and early constitution of universities, with a survey of mediæval education" (available here):
The term "universitas" ...
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5
votes
Are there official Latin translators?
I found this service when I searched Google:
Scholaro Translation
They specifically mention translating diplomas from Latin, and are a member of the American Translators Association. I don't know ...
- 7,946
5
votes
Are there official Latin translators?
The Colombian Ministry of External Relations can produce an official certificate that Colombia has no official translators between Latin and Spanish: https://www.traduccionesbogota.com/la-guia-...
- 241
5
votes
Are there official Latin translators?
Well, a search for "Vatican" and "Latin translator" put me on to this guy, Daniel Gallagher, who has left the priesthood and has joined the Classics faculty at Cornell,
"[a]fter eight years at the ...
- 8,421
5
votes
Pliny named the plant in his book History of Nature
"When certain that a Latin or Greek name is generally equivalent to an English one" means that we know what sort of plant he's describing, but we're not sure whether the category he used ...
- 56.2k
4
votes
Accepted
What does "omnibus dehiscens offendiculum" mean?
Let me translate sentence by sentence.
Second opinions (and answers) are welcome.
Qui præ nimia tristitia, strictim complosis manibus et stridentes dentibus ingemiscebant.
They groaned because of ...
- 107k
4
votes
Are Latin feminine academic titles used in formal occasions?
At Oxford, Latin is still the official language of Congregation, such that for proceedings in English permission is asked first*. The annual ceremony where honorary degrees are conferred is called ...
- 1,001
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