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Category: Latin
What language was used to connect Europe and Byzantium?
Latin confirmed with a check in the Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Latin was clearly on the wane from the 7th century, but it seems not completely lost: Lawyers preserved some knowledge of Latin, often superficial, from the 8th to 11th C., and Constantine IX’s novel establishing a law school in Constantinople prescribes the teaching of […]
How do you translate “It is what it is” into Latin?
A non-trivial one. The meaning needs to be captured, and the meaning is that “it is no more than what it already is; we are stuck with it.” Which means I’d rather render the second is as ‘become’, ‘end up’. Est sicut factum est “it is as it has become” is a start. Ut fit […]
What is the origin of the scientific name of the apple tree “malus”?
This has been answered already, I’ll just answer it more anecdotally. Indo-European has two words for apple, that show up in different daughter branches: *h₂ébōl shows up in Germanic (… apple), Celtic, Balto-Slavic, and probably Hittite šam(a)lu- ‘apple tree’ *méh₂lom shows up in Greek (Doric mālon, Attic mēlon), Latin (mālum), Albanian (mollë), and Hittite maḫla […]
What is the Latin translation of “Even the dead have not seen the end of war”?
Ne mortui quidem belli finem viderunt. Answered 2017-04-26 [Originally posted on http://quora.com/What-is-the-Latin-translation-of-Even-the-dead-have-not-seen-the-end-of-war/answer/Nick-Nicholas-5]
In Christian historical movies, why aren’t the Romans speaking in Greek instead of Latin?
Because lots of Westerners know Latin (or at least know about Latin), relatively few Westerners know Ancient Greek, and Latin is the language Westerners associate with the Roman Empire. Having Greek spoken in a movie would really just confuse people, who’d expect the Romans in Palestine to be speaking Latin. That, and the logistics of […]
What is the plural of specimen?
The Latin plural is specimina. specimina – Wiktionary reports it as an alternative to specimens, but I have never seen it used. The examples it gives are from a 1949 textbook on colour perception. Answered 2017-02-27 [Originally posted on http://quora.com/What-is-the-plural-of-specimen/answer/Nick-Nicholas-5]
What is the latin rendering of “Pornography is literature designed to be read with one hand”?
Pornographia litterae sunt uno manu legendae. Answered 2017-02-15 [Originally posted on http://quora.com/What-is-the-latin-rendering-of-Pornography-is-literature-designed-to-be-read-with-one-hand/answer/Nick-Nicholas-5]
What is the latin rendering of “The difference between pornography and erotica is lighting¨”?
Differunt pornographia eroticaque per luminatione. I could try to come up with something more historically accurate for pornography and erotica, maybe invoking the Ars Amatoria. But frankly, the reference is to film, and I don’t think historical accuracy is worth it. Answered 2017-02-15 [Originally posted on http://quora.com/What-is-the-latin-rendering-of-The-difference-between-pornography-and-erotica-is-lighting¨/answer/Nick-Nicholas-5]
Do some people still have old Latin names and surnames?
Translating your surname into Latin was in fashion in the 16th through 18th centuries for many Germans and Swedes; Linnaeus (von Linné), for example, or Neander (as in Neanderthal; Neumann). EDIT: Philip Newton points out Neander is Greek. True dat. OK, try Faber (surname), Latin for “Smith”. Or Schmidt. Sometimes, it has stuck around. I’m […]
What is “liar, liar pants on fire” in latin?
What we’re actually looking for is a Latin proverbial expression that means what the English means. And the English has nothing to do with inflammable pants at all: it just says “Hah! caught you lying!” I noodled around latin Via Proverbs. The closest I get are: Mendacem memorem esse oportet. A liar should have a […]