Latin translation
April 13, 2011 11:15 AM
How to say sisters in latin please?
Asking for a friend who asked me, but I couldn't hazard a guess at the right declension to go with, and whether soror or germana is the way to go.
The "sisters" she wants is that we are sisters as in siblings and she is looking for just one word. TIA guys.
Asking for a friend who asked me, but I couldn't hazard a guess at the right declension to go with, and whether soror or germana is the way to go.
The "sisters" she wants is that we are sisters as in siblings and she is looking for just one word. TIA guys.
I meant case, I don't know why I said declension *shame*. Whether it's plain old nominative or if you need to use some other case.
posted by Iteki at 11:22 AM on April 13, 2011
posted by Iteki at 11:22 AM on April 13, 2011
To elaborate, germanus is typically an adjective to mean "sibling-like". You could make "germana" a substantive adjective if you really wanted but I'm not sure why you would unless you were emphasizing the general sibling-ness as opposed to the sister-ness, or maybe trying to fit a certain meter.
Yeah, you would use nominative plural. The nominative plural of soror is "sorores", which is how I would do it. If for some reason they like "germana", the nominative plural is "germanae".
posted by wayland at 11:26 AM on April 13, 2011
Yeah, you would use nominative plural. The nominative plural of soror is "sorores", which is how I would do it. If for some reason they like "germana", the nominative plural is "germanae".
posted by wayland at 11:26 AM on April 13, 2011
Agreeing with wayland that sorores is what you want here.
posted by rmless at 11:35 AM on April 13, 2011
posted by rmless at 11:35 AM on April 13, 2011
To know what case we should know what role it plays in the sentence. Does she want it for a sentence that means "We are sisters" or, e.g., for one that means "The brother gives gifts to the sisters"? (The first sentence would use sorores as said above).
posted by nat at 11:43 AM on April 13, 2011
posted by nat at 11:43 AM on April 13, 2011
Just the word, to be engraved on something I gather. She now says though that it is for a friend who is "like a sister". Which makes me wonder if germanae would be more appropriate? Although if she is going for the emotional cachet of family then sorores might be the one to go with all the same. This is why I hate when people try and force stuff into latin.
posted by Iteki at 11:50 AM on April 13, 2011
posted by Iteki at 11:50 AM on April 13, 2011
"Germanae" has the sense of "full sisters" as opposed to "half-sisters." I'd go with sorores.
posted by oinopaponton at 11:55 AM on April 13, 2011
posted by oinopaponton at 11:55 AM on April 13, 2011
I'd go with sorores too.
posted by badmoonrising at 12:28 PM on April 13, 2011
posted by badmoonrising at 12:28 PM on April 13, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by KathrynT at 11:17 AM on April 13, 2011