"Good News!" in Latin?

March 28, 2006 5:43 AM

Latin speaking Mefites, would you help with my Church logo, please?

I need a translation of the phrase "Good news!" into Latin. The free online translators give "Bonus novus!", but I am not certain the Latin word means news (information) as well as new (not old).

Second, I need a byline, but would like to make sure it has a nice ring to it in Latin, so stylistic suggestions are encouraged here. It should be something like "never think again", "you needn't think anymore", "we'll think for you", or something like that - but as I say, sounding good in Latin.

Thanks in advance for any assistance, good people.

posted by Meatbomb to Writing & Language (18 answers total)

I think "news" is nuntii. But I am not a Latin scholar.
posted by CunningLinguist at 5:52 AM on March 28, 2006

CunningLinguist is right.
"nuntii boni" therefore.
posted by cerbous at 5:56 AM on March 28, 2006

"Never Think Again"

In the byline of a church paper...

So long as you're honest about it I guess...
posted by TTIKTDA at 6:00 AM on March 28, 2006

Bona Nuntia? seems to be already used for that purpose...
posted by funambulist at 6:08 AM on March 28, 2006

or, er, maybe "boni nuntii"... ?
posted by funambulist at 6:13 AM on March 28, 2006

Best answer: I'd translate it as "verbum boni"— 'good word', or "verba boni"— 'good words'.

As for the second part, how about "portavit animus et cogitatio nusquam"? Roughly, it's 'carry your mind and thoughts on no occasion', with the negative I chose, 'nusquam' ('on no occasion'), being used in classical Latin in the sense of "never again; under no circumstances here and now, and under no circumstances in the future".
posted by Yeomans at 6:35 AM on March 28, 2006

Yeomans, you have to inflect the adjective as well. Thus, "verbum bonum" or "verba bona".
I still like "nuntii" better, though.
posted by cerbous at 6:42 AM on March 28, 2006

Response by poster: Please, guys, thanks all so far and keep it coming.

What Yeomans is giving is exactly what I am needing, any more?

Thank you thank you again good people.
posted by Meatbomb at 6:46 AM on March 28, 2006

malus moriendum est....
posted by malusmoriendumest at 6:49 AM on March 28, 2006

Err, thanks cerbous. I shouldn't try to handle Latin before I've had my coffee. :-)
posted by Yeomans at 6:56 AM on March 28, 2006

Is your church seriously advocating not thinking? Just wondering. Or is this a joke?
posted by orangemiles at 7:24 AM on March 28, 2006

Habetisne lac?
posted by The White Hat at 7:45 AM on March 28, 2006

Te amat Iesus--ceteri te putant irrumatorem

Jesus loves you--everyone else thinks you're an asshole

From "X-treme Latin"
posted by ColdChef at 7:49 AM on March 28, 2006

Best answer: It depends what you're trying to communicate. Good news! has many resonances...

You can use nuntius bonus – indeed it’s used in the latin vulgate for Proverbs 25: 25 “aqua frigida animae sitienti et nuntius bonus de terra longinqua” (As cold water to a thirsty soul, so are good tidings from a far country.) Isiah 52:7 (How lovely are the mountains…) uses a variation on this using the verb adnuntiare.

But much of the time when the phrase good news/good tidings/glad tidings (or whatever according to English translation), this is a translation (first of the New Testament Greek of course) of the verb evangelizare in the latin vulgate – that is “to preach good news”. For example: Luke 2: 10 "et dixit illis angelus nolite timere ecce enim evangelizo vobis gaudium magnum quod erit omni populo" And the angel said to them: Fear not; for, behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy that shall be to all the people – where evangelizo is translated as “I bring you glad tidings”. So you might be inclined to use evangelium instead.

(You can play around for yourself using a parallel-text website like latinvulgate.com to see what’s used where)
posted by boudicca at 7:59 AM on March 28, 2006

Response by poster: malus moriendum est - translation?

The White Hat - translation?

Thank you boudicca for that site link, very cool.
posted by Meatbomb at 9:31 AM on March 28, 2006

I think the phrase you want is 'laetum nuntium'.

'Nuntium' in later Latin tends to have Christian connotations -- 'bene nuntiare' means 'to proclaim the gospel' -- and any other translation of 'good news' would sound wrong to me. It's also hard to think of the Latin for 'good news' without immediately thinking of the announcement of a new pope: 'Nuntium vobis gaudium magnum, habemus papam!' There's an episode in Primo Levi's The Periodic Table where his fellow-student in the chemistry class announces in mid-experiment, 'nuntium vobis gaudium magnum, habemus ferrum' ('we have iron'), which shows how deeply the phrase is ingrained on the Catholic mind.

Please. Meatbomb, think again about the 'Latin byline', which sounds like a really cheesy idea to me. Latin motto yes, Latin byline no.
posted by verstegan at 10:04 AM on March 28, 2006

Sorry, that should be 'nuntio vobis gaudium magnum', my mistake.
posted by verstegan at 12:21 PM on March 28, 2006

Unfortunately I can't offer any help with the Latin, but you seem to have enough help with that already, Meatie.

But I'm still curious as to your "byline" choice. Care to explain?
posted by folara at 11:33 PM on March 28, 2006