Comments on: My mermaids only speak dead languages

Question: My mermaids only speak dead languages

boots — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 11:46:11 -0800

Latin Scholars: How would you translate "Let the mermaids flirt with me"?

The best we've got so far is "Sino lymphae me subblandire." Is that conjugated properly, and are there any better words we could be using?

Thanks.

By: greycap

greycap — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 13:26:42 -0800

Subblandire would be the third person singular passive imperative, and you need the third person plural. Sino's unnecessary using this form of the verb. My own rough guess would be:

lymphae me subblandiuntor

You could also substitute nereides for lymphae - but it depends which obscure branch of water nymphs you want to pick to signify mermaids...

By: nomis

nomis — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 16:40:25 -0800

The verb subblandior 'flirt' takes a dative object, so in greycap's translation you should replace me with mihi.

By: greycap

greycap — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 23:13:28 -0800

Thanks for that - my dictionary only grudgingly admitted the existence of the word ("v., perhaps subblandiri"), much less told me what it took...

By: lukemeister

lukemeister — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 07:17:27 -0800

boots - I look forward to hearing your Latin blues album.