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Retranslating "the red laws" back into Latin

Bookhouse — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:36:23 -0800

How would one say "red laws" or "the red laws," in the context of the Roman civil statutes, in Latin?

If they did actually expect the Inquisition, what would they sing?

Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:33:17 -0800

Church Lyrics filter: Help me find old Catholic Church music with Latin lyrics (with English translations) about about smiting the Devil. I'm looking for lyrics that are ominous and very "Oh Lord, strike down Satan with your righteous smiteyness". Yeah see, this is why I'm asking for help.

Something that hundreds of years ago, a local church choir would have broken and brushed up on when they heard the Inquisitor was heading to town, and they wanted to greet him with appropriate music.

'Moving forward' in Latin

syzygy — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:09:52 -0800

LatinFilter: What is the gerund form of 'promovere'? If 'promovere' is the Latin word for 'move forward,' what is the Latin word for 'moving forward'?

Always an Ordeal

Nyarlathotep — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:39:39 -0800

My wife and I always joke about the preponderance of shitty luck we have and how if our family had a crest part of it would be the words "Always an Ordeal" written in Latin. I'm thinking I'd like to actually design it as a gift but know nothing of Latin. Anyone out there know how "Always an Ordeal" would be written in Latin?

Because Ceasar never gave honor to Sheetrock...

Tchad — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:56:48 -0800

Is this Latin correct? or Perhaps: How incorrect is this Latin? I have been writing back and forth to a friend in Latin, very basic.

This is stretching it, but if someone could redirect me or correct me I would really appreciate it.

"Next week I will have hung all of the drywall."

"instrvero cvnctvs laminae gypsi hebdomas proxima "
instruero cunctus laminae gypsi hebdomas proxima

Oh man, on one hand I am so proud of myself for getting so much vocabulary (I have only been doing this on my own part time since March!) but I am just now getting the feel for how the parts are starting to work. The next few months are taking all of the vocabulary and trying to apply them using more complex structures.

Thoughts? Ideas? I thought it seemed best to use instrvere, because other words I know would call for a more complicated structure. Should I be using "laminae gypsum" instead?

At this point I am just stringing things together the best I can like a 4 year old trying to make the declensions feel right. This is just a little fun for us, so no pressure. I need them (not Cicero) to understand "sheets of drywall" and the general idea.

Amo Amas Awhat?

The Whelk — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:23:36 -0800

Is there a Medieval Linguist in the house? I need a very short conversation between Cistercian nuns in Saxony translated into Medieval Latin. Any help so I don't sound like a complete idiot warmly welcomed. Background, it's 1301 in Lower Saxony at Wienhausen Abbey

"He wishes in all humbleness to adore the relic."

"Impossible."

"But abbess, he has brought a wonder! He says it is a gift. He only wants a moment with it."

"Bring him to me."

Total Side Question: I can't figure out if the nuns wouldn't used Old German or Latin when speaking to each other rather than writing religious texts. Some sources say Old French, even.

What makes a good [dance style] song?

philosophygeek — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:56:20 -0800

I'm starting to be able to identify what social dances fit different songs, but I don't know how to describe the features of the songs that make them appropriate for different dances. Can you help me name the features of songs that make them work well for the different social dances? In other words, what are the characteristics that make a song good for [insert social dance here]? I understand that there's a lot of overlap and flexibility, but if you were to describe what makes a song scream, "Please jive to me!" or "I'm a tango!", what would you say?

I'm interested in all kinds of social dances, but particularly the ballroom standards and nightclub dances (so waltz, tango, foxtrot, quickstep, samba, chacha, rumba, paso doble, jive, east coast swing, lindy hop, west coast swing, hustle, and nightclub-2).

Looking for Latin Lyrics for "Terribilis Est Locus Iste"

Burhanistan — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:00:20 -0800

Looking for the Latin lyrics to the Gregorian chant "Terribilis Est Locus Iste" I performed this song in a small group ten years ago but have forgotten many of the words and my wife would like to hear me sing it for her. I've only found play lists and videos via googling, but no actual printed lyrics. Here's the basic song. On the variant we did, the first canto after the chorus began with "Quam dilecta tabernacula tua, Domine virtutum" I can almost piece this one together with various renditions that come up in searches, but I'm still missing a few lines. I don't recall which of the compilation CDs that our choral director found this one on. Any ideas? Thanks!

Identify this Latin (Cuban?) Song Performance

matildaben — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:49:08 -0800

I heard a song playing on the sound system in a restaurant that I would like to track down if I can identify it. It was sung in Spanish, in a Cuban musical style (similar to the more ballad-like tracks on many of the Buena Vista Social Club artists' records). The vocalist was most likely male, singing in that kind of 1930's/40's croony sound with a high tenor with lots of vibrato, or possibly a woman with a lower voice. What was distinctive about the track is that it prominently featured a cello, which is not something I'm used to hearing in Latin music. I do not know if it was actually an old song or a modern pastiche, and I didn't get any lyrics.

Need a latin translation

Botunda — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:23:52 -0800

Latin scholars, I want to get a tattoo that reads: 'Live a proud life' and I don't know if it is going to be in the same statement, 'live a strenuous life' So far I have this that I gleaned from the web:

live a proud life : vivere a altus vita
live a strenious life: vivere a ops vita

They are no direct translations, but the ones that I found that were the closest.

Where to find data on the size of the informal sector?

andoatnp — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:20:00 -0800

Does anyone know a good source for the size of the informal sector by country in Asia and Latin America? I'm at a university so I have access to any books you could recommend as well as JSTOR or other online resources. The data I've found so far seems old and bad.

I'm hoping to find information on the size of the informal sector for as many countries in Asia and Latin America as possible. The more recent and academic the source, the better.

Verbum -> Parole due to religious scruples?

everichon — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:43:57 -0800

I looked up the etymology of parole in An etymological dictionary of the Romance languages, and was intrigued by this: "It took the place of the L. verbum which, from religious scruples, was sparingly used" (emphasis mine). What "religious scruples" are they alluding to? No elaboration is given in that entry. I realize that verbum means "word", and shares a stem with lots of other meanings, but I would love to know if anyone knows more.

ISO local New York PBS documentary on Latinos who converted to Judaism after they found out that they were descended from conversos.

xetere — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:16:10 -0800

ISO local New York PBS documentary on Latinos who converted to Judaism after they found out that they were descended from conversos. We have a diversity celebration in our office and it is time for the Jews!

I remember watching a documentary on PBS in the 90s. It was about Hispanics in New York who researched their roots, found out that they were descended from Marranos.

I distinctly remember this Puerto Rican guy from the Bronx (who looked and sounded like the "stereotypical Puerto Rican guy from the Bronx") who couldn't figure out why his mother lit a candle and put a towel over her head every Friday. He decided to researched his roots and found out that his parents on both sides were descended from Marranos who had emigrated to Ponce, PR. He converted - right down to beard, payot, and kippah.

I would love to show this during our corporate celebration.

I know it was 1 1/2 hours and I think it was a local WNET production.
Google brings up a documentary by WGBH in Boston about Jews in Latin America, which is interesting but not what I saw. Other than that, nothing.

Does this ring a bell with anyone?

pulsus a mortuus equus

usonian — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:44:31 -0800

I'm looking for a Latin translation of an American colloquialism (knowing that such translations are at best approximations/don't work because the idiom never existed in Latin.) I'm hoping the hive mind can help translate this phrase (which I should stress refers to the poor treatment of horses back in the day) into Latin:

"Rode Hard and Put Away Wet"

I've spent some time with Latin translators and dictionaries and may have gotten part of the way there, but never having taken any Latin I'm sure it's crude at best. I found the verbs "equito" (to ride a horse,) and "repono" (to deposit or store) and the adjectives "severiter" (harshly) and "madidus" (wet/moist/damp.) So, my uninformed attempt to string these together comes out as:

"Equito Severiter Et Repono Ut Madidus"

Which, when run through a translator comes out to:

"To ride harshly and to deposit when wet"

Am I in the ballpark? I appreciate any refinements you scholarly types can offer.

Similar songs of Jennifer Lopez's "Let's Get Loud"

yoitsfrancis — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 22:33:54 -0800

Hi, I would like to know song's that are similar to Let's Get Loud. By similar I don't mean songs by Jennifer Lopez. By similar I mean songs that have the same musical structure, beat, flow, rhythm and genome attributes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Music_Genome_Project_attributes). I have no access in Pandora's music service so I need specific answers. Song titles and artist's name will do. Thanks in advance for any help on this matter.

Ex libris grandiloquent

monocultured — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 05:39:58 -0800

Latinfilter: Help me translate "From the library of humanity/man/" into latin. So "Ex libris …" something or other…

Need help rendering Poe in Latin.

Tchad — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:55:44 -0800

Can someone help me translating this Poe quote into Latin? I have been studying Latin for only two months, so this is a tall order for me. Turns out, as soon as you tell people you are learning Latin they hear you say "I am fluent in Latin and can translate anything you throw my way".

"All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream." Poe

A friend of mine recently asked me to translate this into Latin for an art project she is working on. I searched around online and found this, but there is not much response and what is there does not feel right.

I understand that there are issues with translating between modern English and Classical Latin, but thought I would give it a try for her.

From the link above, I get:
"Quodcumque videmus vel videmur est somnium intra somnium"

But even though I am still memorizing verbs, conjugations, declensions, and basic vocabulary, that does not feel right.

What about:

"Omnia videmus vel videmur est somnum intra somnum"
or
"Omnia somnum intra somnum est videmus vel videmur"

I am having trouble with somnium - am I confusing it with somnum? Have I written "sleep" instead of "dream"?

Like I said, I am still in the first stages of learning, so this is an interesting exercise to take on.

Thanks so much!

Te quaeso...

Spinneret — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:32:17 -0800

Elementary Latin Filter: We'd like to thank a priest... in Latin. My Latin is really shaky, but I've gotten as far as "maximas tibi gratias agimus." At least I think that's right. I'd also like to say, "We wish you all the best." Would "omnia bona precamur" work, or do I have the wrong verb?

Gratias maximas in advance.

Latin translation needed

shabba300 — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 03:26:05 -0800

Hi, Can anyone help us translate the following into Latin for our wedding ring inscription? "Never to be parted" Any help will be much appreciated!

Better way to say "datacentre"?

TheophileEscargot — Thu, 28 May 2009 03:04:59 -0800

Is there a more elegant, grammatical or pedantic way to say "datacentre"? Both words have Latin origins, but there seems to be something clumsy about that combination. Should it be a datumcentre? One word, two words or hyphenated?

Quick Latin translation question.

washburn — Fri, 22 May 2009 06:17:42 -0800

Can anyone please provide a quick translation of the following Latin: "Quid, qui emissitios nusquam non iactat ocellos? Hoc agit ut pandas mors involet atra senestras." Many thanks.

is there a word for daily or weekly anniversaries?

csw — Wed, 20 May 2009 21:55:00 -0800

latinfilter: My turkey poults arrived at my house two weeks ago today. How can I express the special meaning of this day with one word? I am looking for a word that is equivalent to 'anniversary', but for weeks instead of years. Online dictionaries tell me that 'anniversary' is derived from the latin "anniversarius; annus year + vertere, versum, to turn". I tried to look up the latin equivalent for 'week' and the online translator just spits back 'week' (although it came up with the correct translation for 'day' and 'year')

"anniversary week" has an established and completely different meaning.

Saying "second week anniversary" is unsatisfying because of the implied 'annus' on the front of anniversay. Second week yearly turn?

Is there a word for what I want to express?

And while I'm at it, is there an equivalent word for 'birthday' which implies the passage of years, but which instead covers a period of weeks or months?

English to Latin Translation needed!

Charlie Lesoine — Fri, 15 May 2009 10:48:35 -0800

I need to have a latin phrase translated for a tattoo I'm getting, anyone know latin? the phrase is: "One day we will burn together as stars" "One day we will burn together as stars"

I want "One day" to communicate a time in the distant future. I wish to have the idea translated, rather than the exact text of 'single day'. I don't know Latin colloquialisms, so any help would be much appreciated :)!

Help me decode some medieval Latin

RedReplicant — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 19:36:03 -0800

Latin scholars, please help with the translation of this wonky medieval titulus I'm linking to a scan of the page of the Hitda Codex that has me stumped. My Latin is okay, but it's not good enough to get metaphors or subtleties. If anyone can shed light on what this means, I'd really appreciate it.

Oh, and Cdtor is, I think, Conditor.

Yo quiero ser multi-lingual.

Saxon Kane — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 21:04:03 -0800

How can I maintain reading/writing (and perhaps speaking) competency in a foreign language while maintaining a reasonable schedule? Over the course of my education, I have taken many years of Spanish, as well as a year of Latin. Because of my career path (I'm a PhD, about to go on the academic job market, and I specialize in Renaissance literature and culture), I'm interested in branching out and getting Italian, French, and perhaps even German under my belt, to some level or another. I'm not looking to be fluent in any of these languages, just enough to read somewhat sophisticated texts (with the help of a dictionary) and perhaps carry on a conversation with someone.

But even before I get to those languages, I need to get over my problem with language retention. I am great at learning languages, especially when it comes to understanding grammatical concepts (vocabulary is a weakness, but that can be overcome). However, I forget them very easily, especially when, in the course of my day to day life, I'm not using them personally or professionally super often. Then when the time comes for me to use my purported skills, I'm forced to relearn (granted, at a fairly rapid rate) from square 1.

So, how do I maintain some semblance of these skills on a fairly tight daily schedule? Right now I'm trying to relearn my Latin by spending about 30-45 min a day (when possible) going back through my textbook, but when I'm done with that, I don't want to end up doing it all over again in a couple of years. Are there any techniques, skills, texts, sites, or anything else that you might recommend to help keep me on track so I don't go back to being English Only?