Latin Scholars - please hope me

July 3, 2011 4:56 PM

Trying to get the appropriate form of Latin for a motto. The intent in English is along the lines of "better capability (or purchasing), through better understanding (science / research or knowledge)". Google has not been my friend here providing forms which don't translate back into English correctly.

So far the ones that look almost correct are:
Capability through knowledge: Vires per cognitionem
Knowledge leads to Capability: Scientia ad Capacitas/ facultatem / posse
Knowledge gives an advantage: ponit scientiam proficiet
Appropriate purchases through investigation: Convenit acquirit per inquisitionem

Can any of the Latin scholars out there help me get something that follows the intent above in the correct grammatical form.

posted by dangerousdan to Writing & Language (2 answers total)

"Scientia proficit" would be a tidy way of saying "Knowledge improves [things]/makes advances/makes progress."
posted by Bromius at 5:07 PM on July 3, 2011

Best answer: Proficio is normally transitive, so it's not great to use it if you don't have a direct object. Prosum is "be useful/advantageous," so maybe "scientia prodest" ("knowledge is useful")?

cf. this bit of Cicero, which uses the same noun and verb: Nihilne igitur prodest oratori iuris civilis scientia? ("Is a knowledge of the common law, then, useless to an orator?") (de oratore 1.250).
posted by dd42 at 7:26 PM on July 3, 2011