Expert: Maria - 1/21/2008

Question
Can you tell me know to translate the phase "the moon is down" into latin?

Answer
Hello,

Actually in Latin we have three ways of  translation for “The moon is down”:

1-“Luna decrescit”

2-“Luna senescit”

3-“Luna minuitur”

All the above translations are correct, of course.

Anyway, if you refer to the novel by John Steinbeck “The moon is down” where the author points out that by then the moon was down, there is only one translation, i.e.:

-“Iam luna decrevit”.


Have a nice day,
Maria
_____________________________________________
Note that:

-The moon= LUNA (nominative case, 1st.declension)

-Is down = DECRESCIT (present from DECRESCO) / SENESCIT
( from SENESCO)  / MINUITUR( passive form of MINUO).

Finally note that in “Iam luna decrevit”, IAM DECREVIT corresponds to "is down" and DECREVIT is the past tense of DECRESCO.