Expert: Maria - 5/25/2008

Question
Hi, good day!

I have a few questions about some terms that I would like defined. Here's the list:

Latin terms:
Malus
Pravus
(and can these terms be used together/would it make sense?)
Aquilus

English into Latin, please:

Hope
To hope for [something]
Part (like a part of something/section... i.e. a part of a chapter, etc)
Lake

Thanks for your time! I'd greatly appreciate any feedback that you may have!

Answer
Hello,

The Latin adjectives MALUS, PRAVUS, AQUILUS can have many meanings, according to the context where they are.

Therefore note that:

-MALUS (nominative masculine singular) can mean  “bad”, “evil”, “wicked”, but also “ unfortunate”, “weak”.

-PRAVUS (nominative masculine singular) can mean “crooked”,
“ misshapen”, “deformed”, but also  
“ perverse”, “vicious”, “corrupt”, “faulty”, “bad”.

Both the above adjectives could be used together, but it depends on the context, of course.

-AQUILUS ( nominative masculine singular) means “dark” related to the  complexion.
For example Suetonius, Life of Augustus, chapter 79, paragraph 2,  says that Augustus complexion was ‘between dark and fair’ (Latin, “colorem inter aquilum candidumque” in the accusative case).



As for HOPE, TO HOPE FOR, PART,LAKE,  here’s the translation:

-“Hope “ = SPES (feminine noun, nominative case, 5th.declension)

-“To hope for [something]” = SPERARE (infinitive of SPERO, I hope) [ALIQUID in the accusative case]

-“Part “(like a part of something/section) = PARS (feminine noun, nominative case, 3rd.declension)

-“Lake” = LACUS (masculine noun, nominative case, 4th.declension).

I have however to point out that Latin is an inflected language with five declensions, six cases, three genders (masculine, feminine, neuter),  four conjugations, a difficult syntax , so that each word changes ending according to its role in the phrase (subject, direct / indirect object, etc.).

Therefore you cannot use the above Latin words, if you don’t know Latin declensions and cases (nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, vocative, ablative) as well as the role of each word in a sentence and how these words must agree in gender, number and case with the term they refer to.

Best regards,
Maria