Expert: Maria - 11/26/2009

Question
Can you please translate the following dates.
April 10, 2004
July 28, 2005

and i also have a question.  Would the Luctor Et Emergo translate the same for the phrase "I struggle yet overcome"?

thanks for your help.

Answer
Hello,

“Luctor et emergo", which is  the motto of  the Dutch province of Zeeland located in the south-west of the Netherlands, literally means "I struggle and emerge"  just related to this province  which had to struggle against current floods and then had to contrive a series of defenses against the water, so that it could become an  emersed land.

This is the literal meaning of “Luctor et emergo” which can also mean “I struggle and  overcome” just related to someone who struggles and  finally is victorious, like the inhabitants of Zeeland who won their battle against the sea.


As for the dates “April 10, 2004” and “July 28, 2005”, they translate as follows:

-April 10, 2004

"A.D. IV Id.Apr. MMIV p.Chr.n. which is the shortened form for : “Ante diem quartum Idus Apriles anno MMIV post Christum natum “ meaning “The 4th day before the Ides of April in the year  2004 after the birth of Christ".

-July 28, 2005”

"A.D. V  Kal.Aug. MMV p.Chr.n. which is the shortened form for  “Ante diem quintum Kalendas Augustas  anno MMV post Christum natum” meaning “The 5th. day before the Kalends of August in the year  2005 after the birth of Christ.”

See below for Roman dates.

Best regards,
Maria
____________________________________________________________
Note that:

-LUCTOR (present indicative of a deponent verb )= I struggle
-ET = and
-EMERGO (present indicative of a transitive active verb) = I emerge/ I overcome
___________________________________________________________________________________

ROMAN DATES

In the Roman calendar only three days  of each month had specific names.
Here are these special dates:

-KALENDAE (Kalends) which fell always on the 1st.day  of the month.

-NONAE (Nones) which fell usually on the 5th day of the month, except March, May, July and October, when they fell on the 7th.

-IDUS (Ides) which fell usually on the 13th of the month, except March, May, July  and October, when they fell on the 15th.

When the date to be given was one of these three days (Kalends, Nones, Ides), the date was given as the day and month, both in the feminine ablative plural.
For example: "Kalendis Aprilibus" (April 1), "Nonis Septembribus"( September 5),  "Idibus Martiis” (March 15).

If the date  was not one of these special days, the Romans counted how many days  there were before the next special day.
For example, the date April 10 corresponds to 4 days before the Ides of April, i.e. before April 13, since the Romans used an inclusive counting and  then counted every day from April 10  to  April 13 (Nones), i.e. 10,11,12,13.

Finally, when the date was the day before or after  the Kalends, Nones and Ides, the Romans  used the preposition ‘pridie’ (meaning “the day before” ) or “postridie” (meaning “the day after”) followed by the accusative case.
For example December 31 = Pridie Kalendas Ianuarias" as 31 was the day before the Kalends  which fell on January 1.