Expert: Maria - 10/4/2010

Question
Hello Maria, I inquired about a translation with a phrase from english to latin for my answering machine. You denied my request with good reasons. I am hoping you will reconcider. I am not using it in a misguidig or misleading way. My friends and I are going to be learning latin, and they are pretty much the ones who always call me, and I thought it would be neat to have my message in latin, so they would think I have a head start. Sort of like a joke. Thanks, please reconsider. The phrase is " this is travis leave a message and I will call you back" Thanks, Again Travis  

Answer
Hello,

In the light of what you have said, I have  reconsidered my previous answer and I’ve decided to translate your  phrase just as a sort of joke among friends who are going to learn Latin.

So, here’s the translation of “This is Travis. Leave a message and I will call you back":

-“Travis sum. Nuntium relinque ac te deinde vocabo”, if this message is addressing to only one  person.

-“Travis sum. Nuntium relinquite ac vos deinde vocabo”, if this message is addressing to more than one person.


Note that there is no translation for the name Travis which does not exist in Latin. Therefore I had  to use the English name.

See below for grammatical analysis.

Bye,
Maria
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GRAMMATICAL ANALYSIS

-This is Travis = TRAVIS SUM (literally, I am Travis)

-Leave= RELINQUE (2nd.person singular, present imperative of RELINQUO, I leave) or RELINQUITE (2nd.person plural, present imperative of RELINQUO). As you can see, Latin uses different endings of the verb RELINQUO, according to the 2nd.person singular/ plural, while in English there is always "leave"

-a message = NUNTIUM (direct object in the accusative case of the neuter noun NUNTIUM, message)

-and = AC

-I will call = VOCABO (1st.person singular of the future of the verb VOCO, I call)

-you = TE (direct object, accusative  of the 2nd.person singular pronoun TU )  or VOS (direct object, accusative  of the 2nd.person plural pronun). As you can see, Latin uses different pronouns, according to the 2nd.person singular/ plural, while in English there is always "you"


-back =DEINDE (adverb)

As you can see, Latin word order  is  different from English, just because in Latin syntactical relationships are indicated by the endings, not by the order of the words.