Expert: Maria - 2/24/2011

Question
Hi there!  I saw a previous answer about translating "to thine own self be true" as tibi ipsi esto fidelis; is there any variation on this for a female as opposed to a male?
Thanks!

Answer
Hello,

in “Tibi ipsi esto fidelis”  there is no variation for a female as opposed to a male.

See below for grammatical analysis where you can see that “Tibi ipsi esto fidelis” , i.e. the translation of this Polonius' advice to his son Laertes  in Shakespeare’s Hamlet (Act I, scene III , line 78 ), is the same whether it refers to a male person or to a female person.

Best regards,
Maria
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Note that:

-TIBI (dative singular masculine/feminine of the 2nd. Person pronoun TU, you) = to thine

-IPSI (dative singular masculine/feminine of the pronoun IPSE, own self) = own self

-ESTO (2nd.person singular, imperative of the verb SUM, I am) = be

-FIDELIS (nominative singular masculine/feminine of this adjective) = true