AboutMichael Expertise Ph.D. Cand. in Latin. Conversant with all forms of the language: classical, mediaeval, and modern. My purpose is to provide information on the Latin language of all periods. PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT REQUESTS FOR TRANSLATIONS. If you need assistance for a translation projects, there are other resources that provide that service, such as Vivat Latina! at www.traditio.com/latin.htm.
Experience I have 45 years of teaching at all levels from public school through university postgraduate. I read, write, and speak Latin daily.
Question Greetings Michael. I know you do not perform translations, but I hope you can possibly assist me? I am trying to translate the awkward phrase; 'None more black.' I have come up with 'nullus magis niger.' On checking, as far as I am able, I think this may literally mean; 'not any more black.' Is this correct? If so, is there a closer interpretation, one which keeps closer to the original 'feel' of the phrase & does not place it in the past tense? Thank you very much for your time & providing this service.
Answer You seem to be translating word by word from a dictionary, but that doesn't work. If you think about it, it doesn't work for English either, or any other language, as each language has grammar and syntax to be taken into account.
The phrase you seem to be looking for is: "nemo nigrior." You want a pronoun (nemo), not an adjective (nullus) and you want the comparative form of niger (nigrior), as Classical Latin doesn't form a comparative with magis.
