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About Michael
(Top Expert on this page)

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.
   

You are here:  Experts > Homework Help > Latin Language > Latin

Questions Answered By Expert  Michael 
In Category  Latin

SubjectDate Asked

Cases in Latin12/1/2008
  Q: I am in Latin one and have been out due to appendicitis for about two weeks. I'm just starting to ...
  A: This topic is complicated, and your teacher will obviously have to explain to you the details, but ...
Biblical Quotation11/27/2008
  Q: Good evening sir, I've tried other sites to translate "I am what I am" from English to Latin and was ...
  A: The phrase, from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 15:10, is rendered by St. Jerome in the ...
Constructions with Volo11/5/2008
  Q: I recently read a few lines from one of Plautus' comedies, which included the well known pun on ...
  A: In classical Latin "volo" takes several different constructions: (1) accusative and infinitive, (2) ...
Latin Exercise10/28/2008
  Q: I am trying to learn latin the old fashioned way (books) but I have no one to check and make sure I ...
  A: Close. Try: "Est nunquam molestum lupo quot oves exsistant." The indirect question "quot oves ...
Latin Pronunciation10/22/2008
  Q: When I took Latin in high school my teacher told us to pronounce the Latin "v" as a "w", apparently ...
  A: There are a number of pronunciation systems for Latin. The one commonly used in schools, known as ...
Adjective Endings in Comparatives10/21/2008
  Q: Why do comparative adjectives have the e for ablative singular endings rather than the i which is ...
  A: Actually, both "i" and "e" are found in the ablative singular of comparatives, as they are in many ...
History10/5/2008
  Q: WHAT IS THE OLD LATIN OR CLASSICAL LATIN WORD FOR HISTORY?
  A: In classical Latin, the word "historia" can mean *a* history, that is an account of some event, an ...
Use of the Present/Perfect Tenses10/1/2008
  Q: The French use the present tense to express an action for which the English language uses the ...
  A: The French construction is directly analogous to the Latin, from which it derives. For the perfect ...
Translation English - Latin9/17/2008
  Q: My father has passed away and I was wondering whether there was anything in the Latin language that ...
  A: If you are looking for an epigrammatic phrase, as for a headstone inscription, perhaps Cicero's ...
Marks above Words in Latin9/2/2008
  Q: I have a question about those marks above words in Latin. (The lines above some letters in the ...
  A: The macron, or long mark, indicates that the vowel above which it stands is long in quantity. All ...
Roman Dates in Time of Augustus8/26/2008
  Q: how were dates expressed in latin at the time of augustus I mean how would it be writting out?
  A: Dates, according to the Roman Calendar, are reckoned as follows:-- The first day of the month was ...
What are the cases?8/21/2008
  Q: Hey I'm Amber I'm in my Schools Latin class, and my teacher is always so busy i can't ask him for ...
  A: Cases are inflexions, or variations in the endings of words, that are used to show the relationship ...
Beauty8/18/2008
  Q: I've been working on writing some latin for a project and i think i've got most of it right. ...
  A: That will work. "Pulchritudo" ends in "o" because it is a feminine singular noun of the third ...
Latin Names of Fungi8/3/2008
  Q: Good afternoon! I would like to ask you to answer my question regarding some special examples of ...
  A: Yes, that is correct. The "-i" ending often denotes the genitive, or possessive, case. Two "i"'s ...
Black7/17/2008
  Q: Greetings Michael. I know you do not perform translations, but I hope you can possibly assist me? I ...
  A: You seem to be translating word by word from a dictionary, but that doesn't work. If you think ...
Pronunciation of "s" in Church Music6/28/2008
  Q: i teach diction courses in the music school at northwestern university in evanston, illinois ... in ...
  A: A good source for questions of this kind is Robert S. Hines' "Singers Manual of Latin: Diction and ...
Uva6/17/2008
  Q: I believe I copied this correctly. I do not know the language. UVA UVAM VIDENDOU VARIA FIT. I ...
  A: UVA UVAM VIDENDO VARIA FIT. A grape by seeing a grape becomes varied [in color]. The sense is that ...
Italian Is just Vulgar Latin6/14/2008
  Q: Why did Latin die and Italian take over as the main language of Italy? Regards Sergio
  A: First of all, Latin never died. It remains as a living language to this day. Nor did Italian "take ...
Oregon Motto6/4/2008
  Q: I have several questions regarding the phrase "Alis volat propiis," interestingly the state motto of ...
  A: These mottoes tend to be quite pithy, and including a feminine pronoun subject such as "illa" would ...
Latin Prayer5/22/2008
  Q: I have come across seven different translations of the Fatima prayer: O my Jesus, forgive us our ...
  A: For such matters we refer you to the Traditio.com site, the earliest and most authoritative such ...
"Ad Caelos" in the Apostles Creed5/16/2008
  Q: how are you? May I ask you something about the Apostles Creed in Latin? It goes " Credo in ...
  A: "Caelum" as a neuter second-declension noun is the most common classical form. However, there is an ...
Placement of "Est3/24/2008
  Q: I was hoping you could help me clear up a question I have...it's not technically a "translation" ...
  A: Actually, the Biblical phrase, from St. Jerome's Vulgate, is "Deus caritas est. "Caritas" rather ...
Latin Pronunciation3/6/2008
  Q: How to correctly pronounce the ending of words like meditatio; oratio; comtemplatio
  A: In the pronunciation system known as "Classical," which is the one generally used in secular schools ...
Military Unit Crest with Latin3/3/2008
  Q: 'Undique Venimus' These are the words included on the US Army unit crest: 2nd Battalion, 71st Air ...
  A: That is what it means. "Venimus" can be either present ("we come") or past ("we came") tense. The ...
Grammar2/29/2008
  Q: I know that you don't do translations but I think this question is more about grammar and ...
  A: The second person singular imperative is Vive, the plural is Vivite, so the three English phrases ...
Justice2/24/2008
  Q: I took latin several years ago and now I'm an trying to brush up on my skills alone. I am curious ...
  A: Justitia (sometimes spelled justicia in later Latin) denotes a generic concept of justice. Aequitas ...
Si Clauses Tense Use2/22/2008
  Q: When translating from English to Latin, how do I know if I should the future or future perfect tense ...
  A: If the time of the action in the protasis (condition) occurs (is perfected) before the action in the ...
Use of the Infinitive2/21/2008
  Q: The lion in Erasmus' dialogue says, after the bear tells him of some errors in the pronunciation of ...
  A: You have the meaning. The infinitive is not being use adverbially, but in apposition to "rem." ...
Time Expressed in Latin1/30/2008
  Q: Good Day Michael, How would the Romans express time, give that they didn't have wristwatches. But ...
  A: In classical Rome, the period between sunrise and sunset was divided into twelve equal parts called ...
Dative Case1/8/2008
  Q: I had a sentence to translate in Latin class that was "We carried much grain to our friends." I ...
  A: In Latin the dative is not used in prose to indicate place to which. In Latin that is indicated by ...
Intercession1/3/2008
  Q: 1. What is the Latin word for intercession? 2. The meaning of the Latinwwdml word intercession
  A: In classical Latin, "intercessio" has a legal meaning, deriving from its components "inter" ...
Subjunctive Mood12/21/2007
  Q: I know that this is sort of a vague question- but could you provide me a description of the ...
  A: Whereas the indicative is the mood of what is real and factual, the subjunctive is the mood of the ...
Imperatives12/11/2007
  Q: I have some questions concerning Latin imperatives. I would first like to know how common it is to ...
  A: 1) Passive imperatives are regularly used if the sense calls for it -- which is not nearly as often ...
Ovid's Metamorphoses11/19/2007
  Q: I'm having trouble parsing Metamorphoses IV.154-157 (Pyramus and Thisbe), in particular the word ...
  A: It is a bit strange to be sure. The nominative (meus) for the vocative (mi) in classical poetry is ...
Vergil11/8/2007
  Q: Taylor
  A: The Roman epic poet Vergil [I.195] expressed exactly that thought in Book I of the Aeneid, when he ...
Vergil10/25/2007
  Q: I was thinking of using a phrase from the aenied book VI as a motto line 95 in particular Tu ne cede ...
  A: Many editions would place a comman after "malis." Punctuation was not used originally and is ...
Great Seal of the United States8/15/2007
  Q: please translate...is from the usa dollar bill "annuit coeptis" "novus ordo seclorum" thank you, ...
  A: The reverse of the Great Seal of the United States, found on the reverse of the dollar bill, has two ...
Pronunciation of "g"7/26/2007
  Q: I conduct a choir in Brazil, and I'm in doubt about the spelling of the "ge" phoneme in certains ...
  A: By "spelling," I assume that you mean "pronunciation." In the Italianate pronunciation, which is ...
Will6/27/2007
  Q: I would like to know the translation for "Will" in Latin. Many thank´s! / Christopher
  A: As English is a relatively imprecise language, the word "will" can mean several different things, or ...
Tombstone6/17/2007
  Q: My family has a long history going back from the early colonies of America back to the Scottish ...
  A: It means: "Here lies the body of Angustius, the son of Lord Angus[i]us of Lla." That last is ...
“neve … neve”3/16/2007
  Q: Sorry, an encoding problem: I tried to write long E and it seems to have come out like C cedilla. ...
  A: "Neque ... neque" is used in situations were a "non" is used (generally with the indicative mood). ...
Virtues1/22/2007
  Q: I am interested in translating Dante's 7 virtues into Latin. They are: Prudence Justice Temperance ...
  A: They are: prudentia, iustitia, temperantia, fortitudo, fides, spes, caritas. "Peace" is "pax." ...
Strength of Will12/20/2006
  Q: I'm trying to translate a phrase into latin but I keep getting different answers from different ...
  A: You would likely get different renders of that though, as translations are always deficient, because ...
Spelling of Latin11/22/2006
  Q: I would like to know about the way spelling rules of Latin were fixed in classical times. In the ...
  A: There are other sources for this sort of thing than only later manuscripts. For example, there are ...
Heart10/12/2006
  Q: Im trying to translate 'follow your heart' into classical latin. I have been given various ...
  A: No, that makes no grammatical sense in Latin. You could render that: "Sequere cor tuum." ...
Endurance10/11/2006
  Q: endurance into latin
  A: In its usual English significance, one could render that thought by "perseverantia." ...
Protected10/7/2006
  Q: please can you translate the two phrases "always loved" and "forever protected" regards robbie
  A: You could render those concepts as: "Semper amatus" (of a female beloved: "amata") and "In ...
Novus Ordo10/5/2006
  Q: Do you think the one dollor bill is trying to tell us something? I do but I just can't figure it ...
  A: No, the two are separate phrases and do not go together. ANNUIT COEPTIS. He favors (our) ...
Live Today10/1/2006
  Q: . . can you tell me what the latin is for Live for today as tomorrow is never promised i have ...
  A: You could render that thought: "Hodie vive, crastinus enim dies tibi non detur." ...
Anytime9/29/2006
  Q: The F-14 Tomcat's motto is "Anytime, Baby". Can you provide a Latin translation for that motto. ...
  A: You could render that thought by "Aliquando, dilecta." ...
Saying For Class9/28/2006
  Q: I am a student-teacher at an elementary school in my area and we have been encouraged to add our own ...
  A: The Roman poet Horace's (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) well-known phrase, "Carpe diem" (seize or, ...
Strong9/27/2006
  Q: I'm looking for a phrase that helps to convey "Strength in heart" or strength in love... I've heard ...
  A: Perhaps the phrase that you are trying to recall is "fortes in fide," which means "strong in heart" ...
No Regrets9/25/2006
  Q: How do you translate "No Regrets" into Latin?
  A: You could render that thought: "Me non paenitet." ...
Latin Vulgate Bible9/24/2006
  Q: I'm not sure if I am breaking the "no personal translation projects/tattoos" rule, but I was trying ...
  A: That is the traditional (Sixto-Clementine) Vulgate version, except that it lacks punctuation. The ...
Believe in Yourself9/23/2006
  Q: I am trying to get an accurate translation and pronounciantion for the affirmation "Believe in ...
  A: "Credo" with this meaning in classical Latin takes the dative rather than the accusative. Although ...
Dare to Dream9/22/2006
  Q: I'm putting the finishing touches to a documentary on Iroman Triathlons in Australia. I felt I need ...
  A: That thought could be represented in Latin by "Aude concipere." ...
Plague9/21/2006
  Q: Is there any way someone could translate the following title into Latin: The Day The Plague Was ...
  A: You could render that: "Illo die quo pestis serebatur." ...
Strength9/20/2006
  Q: i was wondering if you could translate "find strength in your moments of weakness"
  A: You could render that: "Virtutem in temporibus infirmitatis inveni." ...
In Death9/19/2006
  Q: For the phrase "In death may our souls be together", would "in mortis enim nostri anima absum arto" ...
  A: No, that makes no sense in Latin. If you want to keep as closely to that locuation as possible, you ...
Revelation9/17/2006
  Q: Please can you tell me the Latin word for Revelation, as in the Book of Revelation from the Bible, ...
  A: The Latin word "revelatio" is pronounced, in Church Latin, revel-AH-tsee-oh. However, this is not ...
Bias and Interference9/16/2006
  Q: How do you say in Latin "Free from interference. Free from bias."?
  A: You could render that thought: "Liber intercessione, liber inclinatione." ...
Unity9/14/2006
  Q: How do you say Unity and Brotherhood in Latin?
  A: You could render that thought: "Concordia et sodalitas." ...
Fate9/9/2006
  Q: Hey michael, Im after the translation for "fate is the essence of life", im just checking my ...
  A: "Fato" should be "Fatum," as subject in the nominative case. "Essentia" is a Late Latin word, but ...
Wedding9/6/2006
  Q: If K is feminine and M is masculine would that change anything? ThanksHi there, I'm a Roman ...
  A: Letters of the alphabet do not have any inflexional endings for gender. That is why I suggested the ...
Fate8/30/2006
  Q: Hey im tryig to find a latin tutor. My tutor says that this is how you say 'fate is in no ones ...
  A: You have Latin and English mixed in your sentence. You could render that thought: "Fortuna est in ...
Dilemma8/29/2006
  Q: What is the latin word for "Dilemma"?
  A: In the usual English meaning of the Greek word, you could use "confusio." ...
Song Lyrics8/28/2006
  Q: I am a songwriter and wish to title a song "The Sea of Peace". I thought the translation was "Mare ...
  A: There are several difficulties here. "Mare" is neuter, the ablative case is inappropriate, and ...
Two Hearts8/11/2006
  Q: I'm currently doing a history paper, homework subject is to come up with a unique phrase in an ...
  A: You could render that: "Dua corda, amor una, semper." The rendition above won't work. It has ...
Latin Imperative8/5/2006
  Q: I have two questions for you. One might be too tedious or annoying to answer and the other might be ...
  A: The command form, or imperative, in Latin is the root of the present system (drop "-re" from the ...
Vatican Hill8/4/2006
  Q: First of all how are u doing. I was wondering the latin translation of the word VATICAN. I don't ...
  A: That would be "Vaticanus." The Vatican Hill, or Collis Vaticanus, the area between the Janiculum ...
Latin Phrases7/24/2006
  Q: I was hoping that you could help me with the translations of some phrases. The online translators ...
  A: Those online "translators" are worthless. They're bad enough for the Romance languages, but when it ...
Word Order7/4/2006
  Q: In latin, do you place the adjective before the noun or is it the other way around.
  A: Because Latin is a highly inflected language, that is, the endings of words carry much of the ...
Roman Numerals6/20/2006
  Q: Sir, I was wondering if you could translate the date (20 May 2006) into Roman numerals for a ...
  A: The full modern form would be: Die XXa mensis Maii anni MMVI (on the 20th day of the month of ...
Inter vs. Intra6/18/2006
  Q: I would really like some help with a text I am trying to understand. My Latin is very, very basic. ...
  A: "Inter" denotes "among" or "between," so "between boys" or "among the boys" is a reasonable meaning. ...
latin translation5/27/2006
  Q: i saw this on a flyer for a service and i want to know if it is a correct translation Et si ...
  A: The transcription is a bit inaccurate. The Vulgate version of the fourth verse of Psalm 22 (Dominus ...
Permissum vestri complector rector vos5/18/2006
  Q: I'll bet you've gotten a number of these requests from, alas, fans of the TV show "Lost." But could ...
  A: No, yours is the first. That sentence is not real Latin, neither in the words nor the syntax. It ...
general phrases...4/27/2006
  Q: I am learning latin for a while already and i was wondering how you put together simple, now-a-day, ...
  A: Certainly you can use Latin for conversational purposes. After all, it has been used for 2500 years ...
latin phrase3/23/2006
  Q: Please can you advise on the translation of 'fortes furtuna adiuvat' into English for me. Can you ...
  A: You must mean: "Fortes fortuna adiuvat," literally, Fortune helps brave men. "Fortes" is masculine ...
cicero, de senectute3/22/2006
  Q: Morrison, Someone wrote me a letter which contained a piece of cicero's the senectute but I am not ...
  A: Ah, Cicero, all too many lack his practical Roman wisdom these days. The "De Senectute" (On Old ...
Latin translation3/4/2006
  Q: I have a Latin text used by the Austrian composer, Michael Haydn entitled "Gradual" and composed in ...
  A: This is used in the Common Mass and Office for a Confessor Pontiff. It is based loosely upon ...
strength and honour - followup1/22/2006
  Q: I appreciate your prompt reply. The question was a latin form for 'Strength and Honour'for which ...
  A: "Vires" is a plural form, which has the meaning "strength," and is the most common word in Latin ...
Translation1/14/2006
  Q: Hmmm...well I am definitely taking your word for it given your credentials...I looked up crow/ raven ...
  A: You are apparently confusing a Latinized version of the Greek word for crow, "korax," but that word ...
Translation1/13/2006
  Q: I have a couple questions. I know 'Corvx' means crow in Latin but I was wondering how you would ...
  A: There seems to be a transcriptional error here. The Latin word for "crow" is "corvus." Assuming ...
help with translation please.1/4/2006
  Q: I am currently teaching myself latin at home, and am reading (or trying to read) Caesar. However, as ...
  A: "Quot spectatores heri in theatro fuistis?" "How many spectators were you yesterday in the theatre?" ...
quick question12/19/2005
  Q: What would be the feminine equivalent of "Ecce Homo" ? Many thanks!
  A: In Latin, "homo" (which is etymologically unrelated to the combining form "homo-", which comes from ...
Translate bible quote12/9/2005
  Q: Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes with the morning. Could you please translate this ...
  A: In St. Jerome's Vulgate, it is: "Ad vesperum demorabitur fletus et ad matutinum laetitia," ...
Translation verification and beginner text suggestions...11/16/2005
  Q: Mr. Morrison: First off, kudos to you in your PhD studies in Latin. I'm definitely jealous ...
  A: 1) "In termino" is fine. "Incipit" and "incohat" are synonymous. "Init" would require a different ...
Making it up....10/4/2005
  Q: Sir, I was hoping get the Latin phrase for the term: 'Making it up as we go along' or 'We make it ...
  A: Yes, "ad hoc" gets the sense. It indicates that something is done "for this (purpose)." For an ...
Translate to latin, 2 words.10/3/2005
  Q: I have read on a sword the phrase, Leofric me fec I was told that this means, Leofric made me. ...
  A: Whoever told you that was correct. That is what it means. This is a common inscription on goods ...
meaning of a phrase9/17/2005
  Q: What is the meaning of this phrase in English: terminus post quem ? and what is the meaning of this ...
  A: The "terminus post quem" is the "boundary after which" something takes place. For example: "The ...
eia and o9/8/2005
  Q: I was reading a poem in French and the poems used "eia" and "o", not knowing what eia was I searched ...
  A: "O" is typically used with the vocative (case of direct address), with a person being addressed: "O ...
Latin phrase9/6/2005
  Q: While I understand that this is not a spot for "personal translation", I wonder if you could help ...
  A: ILLEGITIMIS NIL CARBORUNDUM. Don't let the bastards grind you down. From the mediaeval jingle, ...
He and She8/25/2005
  Q: Is there a common form of telling he or she in English instead of writing he/she is there a word ...
  A: "He/she" is not stylistic English. It is awkward and unnecessary. Traditionally -- and this ...
Latin motto8/19/2005
  Q: What is the source and meaning of the motto "Uva uvam vivendo varia fit" ? This motto was used by ...
  A: UVA UVAM VIDENDO VARIA FIT. A grape by seeing a grape becomes varied [in color]. The sense is ...
Benedictus and/or Benedictum?8/10/2005
  Q: I notice that the new Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, is referred to in Latin as both Benedictus and ...
  A: Latin is an inflected language; that is, the endings of the words denote the syntactical ...
Bea ti in xto7/3/2005
  Q: I understand the beati as 'blessed' but what is 'inxto' or 'in xto'? The motto appears on a ...
  A: The phrase is "Beati in Christo" [Blessed in Christ]. "Xto" is an abbreviation for "Christo," with ...
Translation: Latin to English / English to Latin6/23/2005
  Q: M. Morrison, I previously sought your advise on a phase that I was attempting to determine the ...
  A: That question was already answered yesterday. Apparently, AllExperts did not forward the answer to ...
cambridge latin course question.6/21/2005
  Q: I am studying the clc at home, and i'm just stuck with something. As part of an exercise, i have to ...
  A: Well, you got all of the rest of the sentence, which was more difficult! Actually, it should be ...
latin translation5/15/2005
  Q: but i do have one more question for you...i was also given the translation, "sola stare", would this ...
  A: No, it wouldn't. "Sola" would not be grammatical, and use of the infinitive introduces additional ...
website menu in latin5/13/2005
  Q: I decided to have the site menu of my website in latin, so I tried to translate the following ...
  A: You're right; it's not correct. Dictionaries give you only words (and you have to know their ...
Translation needed please4/21/2005
  Q: i have a very old medal that has come into my possesion and on the front of it it says "nunquam non ...
  A: It means "Never not new." These mottoes are difficult to fathom without some context, and even then ...
Latin annotation3/30/2005
  Q: "Quae de hac questione...possunt" This sentence , as it is, was written in the margin of a copy of ...
  A: With a such a small fragment, it is impossible to know the context, but it is likely that "quae" is ...
schools...3/19/2005
  Q: Do you know of any schools in the Chicago area that teach Latin as a spoken language?
  A: No, I don't. The University of Louisville sponsors several spoken Latin courses. Then there are ...
Latin (?) spelling help3/12/2005
  Q: In court the judge asked the attorney for a (phonetic) "pray see" of the case -- as in, give me a ...
  A: The word is not Latin, but French, although the root is Latin. The pronunciation you gave is ...
if you were e.g. a junior...2/24/2005
  Q: if you were e.g. a junior officer in the roman military circa 753AUC, discussing with another of ...
  A: In such a case, Latin would more likely use the perfect tense: "Sic imperatum est" ("impero" would ...
Tatoo2/20/2005
  Q: So I got a tatoo with the words Abbas, Filius, and Flamen on them. I thought this meant Father, son, ...
  A: One has to be very careful about online "translations." Language is a much more complex entity than ...
latin translation2/8/2005
  Q: i need help understanding reletive clauses. thanx.
  A: Relative clauses are those that (in English) begin with the words "who, whose, whom, that, or ...
Carpe Diem1/8/2005
  Q: Morrison, I am looking to use the term 'Carpe Diem' and would like to use it written in Latin. I do ...
  A: You write it in Latin the same way you do in English. In fact, the written English alphabet is ...
Correct translation?12/30/2004
  Q: Would you please tell me if these phrases (prayers) have been translated correcty? Domine, nos ...
  A: They stand in need of some correction. I have indicated the correct phrase in capital letters ...
virgil's eclogues12/13/2004
  Q: I was wondering about your interpretation of Virgil's Eclogues, especially numbers 1 and 4. Also, ...
  A: The Eclogues should the advance of Latin poetry in the hands of Vergil, who equals the Greek ...
translation of a Seneca quoation11/26/2004
  Q: My wife found the following as a prefix to a Wordswoth poem: iam non consilio bonus, sed more eo ...
  A: "He was not already good by design, but was led by the habit that not only could he act rightly, but ...
classical / mediaeval11/19/2004
  Q: Morrison, I did Latin O level at school, so have a basic understanding. Some humanist scholars in ...
  A: Although Latin has been quite flexible to meet the needs of 2500 years, it did have a "classical" ...
latin to english11/9/2004
  Q: could you translate a phrase for me. latin to english, thanks STAT FORTUNA DOMUS
  A: That looks like one of those mediaeval mottoes on a family crest. Often the Latin is different from ...
Need help with a small quote11/8/2004
  Q: i was just wondering if you could translate the phrase "we live as we dream alone" I know this ...
  A: That rendition is fine. Feel free to use it. Just remember that any translation is an ...
Definition: Barbarian10/31/2004
  Q: Morrison, In ancient Rome, what did the Romans call Barbarians; and what did it mean in ancient ...
  A: Essentially, "barbarians" were those outside the civilized gamut of the world, originally including ...
What is the correction pronunciation...10/7/2004
  Q: What is the correction pronunciation of "lectio divina?"
  A: I assume that you are using this phrase in its usual ecclesiastical context. Therefore, I will ...
Latin10/3/2004
  Q: "i am alone, left wondering, forever." ive had a bit of trouble and a few different ones so i need ...
  A: There is no one-to-one relationship between any one language and another. The notion of a ...
in latin10/2/2004
  Q: I have to do a project for school and would like to have words written in Latin in it. Since I ...
  A: For the first, you could use: "Abundantius vitam vive" (after John 10:10 in the Latin Vulgate). ...
I heard a saying on the radio...9/12/2004
  Q: I heard a saying on the radio the other day, " Don't let the bastards grind you down ". I think it ...
  A: The expression is: "Illegitimis nil carborundum," meaning, a bit loosely: "Don't let the bastards ...
Enlgish to Latin9/11/2004
  Q: Would you please translate "Lost Soul" to latin. I've found translations around on the net but don't ...
  A: Probably that is because you have to go behind the ambiguity of the English expression. Such a soul ...
Pig Latin9/6/2004
  Q: Is pig latin considered a language?
  A: "Language" in the broadest sense of the term, but it is a completely "derivative" language because ...
English Translation8/19/2004
  Q: E Pluribus Unum (out of many, one), Annuit Coeptis (He has favored our undertakings), Novus Ordo ...
  A: The first three expressions are all found on the Great Seal of the United States, so they were all ...
quick translation query7/30/2004
  Q: Morrison: I wonder if you can assist me with what I hope is a very quick medieval Latin question. ...
  A: In the text, you quote "infantulus," but in your commentary you quote "infantulos," so I'm left ...
sword inscription7/24/2004
  Q: I was referred to your site by Mr. Mackay of Yuni Words of Wisdom. Several years ago during ...
  A: The meaning is: "Difficulties help me." There is a similar meaning in a common Latin saying: "Ad ...
Latin Translation7/22/2004
  Q: I was tasked to come up with a new squadron motto and came up with "Mobility brings victory". I ...
  A: Yes, those "translators" are pretty worthless, aren't they? Language and thought are much too ...
Latin translation7/20/2004
  Q: My friend would like to have her son's name engraved in latin on a ring for his 18th birthday and we ...
  A: Luke -> Lucas (Latinized Greek) Julian -> Julianus (a Roman emperor's name) Craig -> This derives ...
translation7/13/2004
  Q: can you give me any latin words you know that convey the general idea of calm, stillness, ...
  A: Although cognates are not always the best translation, in this case, the Latin word "tranquillitas" ...
English to latin phrase translation6/29/2004
  Q: I'm having trouble translating the phrase, "Only in dreams". So far I've come up with 'solum in ...
  A: Yes, translations require a good knowledge of the language, which a dictionary alone cannot provide, ...
Latin in law5/28/2004
  Q: I've noted that legal writing and even speech is liberally peppered with Latin phrases and I've ...
  A: Latin is used because our western legal tradition is based in Roman Law. These phrases have an ...
English Phrase to Latin5/24/2004
  Q: I hate to do this, due to the fact that in the instructions it says that I'm not supposed to use ...
  A: It could be rendered as follows: Ille solus est beatus, qui intra securus dicere possit: "Fac ...
pronunciation5/16/2004
  Q: I would like to ask if there are several pronunciations of the word 'totius.' Some pronounce it as ...
  A: You are hearing two different types of pronunciations for two different contexts. The first is the ...
latin inscription on grave5/3/2004
  Q: My mother, named Vita, died of heart attack at the age of 50, and we want to write a Latin phrase on ...
  A: The second epitaph doesn't make Latin sense, so let's stick with the former: VADE MECUM VIA VITAE ...
latin FONT5/3/2004
  Q: ! I hope you can help me.I've recently asked Maria this question,but she missunderstood me !I've ...
  A: I'm not aware that the Roman themselves had names for these styles. Rather, the names were applied ...
having trouble translating this...5/2/2004
  Q: As would be used in this short pararaph: "She would be forever, now, a vampyre; a creature of the ...
  A: Whereas "immortalis" is what is called a two-termination adjective in its form, that is, the ...
Help with my novel4/30/2004
  Q: I am currently writing a novel for juveniles, set in ancient Rome. I need the following English ...
  A: I would render it: "O Iustiniane, intra. Transi ad illud tempus praeteritum et caliginosum." The ...
Help Translating4/24/2004
  Q: I am trying to translate the phrase "A man's best friend is his duck" into Latin, but seeing as I ...
  A: I would correct the first to: "Hominis amicus optimus anas est." On the second, sometimes ...
Latin4/14/2004
  Q: ------------------------- Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. I know that the verb is ...
  A: Word order is quite flexible in Latin because most of the syntactical information is contained in ...
use of locative4/9/2004
  Q: In a very funny scene from "The Life of Brian", a Monte Python movie, Brian has his Latin corrected ...
  A: Perhaps the original version was meant to be a Pythonesque joke. It is not correct Latin. "Romani, ...
English to Latin translation3/18/2004
  Q: Sorry to bother you with such a silly thing but I belong to a group called the 'League of ...
  A: You could turn it something like: "Honestorum Foedus Virorum." It all depends what you mean by ...
Translating the Pope's statement2/29/2004
  Q: I have two questions: 1. Would you be so kind to translate the Pope's now famous statement ( "It is ...
  A: 1) "Est sicut erat" would be a literal rendering. 2) Your teacher was speaking of what is known as ...
English to Latin Phrase2/24/2004
  Q: There's a latin phrase on my class ring which is a motto I live by. Unfortunately, the writing is so ...
  A: I don't know how it is exactly rendered on your ring, but generally "Scientia, potestas" would be a ...
Is this Latin2/19/2004
  Q: I have an old paper from my forefather an there is the text "pro consessionibus nuptarium" can ...
  A: Yes, it is Latin. It is hard for me to interpret, because I do not have any of the context, but it ...
Latin adverb construction2/11/2004
  Q: We're studying time clues and find the discussion on the use of "post" confusing. What is the ...
  A: Both constructions are common in Classical Latin. The difference is somewhat subtle (as Latin often ...
Science Rules2/10/2004
  Q: Morrison, Yesterday I asked the other Latin expert what "In Science We Trust" would be in Latin, ...
  A: In the first instance, I assume that you are referring to the motto of the United States, "In God We ...
verb conjugation2/9/2004
  Q: "ignoramus ignorabimus" is a phrase attributed to a French (German?) philosopher (Dubois-Reynoud?). ...
  A: The verb is "ignorare" (first conjugation), meaning "to be ignorant." The stem is, therefore, ...
Translation from english to latin1/9/2004
  Q: I would like to get tattoos that says 1. 'Brothers in Arms' and 2. 'Forever remembered' Could you ...
  A: Brothers in Arms: Fratres in armis. Forever Remembered: Semper commemoratus (if the remembrance ...
Latin translation, please1/6/2004
  Q: I am reading a line from "Dracula" which says, "In manus tuas, Domine!" Translation? Thank you! ...
  A: In manus tuas, [Domine, commendo spiritum meum, et haec dicens expiravit] Into thy hands, [Lord, I ...

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