# Handy Latin Phrases.



## Ysgarran (Jan 28, 2004)

Caesar si viveret, ad remum dareris. 
If Caesar were alive, you'd be chained to an oar. 

http://www.zippynet.com/pages/latin.htm

later,
Ysgarran.


----------



## Mixmaster (Jan 28, 2004)

I'd love to have the Latin translation of Dork Tower's:

Kill Everyone!
Destroy Everything!!
Party Down!!!


----------



## Dogbrain (Jan 28, 2004)

Mixmaster said:
			
		

> I'd love to have the Latin translation of Dork Tower's:
> 
> Kill Everyone!
> Destroy Everything!!
> Party Down!!!





Omnes Necate!
Omnes Annihilate!
Fortior Celebrate!

Note that "annihilate" has five syllables and "celebrate" has four syllables in Latin.  Do not pronounce like the English words "annihilate" and "celebrate".


----------



## Felix (Jan 28, 2004)

Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.
---It is right and fitting to die for your country.
Illegetemis non corobundum.
---Don't let the bastards get you down
Cave canem
---Beware of the dog


----------



## Pielorinho (Jan 28, 2004)

Illegetimis non bebendum tuum cafeum
--Don't let the bastards down your grind.

Daniel


----------



## Pielorinho (Jan 28, 2004)

And some real ones:

_De mortuis nil nisi bonum_
-Say nothing but good about the dead.
_Caveat Emptor_
-Buyer beware.
_Alia iacta est_
-The die is cast.  (Said by Caesar when crossing the Rubicon; it means that the plan is in motion and cannot be repealed.  Note that contrary to popular belief, this really does refer to throwing a game-die and does not refer to casting a mold:  "iacta" means, literally, "thrown.")
_Amor caeca est._
-Love is blind.
_Fames est optimus coquus_
-Hunger is the best cook.
_De gustibus non est disputandem_
-About tastes there is no arguing.  (This is one of my all-time favorite expressions)

For more, check out the site i just found:  Latin Phrases

Daniel


----------



## jaerdaph (Jan 28, 2004)

Auribus teneo lupum - I hold the wolf by the ears.

From Terrence's _Phormio_.


----------



## MerakSpielman (Jan 28, 2004)

An online latin-english/english-latin dictionary: link.


----------



## Dogbrain (Jan 28, 2004)

MerakSpielman said:
			
		

> An online latin-english/english-latin dictionary...




Will be very little to no help to someone who has not at least had some formal study of Latin.


----------



## cdsaint (Jan 28, 2004)

Elementis regamis proleum!

Chemicals rule the battlefield!

Ok, I may have misspelled the latin, but it's been a long time since I was in the Army.

Chris


----------



## Painfully (Jan 28, 2004)

in vinum veritas

 - there is truth in wine.


----------



## Dogbrain (Jan 28, 2004)

Felix said:
			
		

> Illegetemis non corobundum.
> ---Don't let the bastards get you down





This is a sort of "comedy" pseudo-Latin, which has been mis-spelled, and accompanied with an incorrect pseudo-translation, to boot, thus ruining the joke altogether.  Rather appropriate, considering.


The joke is thus:

Illegitimis non carborundum.
Don't let the bastards grind you down.

Unfortunately, it doesn't actually work in Latin.  "Carborundum" is a trademark that was coined in the modern era for a specific formulation of silica carbide.  And the Latin for "bastard" was either _nothus homo_ for a (male) bastard of a known father or _spurius_ for a (male) bastard of unknown father. _Illegitimus_ did mean "illegitimate", but more on the order of "not legal" or "not according to the forms".

The gist of the joke is that it is very much not Latin and very obviously not Latin to anybody who knows any Latin, but it might be thrown about by somebody who is trying to appear impressively educated and is so clueless as to not recognize such an obvious gaffe.


----------



## Dogbrain (Jan 28, 2004)

Pielorinho said:
			
		

> And some real ones:
> 
> _Alia iacta est_
> _Amor caeca est._





Note that it can be good Latin to simply say:

"Alia iacta."
"Amor caeca."

In this case, the verb can be omitted, especially if poetic meter might demand it.


----------



## Ferret (Jan 28, 2004)

Intro Barathrum
Go to hell

Indigeo quidam nosco quidam
Takes one to know one

Carpe potestas, iuguolo infirmus
Seize the power, butcher the weak

Veni vidi diripio prodo diabolus
I came, I saw, I tore to pieces and sent to satan.


----------



## Dogbrain (Jan 28, 2004)

Ferret said:
			
		

> Intro Barathrum
> Go to hell





Ad infernum vadete!


----------



## Ferret (Jan 28, 2004)

Would that be the correct latin?


----------



## Cthulhu's Librarian (Jan 28, 2004)

Edit: On second thought, maybe thats not such a good idea to post...


----------



## Mixmaster (Jan 28, 2004)

Thank you Dogbrain, much obliged.




			
				Dogbrain said:
			
		

> Omnes Necate!
> Omnes Annihilate!
> Fortior Celebrate!
> 
> Note that "annihilate" has five syllables and "celebrate" has four syllables in Latin.  Do not pronounce like the English words "annihilate" and "celebrate".


----------



## Brother Shatterstone (Jan 28, 2004)

I've always found this to be handy:

"Quando omni flunkus moritati"


----------



## RangerWickett (Jan 28, 2004)

_Sum non wallabus._
I am not a wallaby.

Romans go home!


----------



## Dogbrain (Jan 29, 2004)

Ferret said:
			
		

> Would that be the correct latin?





_Ad infernum vadete!_ literally means the following:


```
Ad        to (preposition)
infernum  word used in Vulgate Bible for hell/sheol/hades (accusative case)
vadete    go (second person imperative)
```

Generally, the verb goes last in Latin commands.  Indeed, the verb very often goes last in Latin sentences.


----------



## morrolan (Jan 29, 2004)

Helvetios a maioribus suis institutos esse, uti obsides accipere, non dare consuerint.

_The Helvetii were trained by their ancestors such that they were accustomed to take hostages, not to give them._

Ok, maybe not that handy but anyway...


----------



## Teflon Billy (Jan 29, 2004)

I wish I could remember the latin motto of the "Addams Family" as outlined in the movie of the same name.

The translation was :"We would gladly dine on the flesh of those who would subdue us"


----------



## Dirigible (Jan 29, 2004)

> The gist of the joke is that it is very much not Latin and very obviously not Latin to anybody who knows any Latin, but it might be thrown about by somebody who is trying to appear impressively educated and is so clueless as to not recognize such an obvious gaffe.




Obvious gaffe, huh? Like, not recognizing an old, classic line of dog Latin that's been around for donkey's years?



> This is a sort of "comedy" pseudo-Latin... thus ruining the joke altogether. Rather appropriate, considering.




Is it Irony O'Clock already?


----------



## Hypersmurf (Jan 29, 2004)

Dogbrain said:
			
		

> In this case, the verb can be omitted, especially if poetic meter might demand it.




You can get away with pretty much anything in Latin if poetic meter might demand it 



			
				Pielorinho said:
			
		

> "iacta" means, literally, "thrown."




And it's where we get such wonderful English words as "jaculate".

(That's even on-topic for a D&D board!)

-Hyp.


----------



## Dogbrain (Jan 29, 2004)

Dirigible said:
			
		

> Obvious gaffe, huh? Like, not recognizing an old, classic line of dog Latin that's been around for donkey's years?





I recognized it.  I also recognized that the joke had been utterly ruined.

"Carborundum" that is "translated" as "grind you down" is witty--it's the classic joke.


"Corobundum" that is "translated" as "get you down" is just ignorance--it's as not "classic" as the most non-classic thing you could imagine.


----------



## Babette (Jan 29, 2004)

vox clamantis in deserto...


----------



## Gez (Jan 29, 2004)

"Alia iacta est"

It's Alea.




			
				Hypersmurf said:
			
		

> And it's where we get such wonderful English words as "jaculate".




Or "jet", or "project" (throwing something ahead, litterally), or reject (tossing something back), or many other *ject word, even "object" (thrown before [the mind]) and "subject" (tossed below).

That's why I prefer it written Alea Jacta Est. There were no distinction between I and J (nor between U and V), but every words that have been derived from latin jacta in more modern languages use a j rather than a i.


On the other hand, I would not write "veni, vidi, vici" that way: "uenj, ujdj, ujcj", but it's valid nonetheless. Except the words that have been derived from them (avenue, video, victory) choose the v and i versions.

When using modern alphabet to write ancient latin, try to be consistent with the letter choices made for this modern alphabet in modern version of latin.

Just a minor gripe. Iacta don't annoy me as much as the diety of theives and rouges.


----------



## diaglo (Jan 29, 2004)

Carpe poul


----------



## Staffan (Jan 29, 2004)

I like a lot of the "latin" that shows up now and then in Discworld books. Like the motto of the Ankh-Morpork Watch, "FABRICATI DIEM, PVNC"


----------



## RangerWickett (Jan 29, 2004)

Staffan said:
			
		

> I like a lot of the "latin" that shows up now and then in Discworld books. Like the motto of the Ankh-Morpork Watch, "FABRICATI DIEM, PVNC"




'I made God, punk?'


----------



## Hypersmurf (Jan 29, 2004)

RangerWickett said:
			
		

> 'I made God, punk?'




_diem_, not _deum_!

"Make my day".

-Hyp.


----------



## RangerWickett (Jan 30, 2004)

Sorry, I've been on a deit lately.  I only pray to my diety that I don't become anorexic.


----------



## MaxKaladin (Jan 30, 2004)

I came across these pages yesterday:

http://www.ealasaid.com/quotes/latinser.html
http://www.ealasaid.com/quotes/latinsil.html


Some of my favorites:

Sunt pueri pueri, pueri puerilia tractant.
Boys are boys, and boys do boy-stuff. (ie, boys will be boys) -- The more things change...

Nihil tam absurdum, qhod non dictum sit ab aliquo
There is nothin so absurd as not to have been said by a philosopher
-------Cicero

Si post fata venit gloria non propero
If fame comes after death, I'm in no hurry for it.
-------Martial

Utinam barbari spatium proprium tuum invadant!
May barbarians invade your personal space!

TIBI GRATIAS AGIMUS QUOD NIHIL FUMAS
THANK YOU FOR NOT SMOKING

SI HOC SIGNUM LEGERE POTES,
OPERIS BONI IN REBUS LATINIS ALACRIBUS
ET FRUCTUOSIS POTIRI POTES!
IF YOU CAN READ THIS SIGN,
YOU CAN GET A GOOD JOB IN THE FAST-PACED,
HIGH-PAYING WORLD OF LATIN!


----------



## Hypersmurf (Jan 30, 2004)

I once received a copy of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" translated into Latin as a birthday present.

The translators kept a "Seussian" feel to the language, with plenty of alliteration, rhyme, etc.

Very, very cool.

-Hyp.


----------



## Olgar Shiverstone (Jan 30, 2004)

Some of my favorites, mostly from unit mottoes (though I can't vouch for the quality of the Latin):

_De oppresso liber
Sic semper tyrannous
Carpe jugulum
Pro patria
Vox populi, vox dei_


----------



## Staffan (Jan 31, 2004)

It's a bit too long to quote, but... http://www.livejournal.com/users/quislibet/164084.html


----------



## Gez (Jan 31, 2004)

Looking for the Addams Family motto (_Sic Gorgiamus Allos Subjectatos Nunc_, "we gladly feast on those who would subdue us"), I found Nemmerle's personal forums:
http://www.funkyfrogforums.com/index.php?showtopic=5264


----------



## Gez (Jan 31, 2004)

Look also at this: http://www.fairding.com/list_latin.shtml

_Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus_
Never tickle a sleeping dragon - school motto of Hogwarts - of the Harry Potter books.


----------



## Lord Rasputin (Feb 5, 2004)

MaxKaladin said:
			
		

> SI HOC SIGNUM LEGERE POTES,
> OPERIS BONI IN REBUS LATINIS ALACRIBUS
> ET FRUCTUOSIS POTIRI POTES!
> IF YOU CAN READ THIS SIGN,
> ...




Si hoc legere potes,
Fur es qui librum meum sumpsisti!

-- inside cover of my Monster Manual 3.5. It'll be just my luck for some barbarus to take it and not be able to read whither to return the book!


----------



## CombatWombat51 (Feb 7, 2004)

Staffan said:
			
		

> I like a lot of the "latin" that shows up now and then in Discworld books. Like the motto of the Ankh-Morpork Watch, "FABRICATI DIEM, PVNC"




I believe it's the assassin's guild that has the motto "nil mortifi sine lucre".

Disclaimer: Those who are quick to jump on us non Latin speakers, note that I know no Latin to speak of, and that is a quote.


----------



## Eosin the Red (Feb 11, 2004)

I have a quick question for you latin buffs. How would you write:

"The price of glory is measured in a currency of blood and death."

Or something reasonably close to that.


Thanks in advance for the hand.


----------



## Hypersmurf (Feb 11, 2004)

Eosin the Red said:
			
		

> "The price of glory is measured in a currency of blood and death."




Something like:

_pretium gloriae in moneta sanguinis necisque computaratur._

-Hyp.


----------



## Eosin the Red (Feb 11, 2004)

Thank you ohhh wonderful Smurf!


----------

