Title: mottoes1-msg
Subject: Examples of SCA mottoes. Latin Translations
Author: Edited by Mark S. Harris
Last saved by: Mark S. Harris
Keywords: mottoes, Latin, slogans, medieval, translation

mottoes1-msg - 10/25/00

Latin mottoes and phrases for SCA use.

NOTE: See also the files: mottoes2-msg, Latin-msg, languages-msg, Latin-online-art.

************************************************************************
NOTICE -

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors.

Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s).

Thank you,
    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
************************************************************************

Please note:
------------------
A helpful hint for those wishing to translate phrases from Latin to English:
Before asking a Latin expert to translate your phrase for you, first try doing
a websearch for it.  Convert the phrase, if needed, to all lower case and enclose the whole phrase in quotes for your search.  There are a lot of famous Latin phrases already available on-line with translations.
------------------

From: gunnora at bga.com (Gunnora Hallakarva)
To: ansteorra at eden.com
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 11:13:25 -0500
Subject: Re: Latin Translation, Please?

>Would anyone out there be able to help me with a translation into Latin, 
>please?  I would like the following phrase translated and simply don't 
>have the knowledge (or the time, currently) to do so myself:
>
>This, too, shall pass.

Heilsa, Margaret!

I'll take a swing at it.  Try:   Hic quoque transiet.

I also have a collection of short Latin phrases, painfully learned in
school, that I think would make good mottoes for folks who may be shopping
for one.  Here they are:

Vestis virum reddit. (Clothes make the man).

Veritatem dies aperit. (Time discloses the truth).

Veritas numquam perit. (Truth never dies).

Vitam regit Fortuna, non sapientia. (Fortune rules our lives, not wisdom).

Vincit imitationem veritas. (Truth conquers imitation).

Amicus certus in re incerta cernitur. (A sure friend is discovered in an
unsure situation).

Numquam periculum sine periculo vincitur. (Danger is never conquered without
danger).

Nemo sine vitio est. (No one is without flaw).

Sapientia vino obumbratur. (Wisdom is overshadowed by wine).

Mens regnum bona possidet. (A noble mind possesses a kingdom).

Habet suum venenum blanda oratio. (Smooth speech has its own poison).

Fortes Fortuna adjuvat. (Fortune favors the brave).

Fortuna fortes metuit, ignavos premit. (Fortune fears the brave and crushes
the cowardly).

Stulti timent Fortunam, sapientes ferunt. (The foolish fear Fortune, the
wise endure her).

Ducunt volentem Fata, nolentum trahunt. (the Fates guide the willing and
drag the unwilling).

Parva leves capiunt animos. (Small things capture frivolous minds).

Certa stant omnia lege. (All things stand under a fixed law).

Oculi sunt in amore duces. (The eyes are leaders in love).

Justus, fortis, patiens. (Just, brave, and patient).

Ars longa, vita brevis.  (Life is brief, but Art endures).

Ira furor brevis est. (Anger is brief insanity).

Forma bonum fragile est. (Good form is fragile).

Leges sine moribus vanae. (Laws without morals are empty).

Vox audita perit, litteras scripta manet. (The spoken word vanishes, the
written word remains).

In virtute posita vera felicitas. (True happiness is places in virtue).

Qui pro innocente dicit satis est eloquens. (Who speaks for the innocent is
eloquent enough).

Deo, Regi, Patriae. (God, King, Country)

Artes serviunt vitae, sapienta imperat. (Education serves our life, wisdom
commands it).

Malitia ipsa maximam partem veneni sui bibit. (Malice itself drinks the
largest part of its own poison).

Gloria unmbra virtutis est. (Glory is the shadow of virtue).

Gravis ira regum est semper. (The anger of kings is always serious).

Nemo mortalium omnibus horis sapit. (No mortal is wise at all hours).

Fortitudo est domina et regina virtutem. (Courage is the mistress and queen
of all virtues).

Auribus teneo lupum. (I have the wolf by the ears).

Effugere non potes necessitates; vincere potes. (You can't escape necessity,
but you can conquer it).

Hodie mihi, cras tibi. (Today is mine, tomorrow is yours). colloq for
"You'll get yours"

Aut inveniam viam aut faciam.  (I will either find a way or make one).

Veritas vos liberabit. (The truth shall set you free).

Bonum certamen certavi, cursum consummavi, fidem servavi. (I have fought the
good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith).

Nil sine magno vita labore dedit mortalibus. (Life has given nothing to
mortals without great labor).

Quod non dedit Fortuna, non eripuit. (What Fortune does not give, she cannot
take away).

Aut amat aut odit: nil est tertium. (Love or hate: there is no third course).

Wassail!

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

From: "V. Allan Endel" <endel at tarleton.edu>
To: Ansteorra at eden.com
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 15:56:40 -0500
Subject: Another Latin motto

A saying in Latin which I remember (probably because it is so short) is
"Festina lente", meaning "Make haste slowly". It was a favorite of one of
the Roman emperors, although I don't remember which one.

Alan

From: gunnora at bga.com (Gunnora Hallakarva)
To: ansteorra at eden.com
Date: Sat, 14 Dec 1996 19:08:08 -0600
Subject: More Latin Mottos

I recently received requests to translate the following mottos into Latin:

Glory is fleeting, Honor is forever.
(Gloria brevis, Honor longus)

and

Be as good as your word.
("Quam probus esto quam tu fides" or "Quam probus, quam fides")

The first motto is parallel to the famous epigram, "Vita brevis, Ars longa"
(Life is short, Art endures).  If you want a motto in this format (i.e., X
is temporary, y is permanent) you can simply substitute in the appropriate
pair of nouns.  Since they're in the nominative case, all you have to do is
use the word as it will appear in the Latin dictionary, no grammatical
finagling required.

The second motto is listed in two forms.  The first is the grammatical
version, the second is a shortened version which is much more
"motto-compatible."  Latin epigrams frquently can leave out grammatical
constructions essential to a sentence and still be understood.  The
"grammatical" sentence reads "You should be as good as your given word"
while the second is literally "As good as the sworn word" ... like the first
motto listed above, there are no verbs (the grammatical version of "Glory is
fleeting, Honor endures" would be "Gloria brevis est, Honor longa est.")

Wassail and God Jul,

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

(Who is seriously considering translating, "The joys of peerage are
fleeting, Circles go on forever, and ever, and ever..." to use as my own motto!)

From: djheydt at uclink.berkeley.edu (Dorothy J Heydt)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Translation/Latin
Date: 30 Dec 1996 16:04:25 GMT
Organization: University of California at Berkeley

Jason C Kolton <kolton at kitts.u.arizona.edu> wrote:
>       I would be most appreciatitive if there is someone out there who
>could translate a phrase into latin for me.  That phrase is "In God there
>is Truth."  I would be very thankful for any help.

In Deo veritas.

Dorothea of Caer-Myrddin                          Dorothy J. Heydt
Mists/Mists/West                                Albany, California
PRO DEO ET REGE                                     djheydt at uclink

From: gunnora at bga.com (Gunnora Hallakarva)
To: ansteorra at eden.com, sca at mc.lcs.mit.edu
Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 10:18:37 -0600
Subject: More Latin Translations

I had a request to translate another Latin phrase, which I will share with
the rest of you for the benefit of those who collect such things.

"Time flies, whether you're having fun or not."

Tempus fugit utrum ludis necne.

Wassail,
Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

From: djheydt at uclink.berkeley.edu (Dorothy J Heydt)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Latin Translation of this phrase, please?
Date: 16 Jan 1997 17:05:20 GMT
Organization: University of California at Berkeley

Anonymous      <CS23001 at MAINE.MAINE.EDU> wrote:
>Would appreciate a latin translation of this phrase:
>
>    " If lost, please return to: "
>
>or something close in meaning.

OK, I can do this, but let me first explain a difference in
usage.

The English phrase you quote is short for "If [this thing is]
lost [and found, would the finder] please return [it] to
(name and/or address of owner)."  The lost thing is being spoken
of in the third person.

But in period you tended to get inscriptions where, as it were,
the object speaks for itself in the first person.  "A made me."
"A made me for B."  "B owns me; may God keep her; a curse on any
who steals me."  "Alfred commanded me to be made."

So what you want is

Si erro, reduc me ad [name].

"If I wander, lead me back to [name]."

If you'll send me email with the name of the group you want
your wanderer returned to, I'll try and Latinate it for you.

Dorothea of Caer-Myrddin                          Dorothy J. Heydt
Mists/Mists/West                                Albany, California
PRO DEO ET REGE                                     djheydt at uclink

From: gunnora at bga.com (Gunnora Hallakarva)
To: Casey Weed <nextristan at n-link.com>
CC: markh at risc.sps.mot.com
Date: Thu, 6 Feb 1997 02:34:35 -0600
Subject: Re: More Latin Mottos

You said:
>I beg your assistance again on the issue of translation to Latin those words
>I would use as my motto: "Tis better to give than recieve."  Although my
>younger brother Adolphus wears the tonsure of the Benedictine order in
>nearby Trier, he is jealous of my station and frowns on the small time I
>dedicated to learning the higher tongue.  The last time I asked him for a
>similar boon- to paint in Latin the words "follow me" on the back of my
>surcoat just before we took the field at Seckenheim in June of last year- he
>saw a time to lower my standing with the right good Elector Frederick... and
>when I see him next I will show him the true meaning of "kick me."

You had been told:
>"Melio est dare quam recipere."

The proper Latin for "It is better to give than to receive" is:

        Melior dare quam accipere est.

"recipere" while it looks like it would be correct actually means "to keep
back, to keep in reserve, to withdraw" while "accipere" is "to take, to
receive, to accept" -- and of course we get our modern words receive and
accept from these Latin roots, but nuance has shifted slightly.  The other
change from what you were given is in the word order.  The phrase I have
given above has a more classical word order, with the verb falling at the
end of the sentence (as in formal Ciceronian oratory). Latin has no word
order per se, as the word forms tell you the part of speech you're looking
at, so you can put "est" (to be) either at the front or the back and not
affect the meaning.  If you plan on using this phrase as a motto, you'd drop
the verb altogether... most mottos lack the obvios verb when it's a form of
the verb "to be", thus:

        Melior dare quam accipere

would be a good motto.

Just so that you will not be deceived by your overeducated brother in the
future, "Follow me!" is:

        Sequare me!

While "Kick me!" is:

        Calcitrate me!

Bona fortuna!

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

From: gunnora at bga.com (Gunnora Hallakarva)
To: "Koch, KA Kimberly (4384)" <KochKA at gvlmailrtr.gvl.esys.com>
CC: markh at risc.sps.mot.com
Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 05:00:26 -0600
Subject: Re: translation

>I have been comissioned to do Mikaela's duchy scroll.  In the original that I'm
>working from, part of the design incorporates a short Latin motto
>repeated over and over.  Since Mikaela doesn't have a motto of her own
>as yet, the most obvious choice of phrase for her scroll seemed to me to
>be (gods of authenticity forgive me) "party on".  Would it be possible
>for you to work up a translation for me?  I would really appreciate any
>help you could give me.

Heilsa, Thyra!

OK.  As you undoubtedly are aware, "party on" is Valley-speak.  The nearest
equivalent in Latin is:

        Usque Comissor (Party continually in the here and now)

        or

        Usque Comissare (Party continually into the future)

Here I have used usque in its meaning as on=continually.

Comissor, -are is a First Conjugation deponent verb emaning literally "to
join in bacchanalian celebration," "to revel," or "to guzzle wine or alcohol."

In general, I think the second translation with the future imperative makes
a better motto.

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

From: gunnora at bga.com (Gunnora Hallakarva)
To: CRICKETRED at aol.com
CC: markh at risc.sps.mot.com
Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 06:01:11 -0600
Subject: Re: latin???

>"While others debate the why, I have done the how."

Heilsa, Letha.

This is a tough one.  Latin does not use "how" or "why" as nouns, as you
have them in this sentence.  They appear as adverbs.  To say this in Latin,
you have to modify it somewhat to say, "While others debate why a thing is,
I have done the thing."  Of course, there may be some colloquial way of
saying this that I do not know...  otherwise it is thus:

Tempus alii disputant quapropter res est, effeci.

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

From: clevin at ripco.com (Craig Levin)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Latin Translation of simple Phrase
Date: 16 Feb 1997 18:57:51 GMT
Organization: Ripco Internet BBS, Chicago

Shire2308 <shire2308 at aol.com> wrote:
>"Here too Virtue has it's reward".

>I saw it etched on the blade of a sword at the Royal Armory in Madrid,
>Spain.  I would like to have it engraved on a ring I'm having made.

>Armando Rafael D'Euzkadi

Sure, I'll give it a roll:

Hic quoque virtus proprium remunerationem habet.

Literally, "Here also virtue has its own special reward."
--
http://pages.ripco.com:8080/~clevin/index.html 
clevin at ripco.com
Craig Levin

From: clevin at ripco.com (Craig Levin)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Another Latin translation
Date: 21 Feb 1997 15:03:50 GMT
Organization: Ripco Internet BBS, Chicago

Chris Bays  <coyote at pagan.com> wrote:

>       If you please, is there anyone who could translate the
>following phrase into Latin for me?
>       "Dreams are the Seedlings of Reality"

Somnia sunt surculos veritatis. 
--
http://pages.ripco.com:8080/~clevin/index.html 
clevin at ripco.com
Craig Levin

From: djheydt at uclink.berkeley.edu (Dorothy J Heydt)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Latin translation, please?
Date: 31 Mar 1997 20:34:26 GMT
Organization: University of California at Berkeley

A while back somebody posted,

>>> :: Can someone give me the Latin for "Your mother wears army boots"? I used
>>> :: to know it - it retranslates as "Your mother wears the samdals of a
>>> :: soldier" ....

Mater tua caligas gerit.

Dorothea of Caer-Myrddin                          Dorothy J. Heydt
Mists/Mists/West                                Albany, California
PRO DEO ET REGE                                     djheydt at uclink

From: djheydt at uclink.berkeley.edu (Dorothy J Heydt)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Latin translation please...
Date: 2 May 1997 15:25:28 GMT
Organization: University of California at Berkeley

BlackCat =^. .^= <blackcat at blueneptune.com> wrote:
>"In His spirit, the strength"

In spiritu eius virtus.

Dorothea of Caer-Myrddin                              Dorothy J. Heydt
Mists/Mists/West                                    Albany, California
PRO DEO ET REGE                                         djheydt at uclink

From: djheydt at uclink.berkeley.edu (Dorothy J Heydt)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Help in Latin Translation
Date: 9 May 1997 16:04:17 GMT
Organization: University of California at Berkeley

Shung Yar  <alsaden at singnet.com.sg> wrote:
>....help me translate "Men of Power and Glory",

Viri Potestatis et Gloriae.  (I'm assuming that you mean "men" =
"heroes" = "fighting men" = "male humans", as would've been used
in period.  If you want to include female humans also, use
"Homines" instead of "Viri.")

and "We don't let the bastards get us down" into Latin....

Nothos nos permolere non sinimus.

Dorothea of Caer-Myrddin                              Dorothy J. Heydt
Mists/Mists/West                                    Albany, California
PRO DEO ET REGE                                         djheydt at uclink

Date: Tue, 3 Jun 1997 11:04:06 -0500
To: "Ed Hopkins" <Ed.Hopkins at MCI.Com>
From: gunnora at bga.com (Gunnora Hallakarva)
Subject: Re: Latin Mottoes
Cc: markh at risc.sps.mot.com

>I think that there is a little bit of finagling required, namely
>that "longa" must be changed to match the gender of the second
>noun.  In this case, it would make it:
>
>   Gloria brevis, Honor longus
>
>If I'm right, maybe you should contact Stefan li Rous about changing
>the archive. <corrected in original message above -stefan>

You are correct.  I had it in my head until just now when I looked it up
that "honor" was one of those strange-looking feminine words.  My dictionary
has it in black and white that it is indeed masculine.  Oh well...shows what
too many years of Latin will do to you.

>I have another question that I would ask you as someone who knows
>a great many Latin phrases:
>Are you aware of any Latin phrases that consist of exactly 36
>letters, with word-breaks occurring at least every sixth letter?
>I'll give the only two examples I know:
>
>  Venari, lavari, ludere, ridere: occ est vivere.
>  To hunt, to swim, to play, to grin: this is to live.
>
>and
>
>  Leva te, da locu, lvdere nescis, idiota; recede.
>  Rise up, get out, you can not win, layman; go away.
>
>(The translations are a little loose so that they, too, can
>fit the pattern.)
>
>You see, phrases in this form fit the old Roman boardgame
>Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum.  Supposedly, hundreds of gameboards
>have been found in Roman ruins, but I've only seen these
>two examples given in books on games.  Maybe some other ones have
>survived off the board.
>
>-- Alfredo el Bufon
>Canton of Elvegast
>Barony of Windmaster's Hill
>Kingdom of Atlantia

No, alas, I haven't any such phrases handy in my collection.  I would check
the Epigrams of Martial, though, which may very well have one or two phrases
in this format.  I gave my own copy to a dear friend, so I'm no help with
it, but Interlibrary Loan is a good resource.

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: wec1 at airmail.net
CC: Mark Harris
Date: Wed, 16 Jul 1997 17:12:23 -0500
Subject: Re: Latin translation

>The orignal problem I had was wanting to translate 'Anything for a true
>friend', but after reconsidering possible translations, I think
>something like '(I will)Sacrifice for the sake of friendship' might be
>more accurate to the motto I wish to use. 
>
>I had two replies sent to me from the Latin-list. 'Amico mea impendam
>omnia' and 'Immolatio causa amicitiae'. (I had first suggested something
>like 'facio causa amicitia' but since I was just using a translator
>program I probably came up with something very odd sounding) <grin>
>
>If you can help me, I'd be very grateful.

My best shot at a translation is:

Periclitar proprium pro amicum fidum.

Amicus, of course, is "friend"
Fidus is "faithful, true, loyal, devoted"
Periclitar is a deponent verb, "I will risk"
Proprium is "one's all"

Giving the phrase the meaning, ultimately, of "I will risk my all for a
true friend."

"Amico mea impendam omnia" turns on the verb impendam, which has the sense
of "pay out, expend, devote, apply" all of which have an underlying sense
of monetary expenditure.  This phrase translates more or less as "For my
friend I will give everything."

"Immolatio causa amicitiae" is literally, "I will offer up sacrifice for
the cause of friendship," although "immolatio" is not the correct form.
The verb is immolare (meaning to make a burnt sacrafice), so the future
tense is immolabo, while the future perfect would be immolavero.  The
proper phrasing then should be "Immolabo causa amicitiae."  All the words
in Latin revolving closely around "sacrifice" reflect a culture in which
actual sacrifices by blood or burning are being made to the gods.  The
sense of "I will make sacrifices" or "self-sacrifice" all belong under the
categories of words reflecting risk or inconvenience.

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: "GARY BUCHHOLZ" <gzbuchholz at hotmail.com>
CC: Mark Harris
Date: Wed, 16 Jul 1997 18:11:11 -0500
Subject: Re: Latin translation

At 03:54 PM 6/4/97 PDT, you wrote:
>Could you give me some help translating this phrase?:
>      "We each create our own reality".

Sorry this took so long for me to get back to you.  First I was working 20
hours of overtime each week, then I tore cartilage in my knee and am
awaiting surgery.

My best shot at a translation is:

Quisque creat suus veritatem proprium.

Literally, "Each creates his own truth."

There is not a word meaning "reality" distinct from "truth" -- veritas does
double duty for both concepts in Latin.

Two verbs were candidates for this phrase.  Creare, "to create" was the
word chosen to describe the creation of the world in the Vulgate, and so
was the word I selected.  The other choice would be fingere (fingo, -ere,
finxi, fictum) which is the word from which we get our modern term
"fiction".  Fingere means literally "to shape with one's hands, to mold,
form, model, sculpt".  In some ways, "Quisque finget suus veritatem
proprium" could be even more appropriate.

I suspect that a Latin speaker would get the same meaning from the shorter
phrase, "Creamus veritatem proprium," literally, "We create (our) own truth."

Hope this helps!

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: amazing at mail.utexas.edu (Dennis Grace)
CC: markh at risc.sps.mot.com
Date: Mon, 25 Aug 1997 07:55:24 -0500
Subject: Re: A little Latin

>I have a Man-at-Arms locally who wants a Latin translation of
>"Get over it."  Actually, of course, he wants an idiomatic meta-translation;
>a literal translation wouldn't make any sense (Illiud Latine dici non potest!).
>So, any ideas?  Do you perhaps know any idiomatic Latin parallels?

OK, here's a few that get in the neighborhood...

Solum cessators mane manet (Only an idler waits for morning, i.e., get on
with it).

Puls gelida non appetitentia (Cold porridge lacks appeal, i.e., don't wait,
get on with it).

Cadus et virginitas semel dirupi eramus non possum reparare (Casks and
maidenheads, once broached, cannot be repaired, i.e., don't cry over
spilled milk).

Non lacrima ob ovum quassum. (Don't cry over broken eggs.)
===========
I'm sending a copy to Stefan li Rous for his Floregium Latin file.

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: markh at risc.sps.mot.com
Date: Thu, 04 Sep 1997 11:34:26 -0500
Subject: Re: Another Latin translation

>I have today been asked to translate the following motto - can you help?
>
>Aude facere
>
>Matthew Coomber

Aude is the imperative singular form of the second conjugation verb "audeo"
(audeo, audere, ausus sum), "to dare, ventuire, or risk" from which we get
our modern word, "audacity."

Facere is the infinitive form of the fourth conjugation verb "facio"
(facio, facere, feci, factum), "to make, fashion, frame, create, or build." 

Thus your phrase is a command:  Dare to create! 

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 01:58:06 -0500
To: "Mark Harris" <mark_harris at risc.sps.mot.com>, kwarner at meridianmktg.com
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
Subject: Re: Let the seller beware in

>     Can you translate the phrase:    
>     "Let the seller beware" (opposite of caveat emptor)

Caveat venditor.

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Date: Wed, 08 Oct 1997 16:42:08 -0500
To: Max Rimoldi <arrow at ihug.co.nz>
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
Subject: Latin Mottos
Cc: markh at risc.sps.mot.com

>As someone preparing a school project identifying direct borrowings of
>Latin expressions for use in contemporary situations, I thought you
>might be able to direct me to an address of somebody who offers Latin
>mottoes to those who want them for their family, organisation or
>service. I originally came across Mark Harris's compilation containing
>your replies to people wanting translation into Latin of various
>phrases. With this in mind, I felt you might aid me in finding out about
>mottoes used for the more formal aforementioned purposes as opposed to
>the large number of sayings I found on this page.

I will upon request (and as I have time to do so) tranlate into or out of
Latin for people who ask.

There is an excellent discussion of the entire concept of mottos located
on-line at:

http://www.heraldica.org/topics/warcry.htm

The most common use of Latin in modern society is in mottos used by
academic institutions and govermental entities, though there are some
businesses that use mottos as well --- actually, most businesses have a
motto ("We bring good things to life", "Good to the last drop", etc.) but
most modern companies have abandoned the use of Latin for them.  Others who
use mottos include fraternities and other clubs and organizations.

Websites featuring mottos used in heraldry, as well as academic, government
or business situations include:

PERSONAL/HERALDIC
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit - "No one injures (attacks) me with impunity"
Associated with mourning bands and Police Memorial Day, was originally the
motto of the Order of the Thistle
http://www.bossnt.com/~lt2211/latin.html

Merito - "By merit"
Clan Dunlop
http://www.almac.co.uk/es/webclans/dtog/dunlop.html

Amo - "I love"
Clan Scott
http://www.tartans.com/clans/Scott/scott.html

Deus refugium nostrum - "God is our refuge" and also
In ardua tendit - "He takes on difficulties"
Clan MacCallum or Malcolm
http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/m/maccall.html

Vincit veritas - "Truth prevails"
Clan Baxter
http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/atoc/baxter.html

Ne obliviscaris - "Forget not"
The Campbells of Argyll
http://www.ece.concordia.ca/~ac_march/campbell.html

Vivat Rex - "May the King live"
Clan MacCorquodale
http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/m/maccorq.html

Per mare per terras - "By lands and by sea"
Clan MacDonald
http://www.tartans.com/clans/MacDonald/donald.html

Non inferiora secutus - "Not having followed inferior things"
Clan Buchan
http://www.almac.co.uk/es/webclans/atoc/buchan.html

Sto pro veritate - "I stand for truth"
Clan Guthrie
http://www.almac.co.uk/es/webclans/dtog/guthrie.html 

Nunquam obliviscar - "I will never forget"
Clan MacIver
http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/m/maciver.html

Non oblitus - "Not forgotten"
Clan MacTavish
 http://www.almac.co.uk/es/webclans/m/mactavi.html 

Hoc marjorum virtus - "This is the valor of my ancestors"
Clan Logan
http://www.loadnet.co.uk/es/webclans/htol/logan.html 

Per ardua ad alta - "Through difficulties to the heights"
Clan Hannay
http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/htol/hannay.html 

Recte faciendo securus - "Safe, by right doing"
Clan Inglis
http://www.almac.co.uk/es/webclans/htol/inglis.html - size 598 bytes -
4-Apr-96 - English

Cursum perficio - "I have completed the course"
Clan Hunter
http://www.tartans.com/clans/Hunter/hunter.html 

Si deus quis contra - "If God is for us, who is against?"
Clan Spens
http://www.almac.co.uk/es/webclans/stoz/spens.html

Usque conabor - "I will try all the time"
Clan Nairne
http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/ntor/nairn.html

Virescit vulnere virtus - "Courage gains strength from a wound"
Clan Burnett
http://www.beltane.co.uk/es/webclans/atoc/burnett.html

Ab obice suavior - "Sweeter for there having been difficulties"
Clan Galbraith
http://www.almac.co.uk/es/webclans/dtog/galbrai.html

Dulcis pro patria labor - "Sweet is toil for one's country"
Clan MacKerrell of Hillhouse
http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/m/mackerr.html

Consilio non impetu - "By thought not violence"
Clan Agnew
http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/atoc/agnew.html

Dum spiro spero - "While I breathe, I hope"
Clan MacLennan
http://www.tartans.com/clans/MacLennan/maclennan.html 

ACADEMIC
Optima semper - "The best always"
Frankston High School
http://www.fhs.vic.edu.au/optima.htm

Ars non ob artem sed ob pecunium - "Art not for the sake of art but for the
sake of money"
The totally imaginary North American School of the Artsy and Somewhat
Musically Inclined
http://www.nashco.com/CLASSICS/SSCollCrest.html

Sol iustitiae nos illustra - "Sun of righteousness shine upon us"
Rutger's School of Law - Camden
http://www-camlaw.rutgers.edu/info/seal.html

Huius origo fontis - The source of this spring
Department of Classics and Humanities. San Diego State University
http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/dept/clasxhum/logo.html

Velut Arbor Aevo - As a Tree With the Passage of Time
University of Toronto
http://utl1.library.utoronto.ca:70/R33120-33658-gopher_root70%3a[_student._e
ssential]_essential.%3b2

Terras Irradient - an allusion to Isaiah 6:3: "The whole earth is full of
His glory"
Amherst College
http://www.forerunner.com/forerunner/X0608_Revival__Amherst.html

Carpe diem - "Seize the day"
Central Elgin Collegiate
http://www.icis.on.ca/home/ceci/about.htm

Tentanda via - "The Way Must Be Tried"
York University, Canada
http://www.collegenet.com/ataglanc/on/york/snap-on/gen.html

Arbor plena allouattarum - "A tree full of howler monkeys"
University of Ediacara (a virtual university)
http://www.ediacara.org/uesymbols.html

Lux et veritas - "Light and truth"
Yale University
http://www.cs.yale.edu/HTML/YALE/Seal.html

Scientia, Sollertia, Servitium - "Knowledge, Skills, and Service
Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science
http://www.p-i-m-s.com/objectiv.htm

Nil sine magno labore - "Nothing without great effort"
Brooklyn College
http://brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/bclogo.html

Labor Omnia Vincit - "Labour Conquers All"
St. Xavier's Institution, Malaysia
http://www.watchman.com/xaverian/song.htm

Vincit Omnia Veritas - "Truth Conquers All"
Ardrossan High School, Alberta Canada
http://gate.ei.educ.ab.ca/sch/ajs/facts.html

Nil sine labore - "Nothing without hard work"
Victoria Junior College, Singapore
http://www.moe.ac.sg/schools/vjc/logo.html

Ut Palma Florebit - "I will prosper by the palm of my hand"
Tang King Po School of Martial Arts
http://www.webdevelop.com/~patricklai/tkp/motto.html 

Tendemus patrare valde - "Aiming to Achieve"
Consul School
http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/schools/consul/mot.html

Gratia Benedictus Nomine - "Blessed in grace and in name"
Saint Benedict's Preparatory School
http://www.intserv.com/~web/benedicts/admissions/seal.html

Omnia Omnibus - "To be all things to all"
Salesian College
http://www.salesianchad.vic.edu.au/motto.html

Deo Duce - "God our Leader"
LaSalle College
http://www.lasalle.wa.edu.au/motto.html

Velut arbor aevo - "As a tree in the passage of time"
University of Toronto
http://www.library.utoronto.ca/www/utmotto_translations.html 

Integritas - "Integrity"
Nipissing University
http://www.unipissing.ca/calendar/nip0026.htm 

Scientia terras irradumus - "We irradiate the Earth with knowledge."
Hackensack High School
http://village.ios.com/~rkc1/motto.html

Discere servire - "To learn to serve"
Serangoon Junior College
http://www.moe.ac.sg/schools/srjc/motto.htm

"A voice crying out in the wilderness."
Dartmouth

GOVERNMENT
Sic Semper Tyrannis - "Thus Ever to Tyrants"
State of Virginia
http://www.scvol.com/States/virginia.htm

Ut Sol lucebis Americae - "As the sun thou shalt enlighten America"
Maryland State Archives Trust Fund
http://www.mdarchives.state.md.us/msa/stagser/s1259/121/7273/html/0000.html

Crescite et Multiplicamini - "Increase and Multiply." 
Laws of Maryland
http://www.mdarchives.state.md.us/msa/mm95_96/legbran/html/sparrow.html

Con Esta Vencemos (Spanish) or Cum hic vincemus (Latin) -  "With This We
Conquer"
Bernalillo County, New Mexico
http://www.bernco.gov/logo.html

Virute et Armis - "By valor and arms."
State of Mississippi
http://www.wre.liverpool.k12.ny.us/htmlpages/wetzel_elem/fifwilts.html

Audemus Jura Nostra Defendere - "We Dare Defend Our Rights."
State of Alabama
http://alaweb.asc.edu/general/st_motto.html 

Oro y Plata (Spanish) or Aurum et argentum (Latin) - "Gold and silver"
State of Montana
http://woodrow.mpls.frb.fed.us/pubs/fedgaz/mt9610.html

Excelsior - "To strive higher"
State of New York 
http://unix2.nysed.gov/emblems/motto.htm

Urbs in Horto - "City in a Garden"
City of Chicago
http://cpl.lib.uic.edu/004chicago/chimotto.html

Esto Perpetua - "It is perpetual"
State of Idaho
http://www.cs.uidaho.edu/~beers/Idaho/esto_perpetua.html 

ORGANIZATIONS
Lex praesidium libertatis - "Law is the safeguard of freedom"
Fraternal Order of Police
http://www.fop.net/fop_seal.html

Honor Super Omnia - "Honor above all"
Kappa Delta Rho National Fraternity
http://www.ee.udel.edu/~whitcoe/kdr/purpose.html

Arte et Labore - "Skill and work"
FA CARling Premiereship Soccer Club
http://www.fa-carling.com/news9798/brfc/br11089701.html

Citius, Altius, Fortius - "Faster, Higher, Braver", often mistranslated as
"Swifter, Higher, Stronger"
The Olympic Games
http://www.forum.pt/atlanta/ol_sime.htm

Quando in dubium omitte - "When in doubt, leave it out"
Personal motto, Christopher W. Page
http://www.logrus.com/~cwp/iniel/cyc.html

Quod Sereris Metes - "As you sow, so shall you reap"
CyberPsych
http://www.cyberpsych.org/motto.htm

Inopia infulae rufae - Lack of red tape
Official Orthodox Antonism
http://www.pitzer.edu/~ahill/default.html

Audere Est Facere - "To Dare Is To Do"
Team 2
http://ait.halifax.iti.ca/~emcneil/web1.htm

Furor poeticus - "Poetic frenzy"
Aut Caesar aut nihil - "Either a Caesar or nothing"
Credo quia absurdem est -"I believe it because it is absurd"
Mottos from the Xmos Poem of the Day webpage
http://wombat.eden.com/users/POTD/poems/original.html

Pro Patria - For Country"
Royal Canadian Regiment
http://www.brunswickmicro.nb.ca/~infsch/rcreng.htm

Tandem triumphens (Latin) or Slutligen triumferande (Swedish)  - Triumphing
at last
Ordet Tandem
http://www.tandem.se/kul06.html

Nunquam reliquiae redire: carpe omniem impremis. - "Never go back for
seconds...take it all the first time"
Personal motto, Lawrence Kwon
http://www.aswas.com/mates/lkwon.html

Semper Fidelis - "Always faithful"
The United States Marine Corps
http://cpcug.org/user/gyrene/stuf-mc.html

Veritas et libertas - "Truth and liberty"
The Green Berets
http://www.goarmy.com/sord/insignia.htm

De Oppresso Liber - "To Free the Oppressed."
Special Forces Crest Motto
http://www.goarmy.com/sord/insignia.htm

Scientae cedit mare - "To give knowledge of the sea" 
The United States Coast Guard Academy
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/cga62/

Termini Non Existent - "There are no bounds"
United States Air Force 60th Air Mobility Wing
http://www.travis.af.mil/60amw/emblem.html

This should serve to get you started.  Other excellent places to check
would be heraldry-related pages on the web, or genealogy-related pages.

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Date: Mon, 20 Oct 1997 00:50:13 -0500
To: Adrian Haynes <AdrianH at mccsf.attmail.com>
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
Subject: Re: Latin Epigram
Cc: markh at risc.sps.mot.com

>I came across your address while trying to find a latin epigram.
>I only remember the English version, which reads:
>Fate leads the willing, the unwilling it drags.
>I cannot recall the attribution; perhaps you might know that too.

Although I can't say for certain, the phrase has the flavor of Martial.
You might check a collection of Martial's Epigrams to find out for certain.

Though I am uncertain what the original Latin would be, it could be
translated thusly:

Parcae libentes ducunt, invitos trahunt

"Fate" is always plural, the goddesses of fate, known as the Parcae.  

"To lead" is the third conjugation verb, duco, ducere, duxi ductum

"Willing" is a thrid declension one termination I-stem adjective -- libens,
libentis.  To form the substantive or noun form of an adjective, the
masculine plural is used.

"Unwilling" is likewise an adjective of the second declension, invitus, -a,
-um.

traho, trahere, traxi, tractum

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

From: tadhg at bigfoot.com (Tim of Angle)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: latin translation
Date: Sun, 09 Nov 1997 16:17:09 GMT
Organization: EDS

Scripsit tiernand at aol.com (TiernanD) :
 > I was hoping to get a translation into latin for, "To the Battle"
 > and "We go to fight the battle" or  something realy close.  If any one here
 >  could help I'd be greatful. 

Ad proelium.
================================================================================
Fra Tadhg Liath OFT                                            tadhg at bigfoot.com
The Grumpiest Pelican

Date: Fri, 28 Nov 1997 02:47:08 -0600
To: RoyWL at aol.com
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
Subject: Re: A Latin Question

>Yes, They Actually Pay Us To Do This

Ita, pecuniam nobis re vera solunt hoc agere.
"Yes, they actually pay us money to do this."

The verbs for "pay" have multiple meanings in all cases, unless one is
specifically discussing military pay.  Therefore I have stipulated that the
direct object of the verb is "money," which clarifies the exact meaning for
the verb solvere.  Classical Latin word order places the verb at the end of
the sentence or phrase.  The adverb is placed by the verb it modifies.

GLOSSARY
Ita = adv.  "thus, so, in this manner, yes, true, exactly, really, truly"
pecunia, pecuniae = 1st decl. noun, pecuniam = accusative case, direct
object "money"
nos = pron., "we, us"  nobis = dative case, indirect object "us"
re vera = adv. phrase "actually"
solvo, solvere, solvi, solutum = 3nd conj. verb; solunt = 3rd person plural
present tense "to loosen, untie, free, dissolve, break up, detach, absolve,
pay, pay off"
ago, agere, egi, actum = 3rd conj. verb;  agere = infinitive form "to
drive, lead, conduct, chase, do, act, perform, manage, administer,
excercise, practice, perform, deliver"
hic, haec, hoc = demonstrative pronoun; hoc = masculine & neuter accusative
"this"

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Latin Motto Archives

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Date: Mon, 01 Dec 1997 18:38:42 -0600
To: mik at cit.qc.ca
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
Subject: Re: Motto

>"The centre is strong"  or "In my center I am strong"

You might try something along the lines of:

In medio robur.
(robur = physical strength, toughness, power vigor, hard wood, weapons of
hard wood such as a lance or a club, the best part, the elite)

or

In medio vires.
(vis, vires = power, strength, force, energy, hostile force, violence, attack)

>Also if you have some examples (with translation) of mottos that would
>fit a late 13th century crusader knight...

I've placed quite a few Latin mottos with translations in the Rialto
Archive (now known as the Florilegium Archives) at
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/rialto/mottoes-msg.html 

If it's not there, I don't have it.

cc: Stefan li Rous for the Florilegium files

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Re: [Fwd: Re: Motto]
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 97 06:22:04 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: mik at cit.qc.ca
CC: "Mark.S Harris" <rsve60 at msgphx1>

To translate the phrase:
> >"The centre is strong"  or "In my center I am strong"

I had suggested either:
> In medio robur.
> In medio vires.

You asked:
>What about "In mides fortis",  would it have some similar meaning?

No.  It would mean:

"Inside (of) brave Midas," as in King Midas and the Golden Touch.

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium files.

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Re: Latin Quandary
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 97 21:06:02 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: "Mark.S Harris" <rsve60 at msgphx1>

Drea di' Pellegrini wrote:
>I am creating a bayeux-tapestry  type panel commemmorating how our barony
>(The Flaming Gryphon) won their purple fret.  I've pretty much finished
>it, but just now realized that I have not a clue how one would say "Here
>The barony of Flaming Gryphon treats with Atlantia and wins a purple fret"
>in latin.  Baronies, Gryphons and Frets just don't exist in the latin
>dictionaries I've checked.
>Could you help me--or do you know anyone who could?  Any help would be
>really greatly appreciated, as it's due to be presented soon.

-----------------------
Hic populus urbs baronis Grypis Flammandi foedus cum Atlantia icerunt et
Cancellos Purpureos adipiscerunt.
-----------------------
"Here the people of the baron's city of the Flaming Griffon have treated
with Atlantia and have won the Purple Fret."
-----------------------
Vocabulary
-----------------------
cancelli, cancellorum (2nd declension masculine noun, always pl.) "lattice,
fretwork, grating, barrier"

baron, baronis (3rd declension masculine noun) "baron"

populus, populi (2nd declension masculine noun) "people, nation"

urbs, urbis (3rd declension masculine noun) "city"

gryps, grypis (3rd declension masculine noun) "griffon"

flammo, flammare, flammavi, flammatum (1st conjugation verb) "to flame"
flammandi (1st conjugation genitive gerund) "flaming (possessive)"

foedus icere (colloquial phrase) "to make a treaty, to treat"
foedus icerunt (plural perfect) "they have made a treaty, they have treated"

adipiscor, adipisci, adipesceptus sum (4th conjugation verb) "reach, get
win, obtain"
adipiscerunt (4th conjugation plural perfect) "they have won"

purpureus, -a, -um (adj) "purple"

cc:Stefan li Rous for the Florilegium files

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Re: help with latin?
Date: Wed, 24 Dec 97 15:35:42 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: Crystal_Glynn at mnd.uscourts.gov
CC: "Mark.S Harris" <rsve60 at msgphx1>

At 08:15 AM 10/10/97 -0400, you wrote:
>     It was suggested that you may be able to translate a motto into latin?
>
>     "When forced to choose -follow truth" or
>     "When one must choose - follow truth" or
>     "When a decision must be made - follow truth"
>     "When fate requires a choice - follow truth"

The phrase "When one must choose, one must follow truth" would translate as:

        Quando debent optare, veritas debent sequi.

This is extremely inbelegant and unbalanced as a phrase.  A much better
expression would be:

        Quando debent optare, vertitas opta.

This translates as, "When one must choose, choose truth."  There is balance
in the recurring use of the verb optare.  The second part of the sentence,
"veritas opta" is the imperative case (i.e., a command).

VOCABULARY
-----------------------
quando (adv and conj) "when"

debeo, debere, debui, debitum (2nd conjugation verb) with infinitive, "to
have to, to be bound to, to be obliged to, to be destined to, to be fated to"

opto, optare, optavi, optum (1st conjugation verb) "to choose, to select,
to wish for, to desire"

sequor, sequi, secutus sum (3rd conjugation deponent verb) "to follow, to
escort, to accompany, to chase, to pursue"

veritas, veritatis (3rd declension noun) "truth"

cc: Stefan li Rous for the Florilegium files

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Translations from the Latin Vulgate Bible
Date: Mon, 29 Dec 97 12:42:15 MST
From: clward at mmm.com
To: "bruin(a)transport.com" <bruin at transport.com>
CC: "Mark.S Harris" <rsve60 at msgphx1>

>    At the end of, or beginning of, a transmission, in my inexperience can't
> make a determination, was a quotation attributed to Pontius Pilatus "Quid
> est Veritas?"  Using my B&N, funky, cheap and totally inadequate Latin
> dictionary, but I am sure the only one in town, translate this to mean -
> "What is truth?"
>
>     However, does the same person have a source that would disclose the one
> attributred to him, 'Pontious', of, " I wash my hands of the whole thing."
> (or words to that effect!) in both Latin and also an accurate English
> translation.
> ... snipped ...
> For the Duchy of Strelsau:   Robert A. Brunner (Bruin)   e-mail =
> bruin at transport.com  FAX:1-541-763-2204

Greetings from Gunnora Hallakarva -- here I am writing from work, all
correspondence should, however, be addressed to:
gunnora at bga.com

I received the missive above from Stefan li Rous, and I'll address the question
in my comments below.

The Bible most often used in the Middle Ages is termed the Vulgate Bible, and
is written in a somewhat debased form of Latin which we call Church Latin.  The
Vulgate was compiled by Jerome (c. 347-420), who began his work in 382. In 386
he moved to Bethlehem and worked on the Old Testament. He began on using the
Greek LXX, but quickly decided to work directly from the Hebrew. In 405 the Old
Testament, as well as the rest of the New Testament was completed. Due to older
Latin texts in circulation, Jerome's work was not widely popular until the
ninth century. The influence of Jerome's Bible was quite extensive. For
instance, the first knowledge of the Bible in the British Isles was from the
Vulgate.

The complete Latin text of the Vulgate may be found on-line at:
http://kuhttp.cc.ukans.edu/carrie/stacks/vulgate_main.html

In Matthew 27:24, Pilate is shown washing his hands of the responsibility for
the condemnation of Jesus -- this is the only place this is described.  (Videns
autem Pilatus quia nihil proficeret sed magis tumultus fieret accepta aqua
lavit manus coram populo dicens innocens "Ego sum a sanguine iusti huius vos
videritis."  --- When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather
a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude,
saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just person.")

Similarly, in John 18:38 the famous line, "Quid est Veritas?" is uttered, and
only in that verse is it found. (Dicit ei Pilatus, "Quid est veritas?" et cum
hoc dixisset iterum exivit ad Iudaeos et dicit eis, "Ego nullam invenio in eo
causam." --- Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he
went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find in him no fault at all.")

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium files

Subject: Latin Translation
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 98 21:12:19 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG
CC: "Mark.S Harris" <rsve60 at msgphx1>

Alastair asked:
> If there is anyone who reads this that is fluent in ancient latin could
> you please translate the phrase below for me?  Appropriate style
> variations ok too.
>
> "keep your eye on what is really important"

"To keep an eye on" is a colloquial English phrase.  I'd be interested if
someone with access to an OED could tell us how far back the phrase goes.

The sense of the phrase is to watch, observe, be vigilant, etc.

so...

observo, observare (1st conj. verb) - to watch, watch out for, keep careful
note of, to guard, to pay attention to
specto, spectare (1st conj. verb) - to observe, watch, consider, bear in
mind, aim at, tend towards
exspecto, exspectare (1st conj. verb) - to watch out for
custodio, custodire (4th conj. verb) - to guard, watch over, protect, defend
vigilo, vigilare (1st conj. verb) - to keep watch, keep alert, stay awake
through the night

Given these verbs, I'd select spectare or maybe observare as having the
closest nuance to what the phrase intends.

gravitas, gravitatis (3rd decl. noun) - weight, seriousness, importantance,
dignity, pregnancy
magnus, -a, -um - large, great, important, momentous, significant,
impressive

The Romans placed a special importance on the word gravitas - it conveyed a
special quality of character that every nobleman should possess, a sense of
dignity, of what was right and important in the world.

ille, illa, illud (demonstrative pronoun) - that
qui, quae, quod (relative pronoun) - which

Thus the final phrase would be:
        Illum qui est gravitatis magni specte.

This would be something along the lines of:
        "Consider that which is of great importance."
        "Aim at that which is of great importance."
        "Bear in mind that which is of great importance"

If you choose observare instead, then the phrase is:
        Illum qui est gravitatis magni observe

This would have the meaning of:
        "Pay careful attention to that which is of great importance."

That should get you started.

cc: Stefan li Rous for the Florilegium files

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Re: ANST - Latin Translation
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 98 21:52:00 MST
From: Jodi McMaster <jmcmaste at accd.edu>
To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

Gunnora Hallakarva wrote:

> "To keep an eye on" is a colloquial English phrase.  I'd be interested if
> someone with access to an OED could tell us how far back the phrase goes.

Your wish is my command, good lady.  OED, under meaning 6 of "eye" has
1818 as the year of the earliest use of the exact phrase "keep an eye
on."   The earliest related phrase is from 1430: "Segryne had euer on
him his eye."  The other period quotes:

        c. 1460: "Looke ye bere good y{3}es vppon o{th}ur connynge kervers."

        c. 1475: "I mon...eirnestly efter him haue myne eay,"

        c. 1586: "Maurice Fitzgerald...gaue good eie and watched the matter
verie narrowlie."

Shakespeare and Milton both use the "have an eye on x" construction.

AElfwyn aet Gyrwum

Subject: Re: ANST - help with motto
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 98 15:57:25 MST
From: clward at mmm.com
To: "drwise(a)swbell.net" <drwise at swbell.net>,
     "Ansteorra(a)Ansteorra.org" <Ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG>
CC: "Mark.S Harris" <rsve60 at msgphx1>

Sir Alexis LaBouche asked:
>I would appreciate any help could get with translating the motto
>'Ensuring Justice' into latin.  Thanks in advance.

I'm not finding a Latin translation for "ensuring" -- not that there isn't one,
just that my Latin dictionary lacks one.  Instead, I used a similar term.

asseverero, asseverare (1st conj. verb) "assert strongly, vouch for, affirm,
insist upon"
asseverum (acc. gerund of asseverare)

justitia, justitiae (1st decl. noun) "justice, fairness"

Thus my suggested motto would be:

Asseverum justiciam, "Insisting on Justice"

(Alexis, if you have access to a large, unabridged Latin dictionary and can
find a term for "ensure" send it to me and I'll try again.  Note that after you
find the word in the "English to Latin" section you *always* have to go to the
"Latin to English" and double-check the word.  Nuance comes into play here
strongly!!)

::GUNNORA::

Writing from work.  All replies to gunnora at bga.com

cc: Stefan le Rous for his Florilegium files

Subject: Dirty Latin and Latin Phrases
Date: Thu, 12 Feb 98 18:37:21 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: tigerfan at dixie-net.com
CC: "Mark.S Harris" <rsve60 at msgphx1>, ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

At 05:25 PM 2/12/98 -0600, you wrote:
>Saw your offer to help translate on Mark Harris' site on the net.  Could
>you translate my proposed law office motto -- "Screw 'em if they can't
>take a joke" - into Latin.  It's been over 35 years since I had Latin in
>high school and my legal dictionaries aren't much help.
>Thank you for your assistance.

Ah, this request takes me back to my early school days learning Latin,
peeking in the big Latin dictionary looking for dirty words.

Did you know...

Our modern term "fornicate" derives from Latin fornix "arch, column,
colonnade" -- a term which also came to mean "brothel" since low-class
whores would sell their wares under the arches in the Colisseum and other
public buildings.

The formal Latin term for "intercourse" is "congressus." (Which I would
guess a lawyer would appreciate, especially given current events in
Washington!)

Other words dealing with sexual intercourse include:

imbuo, -ere (3rd conj. verb) "to wet, soak, stain, fill, impregnate"
fecundo, -are (1st conj. verb) "to fertilize, to impregnate"

The sense of the word for intercourse in the famous phrase "Screw 'em if
they can't take a joke" is one of forced or non-consensual sex, sex used as
a penalty or punishment. There are a couple of ways to translate this
concept, but principally the word used is:

stupro, -are (1st conj. verb) "to ravish, rape"  The singular imperative
would be "stupra."

Other vocabulary for this phrase includes:

eos (accusative plural masculine demonstrative pronoun from is, ea, id)
"them"
si (conjunction) if
nesciunt (present tense 3rd person plural of nescio, -ire, a 4th conj.
verb) "not know how to, not be able to"
accipio, -ere (3rd i-stem conj. verb) "to take, receive, admit, welcome,
entertain, hear, understand, approve of, assent to"
jocum (accusative sing. of jocus, joci, a 2nd declension noun) "joke"

Thus the phrase would be:

Eos stupra si jocum nesciunt accipere.

Hope this helps.

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium files.

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Re: Latin Translation
Date: Wed, 08 Apr 98 12:12:23 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: Cole Zimmermann <zcole at mindspring.com>

At 10:44 PM 4/1/98 -0500, you wrote:
>I wonder if you could possibly help me with a translation? If so please
>respond via e-mail to me.
>"My soul sails the endless night, with the stars not as guides, but crew"

The Latin phrase would be:

Anima mea infinitam noctem navigat, cum sideribus non ductoris, sed nautae
sunt.

Translating back literally:

"My soul sails the infinite night, with the stars not being guides, but
crew."

Depending on exact nuance, some of the words could be changed.  I have
provided a glossary of terms below, with alternate word choices where such
exist.

GLOSSARY
cum (preposition with ablative) "with"
non (adverb) "not"
sed (conjunction) "but"

sum, esse, fui, futurus (irregular verb) "to be"
sunt (3rd person plural) "they are, they are being"

meus, mea, meum (1st person possessive pronoun) "my"

anima, animae (fem. 1st declension noun) "air, wind, breath, breath of
life, soul, principle of life"
anima (nominative singular) "soul"

animus, animi (mas. 2nd declension noun) "spirit, ghost, principle of
thought or intellect"
animus (nominative singular) "mind"

navigo, navigare (1st conjugation verb) "to sail across, to navigate, to
put to sea"
navigat (3rd person singular present tense) "it sails"
navigabit (3rd person singular future tense) "it will sail"
navigavit (3rd person singular perfect tense) "it has sailed"

infinitus, infinita, infinitum (adjective) "unlimited, boundless, endless,
infinite, countless"
infinitam (singular accusative) "endless"

nox, noctis (fem. 3rd declension noun) "night, sleep, death, darkness"
noctem (singular accusative of place) "night"

stella, stellae (fem. 1st declension noun) "star, constellation"
stellis (ablative plural) "stars"

sidus, sideris (neut. 3rd declension noun) "constellation, star, heavenly
body, sky, heaven, light, glory, beauty, pride, season, climate, weather,
destiny"
sideribus (ablative plural) "heavenly bodies"

astrum, astri (neut. 2nd declension noun) "star, constellation"; pl."stars,
 sky, heaven, immortality"
astris (ablative plural) "stars"

dux, ducis (masc. or fem. 3rd declension noun) "leader, warleader,
conductor, guide"
ducis (plural nominative) "guides"

ductor, ductoris (masc. 3rd declension noun) "leader, commander, guide,
pilot, navigator"
ductoris (plural nominative) "guides"

remex, remiges (masc. 3rd I-stem declension noun) "rower, oarsman,
crewmember"

nauta, nautae [or navita, navitae] (masc. 1st declension noun) "sailor,
seaman, mariner"

cc: Stefan li Rous for the Florilegium Files

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

From: Obsidian <"obsidian" at raex.com>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Latin help, please
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 13:41:26 -0400
Organization: The Obsidian Group

Gyelle wrote:
> My motto is "Blessed is she who seeks the pearls among the shit".  For my
> standard I though I would shorten it to "seek the pearls".  First off, would
> this kind of shortening be appropriate, especially for use on a standard.
> Secondly, Could some kind gentle translate it into Latin for me?
> 
> Gyelle

Yes, abbreviating mottoes, especially in order to fit them onto limited
spaces, is not at all unheard of. As long as you capture the essence of
the phrase, anyone will be able to recognize it. And, after all, a motto
is a purely personal thing; there are no rules that suggest that you
cannot modify it or adapt it to whatever you like.
        The abbreviation of your phrase would be: "Pete Perulae". Both E's in
Pete are short vowels.
        Just for reference sake, the full phrase would run something like: "Sit
qui perulae inter faeces petit benedicta." The word order can be changed
without damaging the meaning much, but the above is the closest
rendering I can come up with at the moment.

Nigel FitzMaurice, Forester

From: Obsidian <"obsidian" at raex.com>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: translate English to Latin
Date: Thu, 30 Apr 1998 18:51:07 -0400
Organization: The Obsidian Group

eburhard at hotmail.com wrote:
> THE OLDER I GET, THE BETTER I WAS.
> 
> I would like help translating this into Latin.

The phrase you want is...

FACTUS SUM SENIOR, FUERAM MELIOR.

This is a somewhat poetic rendering; a more literal translation would
be: Senior factus sum, fueram melior. The meaning remains the same in
either case.

Nigel FitzMaurice, forester

Subject: Latin Translations
Date: Tue, 26 May 98 13:52:37 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG, ches at io.com

>I apologize to those of you who receive this twice.
>I need a translation for a motto in Latin for a knighting scroll:
>"they came like the tide"
>"they" refers to the knight's circle.
>Ches
>AKA Chiara Francesca....

Although there are a couple of other Ansteorrans who read and/or write in
Latin, so far as I know right now I'm the one who does the most Latin
translation work.

Before asking anyone for a translation, it's a good idea to check Stefan li
Rous's Florilegium files for Latin phrases and mottos
(http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/rialto/mottoes-msg.html) -- he has quite a
collection of period mottos, modern mottos used by universities and other
institutions, plus stuff that I and others have translated.  If you come
across more examples, send 'em to Stefan as I'm sure he'd like to have them
to include in his files.

THEY [THE ORDER OF KNIGHTS] CAME LIKE A TIDE

Oh, my.  Given all the modern colloquial meanings of "they came" this could
be a *very* interesting translation!  ;-)  Kind of puts one in mind of a
group of adolescent boys in a circle...

OK, leaving the assorted rude interpretations, I assume you are indicating
that these knights arrived with overwhelming force, unstoppable like the
tide.

Your phrase would be:

[Comitatus] similes aestui pervenerunt.

Or the ruder version: [Comitatus] similes aestui emiserunt.

GLOSSARY
comitatus, comitatus (4th declension masculine noun) "warrior band, order
of knights, escort, retinue, court, company"

Eques, Equitis (3rd declension i-stem masculine noun) "knight, middle
class, bourgeoise"

eques, equitis (3rd declension i-stem masculine noun) "horseman,
cavalryman, trooper, rider"

equestris dignitas (phrase) "knighthood, the rank of knighthood"

equester, equestris, equestre  (adj) "knightly, cavalry, equestrian, middle
class, bourgeois"

equis virisque (phrase) "with might and main"

venio, venire, veni, ventum (fourth conjugation verb) "to come."  3rd
person plural, perfect tense: venerunt "they came"

pervenio, pervenire, perveni, perventum (fourth conjugation verb) "to come
to, reach, come up, arrive" 3rd person plural, perfect tense: pervenerunt
"they came, they arrived"

emitto, emittere, emisi, emissum (third conjugation verb) "to come,
ejaculate, discharge, shoot, hurl, send out, let escape" 3rd person plural,
perfect tense: emiserunt "they came, they ejaculated"

similis, simile + dative (3rd declension 2-termination i-stem adj) "like,
similar to, resembling"

instar + genitive (indecl. preposition) "like, equal to, as large as, as
good as"

tamquam (conjugation) "like, as, just as, as much as"

velut (conjugation) "like, as, just as, even as"

aestus, aestus (fourth declension masculine noun) "the tide, surge,
billows, heat, agitation, sultriness, raging, seething, passion"

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium files

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Re: Translation help?
Date: Mon, 25 May 98 01:01:54 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: hinsml at uleth.ca
CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

>Wow, thanks!  You can't believe how much I appreciate this...  The
>phrases which I would like translated are as follows:
>       "It seemed like a good idea at the time."
>       "Always thinking."
>       "Who wants some?"

PHRASE #! "IT SEEMED TO BE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME"
GLOSSARY
is, ea, id (demonstrative pronoun) "it, that, the"

videri (2nd conjugation intransitive verb) "to seem, appear, seem right,
seem good" Third person imperfect form: videbat

sum, esse, fui, futurus "to be".  Infinitive form: esse.

bonus, bona, bonum (adj) "good" Nominative singular feminine form: bona.

notitia, notitiae (1st declension feminine noun) "acquaintance, fame,
notion, conception, idea".  Nominative singular form: notitia.

imago, imaginis (3rd declension feminine noun) "image, likeness, picture,
bust, ghost, echo, vision, appearance, semblance, shadow, image,
conception, thought, idea, figure of speech, simile, metaphor".  Nominative
singular form: imago.

tempore/tempori (adverb) "in time, on time, in due time, at the right time"

id temporis (phrase) "at the time, at that time"

The completed phrase is thus:

Videbat esse notitia bona id temporis (It seemed to be a good idea at the
time.)

PHRASE #2 "ALWAYS THINKING"
GLOSSARY
semper (adverb) "always, ever, regularly"

cogitatio, cogitationis (3rd declension feminine noun) "thinking,
deliberating, reflection, meditation, thought, plan, design, reasoning,
imagination"

The phrase, therefore is:

Semper cogitatio (Always thinking)

PHRASE #3 "WHO WANTS SOME?"
GLOSSARY

quis (interrogative pronoun) "who?"

volo, velle, volui (2nd conjugation verb) "to wish, want, propose,
determine, hold, maintain, mean, prefer."  3rd person singular present
tense: volet

aliqui, aliqua, aliquam (adjective) "some, any"

ille, illa, illud (demonstrative pronoun) "this"

Your phrase would therefore be:

Quis aliqui volet? (Who wants some?)

or

Quis aliqui illius volet? (Who wants some of this?)

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium file on Latin mottos and
translations.

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Re: Latin Translation
Date: Sun, 24 May 98 17:31:48 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: Henri Gauci <4hg at qlink.queensu.ca>
CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

>We were wondering if you could provide us with a Latin translation for
>"never let school get in the way of your education"?

GLOSSARY -- words selected for the phrase are marked with a double asterisk
(**), other related vocabulary that was not selected due to nuance is
marked with a single asterisk (*).  Related concepts are grouped together,
with the selected vocabulary word at the top of the group.

** numquam (adv) "never"

** patior, pati, passus sum (1st conjugation deponent verb) "to experience,
undergo, suffer, put up with, allow, put up with sexually"  Imperative form
(a command, you do ___): patire
* sino, sinere, sivi/sii, situm (3rd conjugation verb) "to allow"
* permitto, permittere, permisi, permisum (3rd conjugation verb) "to let
through, let go through, throw, hurl, give up, surrender, concede,
relinquish, let loose, let go, allow, grant"

** schola, scholae (1st declension feminine noun) "learned debate,
disertation, lecture, school, sect, followers" -- implies higher education
-- Accusative (direct object) form: scholam
* ludus, ludi (2nd declension masculine noun) "play, game, sport, pasttime,
diversion, school, child's play, joke, fun, playing around" - usually
implies grade school or young children's education
* in ludum ire "to go to school"
* collegium, collegii (2nd declension neuter noun) "association, official
body, board, college, guild, company, corporation, society"
* academia, academiae (1st declension feminine noun) "academy, school of
philosophy, esp. Plato's Academy"

** intervenio, intervenire, interveni, interventum (4th conjugation verb)
"(with dative) to interfere with, interrupt, put a stop to, come in the way
of, oppose, prevent" Infinitive form: intervenire + dative
* interpello, interpellare (1st conjugation verb) "to interrupt, break in
on, disturb, obstruct, hinder, raise as an objection"

** tu, tui, tibi, te, te (2nd person singular pronoun) "you, your" Dative
form (to agree with dative case of eruditi) tibi
* vos, vestri, vobis, vos, vobis (2nd person plural pronoun) "you all,
your all's"

** eruditio, eruditionis (3rd declension i-stem feminine noun)
"instructing, instruction, education" Dative form (to go with intervenire):
eruditi
* educatio, educationis (3rd declension i-stem feminine noun) "rearing,
education"

The phrase you are looking for, "never let school get in the way of your
education" (actually, "never allow school to interfere with your
education") would therefore be:

Numquam scholam patire eruditi tibi intervenire.

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium files of Latin mottos and
translations

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Re: Latin translations
Date: Fri, 05 Jun 98 11:27:05 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: "Gervase Cunard" <gcunard at hotmail.com>
CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

>Our school motto is "Endure to the End". We want the latin translation
>on our school crest but are unable to find a reliable translation. Can
>you help?

I'm somewhat surprised that your school doesn't have a Latin teacher -
perhaps this is only because I had twelve years of Latin in school...

GLOSSARY
tolero, tolerare, toleravi, toleratum (1st conj verb) "to tolerate, bear,
endure, support, maintain, sustain"
toleraverimus (1st conj verb, 2nd person plural, future perfect tense) "We
will endure forever"
tolerate (1st conj verb, plural, imperative tense) "Endure!"

duro, durare, duravi, duratum (1st conj verb) "to make hard, harden,
solidify, harden, inure, toughen up, dull, blunt, endure, bear"
duraverimus  (1st conj verb, 2nd person plural, future perfect tense) "We
will endure forever"
durate (1st conj verb, plural, imperative tense) "Endure!"

ad (preposition requiring an accusative noun object) "to"

finis, finis (3rd declension I-stem masculine) "boundary, border, limit,
end, purpose, aim, extreme limit, summit, highest degree, goal"
finem (3rd declension I-stem masculine singular, accusative case) "end"

What you want to say can really be said in a single word, since Latin verb
tenses can accurately express more in one word than English can.  In the
Perfect, Past Perfect and Future Perfect tenses, Latin verbs convey a sense
of completeness or eternity about them, something that is perfect and
unchanging.

Nuance is important in translation.  Latin has two verbs menaing "endure",
each with slightly different shades of meaning (see Glossary, above) hence
I've given both versions, allowing you to select which nuance suits your
meaning best.

The most elegant way to state the phrase "Endure to the End" is:

Toleraverimus

OR

Duraverimus

If you want to use a less elegant phrase, the same sense can be conveyed in
the imperative, giving the phrase as a command:

Tolerate ad finem "(You) must endure to the end!"

OR

Durate ad finem  "(You) must endure to the end!"

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium files

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Collecting Mottos
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 98 16:56:53 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG
CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

Greetings, All
I think it would be interesting to put together a file containing the
mottos of the varios peers and nobles - perhaps on the Ansteorran Heraldry
pages, or in Stefan li Rous's Florilegium files.

I don't recall what rank one has to have in order to have a motto, but for
myself and I'm sure others, it would be interesting and very
insight-provoking to know what various Ansteorran worthies have selected as
their mottos.

Here are a few that I have:

Mistress Gunnora Hallakarva
"Sisu"
(Finnish - not directly translatable to English but meaning, "heart,
courage, indominatable spirit")

Sir Hrothgar of Farley
Aptas Impudens
(Latin, "Acceptably rude")

Mistress Aeruin ni Aerin
Ire ubi volo, insidere ubi possum, volare ubi debeo.
(Latin - Go where I will, roost where I may, fly when I must)

H.L. Damaris of Greenhill
Quam Probis, Quam Fides
(Latin - "Be as good as your sworn word")

Duchess Mikaela of Monmouthshire
Usque Comissare
(Latin - "Party on!")

Sir Alexis LaBouche
Asseverum Justiciam
(Latin - "Insisting on Justice")

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: ANST - Aethelyan Moondragon's Motto
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 98 23:11:54 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: moondrgn at bga.com, ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG
CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

Tivar said:
>Mine [Tivar's motto] is
>"Patientia et persistancia
>(Latin, Patience and persistence)
>
>Aethelyan's is
>"Decadence is its own reward"

The Latin would be:
Occasus ejus praemium suum est.

GLOSSARY
occasus, occasus (4th declension masculine noun) "decadence"

sum, esse, fui, futurus (irregular verb) "to be"

is, ea, id (*3rd person demonstrative pronoun)
ejus (genitive or possessive case of id) "its"

suus, sua, suum (adjective) "one's own"

praemium, praemii (2nd declension neuter noun) "prize, reward, recompense,
gift, bribe"

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: ANST - House Starblade Motto
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 98 22:52:41 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG
CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

>House Starblade's motto is:
>"If you can't heal it, kill it."

In Latin that would be:
Si nequis sanare, neca.

GLOSSARY
si (conjugation) "if"

nequeo, nequire, neqivi, neqitum (4th conjugation verb requiring an
infinitive) "to be unable to"
nequis (2nd person singular present tense) "you can't"

sano, sanare, sanavi, sanatum (1st conjugation verb) "to heal, cure,
correct, repair, allay, quiet, relieve"
sanare (infinitive) "to heal"

neco, necare, necavi, nectum (1st conjugation verb) "to kill, murder, slay,
destroy"
neca (imperative singular present tense) "[you] kill it!"

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium Files

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Mikaela's Motto
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 98 23:12:07 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG, kimberly at mail.topher.net
CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

Thyra said:
>A minor clarification about Mikaela's motto:
>> Duchess Mikaela of Monmouthshire
>> Usque Comissare
>> (Latin - "Party on!")
>
>I did ask Gunnora for a Latin translation of 'party on' so I could
>include it in Mikaela's duchy scroll.  (What can I say?   It
>seemed appropriate, and it's way more subtle in Latin than in
>English. )  However, her chosen motto is 'My friends in June.'

OK - in Latin, *that* would be:

Amici mei in Junio.

GLOSSARY
mei (1st person singular pronoun, genitive case) "my"

amicus (2nd declension masculine noun) "friend"
amici (nominative plural) "friends"

in (preposition requiring an ablative case noun as its object) "in, on,
upon" etc.

Junius (2nd declension masculine noun) "June"

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium files

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Semper in excremento...
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 98 13:54:24 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: Richard Griffith <swmgr at rover.co.uk>

You asked me to translate the following phrase:
>"Always in the shit, only the depth varies."

To get a usable phrase, you pretty much have to assume the following:

[I am] always in the shit, only the depth varies.

The Latin would be:

Semper in excremento sum, solum profunditas mutat.

I have several synonyms for "excremento" listed below, and any of their
ablative case forms can be substituted in this sentence.  Likewise, there
are synonyms below for "solum" "profunditas" and "mutat", which can
likewise be substituted using the appropriate form of the word to match the
usage in the sentence.  If the nuance of one of the synonyms fits your
meaning more closely, make the substitution as needed.

GLOSSARY AND LANGUAGE NOTES
semper (adverb) "always, ever"

in (preposition requiring an ablative case noun as its object) "in, on,
upon" etc.

excrementum, excrementi (2nd declension neuter noun) "excrement, excretion"
excremento  (2nd declension neuter noun, ablative singular case)

stercus, stercoris (3rd declension neuter consonant stem noun) "dung,
manure"
stercore (3rd declension neuter consonant stem noun, ablative singular case)

fimus, fimi (2nd declension masculine noun) "dung, manure, mire"
fimo (2nd declension masculine noun) [Note: don't you wonder what the
makers of the well-known PVC craft clay were thinking when they named their
product?]

cloaca, cloacae (1st declension feminine noun) "sewer, alimentary canal"
cloaca  (1st declension feminine noun, ablative singular case)

Interestingly enough, our modern word "faeces" or "feces" seems to derive
from Latin "faex, faeces" (dregs, sediments, remains, lees) by way of
Medieval French to Middle English, ca. the 14th century.

Modern "ordure" devrives (also by way of Medieval French to Middle English)
from Latin "horridus" (bristling, bristly, shaggy, prickly, rude, uncouth,
rough, rugged, wild, disheveled, blunt, unpolished, coarse, frightful,
awful).

solum (adverb) "only, merely, barely"

modo (adverb) "only, merely, simply, solely"

altitudo, altitudinis (3rd declension feminine noun) "height, depth"
altitudo (3rd declension feminine noun, nominative singular case)

profunditas, profunditatis (3rd declension feminine noun) "depth, density"
profunditas  (3rd declension feminine noun, nominative singular case)

muto, mutare (1st declension verb) "move, shift, change, alter, exchange,
intechange, barter, sell, vary, change for the worse, change for the
better" Related term: muto, mutonis (masculine noun) literally "the mover"
or "the changer" but used in Latin to mean "penis."
mutat (1st declension verb, present tense, 3rd person singular) "he/she/it
changes"

vario, variare (1st declension verb) "to diversify, vary, change, make
different, varigate, change color, waver"
variat (1st declension verb, present tense, 3rd person singular) "he/she/it
changes"

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium Files

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Re: ANST - Collecting Mottos
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 98 21:27:46 MST
From: "Casey&Coni" <cjw at vvm.com>
To: <ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG>

And for posterity's sake, my motto is:

"Melio dare quam accipere."
Better to give than to receive.

Ritter Dieterich Kempenich von Eltz

Subject: Re: ANST - Collecting Mottos
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 98 22:22:38 MST
From: "Timothy A. McDaniel" <tmcd at crl.com>
To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

On Thu, 18 Jun 1998, Gunnora Hallakarva wrote:
> I think it would be interesting to put together a file containing the
> mottos of the varios peers and nobles

Ulf Gunnarsson (John Ruble), Stellar Scroll, jruble at urocor.com,
handles registrations of Achievements of Arms in Ansteorra.  Part of
the registered achievement is a motto.  He has a file of all the
registered achievements.

    http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Aegean/2883/heraldry.html

should have info.

> I don't recall what rank one has to have in order to have a motto,

Well, of course, anyone can have a motto.  To *register* it and to get
Star Principal Herald to sign the pretty charter that has it on it,
you have to [rummage rummage rummage] be a peer.  (Nobility isn't
sufficient, but they get other pretties.)

Daniel "My object all sublime / I shall achieve in time" de Lincolia
--
Tim McDaniel (home); Reply-To: tmcd at crl.com;
if that fail, tmcd at austin.ibm.com is my work address.

Subject: Re: ANST - Collecting Mottos
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 98 20:16:28 MST
From: Angela Bellavance <bellavan at rice.edu>
To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

It is not an SCA motto, but rather belongs to my mundane family (the
Gagne-Bellavance family).  I hope to one day make it my SCA motto.
Anyway, it's :

"De bon vouloir a servir" (French)
or "Of good will to serve"

Cheers, Angela
_______
Angela Bellavance
bellavan at rice.edu                       home: (630) 293-7086

Subject: ANST - Collecting mottos
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 98 05:57:19 MST
From: Athena <mbaxter at flash.net>
To: Ansteorra <ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG>

Here's one we've been tossing around as a household:

qod insolitus in nobis ethologia vestrun est
What is unusual in us is mimicry of you.

Branwen ›e Bæcestre
Bjornsborg

Subject: RE: ANST - Collecting Mottos
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 98 05:51:53 MST
From: Kevin Varner <kvarner at planview.com>
To: "'ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG'" <ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG>

Lord Duncan MacConacher of Dunheath
        Alea Iacta Est
        (Latin - "The die is cast")

Subject: Motto for Baron Alexander of the Midrealm
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 98 13:23:54 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: jhartel at net-link.net
CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

> Baron Alexander of the Midrealm inquired:
> How might one, if indeed one is able in the first place, say, "One miracle
> at a time" in latin.

Your phrase would be:

Unum miraculum ad tempus.

Of course, the prepositions of time vary in nuance - I've listed several
alternate prepositional phrases below, you may wish to substiture if you
feel one has a meaning that's closer to what you intended.

GLOSSARY
unus, una, unum (adjective) "one"

miraculum, miraculii (2nd declension neuter noun) "miracle, wonder, marvel"

tempus, temporis (3rd declension masculine noun) "time, season, occasion"
ad tempus (prepositional phrase) "at the right time, at the appointed time,
for the time being, for the moment"
in tempore (prepositional phrase) "at the right moment, just in time"
in tempus (prepositional phrase) "temporarily, for a time"
pro tempore (prepositional phrase) "as time permits, according to
circumstances"

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium Files

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Motto for Laird Steafan
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 98 13:08:24 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: Steafanmac at aol.com
CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

>*Sibili, si ergo, fortibuses in ero, nobili, demis trux, siwatis
>inem, cowsendux* was the family Latin joke when I was growing up.

Best I can tell this must be misremembered - some of these words don't
exist.  What was this *supposed* to say?

The motto you asked me to translate is:
>"in living my own Dream, I serve the Dream of those around me."

Let's reword to "As I live my own Dream, I serve the Dream of those around
me." -- that will keep me from having to commit hari-kari over whether to
use a gerund or a particple (Lord knows I learned *nothing* about grammar
in any English class!  It wasn't until I took Latin that I actually found
out what gerunds and particples were!)

Your Latin phrase will be:

Dum Somnium mei vivo, Somnium horum circum me servio.

GLOSSARY
dum (conjunction) "as, while, during the time in which, as long as"

vivo, vivere, vixi, victum  (3rd conjugation verb) "to live, be alive, survive"
vivo (1st person singular present tense) "I live"

somnium, somnii (2nd declension neuter noun) "dream, daydream, nightmare"
somnium (accusative singular)

servio, servire, servii, servitum (4th conjugation verb) "to serve, be
obedient, work at"

hic/haec/hoc (demonstrative pronoun) "this, those"
horum (plural genitive of masculine hic) "of those"

circum (preposition requiring accusative)

mei (1st person singular genitive case personal pronoun) "my"
me (1st person singular accusative case personal pronoun) "me"

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium files

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: RE: ANST - Collecting Mottos
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 98 05:51:53 MST
From: Kevin Varner <kvarner at planview.com>
To: "'ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG'" <ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG>

Lord Duncan MacConacher of Dunheath
        Alea Iacta Est
        (Latin - "The die is cast")

Subject: Motto for Mistress Mara
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 98 22:37:28 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: Mstrsmara at aol.com, ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG
CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

Mara asked what the Latin would be for her motto:
>"Don't get caught"

What you're expressing here is a passive voice verb: instead of saying
"Don't catch" it's "Don't be caught."  The Latin for that is fairly easy:

Non captus est!

GLOSSARY
capio, capere, cepi, captum (3rd conjugation verb) "to take hold of, grasp,
seize, catch, capture, captivate, defeat, overcome"
captus est (3rd conjugation verb, passive voice, perfect case 3rd person
singular)

non (adverb) not

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Motto for Baroness Caterina
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 98 23:52:13 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: J-LTorrence at worldnet.att.net, ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG
CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

Baroness Caterina is trying to chose between the following mottos:
>"black of heart, light of spirit"
>"create beauty, yet celebrate darkness"
>"the devil made me do it"

The Latin would be:

>"black of heart, light of spirit"
Cor Nigrum, Spiritus Levis

>"create beauty, yet celebrate darkness"
Pulchritudem Crea, Tamen Tenebras Celebra

>"the devil made me do it"
Diabolus Me Facibant Id Agere.

GLOSSARY
niger, nigra, nigrum (adjective) "black, of bad character"

cor, cordis (3rd declension neuter noun) "heart" [but also "mind,
judgement, the seat of feelings"]

levis, leve (adjective) "light, mild, easygoing, fickle"

spiritus, spiritus (4th declension maculine noun) "spirit, breath, life,
character, courage"

creo, creare, creavi, creatum (1st conjugation verb) "to create, produce,
cause, beget, bear"
crea (present tense singular imperative) "[you] create!"

pulchritudo, pulchritudinis (3rd declension feminine noun) "beauty,
excellence, atrractiveness"
pulchritudem (accusative singular case, used as object of verb)

tamen (conjugation) "yet"

celebro, celebrare, celebravi, celebratum (1st conjugation verb) "to visit
in crowds, publicize, advertise, honor, celebrate, glorify, to cause to
resound"
celebra (present tense singular imperative) "[you] celebrate!"

tenebrae, tenebrarum (1st declension plural noun) "darkness, shadows,
night, the underworld, death, obscurity, ignorance"

diabolus, diaboli (2nd declension masculine noun) "devil"

Satanas, Satan (masculine proper noun) Satan

facio, facere, faci, factum (3rd conjugation verb) "to make, to cause, to
bring about"

me (1st person accusative case pronoun) "me"

ago, agere, egi, actum (3rd conjugation verb) "to do, drive, lead, conduct,
steal, act, perform, accuse, impeach, practice"

is, ea, id (3rd person demonstrative pronoun) "he/she/it"
id (accusative singular of id) "it"

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Mottos for 'wolf
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 98 00:37:41 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: jyeates at bga.com, ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG
CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

'wolf asked:
>what would one of my favorite sig lines be in latin ???
>       "when we hunt, we all function with one mind"
>       "lead, follow, or get out of the way"

The Latin would be:

>"when we hunt, we all function with one mind"
Quando Venantur Omnes Munus Implerimus Cum Una Menta.

>"lead, follow, or get out of the way"
Duc, Sequi, Aut Fuge!

GLOSSARY
quando (adverb) "when"
venor, venari, venatus sum (verb) "to hunt" - venantur (2nd person plural
present tense)
omnis, omne (adjective) "all"
munus implere (phrase) "to function"
cum (conjunction requiring ablative) "with"
unus, una, unum (adjective) "one"
mens, mentis (3rd declension feminine noun) "mind, intellect"
duco, ducere, duxi, ductum (3rd conjugation verb) "lead, conduct" - duc
(imperative singular form)
sequor, sequi, secutus sum (verb) "to follow, chase, pursue"
fugio, fugere, fugi, fugitum (3rd conjugation verb) "to flee, escape, run
away from leave"

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Subscriptio-elaborataphobia
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 98 12:42:20 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: Kevin Varner <kvarner at PlanView.com>
CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

You asked me to translate the following phrase into Latin:

Flamboyant Signature Phobia.

GLOSSARY
elaboratus, -a, -um (adj) "elaborate, flamboyant, studied, overdone"
floridus, -a, -um (adj) "florid, flowery, pretty, flamboyant"

subscriptio, subscriptionis (feminine noun) "inscription underneath,
signature, legal subscription"

-phobia (Greek suffix) "fear of" from Greek "fear, flee" Latin often used
Greek loan-words, and in this context I believe that "phobia" most closely
expresses the meaning desired.

"Subscriptio elaborata" would mean "a flamboyant signature", thus the
phobia would be:

Subscriptio-elaborataphobia

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Motto Suggested by Kayleigh
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 98 22:27:23 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG
CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

Baroness Kayleigh Drake suggested:
>Here is a cute one...........we have a new fighter who eventually would like
>to be a Knight.  His motto - "For Gods sakes, hit me in the head!" :-).

Dei gratia, me in capite ice!

* gratia+genitive "for the sake of"
* Deus, Dei (2nd declension masculine noun) "God" -- Dei (genitive singular)
* ico, icere, ici, ictum (3rd conjugation verb) "to strike, hit" -- ice
(imperative singular) "you hit!"
* ego, mei (personal pronoun) "I" -- me (accusative singular) "me"
* in (preposition requiring ablative) "in"
* caput, caputis (3rd declension neuter noun) "head" -- capite (ablative
singular case)

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Motto for Raven
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 98 22:17:16 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG
CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

Raven suggested:
>Actually, I kind of liked Catwoman's statement.
>No matter where you go, there you are.

"no matter where" is an English colloquial phrase.  The Latin equivalent
would also be a colloquial phrase based on "ubi gentium".  Gentium is
literally "tribe, clan, sept, nation" but is found in this particular
phrase meaning, more or less "where in the world".

So the phrase:

Ubicumque gentium is, ibi es.

Comes out, "Wherever in the world you go, there you are."

You could also just say, "Ubicumque is, ibi es," or "Wherever you go, there
you are."

GLOSSARY
* ubicumque (adverb) "wherever, wheresoever, anywhere, everywhere"
* ubi-compound + gentium (coloquial phrase) "where ___ in the world"
* eo, ire, ii, itum (irregular verb) "to go" -- is (2nd person singular
present tense) "you go"
* ibi (adverb) "there, in that place"
* sum, esse, fui, suturus (irregular verb) "to be" -- es (2nd person
singular present tense) "you are"

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Motto for Timo
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 98 21:57:36 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG
CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

Timo asked:
>OK, Mistress Gunnora, while youre at it, heres my motto....
>Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.

There are a couple of words meaning "overcome" suggested below, select the
one which has the best nuance for your meaning.  I suggest:

Compone! Accomoda! Supera!

This phrasing gives the imperative or command forms of the verbs.

However, most of the Latin mottos I've seen tend to use the infinitive
forms - rather than "Improvise!  Adapt! Overcome!" as a command it would be
"To Improvise, To Adapt, To Overcome" -- this second form of the phrase
would be:

Componere, Accomodare, Superare.

GLOSSARY
* compono, componere, composui, compositum (3rd conjugation verb) "to
improvise, construct, compose, build, write, invent, concoct, contrive" --
compone (singular imperative case) "you improvise!"
* accomodo, accomodare, accomodavi, accomodatum (1st conjugation verb) "to
adjust, adapt, apply" -- accomoda  (singular imperative case) "you adapt!"
* supero, superare, superavi, superatum  (1st conjugation verb) "to go
over, rise above, surpass, overcome, vanquish" -- supera  (singular
imperative case) "you overcome!"
* vinco, vincere, vinci, victum (3rd conjugation verb) "to conquer,
vanquish, surpass, excel, prevail, succeed" -- vince (singular imperative
case) "you overcome!"

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: A Royal Motto
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 98 21:47:03 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG
CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

His Royal Highness Barn asked for the following mottos:
>" Endeavor to persivear"  or if that is not possible "Strive to overcome"

"Endeavor" and "strive" are pretty much synonyms.  Depending on nuance,
several of the verbs below will fill the bill for that part of the phrase.

Endeavor to persevere
Conare Persevare

Strive to overcome
Enitare Superare

GLOSSARY
* conator, conari, conatus sum  (1st conjugation deponent verb) "to make an
effort, to endeavor" -- conare (imperative present form) "you endeavor!"
* enitor, eniti, enisus sum  (1st conjugation deponent verb) "to work one's
way up, climb, give birth to, exert oneself, make an effort" (+infinitive)
"to struggle to, to strive to"-- enitare (imperative present form) "you
struggle!"
* persevero, persevare, persevavi, perservatum  (1st conjugation verb) "to
persevere, persist" -- persevare (infinitive form) "to persevere"
* supero, superare, superavi, superatum  (1st conjugation verb) "to go
over, rise above, surpass, overcome, vanquish"
* vinco, vincere, vinci, victum (3rd conjugation verb) "to conquer,
vanquish, surpass, excel, prevail, succeed"

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: More Mottos for Cabana Boys
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 98 23:32:41 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

Lord Johann Kiefer Hayden  (Paul E. Kiefer, Jr.) asked
>What's latin for "You are taking life way too damn seriously"

Vitam gravite nimis vivis.

(Literally, "You live your life with too much seriousness.")

GLOSSARY
* gravitas, gravitatis (3rd declension feminine noun) "Roman dignity,
seriousness, importance, harshness, violence, vehemence"
* vivo, vivere, vixi, victum (3rd conjugation verb) "to live"
* vita, vitae (1st declension feminine noun) "life, way of life"
* nimis (adverb) "too much"

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Saepeque Multum Ridere
Date: Wed, 01 Jul 98 09:08:31 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: Jan Norsetter <jannorse at parkprinting.com>

>Looking for the latin translation of the following English:
>To laugh often and much

One could say:

Saepeque Multum Ridere

however, since "multum" literally means both "often" and "much" you could
also say simply:

Multum Ridere

GLOSSARY:
rideo, ridere, risi, risum (2nc conjugation verb) "to laugh"
saepe (adverb) "often"
multum (adverb) "much, greatly, very, often, frequently, far"

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium files

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Omniae illas meritas remuneraties dare
Date: Tue, 07 Jul 98 14:13:38 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: Carolyn Clarke <Carolyn.Clarke at alcs.co.uk>

>"To all, their fair rewards" or
>"To all, fair rewards for their contribution/labour"
>
>In partial repayment, perhaps you might want to
>submit my personal motto to Florilegium (this
>was created when I was considerably more fluent
>in [late] Latin than now):
>
>Numquam latrunculorum obliviscere.

Never forget small-time bandits?  Is that "Remember the Alamo!"?

Meanwhile...

The phrase you're looking for, "To all, their fair rewards" implies "[Give]
to all their fair rewards."

This could be said either as:

Omniae illas meritas remuneraties dare  -- [To give] to all their just
rewards.

or

Omniae illas meritas remuneraties da  -- [Give] to all their just rewards.

GLOSSARY
* do, dare, dedi, datum (1st conjugation verb) "to give, offer, dedicate,
pay money" -- dare (infinitive) "to give" -- da (imperative singular) "you
give!'
* omnia, omniae (1st declension feminine noun) "all" -- omniae (dative
singular of omnia) "to" is generally rendered by the dative, unless motion
is implied, thus "to all"
* ille, illa, illud (demonstrative pronoun) -- illas (accusative pl.)
"their" [modifies "rewards"]
* meritus, merita, meritum (adjective) "deserved, just, right, proper" --
meritas (accusative pl.) "just" [modifies "rewards"]
* remuneratio, remunerationis (3rd declension feminine noun) "reward,
recompense, repayment" -- remuneraties (accusative plural) "rewards"
[direct object]

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium files

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: "Nunquam latrunculorum obliviscere"
Date: Wed, 08 Jul 98 07:36:16 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

Here is the correct translation of "Nunquam latrunculorum obliviscere" --
it's "Never forget the pawns."  The term "latrunculus" meant "small-time
hill bandits" in the classical period, but was used to mean "chess-pawn" in
later medieval Latin.

>From: Carolyn Clarke <Carolyn.Clarke at alcs.co.uk>
>To: "'gunnora at bga.com'" <gunnora at bga.com>
>Subject: eternal thanks
>Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1998 09:38:33 +0100
>
>Dear Gunnora,
>Impossible to thank you enough!  I am weighing up the subtle but important
differences between the two versions, so as to be able to choose the most
apt. Both shall be treasured.
>
>My own motto "Nunquam latrunculorum obliviscere" takes a very late Latin
word for 'pawn' (as in chess pawn) to mean "never forget the pawns". I am a
mediaevalist by training and I got tired of histories that emphasise the
lords and ladies, princes and prelates, without finding interesting the 90%
of the populations that were the poor peasantry. Thus my motto, and thus my
area of specialisation!
>
>Again, thank you very, very much indeed not only for the mottoes, but for
the explication. I shall contemplate your erudition at length.
>
>Carolyn Clarke
>Data and Distributions Manager
>e-mail: carolyn.clarke at alcs.co.uk
>A.L.C.S
>Marlborough Court, 14-18 Holborn
>London  EC1N 2LE
>Direct tel:  (0171) 395-0628   Fax: (0171) 395-0660

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Possible IronRose Mottoes in Latin
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 98 13:30:39 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: ironrose at peak.org

Resistere Futilis Est
"Resistance is Futile"

Resistere Futilis Fuerit
"Resistance is (and always will be) Futile"

Optas Ut Instar Virginis Ices
"You Wish You Hit Like a (young or virginal) Girl!"

Optas Ut Instar Puellae Ices
"You Wish You Hit Like a (young) Girl (or girlfirend or sweetheart)!"

Optas Ut Instar Femellae Ices
"You Wish You Hit Like a Girl!"

Letalior Specierum
"The Deadlier of the Species"

Letallima Sexus
"The Deadliest Sex"

Femina Indomabilis
"Indominable Woman"

Femina Indomita
"Untameable (or Wild) Woman"

Femina Indomabilesque Indomita
"Indominable and Untameable Woman"

Amazones Infernae
Amazons from Hell

Viragones Infernae
Warrior Women from Hell

Amazon Indomabilis
"Indominable Amazon"

Amazon Indomita
"Untameable (or Wild) Amazon"

Amazon Indomabilesque Indomita
"Indominable and Untameable Amazon"

Virago Indomabilis
"Indominable Warrior Woman"

Virago Indomita
"Untameable (or Wild) Warrior Woman"

Virago Indomabilesque Indomita
"Indominable and Untameable Warrior Woman"

Virago Principessa
Warrior Princess

Virago Regia Femina
Warrior Princess

GLOSSARY
* Amazon, Amazonis (3rd declension feminine noun) "Amazon"
* femella, femellae (1st declension feminine noun) "girl" - femellae
(genitive singular)
* femina, feminae (1st declension feminine noun) "woman, female"
* futilis, futile (adj) "futile, brittle, worthless, untrustworthy"
* indomabilis, indomabile (adj) "untameable, indominable"
* indomitus, -a, -um (adj) "untamed, wild, unmanageable"
* infernus, inferna, infernum (adj) "of or from hell, from the underworld"
* instar (indeclinable, takes genitive object) "like, equal to, as large
as, worth, as good as"
* letalis, letale (adj) "lethal, deadly, fatal" - Letalior (masc or
feminine comparative adjective) "more deadly" - Letallima ( feminine
superlative adjective) "most deadly"
* opto, optare, optavi, optatum (1st conjugation verb) "to choose, select,
wish for, opt, desire" - optas (2nd person singular present tense) "you
wish"
* principessa, principessae (1st declension feminine noun) - princess (late
medieval)
* puella, puellae (1st declension feminine noun) "girl, girlfirend,
sweetheart" - puellae (genitive singular)
* regia femina (phrase) "royal woman, princess"
* resisto, resistere, resistiti (3rd conjugation verb) "to resist, remain,
continue, stop"
* sexus, sexus (4th declension masculine noun) "sex"
* species, speciei (5th declension feminine noun) "species, sight, view,
shape, beauty, deceptive appearance, semblance, vision, idea, notion"
* ut, uti (conjugation of result or purpose) "that"
* virago, viraginis (3rd declension feminine noun) "female warrior, woman
hero"
* virgo, virginis (3rd declension feminine noun) "young girl, maiden, young
wife, young woman, virgin" - virginis (genitive singular)
*ico, icere, ici, ictum (3rd conjugation verb) "to hit, aim at, strike,
shoot, throw a weapon" - ices (2nd person singular future tense) "you will
hit", "you could hit"
*sum, esse, fui, futurus est (irregular verb) "to be" - est (3rd person
singular present tense) "he/she/it is" - fuerit (3rd person singular future
perfect) "he/she/it will always be"

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium Files

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Facti fructus, verbi folii modo sunt
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 98 01:33:17 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: simone at hindin.co.nz (Simone Hindin)

"Deeds are fruit, words are but leaves".
Facti fructus sunt, verbi folii modo sunt.

This can probably also be said as:
Facti fructus, verbi folii modo sunt.

In the second instance, since the phrases are parallel the "be" verb is
assumed in the first half of the sentence.

As a note, while this seems an appropriate motto for a Pelican, those of us
who are Laurels think that the phrase "but leaves" implies that leaves are
not important or useful things!  We all know that Laurel Leaves serve to
keep our brains shaded so that strange fancies don't work their way into
our psyches.  ;-)

GLOSSARY
* facinus, facinoris (3rd declension neuter noun) "deed, action, crime,
villany"
* factus, -a, -um (neuter noun, pp of facio) "deed, action, accomplishment,
exploit"
* facio, facere, feci, factum (4th conjugation verb) "to make, fashion,
create"
* fructus, fructus (4th declension masculine noun) "fruit, produce,
proceeds, profit, payoff, income, reward"
* verbum, verbi (2nd declension neuter noun) "word, saying, expression,
verb, proverb"
* modo (adverb) "only, merely, simply, solely"
* folium, folii (2nd declension neuter noun) "leaf"
* sum, esse fui, futurus (irregular verb) "to be" - sunt (3rd person plural
present tense) "they are"

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium Files

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Quid in Vita Optima Est? (was Re: shirt sayings)
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 98 09:50:31 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: ironrose at peak.org

OK, here's another one in Latin.  Grainne may not use it, but I'm sure
*someone* will get at least amusement value from it!

It was suggested that we use the following REH/Conan quote as the IR motto:
>what is best in life: To crush your enemies,
>to drive them before you and to
>hear the lamentations of their kin.

Quid in vita optima est? Te hostes contundere, prae te eos depellere, et
lamentates te cognatorum audire.

GLOSSARY
* audio, audire , audivi, auditum (4th conjugation verb) "to hear"
* cognatus, cognati (2nd declension masculine noun) "sing. - relative, pl.
- kin"
* contundo, contundere, contudi, contusum (3rd conjugation verb) "to crush,
grind, pound, bruise, destroy, break, subdue"
* depello, depellere, depuli, depulsum (3rd conjugation verb) "to drive
off, drive away, drive out, expel"
* ego/nos/tu/vos (personal pronouns) - te (2nd person singular accusative
case) "your"
* hostis, hostis (3rd declension masculine or feminine noun) "enemy"
* in (preposition with ablative) "in, on, upon, among, at, etc."
* is/ea/id (demonstrative pronoun) - eos (masculine accusative) "them"
* lamentatio, lamentationis (3rd conjugation feminine noun) "lamentation" -
lamentates (accusative plural) - lamentations
* optimus. -a, -um (superlative adjective of bonus) "the best, most
excellent"
* prae (preposition with ablative) "before, in front of"
* quid (interrogative pronoun)
* sum, esse, fui, futurus (irregular verb) "to be" - est (3rd person
singular present tense) "he/she/it is"
* vita, vitae (1st declension feminine noun) "life, way of life, course of
life, career"

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium Files

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: "Strages!" clamare et canes Martis elabare.
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 98 06:44:35 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: "Mike and Vicky" <sheet_rock at email.msn.com>

>Would you please translate "cry havoc, let slip the dogs of war"

Into Latin?  It helps to specify what language when one is asking a
multilingual translator.  The quote is actually "Cry 'Havoc!' and let slip
the dogs of war," from Act iii. Sc. 1. of William Shakespeare's Julius
Caesar.

The phrase would be:

"Strages!" clamare et canes Martis elabare.

GLOSSARY
clamo, clamare, clamavi, clamatum (1st conjugation verb) "to call out, cry
out, yell, shout" -- clama (singular imperative) "you cry!" -- clamare
(infinitive) "to cry"
strages, stragis (3rd declension masculine noun) "havoc, massacre"
elabor, elabi, elapsus sum (1st conjugation passive verb) "to slip, to let
slip" -- elabare (singular imperative, passive voice) "you let slip!"
canis, canis (3rd declension masculine & feminine noun) "dog" -- canes
(accusative plural used as direct object) "dogs"
Mars, Martis (masculine proper noun) the God of War -- Martis (genitive
singular used to indicate possessive)

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium files.

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Opus Candidato Vel Candidatus Operi
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 98 17:42:36 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: sjn3 <sjn3 at snet.net>

>Also, how would "A candidate for the job, or a job for the candidate?" be 
>translated?
>
>     I have long been looking for a translations engine on the internet,
>similar to [babelfish.altavista.digital.com], for working with Latin and
>Greek roots and have had no luck, so far, in finding anything.  Would you
>also know of any good Latin grammars/dictionaries for doing
>spur-of-the-moment translations?

Any translation engine is going to produce astronomically bad translations
as most programs cannot handle slang, nuance, innuendo, metaphors,
similies, etc.

Furthermore, in an inflected language (such as any of the Romance languages
including Latin) there are often not word-for-word translations possible.
For instance,  in the sentence fragments you propose above, "for" would not
be rendered as a separate word but rather by the dative case used as the
dative or purpose or the dative of reference.  Consider that "for" can be
used as a conjunction ("for instance"), a preposition denoting extent of
time or space ("for a while"), a price ("two for a dollar"), on behalf of
("for God's sake!"), Constructions such as these completely baffle a
word-for-word translation engine.

You are best off obtaining a good collegiate Latin dictionary (such as
Cassell's) and a high-school or college-level introductory Latin textbook.

A JOB FOR A CANDIDATE
Opus Candidato

A CANDIDATE FOR A JOB
Candidatus Operi

A JOB FOR A CANDIDATE OR A CANDIDATE FOR A JOB
Opus Candidato Vel Candidatus Operi

GLOSSARY
opus, operis (3rd declension neuter noun) "work, job, task, deed,
structure, work of art" -- opus (nominative singular case) -- operi (dative
singular case)
candidatorius, -a, -um (adjective) "of a candidate, candidate's"
candidatus, candidati (2nd declension masculine noun) "candidate, esp.
candidate for office" -- candidato (singular dative case)
vel (conjugation) "or"

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium Files

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Primus Detrimentum Non Affere
Date: Fri, 02 Oct 1998 23:52:26 -0500
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: Firetamer2 at aol.com

> Hi,  I saw your name on a web site of Latin translations and I was wondering
> if you would be able to help find the translation of this phrase "First Do No
> Harm".

That would be something like:

Primus Detrimentum Non Affere -- "First, To Do No Harm"

This is a part of the Hippocratic Oath, and I'm certain that medieval Latin
translations exist in plenty.  I'm not certain of what the wording would be
there, but it would be something close to this.

GLOSSARY
----------------
primus, prima, primum (adjective) "first, foremost"
non (adverb) "not, no, by no means"
injuria, injuriae (1st declension feminine noun) "harm, injury, wrong, insult"
detrimentum, -i (2nd neuter noun) "harm, detriment, loss, damage"
affero, affere, attuli, allatum (3rd conjugation verb) "to cause, produce,
occasion, impart"
detrimentum affere + dative (phrase) "to do harm to"

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium Files

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Nihil Interest Ubi Is Quod Ibi Es
Date: Sat, 03 Oct 1998 01:40:17 -0500
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: John Maher <JMaher at eentertainment.com>

>How about "No matter where you go, there you are"?
>One of my personal favorites.
>I realize I'm probably pushing it, but your help would be appreciated.

This would be "It does not matter where you go, because there you are" in a
grammatically correct sentence.

Nihil Interest Ubi Is Quod Ibi Es

GLOSSARY
-----------------
nihil (adverb) "not, not at all, in no respect"
intersum, interesse, interfui, interfuturus (irregular verb) + genitive "to
make a difference, to matter, to be of importance, to concern"
nihil interest (phrase) "it does not matter"
ubi (adverb) "where"
ibi (adverb) "there, in that place, therein"
eo, ire, ivi, itum (irregular verb) "to go" -- is (2nd person singular)
"you go" -- itis (2nd person plural "you all go"
sum, esse, fui, futurus (ireegular verb) "to be" -- es (2nd person
singular) "you are" -- estis (2nd person plural "you all are"
quod (conjugation) "because, insofar as, as far as"

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium Files

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Non Revertor Inustus
Date: Sat, 03 Oct 1998 01:22:26 -0500
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: NLM <nlment at gte.net>

>My name is Norma and I saw an email from you on a web site where you
>translated a phrase from English to Latin and I'm wondering if you can
>tell me what "Non Revertar Inuftus" means?  It is on an old coat of arms
>and I cannot find anything similar.  Thank you very much

"I do not turn from branding"  or perhaps, "I do not turn from making my mark"

There is no word "revertar" - this would be the nominative singular of
revertere, "revertor".

The "f" in "inuftus" is probably one of those archaic "s" characters you
see in Colonial period printing.  There is no word "inuftus".

GLOSSARY
------------------
non (adverb) "not, no, by no means"
revertor, revertere, reverti, reversus sum (3rd conjugation verb) "turn
back, turn around, come back, return"
inustus (pp of inuro, inurere, inussui, inustum) (3rd conjugation verb) "to
burn in, to brand, imprint" with dative "to brand upon, imprint upon, affix
to, inflict upon"

cc: Stefan li Rous for his Florilegium Files

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Deus tibi nosce/Omnes sibi noscere necesse est/Vita in regno Dei
Date: Thu, 03 Dec 98 00:59:11 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: manasseh at bigfoot.com
CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

>"Know God For Yourself"
Deus tibi nosce.

>"Every Person Must Know God For Himself"
Omnes sibi  noscere necesse est.

>"Life Is In His Kingdom"
Vita in regno Ejus
or
Vita in regno Dei

GLOSSARY:
nosco, noscere, novi, notum (3rd conjugation verb) "to know, get to know,
become acquainted with" -- nosce (imperative singular) "you must know!" --
noscite (imperative plural) "you all must know!" -- noscunt (3rd person
plural active indicative present tense) "they know"
necesse est (phrase + infinitive) "it is necessary"
Deus (2nd declension masculine noun) "God" -- Dei (genitive) "of or
belonging to God"
te (reflexive 2nd person pronoun) "yourself" -- tibi (dative of purpose)
"for yourself"
omnis, omne (adjective) "all ,every" -- omnes (masculine plural) "all
people, all men, everybody"
se (reflexive 3rd person pronoun) "himself" -- sibi (dative of purpose)
"for himself"
vita, vitae (1st declension feminine noun) "life, way of life, course of
life, career"
sum, esse, fui, futurus (irregular verb) "to be" - est (3rd person singular
present tense) "he/she/it is"
in (preposition with ablative) "in, on, upon, among, at, etc."
is/ea/id (3rd person demonstrative pronoun) - ejus (genitive singular) "his"
regnum, regni (2nd declension neuter noun) "realm, kingdom, monarchy, royal
power, kingship, soveregnty, domain" -- regno (ablative)

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Legatum illi habeo.
Date: Thu, 03 Dec 98 06:48:35 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: valerienne at ivillage.com
CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

>"I have a deputy for that".

Legatum illi habeo.

GLOSSARY
habeo, habere, habui, habitum (conjugation verb) "to have, hold, keep,
retain" -- habeo (1st person singular present tense) "I have"
legatus,legati (2nd declension masculine noun) "deputy, representative,
ambassador, envoy, adjutant" -- legatum (accusative singular)
ille/illa/illud (demonstrative pronoun) "that" -- illi (dative of purpose)

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Benignitas benignitem exciit.
Date: Thu, 03 Dec 98 08:27:11 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: M&P Bostick <mbostick at blarg.net>
CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

"Kindness causes kindness"

Benignitas benignitem exciit.

GLOSSARY
benignitas, benignitatis  (3rd declension feminine noun) "kindness,
friendlieness, courtesy, liberality, bounty, open-handedness" -- benignitem
(accusative singular)
excieo, exciere (3rd conjugation verb) "to call out, excite, awaken, cause
feelings" -- exciit (3rd person singular present tense)

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

Subject: Id a primo effice recte.
Date: Thu, 03 Dec 98 14:23:10 MST
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: mick at m1wheat.force9.co.uk
CC: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

>I am working on a project and trying to find a
>suitable phrase,could someone please
>translate the following into Latin "Right First
>Time". Your help would be most appreciated.

The phrase would need to be a bit more complete, perhaps:

Get It Right The First Time

        or better yet,

Do It Right From the Very Beginning

Id a primo effice recte.

GLOSSARY
* efficio, efficere, effeci, effectum (4th conjugation verb) "to bring
about, bring to pass, effect, cause, produce, make, form, finish, complete,
accomplish" -- effice (imperative singular)
* is/ea/id (third person pronoun) "he/she/it"
* recte (adverb) "correctly, properly, in a straight line, suitably, well,
right"
* primus, -a, -um (adjective) "first, foremost" -- a primo (phrase) "from
the first, from the beginning"

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde

<the end>

Edited by Mark S. Harris	mottoes1-msg	Page  of