Fernando Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 I would appreciate if someone could help me with this translation. I need to write, in Latin: "Many faces, one mother" It means that you can fell, through many different persons the love of your only mother. Please, help me! Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rameses the Great Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 Plurus visio, unus matris. Sometimes I like to do more than argue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fernando Posted April 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 Plurus visio, unus matris. Sometimes I like to do more than argue. Thanks alot Rameses! I was afraid of trying to do it myself because of the cases and declinations! You helped me alot and just in time! Fernando Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLavius Valerius Constantinus Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 Rameses, you do realize mater is feminine right and visio isn't the word for face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q Valerius Scerio Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 Multae facies; una mater. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rameses the Great Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 Hey the dictionary don't lie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furius Venator Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 You are correct, it doesn't. But neither can you construct a sentence just using a dictionary. Even my rusty Latin knows that unus and mater don't go together. Scerio's seems more plausible to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primus Pilus Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 You are correct, it doesn't. But neither can you construct a sentence just using a dictionary. Even my rusty Latin knows that unus and mater don't go together. Scerio's seems more plausible to me. Indeed, please don't provide translations without understanding the language. Despite a limited ability to read Latin, any attempt I can make to properly translate context and grammar would show my inadequacy. Therefore I try to refrain myself even if the intention would only be to help and leave it to those who are far more capable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q Valerius Scerio Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 "Plurus visio, unus matris." Rameses the Great wrote this above. Anyone who has taken basic Latin should know that this really says, "Plural vision; one of a mother" and is still grammatically incorrect, since vision is feminine. You can't take a dictionary and try to match word for word - nor can you really use a translation program - more often than not they're just plain wrong. Do you actually know Latin? Anything at all about it's grammar? Anything at all about how the words are used themselves and not in relation to English? I doubt it. Can you parse your own phrase? I can. plurus - singular, masculine, nominative; visio - singular feminine nominative; unus - singular, masculine, nominative; matris - singular, feminine, genitive. Nothing in that sentence aligns. Even if the words themselves were correct, the grammar would still read "plurae visiones; una mater." Yet even that is wrong. Plurae visiones would mean "plural visions" - visio coming from, visus, the perfect past participle of video, which means "to see". It means something that is seen - a vision, apparition. It can be used metaphorically, like vision in English, to mean an ideal, or something sought after. It does not mean face. Face is either facies or vultus. Actually, I think vultus would fit better than facies. Multi vulti; una mater. (Or if you used archaic, then multa volta; una mater). Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furius Venator Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 Well said. And a very nice sounding (in the poetic sense) translation. trips off the tongue. Of course using things like expert knowledge and good sense is perhaps cheating... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fernando Posted April 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 Ouch! and Thanks! I would like to thank all of you, who collaborated in giving me the corrected version of the translation I needed: FLavius Valerius Constantinus, Furius Venator, Primus Pilus and specialy Q Valerius Scerio for his authoritative and detailed advice. Your help came just in time, since fortunately I haven't printed yet the work where I need to include the translated text. Thank you all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rameses the Great Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 Sorry, I just wanted to help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q Valerius Scerio Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 (edited) Sorry, I just wanted to help. It's ok, Rameses. I don't mean to be condescending, but translations aren't to be thrown around lightly. What if, for instance, he was getting a tattoo, or spent a lot of money printing up fliers or advertisement with the wrong advice? It's always better to not say anything if you have no idea how a language works. I do hope this encourages you to learn Latin. It's a beautiful language, once you learn it, and merely the process itself is rewarding. PS - And do note that this goes for all languages. I wouldn't dare try to give a Sanskrit translation of some English phrase, even if I do have the dictionary downstairs. In fact, there'd only be one language I'm truly comfortable in translating from English: Latin. I do want to correct an error I made earlier. Plurus isn't even a word at all. It's the comparative form of "multus" - plus, pluris "more". A temporary brain lapse had me thinking that plus, pluris was some sort of noun and plurus the adjective. Edited April 19, 2006 by Q Valerius Scerio Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.