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Latin translation help?
Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2003 7:49 pm
by Galvyn Lockhart
Could someone help me w/ a translation from English to Latin or point me in the direction where I could find an online dictionary?
The phrase I wish to translate is "Humility before (or over) Pride."
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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Galvyn Lockhart
Kingdom of Acre / MSR
MKA - John Mertz
Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2003 9:59 am
by Lachlann
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2003 8:56 pm
by Galvyn Lockhart
Thank you Lachlann for the link. It has helped out.
Now using the linked web page and an old copy of Cassell's Eng-Lat Dictionary, I've bee able to piece together the following.
Humility
humilitas; = modesty, (as a Christian virtue)
Before
antiquus -a -um [coming before; previous , earlier]; absol., [old, ancient, primitive]. In compar. and superl. [preferred, more important].
Pride
fastus (2) -us m. [pride , haughtiness, arrogance].
So, I think my translation should be "Humilitas antiquus fastus". Anybody see any problems w/ this translation?
My idea is to adapt this as my motto and paint it on the border of my new tournament shield.
Thanks for the help.
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Galvyn Lockhart
Kingdom of Acre / MSR
MKA - John Mertz
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2003 10:10 pm
by lacheadon
Erm, my latin is not real flash, I have only really done 1 semester, but I think you need a verb in there somewhere, say habe (imperative of have), to say "Have humility over pride".
The important thing to remember in latin is that the word order is not terribly important as it is in English, so word endings are more important.
I also think antiquus is an age thing, so you are sort of saying "old humility pride" which does not make a huge amount of sense.
I am also unsure of how the speach patterns work in latin. Saying something before another might mean it less.
So if we use "super" instead, which means above, which is followed by the accusative case.
fastus is more contempt than pride, which is what you are looking for, so if we use superbia instead that should be cool. Superbia is 1st declension femanine, so the accusative will be superbiam, so part of our sentence will be "habe _______ super superbiam"
Now regarding humility, my dictionary has humilitas as meaning lowness, meanness, insignificance, but if you are pretty sure of your defenition, that is cool. I think my dictionary is more clasical than biblical.
I also have no clue how it declines. I have never seen a noun of that type before. I would suggest using "modestia" or "animus summissus".
If so, you will want it in the accusative case as well, which could hold space for some dificulty, but the proximity of super and fastus should clear that up.
These in the accusative will thus either be "modestiam" or "animum summissum". Take your pick. I am not sure which demonstrates what you are trying to get across better. I don't suppose the online dictionary told you what declension humilitas was? A little number after it like the 2 after fastus?
Anyway, my (incredibly) rough translation would be
"modestiam super superbiam habe"
I think the aliteration makes the other too much of a mouthfull.
As I have said, I am only in my early stages of latin, but noone else seems keen to chime in, so there is my two bob's worth. Run it by someone who knows latin and see what they think.