A Little Latin Help?

midwinter · July 2, 2004 1:57PM

My mother asked me to do a simple translation for her--"Don't know shit club"--but I have to admit that my Latin is awfully, awfully rusty (and never was that good to begin with).

I figure I need to use "scimus" rather than "comprehendimus" or "intellimus," since she really doesn't mean "understand."

All I have for a dictionary is my dusty old Wheelock Grammar. "shit" would be either "merda" or something like "excrementum," I assume? I'm not finding anything for "club" or "group."

Can anyone help? I know there have to be some folks here who've had Latin!

Cheers

Scott

staphbaby · July 4, 2004 2:04AM

I don't think a literal translation is going to work, so you might want to think about a more tongue-in-cheek representation, something like "Tribus ignoramus" perhaps.

As for a literal translation, it would be something like

"Sodalitas quin merdam intellegit"

I think "knowing shit" maps better to "understands shit" in Latin.

midwinter · July 4, 2004 5:34AM

Quote:

Originally posted by staphbaby

I don't think a literal translation is going to work, so you might want to think about a more tongue-in-cheek representation, something like "Tribus ignoramus" perhaps.

As for a literal translation, it would be something like

"Sodalitas quin merdam intellegit"

I think "knowing shit" maps better to "understands shit" in Latin.

Thanks! I just re-checked the email and it's "can't REMEMBER shit club"! Doh!

And yet again, Wheelock fails me.

Any help?

crazychester · July 4, 2004 5:56PM

Quote:

Originally posted by midwinter

Thanks! I just re-checked the email and it's "can't REMEMBER shit club"! Doh!

And yet again, Wheelock fails me.

Any help?

I'll try asking my Mum. She's got a degree in Latin (and Ancient Greek!)

That's if staphbaby hasn't got the goods. She's not much one for swearing so I'm going to have to think of a way to put it to her gently.

midwinter · July 4, 2004 6:42PM

Quote:

Originally posted by crazychester

I'll try asking my Mum. She's got a degree in Latin (and Ancient Greek!) That's if staphbaby hasn't got the goods. She's not much one for swearing so I'm going to have to think of a way to put it to her gently.

You can tell her that my mother, a Methodist church organist, tells me that this is part of a gift for someone's 60th birthday. I imagine it's a t-shirt or a cross-stitch of some kind. Maybe that'll make it ok

ludwigvan · July 4, 2004 10:44PM

This site (found via a Google search) may be of some help.

Also, I remember back in my Latin-learning days that "cacare" meant "to shit," a recollection that appears to be confirmed here.

And here's another site I ran into that may be of some assistance.

staphbaby · July 5, 2004 1:35AM

Quote:

Originally posted by midwinter

Thanks! I just re-checked the email and it's "can't REMEMBER shit club"! Doh!

And yet again, Wheelock fails me.

Any help?

In that case:

"Sodalitas quin merdam memorare potest"

might be a fair approximation.

The caveat to this, by the way, is that the vast majority of my Latin-learning has been Latin->English, not the other way around.

So, crazychester, what does your mama think?

Btw, in rel. internet Latin resources, there are at least two electronic Latin dictionaries for Mac, such as this one, and the complete Lewis and Short is online here.

crazychester · July 5, 2004 2:42AM

Couldn't get onto Mumsy earlier but I've emailed her and am awaiting a reply. I warn you in advance it may be a short essay. Last year, I was using a piece of music by Jeffes called "Perpetuum Mobile" (you'd be familiar with it staphy, ABC uses it a lot - glorious). I emailed her to check the meaning was more or less "perpetual motion". I got back not only the Latin->English translation but also the musical definition and she asked me if I wanted it in French and Italian as well.

And staphy you'll be thrilled to know I sent her your translations of the original wrong phrase which she will undoubtedly correct if she thinks you've slipped up!

She won't really be that worried by "shit". She is after all a student of ancient Roman history and god knows they were a depraved bunch. But I'll pass on the details about why you're after the info midwinter 'cause she'll really dig that.

staphbaby · July 5, 2004 4:01AM

So long as she doesn't show it to Doug Kelly, I don't mind too much.

My biggest worries are:

(1) whether the use of quin in this context is acceptable (I think it is, but I'm not sure);

(2) whether it wouldn't be better style to use a generic subjunctive in the relative clause.

These aren't exactly deal-breakers.

Then again, if I've made a big mistake, I'm hardly likely to notice it, am I?

crazychester · July 5, 2004 4:23AM

Huh?

It's all Greek to me man. I got no idea what you're talking about.

But you sound just like my mum!

crazychester · July 9, 2004 11:38PM

[Chester rushes back into the room, breathless.]

Am I too late? Sorry about the delay.

OK this is my mother's version with additional waffling explanation. Note she does not like staphbaby's translations. Thinks he's stolen them from the Falco character in the Lindsey Davis novels!

Quote:

I didn't find the translations to my liking, but I think they might have been versions used by Falco to whom you introduced me some years ago, and I still keep an eye out for new editions.__ I have only one offering:

__ Non possum sodalitatem merdae memorare

"sodalitatem" is a bit high falutin, but my two dictionaries offered nothing more down to earth._ I hope this reads sensibly as I have only 6cm to write in, but_I think you get a proper page width.

My mind went blank as to the trans. for 'shit', and I'm sure Falco knew the word for it. It was interesting to me, because I knew the French word was "merde"!!_

Yes she always writes like that.

I don't know why she has only 6 cm to write in.

This is how she signed off:

Quote:

Much love

___ ___ ___ ___ from Mater.

Pity me.

johnq · July 10, 2004 12:16AM

Anyone know the Ancient Greek word for hate? Surely this intertwining of hate with fear by using "phobic" is merely a modern empowerment trick by the various hated types of people.

I never really felt that <fill-in-the-blank>-phobes actually fear. They truly hate. Only some hatred is fear based. Not all.

Seems to me that calling it fear is just a cute way to get a jab in but serves no other purpose but to belittle the haters by making them seem fearful. (I'd rather belittle them by calling them haters - acknowledging that they are dangerous and not cowering or scared, but often violent and militant).

I'd prefer to call haters "haters" (or the Ancient Greek term for hate, if any) and leave the "phobic" suffix to true phobics.

EDIT:

Okay, it's "miso" as in misogyny.

Even better

So it'd be:

miso + homo

miso + xeno

But homo and xeno need some modification just like miso + gyn adds a y at the end.

How to form these words correctly?

misohomic?

misoxenic?

Guess I can keep Googling...

johnq · July 10, 2004 12:31AM

Okay, I'm settling on (for my own use):

misohomia, misohomic, misohomist

misoxenia, misoxenic, misoxenist

misosemitia, misosemitic, misosemite

(please fix these if they seem wrong)

Come on people, hate exists. It's what we are fighting. Calling it fear is like pretending the wolf is the sheepdog. Doesn't do the sheep any good.

midwinter · July 10, 2004 12:33AM

OK. I'm running with

"Non possum sodalitatem merdae memorare"

since your mum used "falutin'" in the commentary.

I'm all for anyone who uses the word "falutin'" in casual conversation, even if the translation does mean something like "the team/group with formal rules and regulations unable to remember shit."

Tell your mum thanks from me!!

staphbaby · July 10, 2004 3:45AM

Quote:

Originally posted by crazychester

[Chester rushes back into the room, breathless.]

Am I too late? Sorry about the delay.

OK this is my mother's version with additional waffling explanation. Note she does not like staphbaby's translations. Thinks he's stolen them from the Falco character in the Lindsey Davis novels!

There's an extent to which I don't care so long as I'm strictly correct...

Given that I'd never heard of Lindsey Davis, I think not.

Anyway, you can tell your mum, from me, "Morde me!" Accusing me of plagiarism, indeed.

Quote:

Non possum sodalitatem merdae memorare

Note that this literally means "I can't remember the club of poo", I think. Hmm.

On sodalitas being pompous, "manus" (manum in this context) is the only alternative word I can think of: OLD gives it as "22 An armed force (of any size), band, troop. b. an irregular force, gang. c. any group or association of persons, company, faction, lot."

crazychester · July 10, 2004 5:11PM

Quote:

Originally posted by staphbaby

"I can't remember the club of poo"

So she stuffed it up huh? The Falco thing is a bit weird. Maybe this is the point I should mention she is 82 years old and it's 30 years since she did her degree.

"I can't remember the club of poo" sounds grand to me. I shall pass on all your comments (including staphy's Latin insults). She will be thrilled you have gone with her version midwinter even if you're just saying it to humor me. Personally, I thought it was a little long for a T-shirt.

And what about the way she worked that possum in there where there was nary a possum to be seen previously.

My mum's so smart.

staphbaby · July 11, 2004 4:58AM

Quote:

Originally posted by crazychester

So she stuffed it up huh? The Falco thing is a bit weird. Maybe this is the point I should mention she is 82 years old and it's 30 years since she did her degree.

Well, given how sharp the oldies in the Latin Reading Group at ANU are, I wouldn't see that as necessarily a problem (one of them is in her 90s, and handles things pretty well).

Quote:

"I can't remember the club of poo" sounds grand to me. I shall pass on all your comments (including staphy's Latin insults). She will be thrilled you have gone with her version midwinter even if you're just saying it to humor me. Personally, I thought it was a little long for a T-shirt.

And what about the way she worked that possum in there where there was nary a possum to be seen previously.

My mum's so smart.

In my inimitable humourless way, I feel bound to point out that there was a potest ? same verb, third person rather than first.

Actually, I read that as being the deliberate translation on her part... it makes sense to me (it's just not quite what the original suggestion was).

A Little Latin Help?

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