Sunday, December 11, 2011
Hiatus
The Scala Sapientiae is on hiatus right now while I'm working on the Latin Distich project - but there is lots to read and browse through here. I hope I will get back to this project during the summer!
Saturday, December 03, 2011
Latin Proverbs: 193 Most Frequent Words
The DR number, Diederich Rank, refers to the highest number in Diederich's frequency listing, which you can see here: Diederich Ranking.
DR 189. Doctum doces. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings that Erasmus included in his Adagia, 1.2.12. It is a fool's errand, of course - the one who has already learned does not need you to teach him.
DR 189. Ire docetur eundo. ~ Note: The impersonal passive here, docetur, can be rendered with "you" or "one" in English: You learn to walk by walking.
DR 190. Maiores sequor. ~ Note: The masculine plural, maiores, refers to the "very great people" or "the ancestors" ... or "the mayors" if you prefer (our English word "mayor" derives from the Latin "maior").
DR 190. Maiora sequor. ~ Note: Here you have the neuter plural, not the masculine plural: I pursue greater things.
DR 190. Ad maiora veniamus. ~ Note: Note the subjunctive, veniamus: Let us move on to greater things. The idea is that we are setting aside trifles in order to move on: Sed nimis multa de nugis: ad maiora veniamus. You can find these words in one of Cicero's Philippics, 2.
DR 190. Totum parte maius est. ~ Note: You can find this expression in Euclid's Elements.
DR 191. Ne magna loquaris. ~ Note: The use of "ne" plus the subjunctive is a common way to express a negative command in Latin, as here: ne loquaris. (The indicative second person would be loqueris; just change the vowel and you've got the subjunctive: loquāris.)
DR 191. Res ipsa loquitur. ~ Note: You can read more about this legal principle in Wikipedia.
DR 191. Qui de terra est, de terra loquitur. ~ Note: You can find these words in the Gospel of John, 3, and the saying is included by Polydorus in his Adagia, B32.
DR 193. Vox populi, vox Dei. ~ Note: This Latin saying survives in the terminology of modern broadcast journalism, where "vox pop" refers to the voice of the man on the street, when reporters randomly ask people for their comments. The saying is first cited by the medieval English scholar Alcuin; compare also the similar saying, "Haud semper errat fama," "Rumor is not always wrong." The saying is included by Polydorus in his Adagia, B225.
DR 189. Doctum doces. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings that Erasmus included in his Adagia, 1.2.12. It is a fool's errand, of course - the one who has already learned does not need you to teach him.
DR 189. Ire docetur eundo. ~ Note: The impersonal passive here, docetur, can be rendered with "you" or "one" in English: You learn to walk by walking.
DR 190. Maiores sequor. ~ Note: The masculine plural, maiores, refers to the "very great people" or "the ancestors" ... or "the mayors" if you prefer (our English word "mayor" derives from the Latin "maior").
DR 190. Maiora sequor. ~ Note: Here you have the neuter plural, not the masculine plural: I pursue greater things.
DR 190. Ad maiora veniamus. ~ Note: Note the subjunctive, veniamus: Let us move on to greater things. The idea is that we are setting aside trifles in order to move on: Sed nimis multa de nugis: ad maiora veniamus. You can find these words in one of Cicero's Philippics, 2.
DR 190. Totum parte maius est. ~ Note: You can find this expression in Euclid's Elements.
DR 191. Ne magna loquaris. ~ Note: The use of "ne" plus the subjunctive is a common way to express a negative command in Latin, as here: ne loquaris. (The indicative second person would be loqueris; just change the vowel and you've got the subjunctive: loquāris.)
DR 191. Res ipsa loquitur. ~ Note: You can read more about this legal principle in Wikipedia.
DR 191. Qui de terra est, de terra loquitur. ~ Note: You can find these words in the Gospel of John, 3, and the saying is included by Polydorus in his Adagia, B32.
DR 193. Vox populi, vox Dei. ~ Note: This Latin saying survives in the terminology of modern broadcast journalism, where "vox pop" refers to the voice of the man on the street, when reporters randomly ask people for their comments. The saying is first cited by the medieval English scholar Alcuin; compare also the similar saying, "Haud semper errat fama," "Rumor is not always wrong." The saying is included by Polydorus in his Adagia, B225.
Thursday, December 01, 2011
Latin Proverbs: 189 Most Frequent Words
The DR number, Diederich Rank, refers to the highest number in Diederich's frequency listing, which you can see here: Diederich Ranking.
DR 187. Dulce domum. ~ Note: Notice the use of the neuter adjective here: the proverb does not say that a home is sweet, but that home is a sweet thing, a pleasant thing. This is also the title of the school song of the Winchester College, a boys' school in Winchester, England.
DR 187. Non omne dulce bonum. ~ Note: Here you see the neuter singular dulce again: Not every sweet thing is good. For example: CANDY. It is sweet to eat, but not good for you, alas!
DR 187. Dulce puella malum est! ~ Note: Note the nice paradox here, with the predicate wrapped around the subject: What is a girl? She is a dulce malum, a sweet evil.
DR 187. Nihil dulcius quam omnia scire. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings Erasmus included in his Adagia, 5.1.42. Note how the infinitive phrase here, omnia scire, is being used as a noun.
DR 188. Natura rerum omnium mater. ~ Note: Of course, we also speak about "Mother Nature" in English, too!
DR 188. Naturae vis maxima. ~ Note: You can understand maxima here as a true superlative ("the greatest of all") or just as an emphatic adjective: "extremely great."
DR 188. Frater est amicus quem nobis dedit Natura. ~ Note: You can also find this saying with the words: Frater est amicus quem donat natura.
DR 188. Ars vincit naturam. ~ Note: Contrary to the proverb about the power of nature (Naturae vis maxima.), this saying asserts the primacy of art (technology, craft, human ingenuity) over nature.
DR 189. Si vis scire, doce. ~ Note: Of course, every teacher knows that teaching is the best way to expand your own knowledge!
DR 189. Dies diem docet. ~ Note: We might say in English, "One day teaches another."
DR 187. Dulce domum. ~ Note: Notice the use of the neuter adjective here: the proverb does not say that a home is sweet, but that home is a sweet thing, a pleasant thing. This is also the title of the school song of the Winchester College, a boys' school in Winchester, England.
DR 187. Non omne dulce bonum. ~ Note: Here you see the neuter singular dulce again: Not every sweet thing is good. For example: CANDY. It is sweet to eat, but not good for you, alas!
DR 187. Dulce puella malum est! ~ Note: Note the nice paradox here, with the predicate wrapped around the subject: What is a girl? She is a dulce malum, a sweet evil.
DR 187. Nihil dulcius quam omnia scire. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings Erasmus included in his Adagia, 5.1.42. Note how the infinitive phrase here, omnia scire, is being used as a noun.
DR 188. Natura rerum omnium mater. ~ Note: Of course, we also speak about "Mother Nature" in English, too!
DR 188. Naturae vis maxima. ~ Note: You can understand maxima here as a true superlative ("the greatest of all") or just as an emphatic adjective: "extremely great."
DR 188. Frater est amicus quem nobis dedit Natura. ~ Note: You can also find this saying with the words: Frater est amicus quem donat natura.
DR 188. Ars vincit naturam. ~ Note: Contrary to the proverb about the power of nature (Naturae vis maxima.), this saying asserts the primacy of art (technology, craft, human ingenuity) over nature.
DR 189. Si vis scire, doce. ~ Note: Of course, every teacher knows that teaching is the best way to expand your own knowledge!
DR 189. Dies diem docet. ~ Note: We might say in English, "One day teaches another."
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Latin Proverbs: 186 Most Frequent Words
The DR number, Diederich Rank, refers to the highest number in Diederich's frequency listing, which you can see here: Diederich Ranking.
DR 180. Agere sequitur credere. ~ Note: Here the infinitives are functioning as verbal nouns. The idea is that you have to have faith first, and action then follows: Agere (action) sequitur credere (believing). This is a phrase most often associated with theology, so the believing here is a matter of religious belief.
DR 180. Noctem dies sequitur. ~ Note: You can find this saying in Seneca's reflections on nature in one of his Epistulae ad Lucilium, 107.
DR 182. Non movenda moves. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings Erasmus included in his Adagia, 1.6.61. Note the substantive use of the gerundive: non movenda, "things-that-should-not-be-moved."
DR 183. Artes aliis aliae. ~ Note: This is another of those "aliud…aliud" sayings; in English we might say "Some arts are good for some people, while others are good for other people."
DR 184. In tuum ipsius caput. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings Erasmus included in his Adagia, 4.6.88, and it is a bit like a curse: (may whatever you are doing fall) in tuum ipsius caput. Note the use of the possessive genitive, ipsius, to go with the possessive adjective, tuum; the pronoun ipse does not have a possessive adjective of its own.
DR 185. Plures sunt res quam verba. ~ Note: Note that plus is being used as an adjective here: plures sunt res. The idea here is that language falls short of reality: we can make words and then more words, but there will always be more things than words.
DR 185. Esse quam videri. ~ Note: This is the motto of the state of North Carolina, as you can read about in this Wikipedia article. The quam here expresses the idea of comparison: to be (rather) than to seem.
DR 185. Quis amicior quam frater fratri? ~ Note: Although amicus is more often used substantively, as a noun ("friend"), it really is an adjective ("friendly"). So, as an adjective, it has a comparative form: amicior, "more friendly."
DR 186. Non nova, sed nove. ~ Note: Notice the constrast between the neuter plural, nova, and the adverb, nove: Not new things, but in a new way. You can also find the saying in this form: Nove, sed non nova.
DR 186. Erunt novissimi primi, et primi novissimi. ~ Note: These words come from the Gospel of Matthew, 20; the saying is included by Polydorus in his Adagia, B359. Notice that novissimus here can be translated as "latest" in a series, as opposed to the first in a series (primus) - hence the King James rendering of this verse: "So the last shall be first, and the first last." The Greek reads: οὕτως ἔσονται οἱ ἔσχατοι πρῶτοι καὶ οἱ πρῶτοι ἔσχατοι. Someone's "last words" in Latin are verba novissima.
DR 180. Agere sequitur credere. ~ Note: Here the infinitives are functioning as verbal nouns. The idea is that you have to have faith first, and action then follows: Agere (action) sequitur credere (believing). This is a phrase most often associated with theology, so the believing here is a matter of religious belief.
DR 180. Noctem dies sequitur. ~ Note: You can find this saying in Seneca's reflections on nature in one of his Epistulae ad Lucilium, 107.
DR 182. Non movenda moves. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings Erasmus included in his Adagia, 1.6.61. Note the substantive use of the gerundive: non movenda, "things-that-should-not-be-moved."
DR 183. Artes aliis aliae. ~ Note: This is another of those "aliud…aliud" sayings; in English we might say "Some arts are good for some people, while others are good for other people."
DR 184. In tuum ipsius caput. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings Erasmus included in his Adagia, 4.6.88, and it is a bit like a curse: (may whatever you are doing fall) in tuum ipsius caput. Note the use of the possessive genitive, ipsius, to go with the possessive adjective, tuum; the pronoun ipse does not have a possessive adjective of its own.
DR 185. Plures sunt res quam verba. ~ Note: Note that plus is being used as an adjective here: plures sunt res. The idea here is that language falls short of reality: we can make words and then more words, but there will always be more things than words.
DR 185. Esse quam videri. ~ Note: This is the motto of the state of North Carolina, as you can read about in this Wikipedia article. The quam here expresses the idea of comparison: to be (rather) than to seem.
DR 185. Quis amicior quam frater fratri? ~ Note: Although amicus is more often used substantively, as a noun ("friend"), it really is an adjective ("friendly"). So, as an adjective, it has a comparative form: amicior, "more friendly."
DR 186. Non nova, sed nove. ~ Note: Notice the constrast between the neuter plural, nova, and the adverb, nove: Not new things, but in a new way. You can also find the saying in this form: Nove, sed non nova.
DR 186. Erunt novissimi primi, et primi novissimi. ~ Note: These words come from the Gospel of Matthew, 20; the saying is included by Polydorus in his Adagia, B359. Notice that novissimus here can be translated as "latest" in a series, as opposed to the first in a series (primus) - hence the King James rendering of this verse: "So the last shall be first, and the first last." The Greek reads: οὕτως ἔσονται οἱ ἔσχατοι πρῶτοι καὶ οἱ πρῶτοι ἔσχατοι. Someone's "last words" in Latin are verba novissima.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Latin Proverbs: 180 Most Frequent Words
The DR number, Diederich Rank, refers to the highest number in Diederich's frequency listing, which you can see here: Diederich Ranking.
DR 176. Audi et alteram partem. ~ Note: Compare the saying you saw earlier: Audiatur et altera pars.
DR 176. Alter ego est amicus. ~ Note: For the various uses of the phrase "alter ego," see this Wikipedia article.
DR 176. Amicus alter ipse. ~ Note: This is a saying collected by Erasmus in his Adages, 1.1.2. Notice how ipse is being used here to mean something like the English word "self" - "A friend is another self."
DR 176. Quod tibi vis fieri, hoc fac alteri. ~ Note: Notice how fieri serves as the passive of facere: That which you want done to you, do to another. This is sometimes called "The Golden Rule," which you can read about at Wikipedia.
DR 176. Quod tibi non vis, alteri ne facias. ~ Note: This is the negative version of the Golden Rule, sometimes called the Silver Rule: What you don't want for yourself, don't do to another! You can also see this with the perfect instead of the present subjunctive to express the negative command: Quod tibi non vis, alteri ne feceris.
DR 176. Quod tibi, hoc alteri. ~ Note: This is another succinct statement of the Golden Rule, with the verb implied by not stated: That which you (do) to another, (should be what you would do) for yourself.
DR 176. Accipe quod tuum alterique da suum. ~ Note: Again, there are some words implied but not stated in the compact Latin: Accipe (hoc), quod tuum (est), alterique da suum. Note that suum refers to the person who is "alter" - give to another what is his (or hers).
DR 176. Alterius ne sit, qui suus esse potest. ~ Note: Note the genitive alterius - "ne sit alterius" means something like "do not become another's," i.e. do not become the slave of another, the servant of some other person.
DR 178. Quod scripsi, scripsi. ~ Note: This saying is included by Polydorus in his Adagia, B175.
DR 180. Rem tene; verba sequentur! ~ Note: Note the future tense: sequentur. (It's all a matter of vowels: sequuntur, present indicative; sequantur, present subjunctive; sequenter, future indicative.)
DR 176. Audi et alteram partem. ~ Note: Compare the saying you saw earlier: Audiatur et altera pars.
DR 176. Alter ego est amicus. ~ Note: For the various uses of the phrase "alter ego," see this Wikipedia article.
DR 176. Amicus alter ipse. ~ Note: This is a saying collected by Erasmus in his Adages, 1.1.2. Notice how ipse is being used here to mean something like the English word "self" - "A friend is another self."
DR 176. Quod tibi vis fieri, hoc fac alteri. ~ Note: Notice how fieri serves as the passive of facere: That which you want done to you, do to another. This is sometimes called "The Golden Rule," which you can read about at Wikipedia.
DR 176. Quod tibi non vis, alteri ne facias. ~ Note: This is the negative version of the Golden Rule, sometimes called the Silver Rule: What you don't want for yourself, don't do to another! You can also see this with the perfect instead of the present subjunctive to express the negative command: Quod tibi non vis, alteri ne feceris.
DR 176. Quod tibi, hoc alteri. ~ Note: This is another succinct statement of the Golden Rule, with the verb implied by not stated: That which you (do) to another, (should be what you would do) for yourself.
DR 176. Accipe quod tuum alterique da suum. ~ Note: Again, there are some words implied but not stated in the compact Latin: Accipe (hoc), quod tuum (est), alterique da suum. Note that suum refers to the person who is "alter" - give to another what is his (or hers).
DR 176. Alterius ne sit, qui suus esse potest. ~ Note: Note the genitive alterius - "ne sit alterius" means something like "do not become another's," i.e. do not become the slave of another, the servant of some other person.
DR 178. Quod scripsi, scripsi. ~ Note: This saying is included by Polydorus in his Adagia, B175.
DR 180. Rem tene; verba sequentur! ~ Note: Note the future tense: sequentur. (It's all a matter of vowels: sequuntur, present indicative; sequantur, present subjunctive; sequenter, future indicative.)
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