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I'm looking for a good 3 word (2 word would work as well) translation for:

Burn this Shirt


The idea for the expression is to set fire to the shirt or tunic that you're currently wearing and make that action into a latin motto. I am new to Latin so I'm not sure where to start.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Greg
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    Welcome to the site! To make it specifically refer to the shirt someone is wearing, you might want something more explicit in Latin like "burn your shirt" rather than "burn this shirt". – Adam Nov 02 '22 at 13:39
  • Latin also has a number of verbs that might work depending on the context of "burn", i.e. simply setting it on fire, burning it completely to ashes, just being affected by heat, etc. Did you have a more specific thought about what "burn" means in this context? – Adam Nov 02 '22 at 13:42
  • Thank you Adam for welcoming me! "Burn your Shirt" would be perfect. And burn meaning catching the shirt on fire to the point of only ashes are left. No harm to any person, just the shirt is burned to ashes. – Greg Nov 02 '22 at 15:19

2 Answers2

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Sebastian's suggestion is perfect but just as an alternative, you could consider

Tunica comburenda est!

This is literally "the shirt must be burned", but for the amusement of Roman history geeks, it's framed as an echo of Cato's famous catchphrase Carthago delenda est "Carthage must be destroyed".

TKR
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    I would still add an ista to make it clear that the shirt is not referring to some other shirt. Also it has a nicer metre. – Wrzlprmft Nov 03 '22 at 12:40
  • Or just Tunica comburenda – sehe Nov 03 '22 at 12:43
  • I am amazed at the helpfulness of this community. Thank you, everyone, so much for your thorough assistance on this project.

    This is the design so far: link

     – Greg Nov 03 '22 at 16:51
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    @Greg Note though that the verb should be combure, not combuste. – TKR Nov 03 '22 at 17:40
  • @TKR Thanks! Noted & changed. – Greg Nov 04 '22 at 18:38
  • +1, even though the other answer is a more literal translation, the passive periphrastic (formal name for this construction) is immediately recognizable to folks who forgot 90% of the Latin they used to know. To that end, may I also suggest "inflammanda" (meaning "set on fire" rather than "burn up") since the root is more recognizable – thegreatemu Nov 04 '22 at 18:55
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Where to start?

First, with a word for “burn.” The most general word is uro; however, in this case comburo (burn up, burn completely) is more fitting.

Next, “shirt” is always a bit difficult to translate, but as you suggested “tunic” yourself, let's go with tunica. (Attempts to find a more accurate translation usually concentrate on the “undergarment” aspect, but I doubt you're all that interested in that.)

Now we just take the imperative form of the verb, put the noun in the accusative case, add a demonstrative adjective, and we get:

Combure istam tunicam.

Where English has “this” and “that,” Latin has a somewhat confusing selection of is, hic, ille, iste. I chose iste here, which we generally use when referring to something that is closer (in mind or in reality) to the listener than the speaker. “Burn the shirt you are wearing” sounds like that would be the case. Although I would really expect to hear “Burn that shirt” in that case. “Burn this shirt” sounds more like the motto is printed on the shirt, in which case you would say:

Combure hanc tunicam.

Sebastian Koppehel
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  • Thanks, @Sebastian_Koppehel for your very comprehensive explanation for this motto. It's exactly what I was looking for on this site. – Greg Nov 02 '22 at 18:14
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    @Greg Glad to help. Note comburo is the root of our modern “combustion.” I also like to joke that uro is the root word of “urology,” but sadly, that's not really true … – Sebastian Koppehel Nov 02 '22 at 20:28