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What does J.S.J.P. stand for?
There is this title page of a "disputation" (a kind of academic thesis?), which begins with the abbreviation J.S.J.P. Because it is the first line, I would expect it to be some kind of benediction, like Quod Deus Bene Vertat. On the other hand, it…
Cerberus
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Can the use of articles be traced back to Late/Vulgar Latin?
The Romance articles developed from Latin ille. Was ille already used in a way that resembles articles more than demonstratives in very late or Vulgar Latin? Or did it this use only emerge after Latin can be said to still have been Latin?
I'm also…
Cerberus
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Origin of "seize the day" as a translation of Horace's carpe diem
Even many people who have never studied Latin know the phrase carpe diem (from Horace's Odes 1.11), and can tell you that it means "seize the day". But "seize" is not a very close translation of carpere, which literally means "pick, pluck, gather,…
TKR
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Did the Romans drop the x from "maxilla"?
C.M. Weimer quotes Cicero's Orator, 153, in this answer:
How was the name of your ancestor changed from Axilla to Ala except from a desire to avoid a harsh-sounding letter? The same letter is removed by refined Latin speech from maxillae, taxilli,…
Ben Kovitz
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11
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Why sequundus > secundus?
It seems quite clear that secundus comes from sequundus, a gerundive of sequi.
But why did -quu- become -cu-?
This change is not universal, since some Latin words do preserve -quu-, at least the end of a word (consider equus and aequus for…
Joonas Ilmavirta
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When did *discere* come to mean "to teach"?
In Anselm's Cur Deus Homo, 1.9.12, he writes:
Verbum autem quod positum est, didicit, duobus modis intelligi potest. Aut enim didicit dictum est pro: alios fecit discere, aut quia, quod per scientiam non ignorabat, experimento didicit.
Deane's…
Nathaniel is protesting
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meaning of "non omnínó"
Omnínó is defined in Lewis Elementary as
altogether, wholly, entirely, utterly, at all
[with numerals] in all, altogether, only, but, just
by all means, indeed, doubtless, yes, certainly, to be sure
in general, generally, universally
But…
Joel Derfner
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A plausible technical term for 'boiler'
I'm looking for a word for 'boiler' as in the phrase 'the ship's boiler nearly burst', but I can't think of anything remotely suitable.
Perhaps there is something obvious that I can't bring to mind? Can anyone help?
Tom Cotton
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How to make a deponent passive in meaning?
I was thinking about the verb sequi, a deponent which means to follow. I was wondering, how do you put the deponent into a passive form?
So is it possible to translate the following sentences into Latin with the verb sequi?
I'm being followed
I had…
L. Peters
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Don't let the bastards grind you down
The intertubes are awash with grammatically incorrect "translations" of the phrase "don't let the bastards grind you down" (please pardon my French :-)
Can someone please provide a correct and definitive (canonical) translation?
[Update] Chaps, I…
Mawg says reinstate Monica
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Why are *De Bello Africo* and *Hispaniensi* not believed to have been written by Julius Caesar or Hirtius?
De Bello Africo and De Bello Hispaniensi are the two final entries in the series of military commentaries initiated by Julius Caesar's De Bello Gallico. However, according to Wikipedia, neither Caesar nor Aulus Hirtius (the author of the final book…
Nathaniel is protesting
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Are there any instances of long oblique cases of Iuppiter?
The name Iuppiter is declined weirdly.
It has otherwise regular third declension endings with the stem Iov-, but the nominative comes with the suffix -pater, producing Iuppiter.
At least this is what all Latin grammar sources I have ever seen…
Joonas Ilmavirta
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Can "alea" refer to a physical die, or only the game of dice?
(Inspired by this question.)
The common English understanding of Caesar's famous "alea iacta est" is "the die is cast", using a metaphor from the throwing of a (physical) die.
The Lewis & Short entry for alea, though, defines an alea as the game…
brianpck
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What does Q.B.V.D. stand for on the title page of a dissertation?
I have seen Q.B.V.D. as the first line of titles pages of academic dissertations, like this…
Cerberus
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Nominative-accusative ambiguity
It's the Middle Ages and you're explaining to someone how to play rock-paper-scissors. You say:
Cisorium pergamenum vincit.
Wait a minute. Both of those nouns, being neuter, are the same in both nominative and accusative. Latin has free word order…
Ben Kovitz
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