interdum or nonnumquam?

[jackdavinci]

Not homework - writing a story and need to translate "A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y" into Latin. I realize Y isn't used as a vowel in Latin - the story is a modern one and it's just being used as a motto. Perusing an online latin dictionary it seems to offer me two choices:

interdum : sometimes, now and then, at times.
nonnumquam : sometimes.

Not being a Latin scholar, I'm not sure what phrase would be better in this context, "et interdum" or "et nonnumquam". Or maybe a more literal translation of "some... times"? Any ideas?

[Cunctator]

I'd go for interdum. It seems less clumsy than nonnumquam (which is literally 'not never').

[Quartz]

Of the two, I'd go for non nunquam - interdum has the feel of time whereas non nunquam doesn't.

But have you considered non nolo? This is a motto, after all.

A, E, I, O, U semper; Y non nolo.

[jackdavinci]

Of the two, I'd go for non nunquam - interdum has the feel of time whereas non nunquam doesn't.

Can you explain that a little more?

hmm.. the online dictionary lists it as one word, "nonnumquam" - is it more proper as one word or two?

But have you considered non nolo? This is a motto, after all. A, E, I, O, U semper; Y non nolo.

I wanted to have an "et" expression so I could use the ampersand symbol.

[Quartz]

Can you explain that a little more?

Non nunquam is 'not never' i.e. sometimes, whereas interdum is more 'from time to time' but between time A and time B.

Consider the difference betwen non numquam requiescat - he rested sometime - and interdum requiescat - he rested from time to time.

Of course, it's over 20 years since I studied Latin seriously, so I may be talking complete bollocks.

hmm.. the online dictionary lists it as one word, "nonnumquam" - is it more proper as one word or two?

I don't know. But the Romans liked their double negatives.

I wanted to have an "et" expression so I could use the ampersand symbol.

That would often be -que at the end of a word. Mottos are short.

[DaphneBlack]

I would use 'aliquando'.

[aliquando bonus Homerus dormitat = sometimes even the good Homer nods]

[CJJ*]

Aliquando is probably better than interdum, though both are acceptable. Aliquando shows up more frequently in contrasts with words like semper and numquam, and I suppose the point of the quote is that the first five are always vowels, while the last is only a vowel sometimes. I'm reminded of a quote from Tacitus' Agricola: Haud semper errat fama; aliquando et elegit - "Public opinion (fama)doesn't always err, sometimes even it chooses correctly."

A, E, I, O, U, et aliquando Y

[Quartz]

Very nice!