# Anyone know Latin\> **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 15, 2003, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-latin/175437 "2003-05-15T14:08:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mjcocat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@mjcocat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mjcocat)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-latin/175437/21 "2003-05-15T15:55:18Z")
Do I understand you correctly **sappho**? either: “Mi Frater, Semper Mi Amice” or “Fratro meo, quo semper meo amicus est” mean roughly the same thing? ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-latin/175437/22 "2003-05-15T15:58:04Z")
:smack: it’s been waaaay too long since I was smacked by a nun for getting my grammar wrong on a latin test… I think it just happened again… Thanks **Sappho**. ---
**Author:** ![Sappho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sappho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sappho)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-latin/175437/23 "2003-05-15T16:04:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mjcocat \* > \*\*Do I understand you correctly **sappho**? > > either: > > “Mi Frater, Semper Mi Amice” > > or > > “Fratro meo, quo semper meo amicus est” > > mean roughly the same thing? \*\* They mean slightly different things. The first is addressing the brother, so in old style “O Brother, always my friend”, the second is more like a dedication of the gift like “for my brother, who’ll always be my friend” Possibly only a distinction there if you’ve studied latin for too long… ---
**Author:** ![mjcocat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@mjcocat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mjcocat)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-latin/175437/24 "2003-05-15T16:11:16Z")
Thank you **Sappho** Everyone has been such a help. Soon I leave for the engravers, I think it’s going to be: “Fratro meo, quo semper meo amicus est” ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-latin/175437/25 "2003-05-15T16:15:44Z")
BTW. I don’t think anyone has said this. But your Idea **mjcocat** is a great one. Your brother will hopefully be very happy and proud. ---
**Author:** ![Sappho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sappho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sappho)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-latin/175437/26 "2003-05-15T16:17:45Z")
Actually, I’ve been stupid… It should be “qui” not “quo”. ---
**Author:** ![mjcocat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@mjcocat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mjcocat)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-latin/175437/27 "2003-05-15T16:24:51Z")
so: “Fratro meo, qui semper meo amicus est”? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-latin/175437/28 "2003-05-15T16:30:44Z")
Everybody is using the wrong declension for “brother.” The Latin word for brother is FRATER! It’s declined as follows: Nominative: frater Genitive: fratris Dative: fratri Accusative: fratrem Ablative: fratre If you’re giving something TO your brother, or doign something FOR your brother, you use the dative case. So, if you’re trying to say “for my brother and friend,” it should go like this: “Meo fratri et amico” ---
**Author:** ![mjcocat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@mjcocat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mjcocat)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-latin/175437/29 "2003-05-15T16:34:47Z")
This is becomming quite the latin lesson! So which one do I use? “Meo fratri et amico”? Thanks **astorian** for chiming in before I left. ---
**Author:** ![mjcocat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@mjcocat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mjcocat)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-latin/175437/30 "2003-05-15T18:33:07Z")
It’s final, I just got back. I went with - “Meo fratri et amico”. If I can ask just one more question, how do I pronounce it??? Thanks again. you have all been such a big help! ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-latin/175437/31 "2003-05-15T18:52:24Z")
Meo Fratri et Amico Meh-oh Frah-tree eht Ahm-ee-coh Remember - A E I O U sounds like “Ah Eh EE Oh Oo” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-latin/175437.md?page=1)