I just finished the book Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers and at the end Peter asks Harriet to marry him one last time. She doesn’t have the words so he asks, “Placetne, magistra?” and she replies “Placet.” Latin, right? What on earth does this mean?
Hmm. I only answer because no real Latinist seem to be on-- with my wussy bit of Latin I think it’s something like “Isn’t is nice, ma’am?” (or teacher, mistress, whatever) with the answer “It’s nice.”
No,I don’t think it makes much sense but I haven’t read the thing.
I know “Placetne, magistra” means “does it please you, miss?” - and “Placet” means an affirmative to the question. (IIRC, “It pleases”)
I don’t have the exact translation, but I do know that’s what it meant (I read the book and had to go thought looking it up myself) It is latin, though.
Oh, I’m going to pick at myself - I think it means:
“Does it NOT please you, (Magrista is feminine)” and she says “It pleases”
So, either she said yes, or she just told him that she was pleased to be asked. How frustrating.
magistra is not “miss,” it’s teacher, I believe.
Latin does not have a word for yes. So, to answer in the affirmative, the verb of the question is repeated.
The ne at the end of the verb just means that the question has an answer that is either yes or no. I also believe that the word phrase Ita Vero could pass for the word Yes.
The ne at the end of the verb just means that the question has an answer that is either yes or no. I also believe that the word phrase Ita Vero could pass for the word Yes.