# Help with some Latin **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 13, 2016, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-some-latin/752117 "2016-04-13T20:05:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-some-latin/752117/1 "2016-04-13T20:05:57Z")
What is the difference between “equitas” and “aequalitas” when translated from the English “equality”? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-some-latin/752117/2 "2016-04-13T20:26:25Z")
_Equitas_ is a verb. It’s the second person form of _equito/equitare_. ---
**Author:** ![Barrett\_Bonden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@Barrett\_Bonden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barrett_Bonden)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-some-latin/752117/3 "2016-04-13T20:31:06Z")
“Equitas” or “aequitas” (also a noun) would indicate equity, fairness, justice. “Aequalitas” translates to equality or sameness. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-some-latin/752117/4 "2016-04-13T22:42:28Z")
Are you sure there actually is a difference? It may be just the way the Latin is translated into English. Older English books used the Æ ligature regularly, but it is increasingly becoming obsolete. It’s usually translated as separate letters now. Thus Æsop’s Fables becomes Aesop’s, and Cæsar becomes Caesar. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-some-latin/752117/5 "2016-04-14T05:57:37Z")
Just to be clear, from [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_Latin#Orthography): > [@](#): > > The diphthong ae is usually collapsed and simply written as e (or e caudata, ę); for example, puellae might be written puelle (or puellę). The same happens with the diphthong oe, for example in pena, Edipus, from poena, Oedipus. This feature is already found on coin inscriptions of the 4th century (e.g. reipublice for reipublicae). Conversely, an original e in Classical Latin was often represented by ae or oe (e.g. aecclesia and coena), also reflected in English spellings such as foetus. With that in mind, the question then becomes about the difference between _aequitās_ and _aequālitās_. These are synonyms in some of their senses, but as with most synonyms they do not encompass the exact same range of meanings. I suppose you’re mostly interested in how the words differ in terms of our modern political and social concept of equality. According to the OLD (paraphrased): > [@](#): > > **Aequitās f.** > > 1. physical evenness, as that of a smooth surface > 2. (w/ animī) equanimity, evenness of temper > 3. balance, proportion, symmetry > _4. Fairness, impartiality, justice_ > > **Aequālitās** f. > > 1. Equality of amount, evenness of distribution > 2. Equality of age > _3. Equality of status, political equality, equality of merit_ > 3. Uniformity in shape or structure, homogeneity of physical properties > 4. Levelness, evenness in physical form or in speech > 5. (of an artwork) symmetry, proportion Noting that the primary meaning comes first, and the rest are tropical (that is, metaphorical) uses of the term, we see that when they used _aequitās_ in a political or social sense it was in comparison to a level surface. The similar use of _aequālitās_ treats the political notion in terms of how evenly something is portioned out. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-some-latin/752117/6 "2016-04-14T16:39:48Z")
Okay looks like I need a check on this Eng: Working to earn equality and respect Lat: Laborantes mereo aequalitas et respectus I do want the idea of working hard rather than just working (opero) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-some-latin/752117/7 "2016-04-14T19:15:00Z")
Are you asking about vocabulary about the phrase? Everything is in the wrong form except for “et,” and I’m not sure about _respectus_ as a word choice. Are you looking for a motto, or a stand-alone sentence? I’d probably put “working” in the infinitive here: _labōrāre aequālitātī respectuīque_. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-some-latin/752117/8 "2016-04-14T19:19:06Z")
Since “to” is being used here in the sense of purpose, this seems like a perfect time for _ut_ + subjunctive. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-some-latin/752117/9 "2016-04-15T02:10:36Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Okay looks like I need a check on this > Eng: Working to earn equality and respect > Lat: Laborantes mereo aequalitas et respectus > > I do want the idea of working hard rather than just working (opero) Some notes from [Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes](http://www.gutenberg.org/files/33197/33197-h/33197-h.htm): > [@](#): > > _Labōrāre_ denotes, as an intransitive verb, to be in a state of trouble and toil; but _ēlabōrāre_, as a transitive verb, to produce something by trouble and toil… > _Audēre_ denotes an enterprise with reference to its danger, and the courage of him who undertakes it, whereas _cōnārī_ (from _incohāre_), with reference to the importance of the enterprise, and the energy of him who undertakes it; lastly, _mōlīrī_, with reference to the difficulty of the enterprise, and the exertion required of him who undertakes it. I think the sense of respect you want is covered by the Latin word _honor -ōris_ m. Equality, as it is understood in the modern usage is not something you earn. It is something that is presumed to be the default condition of all, not something to be earned, though it is often denied, repressed and abrogated. “Man is born free and is everywhere in chains” as Rousseau put it. You might be looking for something more like _dignitās_.