# Latin help **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 4, 2003, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-help/199589 "2003-09-04T20:12:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-help/199589/1 "2003-09-04T20:12:58Z")
What is the translation of veritatem prosequimur. Trying it myself I get “attack truth.” which doesn’t seem exactly correct. ---
**Author:** ![biqu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@biqu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biqu)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-help/199589/2 "2003-09-04T20:35:09Z")
“pursue truth” See [William Whitaker’s Words program](http://lysy2.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/words.exe) for further translation needs. ---
**Author:** ![agroof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@agroof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/agroof)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-help/199589/3 "2003-09-04T22:20:47Z")
Slight nitpick. The mood of “prosequimur” is indicative [first person], not imperative, and therefore the phrase would be translated as “_I_ pursue truth.” –agroof ---
**Author:** ![biqu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@biqu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biqu)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-help/199589/4 "2003-09-04T22:41:22Z")
Damn those pesky Romans and their avoidance of pronouns! Oh well, at least “cogito ergo sum” needs only three words instead of five. Brevity is the soul of wit and all that. Even though my username is Latin, I haven’t studied Latin since elementary school, where I really didn’t focus on grammar at all. The majority of my formal foreign language education is in German. I took the username from the motto of my undergraduate institution. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-help/199589/5 "2003-09-05T02:00:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by agroof \* > \*\*Slight nitpick. > > The mood of “prosequimur” is indicative [first person], not imperative, and therefore the phrase would be translated as “_I_ pursue truth.” > > –agroof \*\* Isn’t it plural, we, and subjunctive, not indicative? I think in multi-verbed english We intend to pursue the truth is the closest direct translation. But it’s been a long time … What to hear a dirty Latin limerick? ---
**Author:** ![PoignantSod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@PoignantSod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoignantSod)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-help/199589/6 "2003-09-05T03:05:33Z")
High School Latin student checking in… Yup, appears to be the “we” form but is based off the deponent verb (basically an active verb appearing passive) sequor, sequi, secutus sum. Following the typical pattern, it is first person plural active indicative present tense (whew!) i.e. “we pursue.” So “We pursue truth” is what I come up with. [Conjugation cite](http://www.informalmusic.com/latinsoc/verbs/sequ.html) ---
**Author:** ![agroof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@agroof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/agroof)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-help/199589/7 "2003-09-05T06:42:09Z")
Oh, yes, “we,” not “I”! “-Mur” makes it plural. Mea culpa. :smack: