# Latin Translations **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 17, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-translations/213764 "2003-11-17T20:46:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Machete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Machete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machete)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-translations/213764/1 "2003-11-17T20:46:19Z")
Hi, I need some phrases translated into Latin. Unfortunately, I don’t know Latin nor anyone that knows (or recalls the grammar rules of) Latin. The online resources, while comphrensive for word translation, are not equipped to provided translation of phrases. These are VERY short and uncomplicated phrases. For example, ‘House of the Sun’. All told, I have about 14 phrases. And most importantly, I have little to no money. 1. Does anyone here know Latin well enough to offer help? 2. If so, would you please help me out? Thanks in advance! ---
**Author:** ![kellner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c2a13f/32.png) [@kellner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kellner)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-translations/213764/2 "2003-11-17T20:58:10Z")
Although it has been a few years since I learned Latin in school I can least translate your example: “House of the Sun” is “domus solis”. Give us some of the other examples and probably someone will be able to help you. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-translations/213764/3 "2003-11-17T21:27:00Z")
Post away, **Machete** , but beware that context is important too. ‘House of the sun’, for instance, may refer to the Zodical sign, so you need to specify that. ---
**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-translations/213764/4 "2003-11-17T21:39:02Z")
I am but one of many posters here who are fairly well-versed in Latin. (I recently graduated with a BA in Greek & Latin.) Post your phrases! I could do with the practice! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-translations/213764/5 "2003-11-17T22:32:19Z")
We also need to know where in the finished sentence these phrases will be. “House of the Sun” is “Domus solis” (as **kellner** said) if it’s the subject of a sentence, but it’ll be something else if it’s in a different part of the sentence (unfortunately, I think that “domus” is a nonstandard form, so I don’t remember what it would be). As an example, “The house of the sun is on top of a hill.” would translate differently than would “Mars is in the house of the sun.”. ---
**Author:** ![Machete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Machete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machete)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-translations/213764/6 "2003-11-17T22:43:55Z")
THANK YOU. Somehow I knew that The SDMB was the place to come with my dilemma. Here are the phrases. As you can see they are fairly redundant. I will most likely be able to infer the rules for future application, but I hope it’s okay if I ask a question if a translation is not clear to me. Thank you in advance! ============================================ House of Fire House of Water House of Earth House of Air House of Faces House of Circles The First House Knowledge consumes all Persistence permeates all Destiny embraces all Thought touches all The white path The black path ---
**Author:** ![Machete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Machete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machete)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-translations/213764/7 "2003-11-17T23:25:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chronos \* > \*\*We also need to know where in the finished sentence these phrases will be. “House of the Sun” is “Domus solis” (as **kellner** said) if it’s the subject of a sentence, but it’ll be something else if it’s in a different part of the sentence (unfortunately, I think that “domus” is a nonstandard form, so I don’t remember what it would be). > > As an example, “The house of the sun is on top of a hill.” would translate differently than would “Mars is in the house of the sun.”. \*\* Good question. I was thinking as the subject of a sentence, but they could very well be used thusly “The House of Fire sent an insulting message to the House of Water. Boy, are they steamed”. Well, nothing quite so painful, but you get the gist … ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-translations/213764/8 "2003-11-17T23:37:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Machete \* > \*\*THANK YOU. Somehow I knew that The SDMB was the place to come with my dilemma. > > Here are the phrases. As you can see they are fairly redundant. I will most likely be able to infer the rules for future application, but I hope it’s okay if I ask a question if a translation is not clear to me. Thank you in advance! > > ============================================ > > House of Fire > House of Water > House of Earth > House of Air > House of Faces > House of Circles > The First House > > Knowledge consumes all > Persistence permeates all > Destiny embraces all > Thought touches all > > The white path > The black path \*\* Domus ignis Domus aquae Domus terrae Domus aeris Domus facies Domus circulorum Domus primus Scienta consumet omnis Perseverantia pervadet omnis Fatum amplexator omnis Cogitatio tanget omnis ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-translations/213764/9 "2003-11-18T00:37:30Z")
I’ve been wondering about the translation of a Latin passage in Alfred Bester’s Golem[sup]100[/sup] > [@](#): > > You took refuge in the Church of All Atheists, Miz Nunn, where you shocked those few unbelievers who understood Latin by chanting in a loud voice as follows: “O tua lingula, usque perniciter vibrans et vipera. O tuae mammulae, mammae molliculae dulciter turgidae, gemina poma.” For shame, madame. I’m assuming tua and tuae are you or yours. Lingula would seem to be tongue. Vipera looks like a cognate for viper. However, it could be a false cognate(eg the Spanish words ropa, sopa, and embarazada. Which mean clothing, soup, and pregnant.). The same is true of vibrans. It could be vibration, vibrate, vibrating or it could be an unrelated word. One other question. If I wanted to say "Through insanity, I have reached the stars, would the proper proper phrase be “Ad astra, per mania”? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-translations/213764/10 "2003-11-18T01:12:42Z")
> [@](#): > > O tua lingula, usque perniciter vibrans et vipera. O tuae mammulae, mammae molliculae dulciter turgidae, gemina poma." For shame, madame. “Oh, you talker, always swift and shimmering serpent. Oh your breasts, your soft, sweet, swollen breasts, twin fruits.” It’s dirty. 😃 “Ad astra, per mania” would be “To the stars through insanity.” “_Tetigi astra_…” Would be “I have reached (or touched” the stars." ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-translations/213764/11 "2003-11-18T01:20:52Z")
> [@](#): > > The white path > The black path I missed these two. via alba via niger ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-translations/213764/12 "2003-11-18T01:25:36Z")
**Diogenes** Thank you. I suspected from the context (Nunn spent the past twelve hours under the influence of a bizarre drug doing various odd things, most with some sexual ccomponent) and the “For shame, madam.” of the chief inspector that it was something like that. Is this a quote from some other work? And am I correct in thinking that despite the use of the word breasts, the quote is actually praising the male genitals? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-translations/213764/13 "2003-11-18T01:50:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DocCathode \* > \*\ ***Diogenes** > Thank you. I suspected from the context (Nunn spent the past twelve hours under the influence of a bizarre drug doing various odd things, most with some sexual component) and the “For shame, madam.” of the chief inspector that it was something like that. > > Is this a quote from some other work? And am I correct in thinking that despite the use of the word breasts, the quote is actually praising the male genitals? \*\* I don’t recognize the quotation but that doesn’t mean it’s not from something else. I suspect that Nunn was just having fun, though. You may be right about the imagery if read a little more figuratively I think the translation could be tweaked that way a little. _Lingula_ means something like “chatterbox” or talker but there may be a form of _lingua_ which is spelled the same and I believe that there is some sort of adjective which means “tongue-like” or “tongue-shaped.” I wasn’t that positive about the first sentence because it sounded weird to me but it might be better translated as something like "Oh you [tongue-shape], you ever swift and vibrating viper’ If “mammae” are intended more to comvey the image of orbs rather than specifically breasts, then that would support your idea that it’s talking about the male package. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-translations/213764/14 "2003-11-18T02:09:28Z")
Aha! A little research with the books has revealed a noun, _lingula_, which means “little tongue.” This leads me to believe that we are on the wrong path entirely with the man-package theory. I think the “little tongue” is probably not so much “vibrating” or “shimmering” as quivering and that it probably refers to a sensitive part of the female anatomy. It’s even dirtier than I thought. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-translations/213764/15 "2003-11-18T02:28:25Z")
Let me try that first sentence again: “Oh you little tongue, always elusive, quivering and serpentine.” Any of you other Latin buffs…how am I doing? ---
**Author:** ![MattTheCroc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MattTheCroc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MattTheCroc)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-translations/213764/16 "2003-11-18T12:36:37Z")
> [@](#): > > Scienta consumet omnis > Perseverantia pervadet omnis > Fatum amplexator omnis > Cogitatio tanget omnis Nitpick, but the verbs should go at the end (doesn’t matter, grammatically, but it’s “nicer”) and I’m fairly sure omnis should be omnem (3rd declension plural accusative). I seem to recall “-is” being a plural accusative ending, but I’m not sure if it applies here. Please correct me if I’m wrong! Thus: Scienta omnem consumet Perseverantia omnem pervadet Fatum omnem amplexator Cogitatio omnem tanget (A quick check reveals the subject nouns to be correct, as far as I can tell. The verbs are anyone’s guess, though. I’ve always sucked at those… :)) ---
**Author:** ![Machete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Machete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machete)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-translations/213764/17 "2003-11-18T13:21:42Z")
Thanks to all for the input! These are great. I have a followup question: In perusing some biblical text in the Latin, I saw the usage of house as Domui (e.g. ‘House of Israel’ as ‘domui Israhel’). Latin is inflected, correct? So I presume there’s a case rule working here? ---
**Author:** ![Melandry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Melandry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melandry)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-translations/213764/18 "2003-11-18T14:30:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MattTheCroc \* > \*\*Nitpick, but the verbs should go at the end (doesn’t matter, grammatically, but it’s “nicer”) and I’m fairly sure omnis should be omnem (3rd declension plural accusative). I seem to recall “-is” being a plural accusative ending, but I’m not sure if it applies here. Please correct me if I’m wrong! > > Thus: > > Scienta omnem consumet > Perseverantia omnem pervadet > Fatum omnem amplexator > Cogitatio omnem tanget > > (A quick check reveals the subject nouns to be correct, as far as I can tell. The verbs are anyone’s guess, though. I’ve always sucked at those… :)) \*\* Nitpick again…you’d be much more likely to use the neauter plural here. For instance, “love conquers all” is definitely amor _omnia_ vincit. (think about it in English: when you say "Knowledge consumes all (things) is sort of implied.) So I would say replace omnem here with omnia in all cases. And yes, Diogenes, lingula is just a diminuitive of lingua, just like mammulae is a diminuitive of mammae. The diminuitive often affects tone rather than simply indicating small size. ---
**Author:** ![Melandry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Melandry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melandry)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-translations/213764/19 "2003-11-18T14:36:32Z")
Neuter, of course, not neauter. Oh, and it should be Scient_i_a, consum_i_t, pervad_i_t, amplexat_u_r and tang_i_t. So: Scientia omnia consumit. Perseverantia omnia pervadit. Fatum omnia amplexatur. Cogitatio omnia tangit. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-translations/213764/20 "2003-11-18T14:50:33Z")
Thanks for the help guys. It’s been a few years since college and my morphology always did suck. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-translations/213764.md?page=2)