I’m getting it tattooed tonight so I really want to make sure it’s spelled right. Roughly translated it’s, He has risen as He said (or, as it was said.) I originally saw it written “Resurrexit sicut dixit”. However, I’ve seen at least 3 ways of spelling it, including one where the first word was altogether different. It looked like it was some sort of variation dependant on tense, etc. So I turn to you, dear Dopers. Any help? Thanks.
I would go with the Vulgate, unless for some bizarre reason this isn’t a reference to Christ:
(Note that that’s “For he is risen, as he said”).
Sorry, I should point out that your phrase is correct as it is.
I don’t know enough about the etymology of the verb, but “Resurrexit sicut dixit” is certainly fine; it’s been used to say the same thing. This page has it used by Pope Gregory, so it’s at least 1000 years old.
Using the Vulgate phrase would make it a direct quote; going with what you had would simply be saying the same thing, but in Latin (with precedent in song and probably liturgy). Hopefully that clarifies why you may have seen differing spellings. Go with what you’d rather have on you.
Thanks for the links. I think I’ll go with the original spelling. I discovered it in an issue of the Magnificat. Plus, if it was good enough for Pope Gregory, it’s god enough for me. I’m curious though. I could the “re” prefix makes a difference? Applying rules from other languages I wonder if the resurrexit means He “has” risen, which would make sense if you’re talking about it 10 centuries later. While surrexit may mean He “is” risen, also making sense since the Gospel was written a relatively short time after the fact. Well, whatever the case may be, thanks again for the help.
Some joke is begging to be made here.
Both mean “he is risen,” which (in English) is just an older form of “he has risen.” Like “Joy to the world, the lord is come” = “the lord has come.” Surrexit is literally “got up, arose” (the source of our word “surge”) and resurrexit is literally “rose again” (resurge), with the tacit implication that he had been sleeping/dead. Even in English “resurge” means “arise” more than “surge again,” even though the re- prefix is (as in English) “again.” In other words, any difference is very subtle and they are effectively synonyms in this context.
That makes even more sense then. Using “resurrexit” would seem to be more in keeping with doctrine. In Catholicism death is seen more as a long sleep while awaiting the Second Coming. (Or something close to that idea, correct if need be.) Definitely going with the original spelling I had. Hmmm, just realized I’m essentially living on the campus of Marquette University. And I came here with this question. Guess I trust the knowledge base here even more than I had thought. 