# Need english phrase translated into latin, please **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 21, 2012, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-english-phrase-translated-into-latin-please/625847 "2012-06-21T15:45:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-english-phrase-translated-into-latin-please/625847/1 "2012-06-21T15:45:18Z")
“go stick your head in a pig” Ideally, it’ll be a grammatically proper version. Don’t need answer real fast, but today would be nice. thanks, ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-english-phrase-translated-into-latin-please/625847/2 "2012-06-21T16:30:26Z")
How about: COMMVNIS ET GVSTARI Of course you’ll have to chop off the bottom half, I don’t know how to do that in vbcode. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-english-phrase-translated-into-latin-please/625847/3 "2012-06-21T16:54:09Z")
Abi, in suem capitem tuum insere! (_Go away, into a pig head your insert_!) ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-english-phrase-translated-into-latin-please/625847/4 "2012-06-21T17:07:54Z")
Expecting that none of your patients understand Latin? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-english-phrase-translated-into-latin-please/625847/5 "2012-06-21T17:50:37Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > Expecting that none of your patients understand Latin? > > 😃 Support staff, actually. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-english-phrase-translated-into-latin-please/625847/6 "2012-06-21T17:52:10Z")
> [@Small\_Clanger](#): > > How about: > > COMMVNIS ET GVSTARI > > Of course you’ll have to chop off the bottom half, I don’t know how to do that in vbcode. Hey, I’m not your plastic pal who’s fun to be with! ---
**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:** [June 21, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-english-phrase-translated-into-latin-please/625847/7 "2012-06-21T18:04:09Z")
To be clear, are you looking for a translation of that specific idiom, or an equivalent idiom from Latin? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-english-phrase-translated-into-latin-please/625847/8 "2012-06-21T18:14:02Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > To be clear, are you looking for a translation of that specific idiom, or an equivalent idiom from Latin? I’m looking for a phrase which gives the same meaning in Latin. So equivalent idiom would do. If literally it runs something like “depart from me and go to where you may insert your cranium into a porcine mammal” that’s ok ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-english-phrase-translated-into-latin-please/625847/9 "2012-06-21T18:15:39Z")
I think the verb form you want is “inserito”, the second person, singular, future active, imperative of “insero” (insert). Then you can dispense with the “go” element of your sentence. Head is “capitis”, right? (always?) And Latin for pig is Sus, but for _a_ pig, I think porcus is correct. So, following sentence order of subject, object, verb we end up with “Porcus capitis inserito” Except I seem to remember that swine is an irregular noun and Googling confirms that. Sus, in the dative case (because the pig is having something done to it) is Sui (sing.) So I’m going to go with “_Sui capitis inserito_” as the correct phrasing. This is based on one semester of Latin I took as a high school freshman in 1986, so forgive any errors ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-english-phrase-translated-into-latin-please/625847/10 "2012-06-21T18:18:58Z")
Per the [Google Translate](http://translate.google.com/#en%7Cla%7C%22Go%20stick%20your%20head%20in%20a%20pig%22) page: > [@](#): > > “Vade adherebit caput in porcus” ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-english-phrase-translated-into-latin-please/625847/11 "2012-06-21T18:20:21Z")
> [@August\_West](#): > > I think the verb form you want is “inserito”, the second person, singular, future active, imperative of “insero” (insert). Then you can dispense with the “go” element of your sentence. > > Head is “capitis”, right? (always?) > > And Latin for pig is Sus, but for _a_ pig, I think porcus is correct. > > So, following sentence order of subject, object, verb we end up with “Porcus capitis inserito” > > Except I seem to remember that swine is an irregular noun and Googling confirms that. Sus, in the dative case (because the pig is having something done to it) is Sui (sing.) > > So I’m going to go with “_Sui capitis inserito_” as the correct phrasing. How about “_SOOOOEEEY capitis inserito_?” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-english-phrase-translated-into-latin-please/625847/12 "2012-06-21T18:22:05Z")
“Put your head in a pig” would be translated as: **Poni tuum caput in porco.** That’s if you’re addressing ONE person. If you’re saying this to more than one person, it would be: **Ponite vestra capita in porco.** (Put your heads in a pig.) ---
**Author:** ![Vaevictis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f04885/32.png) [@Vaevictis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vaevictis)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-english-phrase-translated-into-latin-please/625847/13 "2012-06-21T18:22:11Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Abi, in suem capitem tuum insere! (_Go away, into a pig head your insert_!) Nice translation. Perhaps, though, the ‘Go’ is not so much ‘go away’ as much as a command to act – in the manner of a parent who tells a kid ‘Go and do the dishes now’ when the kid is already in the kitchen. Then we’re not talking about ‘go’ meaning move anywhere but rather as a sort of encouragement or call to action. 'Get going and do it now!, for example, can be used without any idea of literal movement from one location to another. In such cases, a Roman would use a form of ago, as is often seen with imperatives: Age, in suem capitem tuum insere! ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-english-phrase-translated-into-latin-please/625847/14 "2012-06-21T18:23:05Z")
Remember, Porcus is the Latin word for pig, but “in a pig” requires the ablative case, so you’d say “in porco,” not “in porcus.” And caput is a neuter word, which means the accusative is the same as the nominative. ---
**Author:** ![Vaevictis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f04885/32.png) [@Vaevictis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vaevictis)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-english-phrase-translated-into-latin-please/625847/15 "2012-06-21T18:25:16Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > “Put your head in a pig” would be translated as: > > **Poni tuum caput in porco.** > > That’s if you’re addressing ONE person. If you’re saying this to more than one person, it would be: > > **Ponite vestra capita in porco.** (Put your heads in a pig.) The head is moving into the pig so in + the accusative is required: Poni tuum caput in porcum. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-english-phrase-translated-into-latin-please/625847/16 "2012-06-21T18:26:55Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > How about “_SOOOOEEEY capitis inserito_?” It can’t be a coincidence, can it? ---
**Author:** ![Vaevictis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f04885/32.png) [@Vaevictis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vaevictis)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-english-phrase-translated-into-latin-please/625847/17 "2012-06-21T18:29:11Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Per the [Google Translate](http://translate.google.com/#en%7Cla%7C%22Go%20stick%20your%20head%20in%20a%20pig%22) page: Google translate is awful. “Vade adherebit caput in porcus” adherebit is 3rd person singular future active indicative, not a command at all. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-english-phrase-translated-into-latin-please/625847/18 "2012-06-21T18:31:26Z")
Why poni over inserito? Don’t we want it as a future active, imperative? Would that be ponito? ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-english-phrase-translated-into-latin-please/625847/19 "2012-06-21T18:32:28Z")
Wiktionary seems to agree with that: pōnitō ``` second-person singular future active imperative of pōnō "thou shalt place, thou shalt put, thou shalt lay" ``` ---
**Author:** ![Vaevictis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f04885/32.png) [@Vaevictis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vaevictis)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-english-phrase-translated-into-latin-please/625847/20 "2012-06-21T18:40:53Z")
> [@August\_West](#): > > I think the verb form you want is “inserito”, the second person, singular, future active, imperative of “insero” (insert). Then you can dispense with the “go” element of your sentence. > > “Head is “capitis”, right? (always?)” > > ``` > Capitis when genitive. Caput, capitis changes endings according to the 3rd declension. > > ``` > > “And Latin for pig is Sus, but for _a_ pig, I think porcus is correct.” > > ``` > Either porcus or sus can be used. At root there is a slight difference in that porcus is a domesticated pig and sus can refer to either domesticated pigs or wild pigs. > > ``` > > "So, following sentence order of subject, object, verb we end up with “Porcus capitis inserito” > > Porcus is not the object of the verb, it needs to be the object of the preposition ‘in’. Capitis should not be genitive. With inserito are you going for a future imperative? > > “Except I seem to remember that swine is an irregular noun and Googling confirms that. Sus, in the dative case (because the pig is having something done to it) is Sui (sing.)” > > Sui is normal 3rd declension ending. It is not really an irregular noun - it occurs in all regular 3rd declension endings. It can have the irregular forms sueris (genitive) and subus (dative/ablative) though. > > “So I’m going to go with “_Sui capitis inserito_” as the correct phrasing.” > > "This is based on one semester of Latin I took as a high school freshman in 1986, so forgive any errors " Not completely terrible for so long ago! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-english-phrase-translated-into-latin-please/625847.md?page=2)