# Translation from English to Latin, please?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translation-from-english-to-latin-please/826921>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 30, 2018, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translation-from-english-to-latin-please/826921 "2018-12-30T13:20:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Grither](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grither/32/425_2.png) [@Grither](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grither)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2018, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translation-from-english-to-latin-please/826921/1 "2018-12-30T13:20:57Z")

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I’ve taken it in my head to design something of a coat of arms for myself. Upon consideration, I’ve decided the phrase “I could be wrong” is a better-than-average motto for me to include.

Could one of our brilliant dopers help me out with translating that phrase into Latin that won’t make Classics majors laugh at me?

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**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:** [December 30, 2018, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translation-from-english-to-latin-please/826921/2 "2018-12-30T16:34:46Z")

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I think you want some form of _errare_ - as in _errare humanum est_ - and you could use _fortasse erravi_ - I may have erred.

Hmm… could you use the perfect subjunctive - _erraverim_?

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**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2018, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translation-from-english-to-latin-please/826921/3 "2018-12-30T17:53:23Z")

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Love it!

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**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2018, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translation-from-english-to-latin-please/826921/4 "2018-12-30T18:00:39Z")

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Glad to see people still love the classics…

Forsitan errem (_forsitan errem!?_)

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**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2018, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translation-from-english-to-latin-please/826921/5 "2018-12-30T18:30:43Z")

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> [@Quartz](#):
>
> I think you want some form of _errare_ - as in _errare humanum est_ - and you could use _fortasse erravi_ - I may have erred.
> 
> Hmm… could you use the perfect subjunctive - _erraverim_?

The difference would be “it may be that…” (subjunctive) versus “it is likely that…”

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**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2018, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translation-from-english-to-latin-please/826921/6 "2018-12-31T08:13:36Z")

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> [@Quartz](#):
>
> Hmm… could you use the perfect subjunctive - _erraverim_?

That would be the perfect name for a dodgy used car.

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**Author:** ![Grither](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grither/32/425_2.png) [@Grither](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grither)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2018, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translation-from-english-to-latin-please/826921/7 "2018-12-31T18:00:06Z")

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> [@DPRK](#):
>
> Glad to see people still love the classics…
> 
> Forsitan errem (_forsitan errem!?_)

Thank you so much for your help!