Proof positive that SA has the best (and smartest) readers
I asked SA reader Rex, who just happens to be an expert in Latin, if he could provide me with the Latin translation of SA’s tagline. Here is his response, which I greatly appreciate:
Maybe we can flesh this out together:Giving the bayonet to the “dictatorship of relativism”
“Dare cuspidem ad dictaturam obsequii”
What I have here is “giving the spear to the dictatorship of …
obsequium = compliance, blind following, etc.
This term relativism is a tough one. Perhaps we could go with something like “relativitas”, which is a Latinizing of an English word that Latin simply doesn’t have. It also maintains the look of your original slogan.
So, “Dare Cuspidem ad Dictaturam Relativitatis” might be your “sententia” (motto).
What do you think?
All the best,
Rex
Pretty cool, eh?
April 30th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
I don’t know Latin from Greek, but wouldn’t it be “Relativitate”?
April 30th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Jay, I choose “Relativitatis” as relativitas would be a Third Declension feminine noun (as all -tas, -tatis words, like libertas and auctoritas, are). Relativitatis should be genitive, it expresses possession, since it is the “dictatorship OF relativism.” Perhaps it could be an Ablative of Respect/ Characteristic, etc., but I don’t really think so.
Am I missing something with your suggestion of “Relativitate”?
Cheers,
May 1st, 2008 at 7:57 am
Why wouldn’t “Giving” be rendered as a gerundive, “giving the bayonet” instead of as an infinitive, “to give the bayonet”?
My Latin is admittedly a little rusty.
May 1st, 2008 at 9:44 am
Am I missing something with your suggestion of “Relativitate”?
Like I said, I don’t know Latin from Greek. Maybe I just liked the sound of it.
May 1st, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Tom raises a thought that I had from the start, which was how to treat “giving,” which is a gerund in English, and so the saying could begin “dans.” The only reason I went with the infinitive is that so many mottoes in Latin are espressed with an infitive, e.g., Audere est facere, “to dare is to do (daring is doing).” Ovid would have prefered the infinitive to the participle, as the participle “dans” is not very poetic. Not as poetic as “da-re.” Then again, I live Ovid.
My thoughts alone, I suppose.
May 1st, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Why did you choose “spear” instead of “dagger” for bayonet?
Also, you might try the Latin diminutive of “Bayonne” which is the city in France where the weapon was invented and how we get the word in English… that is if Latin has a formula for diminutives.
Forgive me. I don’t take Latin until this summer.
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