ANST - Latin Translation

Gunnora Hallakarva gunnora at bga.com
Tue Jan 27 20:12:44 PST 1998


Alastair asked:
> If there is anyone who reads this that is fluent in ancient latin could
> you please translate the phrase below for me?  Appropriate style
> variations ok too.
> 
> "keep your eye on what is really important"

"To keep an eye on" is a colloquial English phrase.  I'd be interested if
someone with access to an OED could tell us how far back the phrase goes.

The sense of the phrase is to watch, observe, be vigilant, etc.  

so...

observo, observare (1st conj. verb) - to watch, watch out for, keep careful
note of, to guard, to pay attention to
specto, spectare (1st conj. verb) - to observe, watch, consider, bear in
mind, aim at, tend towards
exspecto, exspectare (1st conj. verb) - to watch out for
custodio, custodire (4th conj. verb) - to guard, watch over, protect, defend
vigilo, vigilare (1st conj. verb) - to keep watch, keep alert, stay awake
through the night

Given these verbs, I'd select spectare or maybe observare as having the
closest nuance to what the phrase intends.

gravitas, gravitatis (3rd decl. noun) - weight, seriousness, importantance,
dignity, pregnancy
magnus, -a, -um - large, great, important, momentous, significant, impressive

The Romans placed a special importance on the word gravitas - it conveyed a
special quality of character that every nobleman should possess, a sense of
dignity, of what was right and important in the world.

ille, illa, illud (demonstrative pronoun) - that
qui, quae, quod (relative pronoun) - which

Thus the final phrase would be:
	Illum qui est gravitatis magni specte.

This would be something along the lines of:
	"Consider that which is of great importance."
	"Aim at that which is of great importance."
	"Bear in mind that which is of great importance"

If you choose observare instead, then the phrase is:
	Illum qui est gravitatis magni observe

This would have the meaning of:
	"Pay careful attention to that which is of great importance."

That should get you started.

cc: Stefan li Rous for the Florilegium files


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::GUNNORA::

Gunnora Hallakarva
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