[Ravensfort] Latin lesson

[Charley Atchley]

I was asked in a private email to explain the Latin interpretation, because
when you look the words up in a dictionary, they often make no sense. Most
colleges use a text book called "Wheelock's Latin". If you are interested in
Latin I would like to suggest it as an excellent buy. I thought maybe
everyone could do with a little "Latin Lesson Lite." Even if your persona
was a avid pagan, you would have known some Latin. In order to avoid the
inquisition, you would have known how to say all of the prayers on a rosary.

I remember how frustrated I would get when I was looking at a copy of a
manuscript, and I could identify most of the words, but I had know idea what
they said.

The thing to keep in mind when reading Latin is the word order is often
flipped from English. Also, since the nouns, verbs and adverbs all have
unique forms, the prepositions are often left out. This abundance of
conjugated forms also gives the speaker even more latitude in word order.
Our word order is usually S-V-O (Subject, verb, object) In Latin it will
often be S-O-V, or O-V-S.

1. Bidamus, moriendum est.

Bidamus - We should drink

moriendum - our death

est - is
The "to be" verb in Latin is existential. In Latin if you say "deus" (god)
you are talking about an abstract concept. If you say "deus est" it means
that god exists, Or God is real, or God is. (For the gamers amongst us "deus
ex" means God from, or God gave, or on account of God.)

The smoother English translation is: Death is unavoidable; lets have a
drink. A fine sentiment to have when you come to Swein Camp.

Hope this helps. If anyone wants I can do this to all ten quotes.

Athaulf


-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Sometimes human beings are very much like bees. Bees are fiercely protective
of their hive, provided you are outside it. Once you're in, the workers sort
of assume that it must have been cleared by management and take no notice;
various freeloading insects have evolved a mellifluous existence because of
this very fact. Humans act the same way.
- Good Omens, by Terry Pratchet and Neil Gaiman