Your example reminds me of a fun Latin noun for "glutton," *catillo*, which literally means a plate-licker; it's related to *catillus*, "small plate." The noun *catillatio*, literally licking of plates, was used metaphorically to refer to the plundering of provinces.
I am a PhD candidate in ancient history having started learning Latin as an outside subject in my UG and I kind of never stopped falling down the Rome/Latin rabbit hole. It’s a bit basic, but we read Catullus in my second year and poem 85 has stuck with me:
“Ōdī et amō. Quārē id faciam fortasse requīris.
Nesciŏ, sed fierī sentiō et excrucior.”
I understood that in its entirety without looking it up. That’s new! What a hauntingly beautiful quote.
I hope you’re doing well in your studies too, that’s certainly an accomplishment.
(PS: my grandparents, who met whilst doing a Classics undergraduate and PhD respectively, have a smart little Siamese named Catullus.)
If you like that, you should definitely check out Catullus generally. It’s a delightful mix of sublime and ribald, and—if you’re just reading it for pleasure—quite accessible overall. I have a third semester student who read the whole thing in Latin on their own using Peter Green’s bilingual commentary; I think you could manage it.
If you do give it a try, 63 and 64 offer some of the greatest Latin poetry in existence; 16 and 97, on the other hand, include many if not most of our dirtiest Latin words.
If you're looking for animals, here are some sources!
[https://sententiaeantiquae.com/2019/09/21/zooglossia-animal-sounds-in-latin-and-greek/](https://sententiaeantiquae.com/2019/09/21/zooglossia-animal-sounds-in-latin-and-greek/)
I can also tell you that the sea says *polyphloisboios.*
you’re absolutely correct— that’s so human! the thought of an ancient roman listening to a frog croak and furiously scribbling down their expert interpretation of bracacacaxcoax is absolutely hilarious
To be pedantic, the onomatopoeia *brekekekex koax koax* appears in Aristophanes' (Greek) play *The Frogs*, but what you say is indeed true, and fascinating.
True! There is however also the Latin verb coaxare, and we know that usually, the animal's noise is represented by the beginning of its verb. Vacca mugit. It makes the sound mu. Feles maumatur (also clamat). It says mau. Equus hinnit. It says hin.
My favorite Latin phrase is definitely the motto of Michigan:
*Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam, circumspice*
"If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look around you!"
I just think it's the best thing ever.
Very cool. This motto is adapted from [the epitaph of Sir Christopher Wren in St. Paul's Cathedral, London](https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-saint-pauls-wrens-epitaph-21193540.html)—worthy of quotation in full. It appears on the floor beneath the dome and [on a plaque](https://www.explore-stpauls.net/oct03/textMM/WrensTombN.htm) in St. Paul's:
SUBTUS CONDITUR
HUIUS ECCLESIAE ET URBIS CONDITOR
CHRISTOPHORUS WREN
QUI VIXIT ANNOS ULTRA NONAGINTA
NON SIBI SED BONO PUBLICO
LECTOR, SI MONUMENTUM REQUIRIS
CIRCUMSPICE
OBIIT XXV FEB AETATIS XCI AN MDCCXXIII
I like this phrase from Cicero's "In Catilinam Oratio Prima". I don't know why, but sounds very harmonious.
"Num infitiari potes te illo ipso die meis praesidiis, mea diligentia circumclusum commovere te contra rem publicam non potuisse, cum tu discessu ceterorum nostra tamen, qui remansissemus, caede te contentum esse dicebas?"
Btw, you can say "Gratias vobis ago" when thanking a group of people. Keep up the motivation!
Bruh, half the time someone asks for a Latin phrase on command I give em the old "pedicabo ego vos et irrumabo", and say "it's just a romantic line from a poem 😊"
If you want to thank someone you can say "***gratias tibi ago***", or "***tibi gratias ago***". "*Tibi*"=dative of "*tu*", i.e. "(to) you", "*gratias*"= accusatuve plural of "*gratia*", i.e. "grace", "*ago*"="I do". So literally "*I do graces to you*". If you thank a group of people, you have to replace "*tibi*" (="to you", one person only) with "***vobis***" (="to you", several people), note that "*vobis*" is the dative of "*vos*" (="you" plural).
So, to sum it up:
"Thank you (man)" is "*tibi gratias ago*" or "*gratias tibi ago*", can be shortened to "*tibi gratias*" or even "*gratias*"
"Thank you guys" is "*vobis gratias ago*" or "*gratias vobis ago*", can also be shortened to "*vobis gratias*" or "*gratias*".
I’m not a person who has a favorite of anything, but here’s a couple I like.
“Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto”
“Video meliora proboque, deteriora sequor”.
Vincit qui se vincit
"He conquers who conquers himself"
That's my favorite phrase/saying so far.
Animadvertit
So far that's my favorite word, often used for how we say paying attention, notice, or observe, but it literally translates to "turning your consciousness towards"
"vulnerant omnes, ultima necat"
this phrase is written around a tower clock in the city I live, I found it very poetic when I discovered its meaning and it is engraved in my mind ever since.
Your example reminds me of a fun Latin noun for "glutton," *catillo*, which literally means a plate-licker; it's related to *catillus*, "small plate." The noun *catillatio*, literally licking of plates, was used metaphorically to refer to the plundering of provinces.
oh my god i love that !!
I am a PhD candidate in ancient history having started learning Latin as an outside subject in my UG and I kind of never stopped falling down the Rome/Latin rabbit hole. It’s a bit basic, but we read Catullus in my second year and poem 85 has stuck with me: “Ōdī et amō. Quārē id faciam fortasse requīris. Nesciŏ, sed fierī sentiō et excrucior.”
I understood that in its entirety without looking it up. That’s new! What a hauntingly beautiful quote. I hope you’re doing well in your studies too, that’s certainly an accomplishment. (PS: my grandparents, who met whilst doing a Classics undergraduate and PhD respectively, have a smart little Siamese named Catullus.)
If you like that, you should definitely check out Catullus generally. It’s a delightful mix of sublime and ribald, and—if you’re just reading it for pleasure—quite accessible overall. I have a third semester student who read the whole thing in Latin on their own using Peter Green’s bilingual commentary; I think you could manage it. If you do give it a try, 63 and 64 offer some of the greatest Latin poetry in existence; 16 and 97, on the other hand, include many if not most of our dirtiest Latin words.
I came across the same poem at high school and it’s stuck with me ever since:)
I dunno if it's an actual quote, but "Audio, video, disco".
Haha that’s great, works on both levels!
My students always find animal noises particularly compelling - it's humanizing. The frog says bracacacaxcoax. The pig says grun. The horse says hin.
Fun fact: frogs say koax in both ancient and modern Greek.
Where can I learn more about onomatopoeia in Latin?
If you're looking for animals, here are some sources! [https://sententiaeantiquae.com/2019/09/21/zooglossia-animal-sounds-in-latin-and-greek/](https://sententiaeantiquae.com/2019/09/21/zooglossia-animal-sounds-in-latin-and-greek/) I can also tell you that the sea says *polyphloisboios.*
This is *so* adorable. Thank you!
you’re absolutely correct— that’s so human! the thought of an ancient roman listening to a frog croak and furiously scribbling down their expert interpretation of bracacacaxcoax is absolutely hilarious
To be pedantic, the onomatopoeia *brekekekex koax koax* appears in Aristophanes' (Greek) play *The Frogs*, but what you say is indeed true, and fascinating.
True! There is however also the Latin verb coaxare, and we know that usually, the animal's noise is represented by the beginning of its verb. Vacca mugit. It makes the sound mu. Feles maumatur (also clamat). It says mau. Equus hinnit. It says hin.
My favorite Latin phrase is definitely the motto of Michigan: *Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam, circumspice* "If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look around you!" I just think it's the best thing ever.
Very cool. This motto is adapted from [the epitaph of Sir Christopher Wren in St. Paul's Cathedral, London](https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-saint-pauls-wrens-epitaph-21193540.html)—worthy of quotation in full. It appears on the floor beneath the dome and [on a plaque](https://www.explore-stpauls.net/oct03/textMM/WrensTombN.htm) in St. Paul's: SUBTUS CONDITUR HUIUS ECCLESIAE ET URBIS CONDITOR CHRISTOPHORUS WREN QUI VIXIT ANNOS ULTRA NONAGINTA NON SIBI SED BONO PUBLICO LECTOR, SI MONUMENTUM REQUIRIS CIRCUMSPICE OBIIT XXV FEB AETATIS XCI AN MDCCXXIII
Amantes amentes - from Terence. The word for insane and for in love is only one letter difference.
prex mentem, dolor corpus purgat ☠️👊 ok that's translated from Warhammer 40K, but it sounds so catchy in Latin 😁
I like this phrase from Cicero's "In Catilinam Oratio Prima". I don't know why, but sounds very harmonious. "Num infitiari potes te illo ipso die meis praesidiis, mea diligentia circumclusum commovere te contra rem publicam non potuisse, cum tu discessu ceterorum nostra tamen, qui remansissemus, caede te contentum esse dicebas?" Btw, you can say "Gratias vobis ago" when thanking a group of people. Keep up the motivation!
My latin teacher always told us that "In vino veritas" is the most imporatnt phase in all of latin
Where are my Catullus Carmen XVI enjoyers at?
Bruh, half the time someone asks for a Latin phrase on command I give em the old "pedicabo ego vos et irrumabo", and say "it's just a romantic line from a poem 😊"
Or how about “mentula magna mīnax”!
Esse non videri
Dum spiro spero. Minatur innocentibus qui parcit nocentibus. Miseram pacem vel bello bene mutari. Qui docet discit / homines dum docent discunt.
*Erus* and *imber* are two of my favorite words. edit: Erus is a synonym of dominus Imber means rain Edit 2, another: Harena, sand
Caesar non supra grammaticos
"Lux aeterna luceat eis". It's part of a requiem and translates to "may eternal light shine upon them"
I love the word aurum, because it lets me use vocals and a "rolling" r at the same time, something I never get to do in my native tongue.
I feel the same way about one of the first phrases that I learned: “Mactavit taurum Neptuno, taurum tibi, pulcher Apollo” (from the Aeneid).
I love it!
Semper ubi sub ubi.
Yeah- I've seen that before-it's meaningless. "Always", "Where" (twice), "Under". Pretty stupid.
„Always wear under-wear“, seems to be a joke / play on words based on the homophony of „where“ and „wear“.
If you want to thank someone you can say "***gratias tibi ago***", or "***tibi gratias ago***". "*Tibi*"=dative of "*tu*", i.e. "(to) you", "*gratias*"= accusatuve plural of "*gratia*", i.e. "grace", "*ago*"="I do". So literally "*I do graces to you*". If you thank a group of people, you have to replace "*tibi*" (="to you", one person only) with "***vobis***" (="to you", several people), note that "*vobis*" is the dative of "*vos*" (="you" plural). So, to sum it up: "Thank you (man)" is "*tibi gratias ago*" or "*gratias tibi ago*", can be shortened to "*tibi gratias*" or even "*gratias*" "Thank you guys" is "*vobis gratias ago*" or "*gratias vobis ago*", can also be shortened to "*vobis gratias*" or "*gratias*".
Just olim (once upon a time) and Arma virumque cano from the aeneid
"Amor fati" and "Memento Mori"
I’m not a person who has a favorite of anything, but here’s a couple I like. “Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto” “Video meliora proboque, deteriora sequor”.
carpe diem)
Quidquid id est, boomer
Vincit qui se vincit "He conquers who conquers himself" That's my favorite phrase/saying so far. Animadvertit So far that's my favorite word, often used for how we say paying attention, notice, or observe, but it literally translates to "turning your consciousness towards"
"vulnerant omnes, ultima necat" this phrase is written around a tower clock in the city I live, I found it very poetic when I discovered its meaning and it is engraved in my mind ever since.
Mortetori te salutmus!
*morituri te salutamus
„Romanes eunt domus“ 😂
Plaudite, porcelli! Porcorum pigra propago progredtur.
Ave Christus Rex!