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HELP - is this Latin setence correct?

Posted: Tue May 11, 2010 12:26 pm
by ThomasNoronha
I'm in this forum because I'm learning Ancient Greek so I really don't speak Latin. I've found the setence below scribled in an old book of my family. The person who wrote it had no formal knowledge of Latin, so I kindly ask if someone could tell if it is correct.

Ars mens mentis potestas est.

Thank you

Re: HELP - is this Latin setence correct?

Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 1:40 am
by Kasper
Hi Tom,
sadly no, it does not not seem proper latin to me, because of the collision of the two nominatives: ars and mens.

I'm not sure what it is meant to say either... perhaps: "the skill of the mind/soul is the strenght of the soul/mind"? If so: Ars mentis mentis potestas est.

You could change the word order a bit so that mentis isn't repeated , e.g. ars mentis potestas mentis est.

Re: HELP - is this Latin setence correct?

Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 12:08 pm
by ThomasNoronha
kasper,

I do believe you got the meaning right. At least, it would make sense in the place in which it was writen.
Thank you very much for correcting it. Ars mentis potestas mentis est. I do like the sound of it ;)