Help with syntax: Post tanta negotia magis quam umquam...

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pmda
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Help with syntax: Post tanta negotia magis quam umquam...

Post by pmda »

In LLPSI Orberg scripsit hanc sententiam: 'Post tanta negotia magis quam umquam otio fruor'

Now I know what this means but I'm not sure of the syntax: 'magis' is a comparative adverb: magnopere, magis, maxime.

So 'magis' qualifies 'fruor' - 'I enjoy better' - can't think of a good English translation.

But what's the purpose of quam? Does it indicate 'as' ? What's its role in the sentence?

Alatius
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Re: Help with syntax: Post tanta negotia magis quam umquam..

Post by Alatius »

Hm, what are you doing with "quam umquam"?

Craig_Thomas
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Re: Help with syntax: Post tanta negotia magis quam umquam..

Post by Craig_Thomas »

Magis is a comparative adverb formed from magnus, so it is going to mean something like "more greatly". It's usually best translated simply as "more".

In comparisons, quam means "than". Pulchrior sum quam tū. The two things being compared are always in the same case. Eam magis quam vītam amō.

Another way of making a comparison is with the ablative case. Pulchrior tē sum. Eam magis vītā amō.

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lauragibbs
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Re: Help with syntax: Post tanta negotia magis quam umquam..

Post by lauragibbs »

otio fruor
magis post tanta negotia
quam umquam

What is being compared are the adverbial expressions of time. The phrase "post tanta negotia" is the adverbial expression of time that is being compared to umquam:
I enjoy this leisure, otio fruor,
more now, at this time, post tanta negotia,
than at any other time before now, umquam.

pmda
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Re: Help with syntax: Post tanta negotia magis quam umquam..

Post by pmda »

Thanks. Laura I think you nailed it.

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lauragibbs
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Re: Help with syntax: Post tanta negotia magis quam umquam..

Post by lauragibbs »

What's fun here is the play between otium and negotium (nec-otium, non-leisure). That's what is hard to capture in English, since our words "business" and "pleasure" don't have that nifty etymological relationship that Latin has with otium and negotium. :-)

adrianus
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Re: Help with syntax: Post tanta negotia magis quam umquam..

Post by adrianus »

lauragibbs wrote:That's what is hard to capture in English...
"After so many activities, more than ever I enjoy inactivity."
"After so much that's taxing, more than ever I enjoy relaxing."
"After so much pressure, more than ever I enjoy leisure."
I'm writing in Latin hoping for correction, and not because I'm confident in how I express myself. Latinè scribo ut ab omnibus corrigar, non quod confidenter me exprimam.

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lauragibbs
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Re: Help with syntax: Post tanta negotia magis quam umquam..

Post by lauragibbs »

"After so much that's taxing, more than ever I enjoy relaxing." :-)

Mihi MAXIME placet!!!!

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