Research for a novel

Latin Learning Latin
1

Hi there.
I’m a writer, doing some research for my latest project, a novel length thriller.
Though set in the present day, the novel contains an ancient secret society founded during the Roman Empire. This society uses many Latin terms, names and titles.

I have to confess at this point that I speak no Latin, so I’ve put them together with various English-Latin translation resources on the web. However, I’d really like to double check all this before I present the work for publication, as I’m pretty sure I got most of them seriously wrong.
I’d also like some guidance on pronunciation if possible, just so that I can use the words in discussions/interviews without looking an idiot!

If anyone can help me out, I’ll be very grateful. :slight_smile:

I’ve included some the terms and names below, along with a description of what they refer to in order to ensure I got the flavour of the Latin right for each description.

Thanks in advance guys.

Here we go:

Prima Vita - First Life (Term used to describe a race of people)

Volumen Primordium- Scrolls of Origin (A scroll containing a historical narrative.)

Bibliothica- Library.

Vertex Proelium - Whirlwind Battle (Nickname for a gun fighting style.)

Degenerati - The Corrupted/Fallen (Derogatory term for a group of people)

Primus - First/Primary (Title given to a leader)

Dominus (Commander/Master) (Title given to the head of an Order)

Sator - Father (Title given to the great leader/founder of the secret society. I think it means Sower of seed, which actually works quite well for the charactor.)

Fratris - Brother (Term of affection)

Sorris - Sister (Term of affection)

Altarium- altar.

2

Here is what I would say :

Prima Vita - First Life (Term used to describe a race of people) : genus princeps “first race”

Volumen Primordium- Scrolls of Origin (A scroll containing a historical narrative.) : Volumen de primordiis “scroll about the Beginnings”

Bibliothica- Library. : Bibliotheca (E instead of I)

Vertex Proelium - Whirlwind Battle (Nickname for a gun fighting style.) : Proelium verticosum

Degenerati - The Corrupted/Fallen (Derogatory term for a group of people)

Primus - First/Primary (Title given to a leader)

Dominus (Commander/Master) (Title given to the head of an Order)

Sator - Father (Title given to the great leader/founder of the secret society. I think it means Sower of seed, which actually works quite well for the charactor.)

Fratris - Brother (Term of affection) : Frater (fratris means “(something) of the brother”

Sorris - Sister (Term of affection) : Soror

Altarium- altar : altaria (this word is usually in the plural, even to denote a single altar)

Now let’s wait for better ideas…

Best regards

3

Salut Monsieur. Skylax,

Quelle est la difference entre ces trois mots que j’ai deja tant confondus en lisant: initium, primordium, principio ?

Merci :wink:

4

Thanks Skylax, I appreciate your taking the time to help me out. :smiley:

Just a quick question about the translation of “First Life” you gave me.

Prima Vita - First Life (Term used to describe a race of people) : genus princeps “first race”

Is there a way of saying “First Life” in Latin, or is “First Race” the closest thing you can get to the English phrase? It’s just that “First Life” is actually a slightly better desciption of the group in question.

5

the word genus (gener-) for “race” actually comes from the word meaning “to beget”, so it is closer to your intended meaning than you may think. It gives us words such as “generate”, “generation” and “progeny” - all having to do with creation of life. vita is the literal word for “life” and you can say vita prima or vita princeps, but vita is never used this way to describe a group of people. Remember that if you wish to assemble a Latin sentence with these words they will change further and cannot just be put next to each other as they are. There is of course no problem with putting them as they are into an English sentence.

as for pronunciation, you should probably just give it a church pronunciation. Any brand of Latin that has been in continuous use since classical times is unlikely to be spoken according to the modern reconstructed pronunciation, but to have undergone similar corruptions as ecclesiastical Latin and Romance languages.

6

Hi Benissimus, thanks clearing that up for me. :slight_smile:

Remember that if you wish to assemble a Latin sentence with these words they will change further and cannot just be put next to each other as they are. There is of course no problem with putting them as they are into an English sentence.

Yeah, these phrases and titles will be used in English sentences, as constructing whole passages of dialogue or narrative in Latin would at this point be biting off much more than I can chew. Many of the titles and names are simply referred to in their English form, but there are some the original Latin titles are more appropriate for the character/circumstance.

The other phrase I’m focusing on is Proelium Verticosum (Whirlwind Battle), the title of a fighting style used in places in the novel. The other title I was thinking of giving it was “The Scouring Fire”. What would be a Latin translation of “The Scouring Fire”?

Another phrase I realised that I left out was:
“Record of Allegiance.”
I’ve got it down as "Tabulari Sacrimentium". How badly did I mutilate it? :wink:

7

Ignis Verrens for “scouring fire”…benissimus is that right? I learned participles today :smiley:

8

Skylax Episcopo - nisi nunc “Papae” dicendum est - suo salutem plurimam libentissime dicit

Well (cough, cough), these words are synonyms, you know…

principium is linked to primordium, as the genitive of primordia is… principiorum ! (but ablative primordiis, phew!)

Now principium contains a meaning of “first place” and primordium a meaning of “first appearance”, but principium is more common, more frequent. Primordia is rarer, more impressive, more “First Day of the Creation”, say an absolute beginning.

Initium is more innocuous, it can be the beginning of a worthless process…

Well, do you think it is easy to explain in English ?

Nihilominus vale…

9

Hi Amy
Thanks for you help on this. :smiley: