Ave et pax vobiscum!
Would any of y’all kindly help me with translating the declarative sentence: “The past is a teacher.”
My attempt, which reflects my limited exposure to Latin (mainly through Church) is: “Praeterita paedagoga (paedagotrix?) est.” I’ve always seen “past” translated as a feminine noun, so my attempt uses feminine nouns throughout. PLS ADVISE/ CORRECT/ CRITIQUE.
Gratia vobis!
Isn’t praeterita neuter plural?
Ave Katalogon,
Don’t know for sure myself, but I have seen the motto for an academic journal (vide: https://www.jstor.org/stable/40698071/): “Praeterita illuminant postera,” and I always thought anything ending with “a” was feminine.
If it was neuter, how would the translation go?
Gratia tibi
Maybe you could try a parallel to “praeterita illuminant postera.”
praeterita illuminant praesentia.
Thanks for the suggestion K. However I was trying to stress the teaching/ teacher aspect of the statement.
Is “Praeterita paedagoga sunt” correct, since “sunt” is “to be” in plural, neutral?
Gratia tibi.
I think that in Latin you should use a plural verb form with a plural subject even if the subject is neuter and seems to be a collective singular, as here. Greek is different in this.
Maybe if would be better to stay singular: praeteritum paedagogus est.
Gratia tibi K!
Lewis and Short: “Subst.: prae-tĕrĭta, ōrum, n., things gone by, the past”
That is, it only means what you want in the plural.
Gratia tibi JE, so would “Praeterita paedaoga est,” or “Praeteritum paedagogus est,” or “Praeterita paedagoga sunt” be the best translation for “The past is a teacher,” or are all OK?
I wouldn’t use paedagōga, which is a noun and very rare. Beside, the more common paedagōgus is principally the slave who takes the children to school. What about praeterita docent, past things teach?
Gratia tibi B!
Would you be able to suggest a noun for teacher or verb “to teach” that starts with p or b to preserve the alliteration?
Thanks very much for giving the servile connotation of pedagogus, wouldn’t want to use that word now😊
praeterita praecipiunt
Perfectissimus (if that’s a word)! Gratia tibi B! Atque gratia vobis ad quem me adiuverunt! 
Avete et Pax vobiscum!
Could y’all critique/correct my translation below?
“If you give us medicine, our bodies will be healed” = “Sic tantum da medicationis sanabantur corporibus nostris.”
Thanks in advance y’all!
Sorry, but it’s completely wrong. If you want to become more proficient in translation, I recommend some of the title we have in our book collection, e.g. Latin Prose Composition and Latin Prose Composition Key, by North and Hillard.
I’d say something like
“Sī remedium nōbīs dederis, corpora nostra sānābuntur”