Latin help

[lawfulneutralmage]

Hi,

 

Does anybody know Latin?

The phrase "Morituri te salutant" is plural and plural verb conjugation apparently meaning "those who are about to die salute you"

1. Is Morituri the 3rd person plural? If not which one?

2. How would the phase be for the first person singular (I who is about to die salute you) Moritur te saluto?

 

Thx,

Law

[Aditus]

Morituri is the future form of the participle, active,  of the verb mori : active, future, nominative, plural.

The singular form would then be moriturus.  I think.

Which means moriturus te salutat would mean, he, who is about to die salutes you.

[lawfulneutralmage]

Many thanks!

[W_L]

De temporibus Romanis scribisne ? Mediae aetatis? Renovatae nativitas aetatis ?

Are you writing about Roman times? Middle Age? Renaissance?

Latin got wonky during the Middle age and Renaissance, which is why we have the Romance languages nowadays.

[lawfulneutralmage]

11 hours ago, W_L said:

De temporibus Romanis scribisne ?

That one, I even understood!

No, the story takes place in modern times. The MC is Jamie, a police officer who is protection detail to a UK Minister. Both have to fight a supernatural enemy. Jamie is working class and leftie whereas the Minister is a Conservative career politician.

Thanks to @Aditus , this is the (unedited) exchange:

Quote

“That’s the end, isn’t it?”

 

“Yes, Jamie.” Morris-Walker sighed. “It all comes down to you now.”

 

I rearranged my machine pistol and drew the combat knife that so did not belong to my police uniform. “Of course, Minister. Morituri te salutant.”

 

I turned to leave, but Morris-Walker’s laughing stopped me.

 

“Oh dear, Jamie”, he said in his detestable upper class accent. “You are funny. Morituri is the future form of the participle, active, of the verb mori i.e. the active, future, nominative, plural. Salutant the plural conjugation of the verb to salute. You are only one, so the correct singular form and conjugation would be Moriturus te salutat.”

 

How much I hated the guy’s guts.

 

“Thank you, Minister. I’m sure you've been waiting all your sheltered life to finally find a use for your exhaustive knowledge of a dead language.”

Jamie's last word are not a criticism of you guys knowing about Latin! It is the class difference.

So, does that make sense?

Edited September 26, 2023 by lawfulneutralmage
Grammar, clarification

[W_L]

7 minutes ago, lawfulneutralmage said:

That one, I even understood!

No, the story takes place in modern times. The MC is Jamie, a police officer who is protection detail to a UK Minister. Both have to fight a supernatural enemy. Jamie is working class and leftie whereas the Minister is a Conservative career politician.

Thanks to @Aditus , this is the (unedited) exchange:

Jamie's last word are not a criticism of you guys knowing about Latin! It is the class difference.

So, does that make sense?

Don't worry, it's one reason why I didn't use Latin in my story despite knowing a little bit of the language, I don't want to use it. Too many bad memories of reciting Latin prose and irregular declensions.

[Aditus]

51 minutes ago, lawfulneutralmage said:

Jamie's last word are not a criticism of you guys knowing about Latin!

No problem, I'm always happy to lend my voice to an ###.

To make some use of that dead language, I'm currently refreshing my Spanish.