meanSpleen

Hola!

I'm wondering if we have any learned folks here in the dead languages. Namely, Latin.

One of my friends is wondering what "The Right Way" translated to Latin is. We tried a few translation engines, but were hoping to see if there happened to be anyone here that was versed in it.

English: "The right way"
Latin: ?

Thanks!

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vanblah

The problem with Latin is that it doesn't allow for new concepts to be introduced into the language. So you first have to define what you MEAN by the words "RIGHT" and "WAY".

"RIGHT" could be the opposite of "LEFT"; it could have the same meaning as "GOOD"; it could also mean "CORRECT."

"WAY" could mean a "PATH" in both a figurative as well as literal sense. It can also mean "METHOD."

So what do you want the phrase to mean?

The correct path.
The correct method.
The good path.
The good method.
The path that is not to the left.
etc.

When we define that I'd be happy to take the phrase to one of the Greek/Roman studies professors here at the college and see if they can come up with a solution.

(Example: I had one of the professors translate my band name: Chess Club. He decided that the final phrase should be "The group of people who come together for the discussion and playing of chess.")

snowy

I only know enough Latin to know the words you want to look for--"dexter" is "right", and "via" is "way". You add an -a to dexter to make it feminine. I'm not sure how they fit together to say what you want to say correctly, but I'm pretty sure it would be "via dextera."

And "dexter" is: from: http://archives.nd.edu/latgramm.htm

Or, if it were "right" as in "correct", "recta" is a possibility. From rego:

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meanSpleen

Oops, sorry!
"The proper course of action"
"The good procedure"
"The preferred way of doing something in that it is rational, makes sense, and is the way it 'should' be done because it is what needs to happen, the least evil of multiple evils, or has the greatest utility and is the most deontologically sound when ethics are concerned."

+++

And we kept running into the recta phrases too! So we're probably on the right track. Maybe.

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Martian

I believe the phrase you'd want for that would be modus rectum (literally, "in the correct mode"). An alternative would be ars recta, but that's more the proper technique.

Caveat: My Latin isn't as good as it used to be and was never very good to begin with. I could be totally off-base.

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I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept
I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept
I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head
I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said

- Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame

meanSpleen

Okay minor update! - So my friend isn't too happy with the recta/rectum part of the phrase for obvious reasons (butts)

So he is wondering about "The Only Way" - similar to the right way, but as in:
Of all the ways to accomplish something, the right way of doing something is The Only Way (or something along those lines)

He as "Solus Via"

I'm imagining Via may be related to travel though, and not Method (like vanblah mentioned earlier)

Any help would be great! Thanks!

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Martian

You are correct, sir. Via translates to way, but is the sense of a road or path taken. This survives in our use of the word today (consider 'I travelled to Illinois via I-96). Furthermore, I'm pretty sure via when used as a noun qualifies as a place noun and therefore via sola could actually be translated as 'the lonely path' or 'the uninhabited path' which I don't think is the meaning you're looking for.

Note that it's sola here and not solus; remind your friend to conjugate.

If we wish to translate it as 'the only method' or 'the only technique,' we're still going to want the nouns modus or ars, respectively. Thus our options become:

modus solum ('the sole method' or 'the only method') or
ars sola ('the only technique')

Note as well that Latin used a Subject-Object-Verb word order. That means that properly our adjective should come after our subject, not before like in English. However, Latin's been dead for a couple thousand years now and the Romans weren't terribly picky about following their own rules anyway, so if you think it sounds better you can use solum modus, sola ars or sola via (if anyone asks, tell them it's poetic).

Because Latin is a dead language there is no real correct way to pronounce it. However, given your aversion to butts I will point out that the generally used pronunciation on ars leans more towards 'arrs' (as in multiple pirate exclaimations) rather than 'arse' (as in the thing you sit on).

And again, same warning. My Latin is terrible. If you want something that is definitively correct in both meaning and grammar you'll need to find someone more knowledgeable on the subject to help you.

__________________
I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept
I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept
I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head
I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said

- Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame

meanSpleen

Okay that actually helps a lot!

I updated my buddy with this, and he would still prefer the 'via sola' form though. I tried.

Anyway, could we attach an article to the front of it? Like "The". In spanish it would be "El automobile" or "la biblioteca". Could via be article-ized as well?

Thank you again!

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Willravel

Hmm... in english I suppose one could say that means the middle bottom. So if it were the modus rectum on top, it'd be the middle bottom on top.

/weak attempt at humor

Martian

Articles do not exist in Latin grammar.

__________________
I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept
I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept
I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head
I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said

- Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame

meanSpleen

craptastic! oh well x_x

and don't worry will. I understand you.

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Hain

Meaning your friend does not understand? [Because "I" is a pronoun and not an article, yes?]

meanSpleen

err, that 2nd line was directed towards willravels weak attempt at humor!

and my buddy totally would have got the joke too. We're deep like that!

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