Latin Examples

Introduction (Prooemium)

This is a collection in progress of snippets of Latin. In this section, I have not bothered to mark long vowels.

If you'd like to contribute a few sentences to this modest collection, then feel free to email your submission to me at the the email address below. I will acknowledge any submissions that I decide to use.

If you're looking for online Latin texts or English translations, please check out the links to other Latin resources.

PS: I'm sure there are mistakes here. Don't hesitate to offer any corrections.

Elementary examples (Exempla facilia)

  1. Lingua latina demortua est. Romanos occidit etenim me necat. -- schoolboy taunt

    Latin is dead. It killed the Romans and it's killing me too.

  2. Venus, tuus tonsus novus est squalor flebilis!

    Venus, your new hairdo is a pathetic mess!

    Public service warning: Gentlemen, avoid the temptation to try this sentence out on your girlfriend -- even in your best bedroom voice (vox amatoria). After all, if you can find this web site, so can she.

  3. Vir honeste, tonsum affer.

    Yo dude! get a haircut.

    (60's nostalgia version) Vir transitori, tonsum affer.

    Get a haircut, hippie.

  4. Quae sufficiat addigitasse. -- C. G. Jacobi. in § 46 of Fundamenta Nova Theoriae Functionum Ellipticarum

    May it suffice to have pointed out these things.

    Let it suffice to have pointed out these things.

    (fig.)  The details are left as an exercise.

    Notes:  addigitasse is a contraction of addigitavisse, the perfect infinitive of a Late Latin verb addigitare, to point out. This verb is listed in Latham's list of Latin words from medieval British and Irish sources. According to Latham, the first word shows up in one of his sources dating back to approximately 1180 CE. It is a compound ad + digit- where digitus is Latin for finger. Question: Is the modern Italian verb additare a cognate?

  5. Ave Caesar, morituri te salutant.

    Hail Caesar, those who are about to die salute you.

Folk songs

I've butchered several American folk songs, both traditional and revisionist, and partially (and whimsically!) translated them into folksy Latin.  Some of these might be singable.  Win virtual prizes for correctly identifying the songs and finding all the errors!
 
  • E canto in ventulus flare auctore Roberto Dylano:
    • De quot viis viro ambulandum est, dum virum appelatur.
  • E canto de Thoma Dulio cantoribus trinionis Regioppidi:
    • Caput demitte, Thomas Duli!
    Caput demitte fleque.
    Caput demitte, Thomas Duli!
    Miser! iussum est, ut mori deberere.
  • E canto traditionale de bella Pollia:
    • Pollia! bella Pollia! veni et mecum i.
    Pollia! bella Pollia! veni et mecum i,
    ut videamus gaudios, antequam maramur.
  • E canto traditionale Pauper barbarus errans:
    • Sum pauper barbarus errans,
    Qui per terram miserandam,
    Et est nec morbus nec labor nec periculum
    In terra alba ad quam eo.
    Mail comments and contributions to Eric Conrad (econrad@math.ohio-state.edu).
    Domum Erici adeamus!
    Sursum adeamus!
    Last updated: Tue Sep 25 16:42:26 EDT 2007