Suggested by Katie.
This proverb is an easy nut to crack, so I ask you to
attempt to translate it yourself before you look at my
translation.
I've supplied some hints just in case you don't have a Latin dictionary
handy.
But first, for disclosure purposes, here is
the official nut cracking scale for problem scale:
- peanut - it's not really a nut, and you can easily crack the shell with
your bare hands.
- almond - easy with a nutcracker and not too hard with bare hands.
- filbert (hazelnut) - fairly easy
- walnut - middling.
- pecan - deceptive in that it feels middling, but...
- brazil nut - hard. (Ever wonder why brazil nuts always rise to the
top of mixed nuts...)
- coconut - don't try this at home...
Rating of this problem = almond
Rating of problem after viewing hints = peanut
Recommended course of action = try to solve this on your own with the help of a
Latin-English dictionary.
Qui nucleum vult nucem frangat.
-
qui (relative pronoun) who
-
nucleus, nuclei (noun, second conjugation) the fruit of a nut
-
volo, velle (irregular transitive verb) to wish
-
nux, nucis (noun, third conjugation) a nut
-
frango, frangare, frangavi, frangatus (transitive verb,
first conjugation) to break
Use your browser's Back button to get back to the top of the page.
Qui nucleum vult nucem frangat.
Apart from the vocabulary, almost all of
this information can be found in the grammar
tables...
-
qui (relative pronoun) who
** translate as "he who" or "the person who"... It's the subject
of both the main clause and the subordinate clause. (Well, technically
speaking, the entire relative clause could be viewed as the subject
of the main clause, but I think that's picking nits.)
-
nucleus, nuclei (noun, second conjugation) the fruit of a nut
** nucleum is in the accusative singular and is the direct
object of the subordinate clause...
-
volo, velle (irregular transitive verb) to wish
** vult = third person singular, present tense,
active voice, indicative mood. This is the verb in the
subordinate clause.
-
nux, nucis (noun, third conjugation) a nut
** nucem = accusative singular. Direct object of main
clause.
-
frango, frangare, frangavi, frangatus (transitive verb,
first conjugation) to break
** frangat = third person singular, present tense,
active voice, indicative mood. This is the verb in the
main clause.
Use your browser's Back button to get back to the top of the page.
Qui nucleum vult nucem frangat.
(Literal)
He who wants the fruit cracks the nut.
(Polished)
He who would savor the fruit must first crack the nut.
Use your browser's Back button to get back to the top of the page.