FAO Any people fluent in Latin! Urgent!

Katia

I'm cofused as to how you mean literal? I mean, of course I understand what literal means :p:

Just not sure, like do you mean there's other ways to see it?

Just looked it up in a Latin dictionary, and I'm pretty sure that 'cruci' comes from 'crux, crucis - a cross'. If it were from the verb to torture/crucify it would have to be 'crucari (to be crucified)' or 'cruciavi (I crucified)'.
Sorry :frown:

And by a literal translation it may be the case that the phrase you wanted is rendered by a religious phrasing (i.e. taking the word cross to be synonimous with hope). Basically there's no way you can avoid the religious meaning in it.
By the way I'm not 'fluent' in Latin, have just done an A Level in it :wink:

Reply 3

Katia

OP

6

And by a literal translation it may be the case that the phrase you wanted is rendered by a religious phrasing (i.e. taking the word cross to be synonimous with hope)

Maybe that's what it is then? It could be a synonimous phrase..if it is, when 'put' with the:
dum : while, as long as, until.
spiro: - spiritus : breath, breathing / life / spirit.
fido: - fides : trust, confidence, reliance, belief, faith. it would make sense.

What d'ya think?

Reply 4

Katia

Maybe that's what it is then? It could be a synonimous phrase..if it is, when 'put' with the:
dum : while, as long as, until.
spiro: - spiritus : breath, breathing / life / spirit.
fido: - fides : trust, confidence, reliance, belief, faith. it would make sense.

What d'ya think?

Fido - I trust, rely on
Literally something like: "As long as I rely on the cross with breath"
Basically it means "as long as I breathe I have faith in the Cross"
Could be wrong but this seems the most likely meaning.

Reply 5

quintsy

17

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=Cruci+Dum+Spiro+Fido&meta=- Sadly it does look like your friends are right. :frown:

Reply 6

Katia

OP

6

So it seems.
I am such an idiot.
Why the hell is it in a book, if it isn't correct. I'm sure it must be right in some context though.. I can see how it could be "turned" into the meaning of 'where there's life there's hope'... I know how silly I sound.
At least it doesn't mean something like "I sleep with married men" =/

I guess a positive thing is that my family (dad's side) are Catholic. I was going to get a sacred heart at some point as a "tribute" to my grand parents.
I guess this is my sacred heart now =/

STUPID GIRL THAT I AM!

Reply 7

suuuuuuseh

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=Cruci+Dum+Spiro+Fido&meta=- Sadly it does look like your friends are right. :frown:

YAY I was right :biggrin:

Sorry not about me right now :redface:

Reply 8

quintsy

17

Don't worry about it too much Katia. :hugs:

The fact that it isn't obvious to people proficient in Latin means that people normally won't understand what it means. And I suppose it's what it meant to you that matters, so don't give it too much thought. :smile:

Reply 9

Spiro spero is, literally, I breathe, I hope : as long as there is life, there is hope.
Cruci dum spiro fido :
Cruci : from crux, crucis, ablative case I think (my Latin is a bit rusty) : in the cross, to the cross
dum : whilst
spiro : I breath
fido : i trust
so yes, basically, it means : I trust in the cross as long as I live :frown:

By the way, you can't be fluent in Latin as it is a dead language.

Reply 10

FrenchGal

Spiro spero is, literally, I breathe, I hope : as long as there is life, there is hope.
Cruci dum spiro fido :
Cruci : from crux, crucis, ablative case I think (my Latin is a bit rusty) : in the cross, to the cross
dum : whilst
spiro : I breath
fido : i trust
so yes, basically, it means : I trust in the cross as long as I live :frown:

By the way, you can't be fluent in Latin as it is a dead language.

The pope is fluent in Latin :wink:

And cruci is dative :cool:

Reply 11

paddylad

The pope is fluent in Latin :wink:

And cruci is dative :cool:

not even so sure about the Pope :p:

And church Latin is not "real" Latin :p:

(kidding, I mean it's not "classic" Latin)
Yeah, dative, you're right, thanks for letting me know. I've not studied Latin in a wee bit more than one year, and I'm getting all rusty. And the weirdest thing is, I miss it !

Reply 12

FrenchGal

not even so sure about the Pope :p:

And church Latin is not "real" Latin :p:

(kidding, I mean it's not "classic" Latin)
Yeah, dative, you're right, thanks for letting me know. I've not studied Latin in a wee bit more than one year, and I'm getting all rusty. And the weirdest thing is, I miss it !

I know, I've just done the A Level in it and thought I'd be glad to be shot of it but I kinda miss it too :redface:

Not the set texts though. Cicero can still rot in hell :smile:

Reply 13

paddylad

Cicero can still rot in hell :smile:

He can. With my blessing too.

Reply 14

FrenchGal

He can. With my blessing too.

Reply 15

Cunning Linguist

3

I'm a bit late here, but I'm gonna post anyway. I honestly haven't read any of the other posts so that I don't get influenced lol, but this is my take on it:

The phrase means:

"While I breath, I trust in the cross."

Fido- "I trust" takes the dative or ablative.
Cruci- "[in the] cross" in the ablative.
Dum- "While"
Spiro- "I breath"

The ablative case is a prepositional case, which can be translated into English (without a specific Latin preposition to suggest a clearer idea) as "in/in/with/by/from/out of/down from/etc."

Thus, the literal transcription is "On the cross while I breath, I trust," but unless this is referring to Christ on the cross (in which case it means literally "while I am breathing [and hanging] on the cross, I trust [in God]"), it is more likely to be "While I breath, I trust in the cross" and a statement of religious faith.
If it is referring to Christ on the cross, then the idea seems oddly limited in that he only trusts in God while he's on the cross. Thus, I prefer the more generic version: at least in the absence of further context.

Now I will go and read the other posts :biggrin:

Reply 16

Cruci is definitely ablative then ? I've left my Latin grammar in France :p:

Reply 17

Cunning Linguist

3

"Fido" can take either the dative or the ablative, according to my dictionary. I had assumed it was dative at first, but then I realized the potential for the secondary meaning and placed it into the ablative to allow it. The dative and ablative for the adjective "crux, crucis" have the same form.
The ablative here allows the double meaning of "to trust in/[to hang] on" the cross that I explained above.

If taken to mean only "While I breath, I trust in the cross" then the dative is by far the better solution.

Reply 18