Latin for All Occasions
Latin for All Occasions (Lingua Latina Occasionibus Omnibus) is a 1990 book by Henry Beard, and Latin for Even More Occasions (Lingua Latina Multo Pluribus Occasionibus) is a 1991 sequel. Both contain translations of modern English phrases into mostly literal Latin equivalents.
Beard is known as a humorist but studied Latin for eight years at Harvard. He wrote the Latin himself, but had it checked and polished by scholars and . The idea for the books was from John Boswell. The illustrations are by and both books were published by Villard Books, a division of Random House.
The translations are mostly direct, so an English expression like "Get your ducks in a row" is translated as Anates tuas in acie instrue. The significance of having ducks lined up would presumably be a mystery to an ancient Roman, or indeed to a non-American.
Sample phrases[]
- You're fired. Ego te demitto.
- Look out, I'm going to barf! Cave, vomiturus sum!
- Oh! Was I speaking Latin again? Vah! Denuone Latine loquebar?
- Your fly is open. Braccae tuae hiant
- You're beautiful! Pulcher es! (masculine), Pulchra es! (feminine)
- Honey, I'm home! Melita, domi adsum!
Some of the phrases are not even intended to be helpful, and are included instead purely for the purposes of comedy:
- Infernal machine! Give me a beverage or give me back my money! Machina improba! Vel mihi ede potum vel mihi redde nummos meos!
References[]
- Henry Beard, Latin for All Occasions; Villard Books, 1990, ISBN 0-394-58660-3. (Reprinted 2004, Gotham books, ISBN 1-59240-080-9.)
- Henry Beard, Latin for Even More Occasions, 1991, ISBN 0-679-40674-3.
- 1990 non-fiction books
- Linguistics books
- Villard (imprint) books
- Latin language
- Books by Henry Beard
- Linguistics book stubs
- Latin stubs