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The Others speak Latin!

01/28/09

11:10:45 pm, by Chris Jones

, 134 words, 1201 views

Categories: Modern Latin

The Others speak Latin!

Just when I least expect it, this evening’s episode of the ABC Series Lost features characters speaking Latin to each other; and for the most part the actors try and duplicate a classical pronunciation.

The series is far too complicated to explain, but if you’re interested in seeing a little spoken Latin from primetime US television, you can view this evening’s episode here. The first Latin exchange is at the 14 minute mark:

Other 1: Quare non sunt vestitus eis?

Other 2: Tace!

Juliet: Cognoscitis qui sumus? ("Do you know who we are?” - shouldn’t this be simus–indirect question?)

Note the first actor overemphasizes the classical “w” sound for the v leading off vestitus. Juliet translates the phrasing correctly, although vestitus, -us is more generally “clothing” than military “uniforms". Another exchange–with subtitles–occurs at :27, si placet…

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Comment from: Servius Iulius Pertinax [Visitor]

· http://sumvitaetal@yahoo.es

Great! Thank you for giving me this tremendous surprise! I had never heard this beloved language on prime time. Thanks again.

Permalink 03/27/09 @ 15:41

Comment from: Rob F. [Visitor]

I'm not so sure this would count as an indirect question if she's directly asking someone, "Do you know who we are". Wouldn't "Cognoscitis qui simus" mean, "Are you finding out what kind of people we are"? Compare Davus's reply to Simo in Terence's Andria, "tandem cognosti qui siem". You finally figured out what kind of man I am!

Permalink 05/21/09 @ 10:27

Comment from: Chris Jones [Member]

There is certainly no confusion in tandem cognosti qui siem, which uses a qui-clause of characteristic (if it were a question the pronoun would be quis).

Juliet's indirect question is, I agree, a disguised direct question, but I don't believe that makes a difference in classical Latin (older writers often did put the ind. quest. in the indicative). After all, cognoscitis qui sint would suffer from the same objection: Does this mean "Do you know who they are" or "Do you know what sort of people they are?". Generally a characteristic (or any relative) clause should have a clearer antecedent; I suspect a Roman would avoid the confusion by saying cognoscitis viros qui sint? for the characteristic clause.

Permalink 05/22/09 @ 15:15

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The Others speak Latin!

01/28/09

The Others speak Latin!

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