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May 17, 2014
Literal translation of the Latin: Because the month (of) May is dedicated to Mary, it is very fitting for us to recite the rosary on each single day.
The English describes May as a great month in which to begin a practice that presumably continues past that. The Latin, lacking any element for "to begin," would seem to imply that is is fitting to recite the rosary daily during May, with no specific reference to what you might do in June. An argument could be made, however, that the word singulis implies continued recitation.
Here's
how the Latin works.
|
Latin
|
English
|
Parsing
|
Grammar Points
|
|
mense
|
month
|
abl. sing. masc. noun
|
mensis, mensis (I stem)
|
|
Maio
|
(of) May
|
abl. sing. masc. adj.
|
Maius, Maia, Maium; modifies mense
|
|
Mariae
|
to Mary
|
dat. sing. fem. name
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Maria, Mariae
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dicato
|
dedicated
|
abl. sing. past part.
|
dico, dicare, dicavi, dicatum.
NB: One could take the above three
words as an ablative absolute, “Because the month of May is dedicated to
Mary...” or as an ablative of time including the past participle “In the
month of May (which is dedicated to Mary...)”
|
|
peropportunum
|
very fitting
|
neut. nom. sing. adj.
|
peropportunus, peropportuna,
peropportunum; impersonal construction; NB: the addition of “per-“ frequently
has an intensifying effect on an adjective, e.g., perfacile “very easy”
(Gallic Wars 1.2)
|
|
est
|
is
|
3rd pers. sing. pres.
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sum, esse, fui
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|
nobis
|
for us
|
dat. pl.
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nos, nostrum
|
|
rosarium
|
the rosary
|
neut. acc. sing. noun
|
rosarium, rosarii; object of recitare
|
|
singulis
|
(on) each single
|
abl. pl. adj.
|
singulus, singula, singulum; modifies
diebus
|
|
diebus
|
(on) days
|
abl. pl. noun
|
dies, diei; ablative of time
|
|
recitare
|
to recite
|
pres. act. inf.
|
recito, recitare, recitavi, recitatum
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