Sunday, May 25, 2014

Learning Latin with Pope Francis - May 17, 2014


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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
Maria, Mariae
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.
sum, esse, fui
nobis
for us
dat. pl.
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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