korsun0  | 04 Nov 2010 3:58 a.m. PST |
To all speakers of Latin how would you say the following; "Just seize the thing!" With my rudimentary skills I was thinking 'Carpe Res' but it doesn't seem right…. Any help gratefully received! thanks
Jon. |
 John the OFM | 04 Nov 2010 10:18 a.m. PST |
"Res" is a 5th declension noun, accusative "res". I think it probably mattters what you mean by "thing". Is it an object, or more encompassing, like "Cosa Nostra, Our Thing"…  I would think "Carpe Res!" would be correct, because it is short and pithy, thus a perfect epigram. You don't want to ruin a perfectly nice short epigram by tacking superfluous words on to it, would you? Now, be advised that my Latin was 40+ years ago, and the good sisters did not give me any naughty words. |
| Streitax | 04 Nov 2010 1:43 p.m. PST |
No, John had to find them all by himself. I hear he's quite the scat scholar. |
| korsun0 | 04 Nov 2010 3:41 p.m. PST |
When does an epigram cease to be an epigram is now the question. When does a word become superfluous rather than necessary? Ah, the dilemmas you pose…. Thanks for that, I'll stick with Carpe Res and see if it elicits any comment! cheers
Jon. |
| BW1959 | 04 Nov 2010 7:59 p.m. PST |
Solum carpe rem… carpe res is thing seize it isn't declined correctly |
| BW1959 | 04 Nov 2010 8:01 p.m. PST |
The above was posted by my daughter, a high school Latin 3 student. |
| John the OFM | 04 Nov 2010 8:18 p.m. PST |
"Res" is 5th declension, not 3rd. |
| BW1959 | 04 Nov 2010 8:25 p.m. PST |
Yes but 5th declension is declined "-es -ei -ei -em -e" and 3rd is "(any) -is -i -em -e" so the accusative case for both is -em making the accusative of res rem Also from the daughter |
| korsun0 | 04 Nov 2010 9:32 p.m. PST |
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| richarDISNEY | 06 Nov 2010 10:21 a.m. PST |
Rem modo cape! or, if you're talking to more than one person: rem modo capite! From a Latin teacher… |
| Last Hussar | 10 Nov 2010 12:58 p.m. PST |
Carpe testes (and their hearts and minds will follow) |
