View Full Version : Latin help
Hairy Lime
08-29-2003, 08:59 AM
How would one say (or write) "for life" in Latin?
For example, "The winner will receive World Series tickets for life."
The best I've found using online Latin dictionaries is dum vita. Would that be correct?
"The winner will receive World Series tickets dum vita."
????
Thanks in advance.
UserName
08-29-2003, 09:58 AM
Why say that in Latin?
Hairy Lime
08-29-2003, 10:05 AM
The World Series example is farcical.
I'll be using it in a completely different context.
And my reasons are my own.
Ravenlocks01
08-29-2003, 02:40 PM
Context is everything in a language.
Hairy Lime
08-30-2003, 08:10 AM
Good point, Raven.
My protagonist receives a letter from a distinguished organization. In the letter they grant him rights to their facilities "for life" as a sign of their admiration for his accomplishments.
I thought "access to our facilities for life" would sound like he'd won the sweepstakes and since this is a distinguished organization, I decided they might use a little Latin to make themselves sound, well, more distinguished.
Thus the request for the Latin translation.
Fortean
08-30-2003, 01:24 PM
Try:
"The winner will receive World Series tickets, gratuitum dum vita."
This would clearly indicate that the tickets are "free" in "for life," and doesn't sound too "dum."
Ravenlocks01
08-30-2003, 09:24 PM
Gloria patri, et filii, et spiritui sancti, sicut erat in principio, et nunc et semper et in secula seculorum.
I suppose you would only use in secula seculorum if you wanted to be tongue in cheek - "access unto the facilities unto the ages of ages" (is it "world without end" in some translations?). And it's immediately going to make people (some people anyway) think of the Catholic Church. But maybe worth considering if amusing is what you're going for.
It doesn't mean for life, though, just means forever.
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