What does "SOLUM HORAS SOLIS ORIENTIS VIDEO" mean?
I saw it on the palque on the wall on a small (in fact tiny- smallest in Ireland) church in Co. Antrim.
2006-10-08 01:31:10 · 14 answers · asked by MMac 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
Literally translated, it means: I see only the hours of the rising sun.
Some people are having a lot of trouble with orientis - it is the participle of orior. It is in the genitive case, and therefore modifies solis (sun), also genitive. Since it is not a standalone word (it modifies solis), it would be translated as rising sun, or possibly eastern sun, or morning sun. Not in the east, as several people have said.
orior oriri ortus dep. [to rise; to spring up, be born, proceed from a source or cause]. Hence partic. oriens -entis, [rising]
2006-10-08 01:52:19 · answer #1 · answered by Jeannie 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
To get the correct meaning from a Latin sentence, often a little syntactical analysis is needed:
Solum: adverb, meaning "only"
Horas: plural accusative of hora, meaning "hour". Therefore the object of the sentence.
Solis: genitive of sol, meaning "sun"
Orientis: also genitive of oriens, meaning "eastern". This adjective must be combined with solis, because both words are in the same case. The genitive (usually meaning "of") in this case applies to the preceding substantive (horas).
Video: first person present time of videre, meaning "to see". Subject and verb of the sentence at the same time. On this kind of plaque, the subject probably refers to the church itself.
Therefore: "Only the hours of the eastern sun I see". This is about as literal as it gets as a translation. The "I" being the church. Combine this with the orientation of the church (bring a compass or a watch next time), which, I'm guessing, has its largest windows on the east side.
2006-10-08 09:19:46 · answer #2 · answered by echo41 1 · 3⤊ 0⤋
It translates as: "I only see the hours of the sun in the east". What this means is a different issue. Is it, perhaps, a reference to the time when the sun would shine through in its direction? Is it at the back, facing the altar which would be placed in the traditional easterly position?
2006-10-08 02:40:09 · answer #3 · answered by Doethineb 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The literal meaning is to do with seeing the early hours of sunrise in the east.
The actual meaning is look towards tomorrow or a new beginning, (rather than than looking back to the past).
2006-10-08 07:03:07 · answer #4 · answered by baz 9 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I know a little cause I'm studying it at uni!
VIDEO- I see
SOLUM/SOLIS- only, single
Horas- Time
Apart from that I can't help much more.
2006-10-08 01:37:24 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Something to the effect-I see the single hour of the rising sun. They often have not translated literally and it has more meanings.
2006-10-08 01:37:25 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I can only see the hours when the sun is in the East
2006-10-08 01:45:09 · answer #7 · answered by ceogero 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1
2017-02-17 14:35:44 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
solum - alone
horas - hours
solis- ?????
orientis - ?????
video - I see
Sorry I can't be of more help.
Boffdude xxx
(*^_^*)
2006-10-08 06:50:47 · answer #9 · answered by Boffdude 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
land hour whole Easterners to see.
now rearrange into a well known phrase or saying
Or it could mean ... if you have the time, there is a good video shop down the road
2006-10-08 01:44:31 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋