How would you translate the phrase "Life's a game, and then we win?"
2007-07-18 05:17:50 · 7 answers · asked by Kristy 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
Alea wouldn't work; dice is not the allusion I'm going for. I like lusus; is there any way to work with that root word so that it makes sense grammatically? As far as "making profit" vs "victory in combat"... really, either works. Why "deinde" instead of "atque," or even "quod"?
I'm trying to work out a motto for a fictional family, and I never studied Latin, unfortunately! I appreciate the answers that include why certain word choices were made, so I'll actually understand what I'm doing!
2007-07-18 11:38:11 · update #1
Vita lusus est deinde vincemus.
This avoids 'ludus'. "Lusus' means more like 'the playing of a game' and seems to fit the thought well.
Added: From CT Lewis: Lusus, lusus - Masculine NOUN - a playing, play, game. From Smith and Hall: Game (substantive) - lusus, -us; the act of playing. The word is also a noun, and does agree with vita - that is, both are nominative case.
Vinco, vincere used in relation to war, means conquer, defeat. Without reference to war, it means win, prevail, succeed, overcome.
ADDED II: Since 'lusus' still seems to have unbelievers, I will add:
Horace, Satirae, 1, 6, 125 'lusus trigon'
Pliny, Epistolae, 7, 24, 5 'laxare animam lusu calculorum.'
Doubt it you may, but it is real.
2007-07-18 06:29:42 · answer #1 · answered by dollhaus 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Vita ludus est atque vincemus!
The trouble is, Latin has the same word "ludus" for game and school.....
2007-07-18 05:28:41 · answer #2 · answered by Doethineb 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The only other word I can think of is "fabula", which means "(theatre) play", but you could stick with "ludus", although that has a faint tint of "mockery" to it. I have to admit I'm a bit suspicious about "lusus" myself.
Although I'm not a mind reader, I would guess the others chose "deinde", because it expresses the "before /after" of "then", as the others also did with putting the future tense. Of course you could leave the "deinde" out if you do that, but it sounds quite prominent in your original text.
http://lysy2.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/words.exe?
is a quite useful on-line dictionary.
If you want to make your motto quite pithy, as most of them are, I would recommend " In ludo vitae vincemus" - "we shall win in the game of life"
2007-07-18 22:57:44 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
This Site Might Help You.
RE:
Latin translation, please?
How would you translate the phrase "Life's a game, and then we win?"
2015-08-10 18:14:03 · answer #4 · answered by Matilde 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Deinde Latin Translation
2017-02-28 11:00:09 · answer #5 · answered by sanden 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Informative replies, just what I was looking for.
2016-08-24 09:04:25 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
"alea" is a dice game, ("lusus" is a past participle, using is would make it " Life has been played" with the wrong gender ending for "vita")
"vincere" means mainly "win in combat"
"Mereri" means "profit" as well as "win".
So my take on it is:
"Vita alea est, et deinde merebimur."
2007-07-18 11:15:25 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋