2007-12-11 23:44:11 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Mythology & Folklore
The person who provided you with a translation gave a valiant effort. However, it isn't right. The closest translation you can get to that without contacting a Latin scholar is this:
Deus est meum tectum; Deus est meum scutum.
or
Deus est meum tectum et scutum.
The first one is the literal translation, the second is more of a condensing of the two different parts.
When translating Latin to English or vice versa, one has to remember to take into account that there are subtle nuances of the language that many people don't catch. Such as the fact that there are cases for the different locations and functions of words in sentences. That makes all the difference when translating--for example, our little non-scholar placed a present tense first person verb in the place where an accusative noun was supposed to be, she also didn't have the object agree with the pronoun in case (the pronoun was in the nominative case while the object of the sentence was in the accusative).
2007-12-12 03:17:29 · answer #1 · answered by scifichik61306 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Deus refugium meum est, Deus tutamen meum est.
This is essentially a literal translation. Both nouns (refugium and tutamen) are in nominative case - they are predicate nominatives. Even though a Roman would have used a much more compact way to say this in conversation, this is a valid way to say it.
Romans often omitted pronouns and forms of the verb 'to be' when it was obvious what was meant and would typically join two closely connected words with a '-que' added to the end of the second.
Deus refugium tutamenque meum.
Literally, God, my shelter and shield.
Tectum is not a good choice for 'shelter' in this sense - it's more like shelter in the sense of a roof or a covering. 'Refugium' (English 'refuge') is shelter in the broader sense of a refuge or protection. "Scutum' is specifically the shield used by the Roman legions and applies to physical protection. 'Tutamen' translates to 'means of protection' and seems to fit better.
2007-12-12 04:41:53 · answer #2 · answered by dollhaus 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's a biblical verse, so the best way to get an authoritative answer would be to look in a copy of the Latin bible (the "vulgate"), which is easily available many places online. Go to the same chapter and verse as the English phrase you want to translate, and there's the Latin.
2016-03-15 22:10:53 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
in english it is "God is my shelter - the strength that I need" and maybe the people in the religion section might now better.
2007-12-11 23:48:51 · answer #4 · answered by Mirko 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
deus est meus tectum deus est meus contego
Although I don't know Latin. I got it from this website:
2007-12-12 00:48:37 · answer #5 · answered by schoolgirl27 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
If you want that for a tattoo, I wouldn't do it. Romans didn't have one god but many gods so it wouldn't really make a lot of sense
2007-12-11 23:47:40 · answer #6 · answered by jennifer484 5 · 0⤊ 5⤋
sfshjk ksjdfksfj sdjfsdjf hsdjfhs wioe ruiw
hope that helps
2007-12-11 23:48:00 · answer #7 · answered by axn 1 · 0⤊ 5⤋