Well-Actually War Trall Niemand Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 Can someone here translate the phrase, "On the ballistic properties of spiders" to latin? I don't need a good translation, and I would have settled for an electronic one, but the only website I could find that would even attempt it only translated 'properties' and left the other words in English. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Ornk Kelandon Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 De rebus aranearum missilibus. Or, if you prefer: de rebus aranearum ballisticis — less accurate, but the words are cognates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unflappable Drayk John S Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 Quote: Originally written by Kelandon:ballisticis Did you make that up? EDIT: More importantly, what author felt the need to outline the ballistic properties of spiders? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Ornk Kelandon Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 It comes from "ballista" — a perfectly normal Latin word (of Greek origin, from the verb "to throw") — and the suffix -icus, which is a normal Latin suffix for forming words that mean "related to [x]." Presumably that -icus suffix is more or less equivalent to the English -ic suffix. I mean, the word would mean, "relating to ballistas," which is not quite as general as "ballistic" in English, which is why the first translation is preferable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unflappable Drayk John S Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 Quote: Originally written by Kelandon:It comes from "ballista" — a perfectly normal Latin word (of Greek origin, from the verb "to throw") — and the suffix -icus, which is a normal Latin suffix for forming words that mean "related to [x]." Presumably that -icus suffix is more or less equivalent to the English -ic suffix. I mean, the word would mean, "relating to ballistas," which is not quite as general as "ballistic" in English, which is why the first translation is preferable. Oh yeah... I forgot about the ballista. All I could think of was modern ballistics. I even checked Wikipedia to make sure I hadn't missed something. Anyway, shouldn't it be ballisticus? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Ornk Kelandon Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 Quote: Originally written by Notty:Anyway, shouldn't it be ballisticus? No. It's agreeing with "rebus," the object of "de," so it's in the ablative plural. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Niemand Posted January 7, 2006 Author Share Posted January 7, 2006 Thank you, one day you will see this in my scenario, in case you are wondering, it is the title of the holy text of the Church of the Great Arachnid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Ornk Aran Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 Ballistic properties of spiders? ... As in, spiders loaded into catapults and shot through the air? o_O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Niemand Posted January 7, 2006 Author Share Posted January 7, 2006 Could be! I just needed a really strange name, it had to have something to do with spiders, and I glanced up and saw "Backyard Ballistics" up there on the shelf over my desk. . . the explanation is left up to the imagination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Ornk Ephesos Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 Hm... let's see. How could a spider-pult be worked into a scenario? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Ornk Kelandon Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 Oh no! Someone has weaponized the face-leaping spiders! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Thralni Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 Lets face it, a spider full of webs in his body would do a far better job then just some stone when thrown and hit the ground, no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Ornk Aran Posted January 8, 2006 Share Posted January 8, 2006 You'd totally pwn me, that's for sure. I don't like spiders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curious Artila Mikami Aufeya Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 Worse, make it one of those Giant Intelligent Friendly Talking ones. I know I wouldn't want one of those to drop out of the sky on me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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