This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. Latin to English

Semper in Stercus

English translation: Always in the Shit

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Latin term or phrase:Semper in Stercus
English translation:Always in the Shit
Entered by: Iain Purvis

03:10 Sep 18, 2000
Latin to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary
Latin term or phrase: Semper in Stercus
Motto beneath crest at head of clients' printed notepaper. Presumably Latin, but not necessarily so. (Not actually part of the job, but it piqued my interest!) Iain.
Iain Purvis
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:38
Always in Dung
Explanation:
This is weird...
The language is Latin.
\"Semper\" means \"always\",
\"in\" means \"in\"
\"stercus\" means \"animal excrements\", \"dung\", usually used to fertilize the land.
Selected response from:

Laura Gentili
Italy
Local time: 01:38
Grading comment
Thanks Laura, I thought that it might be a somewhat tongue-in-cheek reference to their business, which is the manufacture of sludge tankers and similar vehicles for the collection and transport of sewage. Regards, Iain.

4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
naAlways in Dung
Laura Gentili
naAlways (getting) into dung
Wigtil (X)


  

Answers


13 mins
Always in Dung


Explanation:
This is weird...
The language is Latin.
\"Semper\" means \"always\",
\"in\" means \"in\"
\"stercus\" means \"animal excrements\", \"dung\", usually used to fertilize the land.

Laura Gentili
Italy
Local time: 01:38
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in pair: 95
Grading comment
Thanks Laura, I thought that it might be a somewhat tongue-in-cheek reference to their business, which is the manufacture of sludge tankers and similar vehicles for the collection and transport of sewage. Regards, Iain.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

9 hrs
Always (getting) into dung


Explanation:
Laura's rendition is not quite the end of this discussion.

The Latin preposition "in" means *in* only when it takes the ablative case (which here would have to be: SEMPER IN STERCORE).

Latin "in" plus the accusative case, which is what happens with SEMPER IN STERCUS, means *into*, that is, motion toward/into a goal. Therefore an English rendition will sound very odd without an extra word like *getting* or *winding up in* which echo the motion specified by the Latin grammar.

Other languages of Indo-European ancestry show the same split in meaning of this preposition, including both German and Russian in the modern world.


Wigtil (X)
PRO pts in pair: 67
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search