2010-03-27
Barbarizing Latin
A journal reviewer of one of our recent papers was upset (judging by the exclamation point) that we mistreated Cicero with our Latin barbarism when we used "corpii" for the plural of "corpus". Here's what the reviewer wrote:
"corpii is not proper latin... corpus, oris, neutral (nominative, plural) makes corporis, corpora, corpore ... corpus, oris (genitive, singulier). Please avoid creating latin barbarisms (poor Cicero) or simply use corpus/corpuses, the English plural form !"
I am not sure how "corpii" got in there since I have always used "corpora" in previous writings---a graduate student did it I'm sure ;-). But I found the comment absolutely fabulous. Reminded me of the famous centurion scene in Life of Brian. But my response to the reviewer was (after polite acknowledgment omitted here):
While it was not our intention to offend Cicero, if Latin were a sacred cow there would be no such thing as French or Portuguese. A world without Brell or Cervantes would be much poorer, but a World without the linguistic anthropophagy of Pessoa and Brazilian tropicalismo would be a tragedy. Indeed, if English isn't the ultimate Latin Barbarism, what is?
"Time is a violent torrent; no sooner is a thing brought to sight than it is swept by and another takes its place."
Marcus Aurelius
"corpii is not proper latin... corpus, oris, neutral (nominative, plural) makes corporis, corpora, corpore ... corpus, oris (genitive, singulier). Please avoid creating latin barbarisms (poor Cicero) or simply use corpus/corpuses, the English plural form !"
I am not sure how "corpii" got in there since I have always used "corpora" in previous writings---a graduate student did it I'm sure ;-). But I found the comment absolutely fabulous. Reminded me of the famous centurion scene in Life of Brian. But my response to the reviewer was (after polite acknowledgment omitted here):
While it was not our intention to offend Cicero, if Latin were a sacred cow there would be no such thing as French or Portuguese. A world without Brell or Cervantes would be much poorer, but a World without the linguistic anthropophagy of Pessoa and Brazilian tropicalismo would be a tragedy. Indeed, if English isn't the ultimate Latin Barbarism, what is?
"Time is a violent torrent; no sooner is a thing brought to sight than it is swept by and another takes its place."
Marcus Aurelius
2010-03-02
Surpresa agradável
Uma ótima surpresa é esta recente e excelente tradução do clássico de Chesterton "Saint Thomas Aquinas: The Dumb Ox" (com várias edições grátis do original online) feita por Numo Manuel castello-Branco Bastos para a editora Civilização. Dei com ela numa recente viagem a Aveiro e não me tem deixado a mente. Realmente Aquinas é o grande génio da Teologia, e Chesterton o seu melhor apologista. A tradução é mesmo impecável no cuidado como nos trás o contexto histórico e cultural de Chesterton. Parabéns!
Em baixo algumas citações de Chesterton nesta obra (na versão original)
It was [Thomas Aquinas] who was the Reformer; [...] the later Reformers were by comparison reactionaries. [...] It was the very life of the Thomist teaching that Reason can be trusted: it was the very life of Lutheran teaching that Reason is utterly untrustworthy.
In the thirteenth century [...] The names of nations and cities and places of origin did not connote that deep division that is the mark of the modern world.
when Religion would have maddened men, Theology kept them sane.
it is generally the man who is not ready to argue, who is ready to sneer.
But many modern people talk as if what they call induction were some magic way of reaching a conclusion, without using any of those horrid old syllogisms. But induction does not lead us to a conclusion. Induction only leads us to a deduction.
The truth about this false antithesis of induction and deduction is simply this; that as premises or data accumulated, the emphasis and detail was shifted to them, from the final deduction to which they lead. But they did lead to a final deduction; or else they led to nothing.
Em baixo algumas citações de Chesterton nesta obra (na versão original)
It was [Thomas Aquinas] who was the Reformer; [...] the later Reformers were by comparison reactionaries. [...] It was the very life of the Thomist teaching that Reason can be trusted: it was the very life of Lutheran teaching that Reason is utterly untrustworthy.
In the thirteenth century [...] The names of nations and cities and places of origin did not connote that deep division that is the mark of the modern world.
when Religion would have maddened men, Theology kept them sane.
it is generally the man who is not ready to argue, who is ready to sneer.
But many modern people talk as if what they call induction were some magic way of reaching a conclusion, without using any of those horrid old syllogisms. But induction does not lead us to a conclusion. Induction only leads us to a deduction.
The truth about this false antithesis of induction and deduction is simply this; that as premises or data accumulated, the emphasis and detail was shifted to them, from the final deduction to which they lead. But they did lead to a final deduction; or else they led to nothing.
Labels: Aquinas, livros, teologia, theology