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HMHVV Hunter
Alright, I've got a character that I'm getting ready for a PbP game. He's based off of John Constantine, so his magical style involves some Christian elements.

Well, I just played the Constantine video game. Didn't like it very much, but there was one really cool thing: the latin chants that JC uses for his spells. So I've decided to include that element in my character's magical incantations.

So here's a couple questions I need help on:

1. Is there some kind of English-to-Latin translator on the internet that I can create my own incantations with?

2. For anyone that does know Latin, does anyone know what the phrase "Ego por sit perum" means, if anything? It was in the game and it just sounds damn cool.

Thanks.
Emmeric
1. This linky here should get you what you're after:
English to Latin Translation

2. Above site defines "Ego por sit perum" as "he is to burn up." So you'll probably end up using that...

Also, if you wanna get that "hardcore old school Christian feel", try searching the google for latin/christian texts for all your cool sounding incarnation needs...
Emmeric
Also for fun, try these handy dandies...

Ad maiorem dei gloriam (AMDG) - "For the greater glory of God!"
Agna of Deus quisnam conicio incendia balls! - "The lamb of God who throws fire balls!"
Vos can non run ex Suus ira! - "You cannot run from his wrath!"
Vos es non gauisus iam... - "You are not happy now..."

biggrin.gif

HMHVV Hunter
QUOTE (Emmeric)


2. Above site defines "Ego por sit perum" as "he is to burn up." So you'll probably end up using that...


Considering that was the incantation that sent Constantine to Hell, that translation sounds appropriate smile.gif
Tanka
QUOTE (Emmeric)
Agna of Deus quisnam conicio incendia balls! - "The lamb of God who throws fire balls!"

rotfl.gif
Ecclesiastes
Another good approach I've used in the past is biblegateway.com. They have a copy of the Biblia Sacra Vulgata. Just look things up in the King James Version and then look up the Book/Chapter/Verse in the latin translation.
Arethusa
Watch out for Latin translators and latin quotations you find on the internet. The translators are even dodgier than the current language translators because of Latin's lack of strict linear structure and lots of quotations sites just repeat eachother and pass on errors/loose translations. I can spot a couple in this thread and I don't even speak the language.
hahnsoo
Wouldn't it be easier to simply find latin quotes (already roughly translated) than to translate English phrases into Latin, if all you are going to use it for is chanting? I mean, there was that one scene in the Life of Brian which showed exactly how hard it is to write "Romans, go home!" in Latin. If you are looking for some chanting material, find the "lyrics" to the various Agnus Dei's and other Latin songs that you can find at pretty much any high school music library (because they always make a high school competition choir sing one)... I'm sure there are some online you can get for free.
Kaosaur
Or you ask somebody who studied Latin for 8 years and is fluent.

Like me. biggrin.gif
the_dunner
QUOTE (Emmeric)
Agna of Deus quisnam conicio incendia balls! - "The lamb of God who throws fire balls!"

Uh, well, you might wanna fix this a touch.

"of Deus" -- that's a mix of Latin and English. "of" in english indicates the genitive (possessive) in Latin. In Latin, the noun ending changes for possessive. So Lamb of God would be Agna Dei.

"balls" -- that's English, not Latin. The Latin root word for ball is glob Since this is accusative (direct object in English) and plural, the ending is "a".

"incendia" -- this probably isn't the best word for fire in this context. You'd be better off with ignis

"conicio" -- right word, but wrong verb form

So, reworking the phrase you get:

Agna Dei quisnam globa ignis coniciere

In one of the later "Latin" phrases, the word "can" appears. That's also not Latin. Methinks your translator's Latin-Fu is weak.

Regarding your Constantine quote, the translation that spit out is a little weak. I think a better way of phrasing it in english would be "I enter the fire." Though the literal translation is roughly the same as what's quoted above.

If I'm looking for Latin words or want a very rough translation, I usually start out at Notre Dame's grammar aid.


Good luck!
the_dunner
Something else that popped into my head. If you're commanding somebody to "be" something, the vocative form of the word "create" is "fac." In Latin, you'd pronounce the "a" much like a "u" in English.

A few examples:

Fac felix! "Be Happy" (which, if the recipient is female, and a guy nearby is named Felix, this could make two people happy.)

Fac infelix! "Be sad"

Fac somniculosus "Be Sleepy"
Kaosaur
QUOTE (the_dunner)
QUOTE (Emmeric @ Apr 19 2005, 05:26 PM)

"of Deus" -- that's a mix of Latin and English.  "of" in english indicates the genitive (possessive) in Latin.  In Latin, the noun ending changes for possessive. So Lamb of God would be Agna Dei.


In church latin, lamb is ALWAYS masculine.

Agnus Dei.
Dog
What's Latin for "If you can read this, you should get out more."?
I saw a t-shirt for sale like that, and I always wanted to make myself one.
HMHVV Hunter
Alright, I plugged a few phrases into the generator that was linked to. I got a couple of them that I thought sounded ok, but I just wanted to run them by here.

Lux lucis Deus, expello obscurum! (Light of God, banish the darkness!) (Laser spell)
Sanctus obex! (Holy barrier!) (Astral Barrier)

I couldn't come up with something cooler-sounding for Astral Barrier, I get the feeling I could do better for the Laser spell, and everything for Manabolt came up sorta sucky. The other two spells he has (Analyze Magic and Detect Magic) I can't think of anything good for.

Any ideas/corrections?
Edward
Remember a round is 3 seconds and you can have 3 actions a round (if you have inc refs running)

It might be a good idea to keep the chants to 1-3 words.

Edward
Ezra
You can also try this Selection of latin phrases
You might find something in there to use.

biggrin.gif
Kagetenshi
Oderint dum metuant is, without a doubt, my personal favourite.

~J
Ezra
Really? I found more truth in "Omnes lagani pistrinae gelate male sapiunt" biggrin.gif
Kagetenshi
If you had access to a Trader Joe's, you'd know that to be untrue.

Trader Joe's makes everything better.

~J
Arethusa
QUOTE (Kagetenshi @ Apr 20 2005, 01:58 AM)
If you had access to a Trader Joe's, you'd know that to be untrue.

Trader Joe's makes everything better.

Preach, brother.
Ezra
Man... I live in Taiwan, ANY pizza I can get is GOOD pizza. biggrin.gif
hahnsoo
QUOTE (Arethusa)
QUOTE (Kagetenshi @ Apr 20 2005, 01:58 AM)
If you had access to a Trader Joe's, you'd know that to be untrue.

Trader Joe's makes everything better.

Preach, brother.

Amen. I love their Apple Cider.
Emmeric
Et tu, brute?
littlesean
My favorite, and this could cover your astral barrier if you squint at it sideways:

Solum potestis prohibere ignes silvarum - Only you are can prevent forest fires.
Fortune
Mine's in my sig. biggrin.gif
HMHVV Hunter
Excuse me, but if we can get back on topic:

Anyone that knows Latin well, can you help think up some cool incantations for those spells I mentioned? I'm not much of a poet, and that website has some reeeeally bad translations (I tried it for some other languages, and many of the outcomes just made no sense).
Ezra
I just sifted through the Latin Phrase website I posted earlier, and selected a few that could be adapted. <Shrug>

Large Mike

Have you considered using actual Latin prayers? There are some damn good invocations there. There's even some half decent ones along the lines of smiting you enemies...
Demosthenes
Or you could try the Harry Callahan approach:

"Fac meum diem, punk!"
Ezra
Had a google for latin prayers, with translations.
Linkage
Czar Eggbert
QUOTE (Emmeric)
Also for fun, try these handy dandies...

Ad maiorem dei gloriam (AMDG) - "For the greater glory of God!"
Agna of Deus quisnam conicio incendia balls! - "The lamb of God who throws fire balls!"
Vos can non run ex Suus ira! - "You cannot run from his wrath!"
Vos es non gauisus iam... - "You are not happy now..."

biggrin.gif

QUOTE
Ad maiorem dei gloriam (AMDG) - "For the greater glory of God!"


Some one went to a Jesuit school wink.gif
Jrayjoker
and just to point out the fallibility of translators...

from English:

I like cake and cookies

to English:

IMMATERIALITY relative cohere with eating


Ahh, online translators. Gotta love 'em.
Kaosaur
QUOTE (Czar Eggbert)
QUOTE (Emmeric @ Apr 19 2005, 10:26 PM)
Also for fun, try these handy dandies...

Ad maiorem dei gloriam (AMDG) - "For the greater glory of God!"
Agna of Deus quisnam conicio incendia balls! - "The lamb of God who throws fire balls!"
Vos can non run ex Suus ira! - "You cannot run from his wrath!"
Vos es non gauisus iam... - "You are not happy now..."

biggrin.gif

QUOTE
Ad maiorem dei gloriam (AMDG) - "For the greater glory of God!"


Some one went to a Jesuit school wink.gif

Isn't that why most of us take Latin? biggrin.gif
Emmeric
QUOTE (Kaosaur)
QUOTE (Czar Eggbert @ Apr 21 2005, 01:54 PM)
QUOTE (Emmeric @ Apr 19 2005, 10:26 PM)
Also for fun, try these handy dandies...

Ad maiorem dei gloriam (AMDG) - "For the greater glory of God!"
Agna of Deus quisnam conicio incendia balls! - "The lamb of God who throws fire balls!"
Vos can non run ex Suus ira! - "You cannot run from his wrath!"
Vos es non gauisus iam... - "You are not happy now..."

biggrin.gif

QUOTE
Ad maiorem dei gloriam (AMDG) - "For the greater glory of God!"


Some one went to a Jesuit school wink.gif

Isn't that why most of us take Latin? biggrin.gif

Word. Character flava is character flava as far as I'm concerned. But if it's grammatical character flavor that gets your jollies off, then more power to ya. biggrin.gif
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