[Editors] how's your Latin?

[Thalia Rubio]

Thank you, Kate! That's what I wanted to know. (We'll toast Dr. 
Springer, too!)

Best

Thalia

Quoting Kate James <katej at MIT.EDU>:

> With the caveat that it's been an EXTREMELY long time... "re" is from the
> pain-in-the-ass 5th declension feminine noun "res," which is "thing"
> ("republic" means "public things"). "nata" I *think* is the past of nascere,
> so "having been born." So kind of, "for a thing having been born." Not too
> far a leap from there to "as something that's come up," basically what you
> said below.
>
> Boy, I feel like writing a thank you note to good old Dr. Springer.
>
>
> On 9/23/10 10:48 AM, "Thalia Rubio" <trubio at MIT.EDU> wrote:
>
>> Hi all
>>
>> Did anyone take Latin in school? If so, I'd love to get your help with a
>> question about Latin grammar. Actually my (elderly) mom has the 
>> question and I
>> told her I'd see what I could do.
>>
>> She's wondering what the grammar is for this phrase: pro re nata. That's the
>> Latin behind the term prn, used in the medical field to mean "as needed."
>>
>> If you kind of squint and do your best guess, it looks like: "for
>> (concerning?)
>> born." I googled for a Latin dictionary and it said: "For an occasion as it
>> arises" - which makes sense.
>>
>> But does anyone know how the phrase is actually constructed, with 
>> declensions
>> and all? (What does "re" mean?)
>>
>> Your help will be much appreciated by both of us. I can take my 
>> answer off the
>> air, as it were.
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> Thalia
>>
>> Thalia Rubio, M.Ed.
>> Lecturer, Program in Writing & Humanistic Studies
>> Massachusetts Institute of Technology
>> 77 Massachusetts Avenue, 12-111
>> Cambridge, MA 02139
>> Email: trubio at mit.edu
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>
>



Thalia Rubio, M.Ed.
Lecturer, Program in Writing & Humanistic Studies
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue, 12-111
Cambridge, MA 02139
Email: trubio at mit.edu