[Editors] how's your Latin?

[Thomas S Pixton]

Oh, that pesky 5th declension:

Res, rei, rei, rem, re
Res, rerum, rebus, res, rebus

Note that the word "rebus" means "to, for, or of things."


On 9/23/10 11:21 AM, "Scott R Campbell" <scottc at MIT.EDU> wrote:

> Wow.  I am impressed.
> 
> 
> On 9/23/10 11:02 AM, "Kate James" <katej at MIT.EDU> wrote:
> 
>> 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
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Editors mailing list
>>> Editors at mit.edu
>>> http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/editors
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Editors mailing list
>> Editors at mit.edu
>> http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/editors
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Editors mailing list
> Editors at mit.edu
> http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/editors

Tom Pixton
617.258.0648  
Advisor, MIT Publishing Services Bureau
292 Main Street, E38-254, Cambridge, MA 02142