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  3. Military / Defense

strong arm friendly hand

22:46 Jun 23, 2008
English to Latin translations [PRO]
Military / Defense
English term or phrase: strong arm friendly hand
I have motto that I like a lot and that is the Brasilian army motto: Braco forte, mao amiga! which translates into eng. A strong arm, a friendly hand! I've been trying to translate it into latin, and the closest I can come is: Brachium forte, manus comis. What is your oppinion? Would this be a correct translation?
afropavo
Local time: 18:17


Summary of answers provided
4 +1Forte brachium, manus amica
BdiL


  

Answers


16 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Forte brachium, manus amica


Explanation:
First I would use a zeugma instead of parallelism and this is what sounds Latin to me, if you trust someone descending, more or less, from ancient Romans. Actually I am from Augusta Taurinorum (Torino/Turin...2006 Winter Olympics, remember?). No joke telling you that I also studied Latin (and Old Greek) in Lyceum. Hope it's useful. Maurizio

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Note added at 54 mins (2008-06-23 23:40:29 GMT)
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If you are asking about how fit "comis, -is" sounds to me, I would see it not as fit as amica, since it means more "fellow", "comrade", "companion". Think of the deriving adjectives "amicalis" and "comitalis"; in the first case I sense that a feeling of fondness goes to and fro between people, but it's stronger and "active"; in the second case it's a "cooler" sense of respect between peers. And you have to thing also of the strong arm (ready to hit) as opposed to a friendly hand more than available to help you out... Also sprach Moritz! (...joking...) You might wait for other "magistri pares" to have a saying and then make up your mind. Ciao. Maurizio

BdiL
Italy
Local time: 18:17
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian
Notes to answerer
Asker: Sounds interesting. What would you suggest?

Asker: I would say that the adjectiv to describe the strong arm would be to describe something potent to make harm and kill. Fearful and awe inspiring in it's prescence. If you know what I mean. Then the hand would be something almost opposite, still attached and a part of the arm but quintessentially polar to it. The hand being friendly, benevolent and mayebe even loving. The comparison should almost be bipolar; in a way a schizophrenic entity! Just as easily ready to be raised to strike it could fall as a caress...


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Joseph Brazauskas: The better orthography has 'bracchium'.
37 days
  -> Thank you, Joseph. All the same I confirm *brachium* for classical Latin; bracchium is a correct alternative. Maurizio
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