Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: translation need of cinema related words

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Posted by Erkan Umut (Member # 330) on 02-18-2003, 08:02 PM:

Could anyone translate the "Intermittent Motion or Movement" into Latin?
Thank you, and sorry for asking a non technical question.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 02-18-2003, 08:10 PM:

Intermittens motio? (Sorry, it's been 40 years since Latin class [Wink]

)

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 02-18-2003, 10:28 PM:

Erkan, why?
Do you want to send a projector back in a time machine complete with Latin manual?

Posted by Jon Bartow (Member # 241) on 02-18-2003, 11:14 PM:

Intermittent:
Intermitto
Alterno

Movement:
motus
momentum

perhaps the best combination - "Alterna pictura motus" (in the feminine form): Alternating picture movement

Taken from my Latin Dictionary sitting on the shelf in my office (don't ask me why I still have it) But remember, precision machinery did not exist when Latin was still a commonly spoken language. So the translation is a literal word-for-word meaning only.
Jonathan

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 02-19-2003, 10:50 AM:

Michael wrote:

quote:
Erkan, why?
Do you want to send a projector back in a time machine complete with Latin manual?

Maybe he wants a projector to run that strange Derek Jarman film which had all the dialogue in Latin, the sort of Roman/Biblical/Gay thing. I can't remember the title of it now. [Smile]

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 02-19-2003, 01:41 PM:

I have contacted a Latin club which translates new words into Latin. I find the suggestions above quite interesting. Since Latin is so complex, it would be intersting to see what an expert would come up with.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 02-19-2003, 04:17 PM:

Motus intermitto?
Machinatio intermitto?
Machinatio isochronous?

Si hoc legere scis, nimium eruditionis habes! [Big Grin]

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 02-19-2003, 07:11 PM:

The Latin expert has not responded to my email. So I had to dig up my Latin dictionary. Problem with Latin is, it is a very precise language. You cannot translate it word for word without considering the connotations which certain word combinations create.
Of the various words for movement, I would choose "momentum". "motio" maybe is too general and "motus" carries other associations like political movement, earthquake, rebellion.
"momentum" has connotations of a pulsing forward movement.
"intermittere" does mean to interrupt, but the movement does not interrupt something, but is interrupted, so "intermissum". "alternus" in Latin is strictly restricted to an "alternation" between two elements, never more than two.
An alternative to "intermissum" could be "gradiarium", step by step.

So
"momentum intermissum" or "momentum gradiarium"

but
"motio intermissa" or "motio gradiaria" could also be argued.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 02-19-2003, 10:48 PM:

Momemtum signifies more impulse or effort than motion. I think we are looking for a word that has a meaning more like "clockworks".

Machinatio signifies, "machine", "engine", "mechanism", "contrivance" or "device".

Isochronous, although strictly not latin, means "Occurring at equal intervals" or "Equal in duration".
I think it would be acceptable in this situation... We're making up a new word here, aren't we? [Wink]

Motio means "Motion" or "Movement" (the verb).

Rotatus means "to revolve", "rotate" or "whirl around".

Putting it all together I would submit for your approval:

Machinatio motio rotatus isochronous... "Device of rotating movement in equal intervals".

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 02-20-2003, 03:35 AM:

Machinatio motio rotatus isochronous
is a valiant effort, however, we should not use isochronous as it is latinised Greek and stylistically lopsided. True, many of the technical or scientific terms invented in modern times mix Latin and Greek wildly, but we should not do that.
Momentum in Latin has less "momentum" than the word in English, but rather means a continuous, directed movement.
If you want to use rotare, we could leave out motio altogether because rotare implies a movement in itself. Please remember that both machinatio and motio are feminine.
If we want to use intermittere or intervallum we would have to form an adverb defining rotare or rotans (rotating), not rotatus or rotata, since the device is not rotating itself as a whole. But I am not sure how an adverb would be formed here.
MAYBE
machinatio rotans intermissa
or
in an effort to form an adverb from gradiarius
machinatio rotans gradiariter

Erkan has not told us if he means the device or the principle of intermittent motion.
I wonder why he has not checked back here. Maybe he just wanted to make our heads smoke!

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 02-20-2003, 12:45 PM:

First, I must admit that I am MUCH better at translating Latin to English than the reverse. I often screw up constructs of Latin grammar, tense and gender, etc.

Agreed: "Isochronous" is not the proper word... Not strictly Latin. However I would submit that the isochronal nature of the mechanism is an important concept to get across.
What other words could be used to convey "steady time"?

Constans? Constituo?

machinatio rotans gradiariter constituo?
Device of constant advance of rotation?

Or drop the rotans alltogether...
machinatio gradiariter constituo?
Device of constant advancement?

(I STILL like isochronous better! [Wink]

)

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 02-20-2003, 01:54 PM:

One could argue that to be interrupted, the movement also has to have a contiuous quality in the first place.
How about this
motio intermissa in modo continuo (from the adjective continuus, not the verb)
or
machinatio motionis intermissae in modo continuo

or would motio intermissa have to be in ablativus instrumentalis here? Non scio securiter.

Posted by Erkan Umut (Member # 330) on 02-20-2003, 02:14 PM:

Friends, thank you for all your replies.
The translation of the principle of "intermittent motion" will be fine.
I will use it as a company name.

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 02-20-2003, 02:50 PM:

In that case, you have to use one of my suggestions in order to secure the success of your company. You will also have to pay me an outrageous fee or buy me a drink when I happen to pass by Istanbul.
I would then suggest "motio intermissa" because it is shortest and easiest to remember.
"isochronous" will be completely out of the question as it is illegal in Turkey to use Greek words.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 02-20-2003, 03:10 PM:

Really?! No, you're kidding... AREN'T you?

Well, then, if that's the case I call "dibs" on IsoChron as a company name if I need one. [Big Grin]

However, "Machinitio" might make a nice one-word name. It's rather catchy, isn't it? [Wink]

"I'm from the FACTORY where they MAKE the machines!"

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 02-20-2003, 04:37 PM:

The company could also be called "Umutio intermissa". People will never be able to figure out how the name came into existence.
I kid you not. For instance, Greek meat balls are called "keftedes". They had to be renamed "köfte" in Turkish to hide the origin of the word.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 02-20-2003, 07:16 PM:

Really? [Eek!]

Do you mean actually illegal? Proscribed? OR, do you mean in such poor favor as to be some kind of taboo?

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 02-20-2003, 07:21 PM:

Oral use of Greek words can result in public flogging and documented (i.e. written) use in jail sentences.

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 02-20-2003, 07:34 PM:

While we're at it, I've always wondered how "Agfa-Gevaert" is pronounced. I've got the AG-fa part.

Anyone? Maybe some of our Belgian friends can help?