Re: Latin for roast goose
Posted by Bruce Kahl on July 18, 2001
In Reply to: Re: Latin for roast goose posted by R. Berg on July 18, 2001
: : I'm looking for a little help in Latin. My problem is to adapt "The Boar's Head Carol" to accompany a Christmas roast goose, boar's heads being often in short supply at the neighborhood Safeway. The crucial line is "Caput apri defero" (I carry a boar's head), for which I need a replacement Latin line which would translate as "I carry a roast goose." My best effort is "Anser assus defero." Can anyone confirm or correct this? I'm wary of inadvertently claiming to carry a steam-bathed goose, or to be a goose's ass, or worse. Thanks for the help.
I would have it as "Anserem assum porto.".
"Defero" does mean "to carry" but in a communications sense, as in "I refered ( carried ) the offer to his attorney".
"Porto" fits the bill for the act of carrying groceries. Our word "portable" is derived from "porto".
"Assus" is Latin for dried or roasted. However, in Latin, the spelling of the word changes with its use. So you must use the accusative case of "assus" which is "assum" since it is modifying the object of the sentence.
"Anser" is Latin for goose but it's ending must also reflect it's use which is as the object of the sentence so you use the accusative case which is "anserem".
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Sum, ergo edo.
I am, therefore I eat.
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