at one time

Pacifica

grammaticissima

  • Aedilis

Location:
Belgium
No. It's a word-for-word translation, but that isn't how you say it in Latin. In Latin you can say olim or quondam.
 

Pacifica

grammaticissima

  • Aedilis

Location:
Belgium
How can you say that without knowing the context? :D
 

Laurentius

Civis Illustris

  • Civis Illustris

Location:
Lago Duria
Can it mean also something like "at the same time" in English?
 

Pacifica

grammaticissima

  • Aedilis

Location:
Belgium
I don't think so. "At a time" can, though.
 

Laurentius

Civis Illustris

  • Civis Illustris

Location:
Lago Duria
I don't think so. "At a time" can, though.
Some dictionaries I see online seems to have it, some other not. But the most reliables I saw don't have it I think.
 
I had no idea that my question would spark such a debate. Any way here is the enter sentence if that will help to settle it.
Grant me the power of performing two or three mental tasks at one time.
Da mihi potestatem perfungendi duos vel tres labores mentium quondam.
 

Pacifica

grammaticissima

  • Aedilis

Location:
Belgium
There are other problems in your translation, though.
 
Would you be so kind as to point them out and address how I might correct them?

I have another incantation that is quite similar to the one I posted earlier how ever it ends with the same phrase, if you could take a look and see if I have problems with this translation as well?
Also would I need the preposition ad=at?
Grant me the power of holding two trains of thought at the same time.
Da mihi potestatem tenendi duos series sententiaeeodem tempore.
 

Pacifica

grammaticissima

  • Aedilis

Location:
Belgium
As far as mere grammar is concerned, the problems are:

- Perfungi more usually takes the ablative
- Mentium: you don't have several minds, so why the plural?
- Series is feminine.

But even if you correct the above, I don't think those sentences would make much sense in Latin. You shouldn't take a literal approach here. These are no easy things to translate into Latin.

For the first one, maybe I would say something along the lines of da mihi potestatem mentis duobus vel tribus operibus eodem tempore adhibendae, and for the second one da mihi potestatem ut duas simul cogitationes persequar. Wait and see what others think.

No, you don't need ad here. Just an ablative of time.
 

Pacifica

grammaticissima

  • Aedilis

Location:
Belgium
Da mihi potestatem mentis duobus vel tribus operibus eodem tempore adhibendae = Give me the power of applying [my] mind to two or three tasks at the same time.

Da mihi potestatem ut duas simul cogitationes persequar = Give me the power that I may follow (i.e. to follow) two thoughts at the same time.
 
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