discessum est

[rothbard]

I am a bit confused by the following sentence in Moreland and Fleischer (Review of Syntax: Units 12 to 18, no. 25, p. 310):

"Hīs et tālibus pūgnīs inter nōs discessum est."

Does it mean "we stopped fighting these and this kind of battles between us", or "people died by these and this kind of battles"?

 

[Pacifica]

I don't know the context, but neither of your interpretations looks really possible. It looks to me like (first, literally) "with these and such battles, it was parted (i.e. parting was made) between us", that is, after these battles and similar ones, we parted.

 

[rothbard]

Thanks. Unfortunately there is no additional context, as it was one of several separate sentences for translation. The only indication given in the book next to it is "Impersonal use of the passive", which doesn't add much. Unfortunately some sentences in this book don't seem to make a lot of sense.

 

[Aurifex]

It looks to me like the Latin is faulty, or at least inadequate, as it stands.

 

[Callaina]

It looks to me like the Latin is faulty, or at least inadequate, as it stands.

In what way?

 

[Aurifex]

In what way?

It seems to me there needs to be a verb (e.g. a past participle) to complete the sense of his et talibus pugnis? Without one it strikes me as a very vague kind of expression. What sense do you make of the sentence?

 

[Callaina]

It seems to me there needs to be a verb (e.g. a past participle) to complete the sense of his et talibus pugnis? Without one it strikes me as a very vague kind of expression. What sense do you make of the sentence?

Hmm, yes, good point. I suppose I sort of automatically supplied one, like Pacifica did, but it is rather vague.

 

[lepus]

It seems to me there needs to be a verb (e.g. a past participle) to complete the sense of his et talibus pugnis? Without one it strikes me as a very vague kind of expression. What sense do you make of the sentence?

The sentence is adapted from Apuleius' Metamorphoses, Book II, Chapter 11: "His et talibus obgannitis sermonibus inter nos discessum est." Applying the principle of charity to the author's competence in Latin, I think that Pacifica had a good intuition about it. "After this an similar brawls (battles, quarrels, whatever you deem fitting) we parted."

 

[Aurifex]

Applying the principle of charity to the author's competence in Latin

I was casting doubt on the competence of the sentence - justly, I would maintain; I can't estimate the authors' overall competence.

I think that Pacifica had a good intuition about it.

Of course; she's an expert at understanding the intended meaning of incompetent utterances, whether these are in Latin or English.

 

[Dantius]

Of course; she's an expert at understanding the intended meaning of incompetent utterances, whether these are in Latin or English.

 

[Pacifica]

Not sure whether to take that as an insult or as a compliment.

 

[Aurifex]

Not sure whether to take that as an insult or as a compliment.

Definitely a compliment. My suggesting you are skilled at divining what people intend to say when they haven't actually said it in so many words wasn't intended to imply that you have any share in others' incompetence.

 

[Callaina]

Not sure whether to take that as an insult or as a compliment.

That was my reaction as well.

 

[rothbard]

The sentence is adapted from Apuleius' Metamorphoses, Book II, Chapter 11: "His et talibus obgannitis sermonibus inter nos discessum est." Applying the principle of charity to the author's competence in Latin, I think that Pacifica had a good intuition about it. "After this an similar brawls (battles, quarrels, whatever you deem fitting) we parted."

Thanks. If that had been the sentence in the book, I would have had no problems understanding it, after looking up "obgannitis". However, I was confused by "hīs et tālibus pūgnīs". People don't normally part with battles, so I thought "discedere" might be a euphemism for "pass away".

 

[lepus]

so I thought "discedere" might be a euphemism for "pass away".

Or "pugna" may be a hyperbole for quarrel. If the only context is a translation exercise, we are left to guessing.