Melioresce

JaimeB

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Re: Molioresce

Could it be from molior, a deponent fourth conjugation verb, "struggle, build"? Or could it be a misspelling of mulieresque, "and women"? Can you give a context? It might help clear things up a bit.
 

melior

New Member

Re: Molioresce

I was told this: "In this case, possibly you want molioresce ~ a command to yourself to grow better, improve."

I just a mantra I want to utilize to continue improving myself. I would like one word to mean that in Latin because I want to design it into an ambigram.

I was told meliorare and now the other gentleman told me molioresce.

If you have any insight, please assist.

Thanks.
 
B

Bitmap

Guest

Re: Molioresce

meliorare means "to make something better" ... it's late/ecclestiastical though

*meliorescere would be the inchoativum of that verb ... it's in analogy to other verbs of that kind... I can't find any actual evidence for that particular word, though
 

JaimeB

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I see. I thought you had asked about molioresce.

In any case, the common classical Latin word for "improve" is emendo, emendare, emendavi, emendatus. The command form would be Emenda.

There is a famous motet by William Byrd, the Renaissance English composer, a polyphonic vocal setting of the text Emendemus in melius, "Let us amend for the better." Another well-known version of the text was set by Cristóbal de Morales, a Spaniard of the generation before Byrd. The text is taken from the Books of Esther and Joel in the Bible, and is sung on Ash Wednesday, as a responsory at the blessing of the ashes to be imposed on the foreheads of the congregation as a sign of repentance. The older, monophonic setting is Gregorian chant. Here is the text with a translation:

Emendemus in melius
quae ignoranter peccavimus;
ne subito praeoccupati die mortis,
quaeramus spatium poenitentiae,
et invenire non possimus.
Attende, Domine, et miserere;
quia peccavimus tibi.
Adjuva nos,
Deus salutaris noster,
et propter honorem nominis tui libera nos.


"Let us amend for the better those things
in which we have sinned through ignorance;
lest suddenly overtaken by the day of death,
we seek space for repentance,
and not be able to find it.
Hear, O Lord, and have mercy:
for we have sinned against you.
Help us,
God of our salvation,
and for the honor of your Name deliver us."
 
B

Bitmap

Guest

JaimeB dixit:
I see. I thought you had asked about molioresce.
Well, the divergence between the spelling of the thread title ("Melioresce") and the actual request ("Does anyone know what this word means - molioresce??????") indicates that the creator of this thread couldn't care less and leaves it up to us to figure out what is meant. I didn't dare tell him to show some diligence in his typing, though, for fear of receiving pm threats from the board administration.

JaimeB dixit:
In any case, the common classical Latin word for "improve" is emendo, emendare, emendavi, emendatus.
Well, yes ... but this implies making something better by correcting what is wrong (mendum = error)
Making something better that is good already is a different story ... and there seems to be no better classical evidence than "meliorem/melius facere"
meliorescere would be kind of witty if it weren't for the reluctance latinists commonly feel towards neologisms :>
 

JaimeB

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O sagax Bitmap!

Yes, I had forgotten that mendum is "error." Now I wonder if mendax, "lying, false" is derived from the same root...
 
 

Matthaeus

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Well, so it would seem. What does our philologist Bitmap say about this?
 
B

Bitmap

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no, the roots are different:

mendax is derived from the verb mentiri, which in turn seems to be derived from the noun mens ~ "to make something up in your mind" (same pattern as partiri from pars); so the stem is men- (cf. me-min-isse; akin to Greek μένος - "will, spirit")

the stem of mendum is mend- (there's a Sanskrit cognate, minda, with a similar meaning)
 

melior

New Member

I do apologize about the confusion to begin with. The gentleman that posted molioresce did retract the spelling and said it is melioresce. He told me it is the singular imperative. He explained that it would be listed in a Latin dictionary as melioresco, meliorescere.

Thank you all for your help.
 
B

Bitmap

Guest

melior dixit:
He explained that it would be listed in a Latin dictionary as melioresco, meliorescere.
well, I told you it was intellegible as it follows the rules of Latin word formation. It's not classical, though, but it might well be found in late/medieval or even neo-Latin texts... it might be ok for your purpose.

"semper melius" is a phrase that is grammatically right, but it really depends on what you want to say ... for a piece of art a word like "melioresce!" might be a good choice
 

Akela

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Bitmap dixit:
I didn't dare tell him to show some diligence in his typing, though, for fear of receiving pm threats from the board administration.
:---)

Sorry, but you've been intentionally misinformed: there were never any PMs.

An idea of an-evil-Latin-Forum-regime will entertain many, however. Maybe we should stick with it :devil:
 

JaimeB

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Bitmap dixit:
no, the roots are different:

mendax is derived from the verb mentiri, which in turn seems to be derived from the noun mens ~ "to make something up in your mind" (same pattern as partiri from pars); so the stem is men- (cf. me-min-isse; akin to Greek μένος - "will, spirit")

the stem of mendum is mend- (there's a Sanskrit cognate, minda, with a similar meaning)
Thanks for the clarification, Bitmap. Speculative etymology is always a risky business, but if one doesn't ask, one never finds out, does one?
 
B

Bitmap

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Akela dixit:
An idea of an-evil-Latin-Forum-regime will entertain many, however. Maybe we should stick with it :devil:
not so much evil as pathetic

JaimeB dixit:
Thanks for the clarification, Bitmap. Speculative etymology is always a risky business, but if one doesn't ask, one never finds out, does one?
to a large extent, etymology (especially concerning ancient languages and Indoeuropean) actually is speculative due to a lack of clear evidence ... that's what makes it so interesting :)
 

Nikolaos

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Bitmap dixit:
Akela dixit:
An idea of an-evil-Latin-Forum-regime will entertain many, however. Maybe we should stick with it :devil:
not so much evil as pathetic
I know I'm new here and whatnot, but I fail to see what blasphemy is performed in handing out a simple warning against tormenting everyone who does not possess a degree in Latin. Sure this is a Latin forum, but I'm pretty sure that those ignorant concerning the tongue were the main consideration in creating the translation forums.

That said, I hold a great deal of respect for Chamaeleo's knowledge. However, I'm afraid that if he had entered my first thread before my problem was resolved, I might have been torn apart and chased away.

But, I digress. Forgive me for carrying this thread further from the problem at hand than need be.
 

scrabulista

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THREAD: #172

The idea of board "thank-yous" seemed to have sweetened his disposition, however briefly.
 

Imber Ranae

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Re: Molioresce

Bitmap dixit:
*meliorescere would be the inchoativum of that verb ... it's in analogy to other verbs of that kind... I can't find any actual evidence for that particular word, though
Apparently it's only found as a gloss of Greek βελτιοῦμαι.
 
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