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:I see. I thought you had asked about molioresce.
Well, yes ... but this implies making something better by correcting what is wrong (mendum = error)JaimeB dixit:In any case, the common classical Latin word for "improve" is emendo, emendare, emendavi, emendatus.
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.melior dixit:He explained that it would be listed in a Latin dictionary as melioresco, meliorescere.
:---)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.
Thanks for the clarification, Bitmap. Speculative etymology is always a risky business, but if one doesn't ask, one never finds out, does one?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)
not so much evil as patheticAkela dixit:An idea of an-evil-Latin-Forum-regime will entertain many, however. Maybe we should stick with it
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 interestingJaimeB 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?
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.Bitmap dixit:not so much evil as patheticAkela dixit:An idea of an-evil-Latin-Forum-regime will entertain many, however. Maybe we should stick with it
Apparently it's only found as a gloss of Greek βελτιοῦμαι.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