What are the distinctions, subtle though they may be, between these words? All of them have similar meanings according to Lewis and/or Short:
servus: slave, servant
minister: attendant, servant
famulus: servant, attendant
I have the sense (from somewhere) that a famulus is a family or household servant, and a minister might be someone who helps out in a more official, maybe government, role.
It would be ideal if I could find a way of tweaking the English versions of these sentences so that it would be clearer which Latin word to use for "attendant".
123. The farmer wounded the attendant with a very big sword, when he attacked him in the nearest dining-room.
Colonus ministrum, quum se in proximo triclinio oppugnaret, maximo gladio vulneravit.
125. Since the slave had wounded the master in his bedroom, the attendant, being thoroughly frightened, rode to ask for help.
Quum servus in cubiculo dominum vulneravisset, minister maxime perterritus equitavit auxilium rogaturus.
143. And yet it is necessary that in the absence of the doctor the attendant should carry thee to the neighbour's at dawn.
Atqui necesse est ut medico absente famulus te diluculo ad vicini portet.
-- The Mastery Series. Latin. By Thomas Prendergast. Fourth edition, 1880. Retrieved Jan. 1, 2021.
servus: slave, servant
minister: attendant, servant
famulus: servant, attendant
I have the sense (from somewhere) that a famulus is a family or household servant, and a minister might be someone who helps out in a more official, maybe government, role.
It would be ideal if I could find a way of tweaking the English versions of these sentences so that it would be clearer which Latin word to use for "attendant".
123. The farmer wounded the attendant with a very big sword, when he attacked him in the nearest dining-room.
Colonus ministrum, quum se in proximo triclinio oppugnaret, maximo gladio vulneravit.
125. Since the slave had wounded the master in his bedroom, the attendant, being thoroughly frightened, rode to ask for help.
Quum servus in cubiculo dominum vulneravisset, minister maxime perterritus equitavit auxilium rogaturus.
143. And yet it is necessary that in the absence of the doctor the attendant should carry thee to the neighbour's at dawn.
Atqui necesse est ut medico absente famulus te diluculo ad vicini portet.
-- The Mastery Series. Latin. By Thomas Prendergast. Fourth edition, 1880. Retrieved Jan. 1, 2021.