I was thinking of putting the words “Sui generis” on the gravestone of an aunt, meaning that she was unique, one of a kind, in a class by herself. (She certainly was.)
Then it occurred to me that it might be better to put “She was sui generis”, but with the entire phrase being in Latin. People who do not know Latin (I don’t) will recognize the term “sui generis” since it is a term used in English.
My problem is, first, I do not know if the meaning of “sui generis” is exactly the same if used in a Latin-language context. Second, if I put “Erat sui generis” (assuming this is the correct verb tense to use – I don’t know) would that be mixing an Anglicized Latin phrase with the Latin “erat” in a way that is not grammatical or idiomatic in Latin?
An analogy from French would be this. Suppose someone wrote “tarte tatin à la mode” thinking that the text in French means a particular kind of apple pie accompanied by ice cream. “A la mode” is used that way in English, but it would have nothing to do with ice cream if the phrase were used in a French-language context.
In short: How would I write “She was sui generis” in correct Latin – for a gravestone? And would the correct and best idiomatic phrase in Latin still include the words “sui generis”?
Then it occurred to me that it might be better to put “She was sui generis”, but with the entire phrase being in Latin. People who do not know Latin (I don’t) will recognize the term “sui generis” since it is a term used in English.
My problem is, first, I do not know if the meaning of “sui generis” is exactly the same if used in a Latin-language context. Second, if I put “Erat sui generis” (assuming this is the correct verb tense to use – I don’t know) would that be mixing an Anglicized Latin phrase with the Latin “erat” in a way that is not grammatical or idiomatic in Latin?
An analogy from French would be this. Suppose someone wrote “tarte tatin à la mode” thinking that the text in French means a particular kind of apple pie accompanied by ice cream. “A la mode” is used that way in English, but it would have nothing to do with ice cream if the phrase were used in a French-language context.
In short: How would I write “She was sui generis” in correct Latin – for a gravestone? And would the correct and best idiomatic phrase in Latin still include the words “sui generis”?