to tell my colleague she acted like a bitch and should apoligise?

[Climbingthewalls12]

Obviously a little more tactfully. And really WIBU rather than AI.

One of my work mates has a tattoo reading something in Latin along the lines of Love always endures, followed by his daughter's birth date. It obviously means a lot to him and he like to show it off. Another colleague today said really loudly in front of everyone that the word order is technically incorrect and why would he do that as he is anal about other things etc. He was obviously very hurt by her remarks but she just kept on about how she has a degree in latin and can't believe he was so stupid.

IMO it doesn't matter, he loves it and its a bit late now isnt it so I pulled her aside, had been a part of the convo not just butting in, and said I thought she should apologise. For this I got a fair bit of shit from other peopl. But really WIBU?

I think she was probably just being tactless if she is normally okay. It is surprising that he didn't research a bit better before getting the tattoo.

If it was this, I would argue the verb (vincit) needs to be at the end. But meh.

She was meaning mean, and twatty. Not twatty to be educated but twatty to use one's education to lord it over others.

Yes, she was rude to point it out to embarrass him.

If it is in the wrong order though it might say;

Always endures love! doesn't sound too great does it?

Virgil wrote it as omnia vincit amor.

Tbh, I would say it can go in any order, you have a nominative and an accusative in there, so there's only really one way to translate it.

Minnie bullying? Really?

Only on MN.

soggy is right.

It makes you look ignorant to pick holes in word order in Latin.

If you are feeling particularly unpleasant, you could point out that in medieval Latin, it is perfectly acceptable to shift words around in all sorts of ways that make Classsicists wince, anyway; you could also observe that there's a very important tradition in which Virgil's lines were changed around so they made new poems. Someone who is a smartarse deserves a smartarse comeback.

But I bet others are right it's amor vincit omnia, in which case yes, totally an exception to the usual (Classical Latin) rule anyway.

My knowledge of Latin is v v limited - OP do you know if it was that phrase?

If so, may be nice to be able to tell him the argument for word order not mattering too much so he can shove it up her arse.

If it was 'amor vincit omnia', then it's worth noting that although that has become a commonly used phrase (because it mimics the English order), it was originally written as 'omnia vincit amor' by Virgil. And as another poster has said, actual Romans speaking would probably have put the verb (vincit) at the end. So actually any of those can be considered correct.

I think she should be asking for a refund on her university fees if she really does have a Latin degree. Caveat emptor!

If indeed it doesn't matter as others have suggested that is!

I'm fairly certain and the translations being given look very similar to what he has.

On another note the tattoo itself is of a fantastic quality so at least it wouldn't be wrong and tacky!

It has amor at the end, I know that.

It doesn't matter whether it's that phrase or not - it is extremely rare for word order to matter in any phrase in Classical Latin (in fact I can't imagine where it would be someone else will know).

I think this is really nasty, though. There are no ancient Romans around to be hurt if he has got a tattoo that is not in perfect Latin. It's how he remembers his daughter. Surely loads of us take comfort in things we don't totally understand.

the great thing about Latin is that it is so logical that the words can go in any order the like and it can still only mean one thing. So from that point of view, there is no real 'correct' word order in Latin.

She was mean. It upset him. You told her she should apologise. Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. Fed up of this whole butt out, none of your business nonsense. You see something crap happen, you say something about it. Fair dos. She was obviously intended to be snide - why should she get away with that?

Yes, Jon, a tattoo really. Might not be your choice but it was his and that is what matters and what being able to put yourself in another person's shoes means.

Op I don't think not wearing silk if you are a veggie is a ridiculous moral btw.

Although (if it is that one) love always endures wouldn't be the correct translation.

That confirms it then it say "always endures love", that is why she couldn't help herself

I think it'd be fair enough, wouldn't it, polka? Literally it means 'love wins/conquers all'. But it does mean 'endures'.

A few lines earlier it's 'O, if one day your flutes should tell of my love,
how gently then my bones would rest' and 'here eternity itself to be spent with you'.

It is definitely talking about enduring love.

She should have thought more, that little piece of pedantry may well have really hurt his feelings. We all have our little naff mementoes of special moments.

Yes, I suppose so, especially looking at the context. I'd have said it was quite a well known phrase translated literally though, so would have thought people would tend to use the 'obvious' translation IYSWIM.

I was trying to work out what it would be literally; semper amor manit or something (I'm a bit rusty!).

It could have ruined something really special for him for life.

Oh, yes, I agree.

I just feel for that man and it would be nice for him to know that, maybe.

I think 'maneat'. Not sure. I think it would have to be subjunctive.

Maybe manet actually, 'will always endure', I don't think they would use the present there how we would.

Or maybe it would be subjunctive, what would that be, maneat?

Oops, x-post I didn't refresh before posting.

Sorry, I don't know either. My Latin is shit. Still, better basic decency than fancy Latin.

OP, do tell him it's a lovely quotation and you find it special, he must be feeling really rotten.