Latin for scribes

maintained by Countess Aryanhwy merch Catmael, liana@ellipsis.cx

Dates

When dates are written with Roman numerals, it's nice to know the proper Latin names for the numerals, when reading the scroll aloud. In the following table, I give only the masculine nominative singular of the ordinal numbers.

NumberNumeralLatinNumberNumeralLatinNumberNumeralLatin
1stiprimus
2ndiisecundus
3rdiiitertius
4thivquartus
5thvquintus
6thvisextus
7thviiseptimus
8thviiioctavus
9thixnonus

A useful list of the cardinal numbers can be found here.

Here are the names of the months, in the genitive, because in most cases the wording is "...day of [month]."

JanuaryJanuariiJulyJulii
FebruaryFebruariiAugustAugusti
MarchMartiiSeptemberSeptembris
AprilAprilisOctoberOctobris
MayMaiiNovemberNovembris
JuneJuniiDecemberDecembris

Scroll texts

Texts I've written in Latin can be found here on my blog; unfortunately, this doesn't make it easy to search for the text for a particular award, so I have included some stock texts below. For these texts, it is appropriate to also put the donor and recipient's names into Latin, inflected properly. I indicate the proper inflection in each of the gaps to be filled in, for those who want to do it themselves; I'm also more than happy to provide appropriate Latin forms of names. You can reach me at liana@ellipsis.cx. The article "The Latinization of Names in the Middle Ages" by Nicolaa de Bracton may also be useful.

Caid also has some Latin scroll texts here, which can be adapted.

In these texts, I have used standard medieval Latin, as opposed to classical Latin, spellings.

Award of Arms

For a recipient who doesn't have arms registered: Audite verbis [king's name, genitive] [queen's name, genitive]que regis regineque Drachenwaldenses. Scite quod his presentibus agnoscimus virtutem dignitatemque subjecti nostrorum [recipient's name, genitive]. Altamus et assignamus ei ordonis domini/domine et jus tali armis prout deferet cum collegio armorum. Fit manibus nostris in [number] die [month, genitive] anno societatis [number].

Translation: Pay heed to the words of [king] and [queen], King and Queen of Drachenwald. Know that by these presents we recognize the worth and dignity of our subject [recipient] . We raise him/her to the rank of lord/lady and grant to him/her all rights to such arms as he/she shall register with the college of arms. Done by our hands on the [number] day of [month], in the year of the society [number].

For a recipient who does have arms registered: Audite verbis [king's name, genitive] [queen's name, genitive]que regis regineque Drachenwaldenses. Scite quod his presentibus agnoscimus virtutem dignitatemque subjecti nostrorum [recipient's name, genitive]. Altamus et assignamus ei ordonis domine et beneficium armis [blazon]. Fit manibus nostris in [number] die [month, genitive] anno societatis [number].

Translation: Pay heed to the words of [king] and [queen], King and Queen of Drachenwald. Know that by these presents we recognize the worth and dignity of our subject [recipient] . We raise him/her to the rank of lord/lady and grant to him/her all rights to the arms [blazon]. Done by our hands on the [number] day of [month], in the year of the society [number].

Panache

[king, nominative] et [queen, nominative], rex et regina Drachenwaldenses, [recipient, dative], salutationem, gratiam, et benedictionem. Agnitionis facultatis preceptique tui artis scientieque offerimus ideo tibi admissionem in nostris ordonis panacii, qui confert jus ostendere insigne ordonis, orbis rubrum signatus orbi aurei cum orbi negri, et super terci pinnae rubra, aurea, negra. Datum apud [hosting group's name], [number] kal. [month, genetive], anno societatis [number].

Translation: [King] and [Queen], King and Queen of Drachenwald, to [recipient], salutations, goodwill, and blessing. In recognition of your skill and teaching in the arts and sciences we offer to you admission in our order of Panache, which confers the right to bear the insignia of the order, a red circle ensigned with a gold circle with a black circle, and above three feathers red, gold, and black. Dated by [place name], [number] of the calendar of [month], in the year of the society [number].

Lindquistringes

[king, nominative] et [queen, nominative] rex et regina Drachenwaldenses, [recipient, dative], salutationem, gratiam, et benedictionem. Agnitionis muni quod prebuisti nobis, offerimus ideo tibi admissionem in nostris ordonis anuli lindquiste, qui confert jus ostendere insigne ordonis, anulus factus draconi aurei sine pennis habentis ornamentum rubrum. Datum apud [hosting group's name], [number] kal. [month, genitive], anno societatis [number].

Translation: [King] and [Queen], King and Queen of Drachenwald, to [recipient], salutations, goodwill, and blessing. In recognition of the service that you have rendered to us, we hereby offer to you admission in our order of the ring of Lindquist, which confers the right to display the insignia of the order, a ring made of a golden dragon without wings having a red jewel. Dated by [place name], [number] of the calendar of [month], in the year of the society [number].

Knighthood

Scite his presentibus quod nos, [king, nominative] et [queen, nominative] Rex et Regina Drachenwaldenses, altamus subjectum [recipient, accusative] ad ordinem equitis agnitionis huius virtutis militiaeque et tribuimus codicillo armum huic. Affirmamus jus solum huius et unicum ferre per notum orbem sequens armum, id est [blazon of arms]. Teste huius signavimus hos presentes [number] die [month, genitive], anno societatis [number], alias anno Gregoriano [number].

Translation: Know by these presents that we, [king] and [queen] King and Queen of Drachenwald, elevate our subject [recipient] to the rank of knight in recognition of his virtue and military prowess and grant to him arms by letters patent. We affirm his sole and unique right to bear throughout the known world the following arms, that is [blazon of arms]. In witness of this we have signed these present letters on the [number] day of [month], in the year of the society [number] , otherwise Gregorian year [number].