A Conversation for Handy Latin Phrases
latin clarification please
quidproquote Started conversation Jul 11, 2004
Michelangelo Buonarroti signed his work: facieba, or again: facit.
what is the difference?
latin clarification please
Iphigenia Posted Jul 12, 2004
"Facit"(= he/she makes/is making [this]) is present tense, and so is unlikely on a finished piece. "Facieba" isn't a word.
"Fred fecit" = "Fred made [this]", or, "Fred has made [this]". The perfect tense describes an action completed (Lat:"perfectum") in the past. Ideal for signing a marble Pietà .
"Fred faciebat" = "Fred used to do [this]", or, "Fred was doing [this]". The imperfect tense decribes things that used to happen, or were happening, and might even still be happening. Rubbish for signing a marble Pietà . Either Michelangelo was lousy at Latin (as is probable), or usage had drifted from classical Latin forms by 1500 (unlikely).
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latin clarification please
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