Oct 5, 2010 17:28
13 yrs ago
Latin term
zizanias
Latin to English
Social Sciences
History
I don't know Latin, I'm translating from German into English. The German translation of this quote by an early modern philosopher has "Gilch" here, a word I've never heard before and can't find on the web. Context is the Kabbalist interpretation of a parable in the Bible.
(Here's the German sentence too in case I picked the wrong word in Latin: Der himmlische Acker und jener Vorrat des Glaubens, der Religion und der ehrbaren Sitten, den der himmlische Bauer Gottes den Gläubigen seiner Werke zur Pflege und Blüte überlassen hatte, lag – o Schrecken! – fast völlig unbebaut, verwahrlost und verwüstet da, so dass er, kaum dass Samen auf ihn gestreut wurde, entweder gar keine oder nur kümmerliche und fehlerhafte, ungeratene Frucht, Unkraut und *Gilch* hervorbrachte.)
Cum itaque coelestis ager et fundus iste, quem olim fide, religione et morum honestate excultum floridumque, ipse coelestis agricola Deus fidelibus suis operariis commiserat, modo totus fere incultus, squalidus (pro dolor) et pene desertus iaceat, ut iam proiectum in eo semen, aut nihil prorsus germinis emittat, aut tenue et defectum proferat, vel degenerem frugem, lolia et *zizanias* pariat, aut si quid generosi producat, id perexiguum sit ex segnitie et inertia coloni.
(Here's the German sentence too in case I picked the wrong word in Latin: Der himmlische Acker und jener Vorrat des Glaubens, der Religion und der ehrbaren Sitten, den der himmlische Bauer Gottes den Gläubigen seiner Werke zur Pflege und Blüte überlassen hatte, lag – o Schrecken! – fast völlig unbebaut, verwahrlost und verwüstet da, so dass er, kaum dass Samen auf ihn gestreut wurde, entweder gar keine oder nur kümmerliche und fehlerhafte, ungeratene Frucht, Unkraut und *Gilch* hervorbrachte.)
Cum itaque coelestis ager et fundus iste, quem olim fide, religione et morum honestate excultum floridumque, ipse coelestis agricola Deus fidelibus suis operariis commiserat, modo totus fere incultus, squalidus (pro dolor) et pene desertus iaceat, ut iam proiectum in eo semen, aut nihil prorsus germinis emittat, aut tenue et defectum proferat, vel degenerem frugem, lolia et *zizanias* pariat, aut si quid generosi producat, id perexiguum sit ex segnitie et inertia coloni.
Proposed translations
(English)
4 +3 | tares / darnel |
Michael McCann
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4 +2 | wild vetch |
Veronika McLaren
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Proposed translations
+3
16 hrs
Selected
tares / darnel
This is a biblical reference to the gospel of St Matthew 13.24
Lolum temulentum / lolia temultenta (plural) = darnel in general which was forbidden by Roman law to be planted as it was regarded as a weed among crops.
ζιζάνια (zizania), plural of ζιζάνιον (zizanion) in Greek [not sure if the Greek script will come out here] again is the same weed, and Liddell and Scott refer to the word as being a word of Eastern origin.
In many biblical descriptions, the same concept is repeated with two different but the same meaning words for audience effect.
It is the only grass found in the UK which is poisonous to humans.
Lolum temulentum / lolia temultenta (plural) = darnel in general which was forbidden by Roman law to be planted as it was regarded as a weed among crops.
ζιζάνια (zizania), plural of ζιζάνιον (zizanion) in Greek [not sure if the Greek script will come out here] again is the same weed, and Liddell and Scott refer to the word as being a word of Eastern origin.
In many biblical descriptions, the same concept is repeated with two different but the same meaning words for audience effect.
It is the only grass found in the UK which is poisonous to humans.
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Joseph Brazauskas
: Euge!
4 hrs
|
agree |
Luis Antonio de Larrauri
23 hrs
|
agree |
slađana milinković
: an excellent answer
21 days
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Great explanation, thank you. I've gone with darnel"
+2
38 mins
wild vetch
Words by William Whittaker:
zizania = cockle, darnel, tares, wild vetch, noxious weeds in grain
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Note added at 48 mins (2010-10-05 18:16:52 GMT)
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darnel/lolium = grass found as weeds in grain [Wikipedia - lolium temulentum]
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Note added at 1 hr (2010-10-05 19:03:29 GMT)
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Im Gleichnis vom Weizen und Unkraut (Lolch) vergleicht der Herr solche, die von Satan ins Reich eingeführt werden, mit dem Unkraut. Sie werden durch das Gericht vernichtet werden (Mt 13,25-40). Siehe Gleichnis.
Could it be Lolch (as above) - rom bibelkommentare.de
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Note added at 1 hr (2010-10-05 19:04:06 GMT)
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from, not rom
zizania = cockle, darnel, tares, wild vetch, noxious weeds in grain
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 48 mins (2010-10-05 18:16:52 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
darnel/lolium = grass found as weeds in grain [Wikipedia - lolium temulentum]
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2010-10-05 19:03:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Im Gleichnis vom Weizen und Unkraut (Lolch) vergleicht der Herr solche, die von Satan ins Reich eingeführt werden, mit dem Unkraut. Sie werden durch das Gericht vernichtet werden (Mt 13,25-40). Siehe Gleichnis.
Could it be Lolch (as above) - rom bibelkommentare.de
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Note added at 1 hr (2010-10-05 19:04:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
from, not rom
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Alison Sabedoria (X)
: Weed grasses, not vetch (a legume). Lolium = rye grass, Zizania = darnel/wild rice family.
53 mins
|
Thank you
|
|
agree |
Sandra Mouton
: darnel, IMO
14 hrs
|
Thanks, Sandra - obviously a weed resembling wheat
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Discussion
Similarly "sorting sheep from goats": easy, eh? Not when you see them in the Middle East!