One more translation request

Forum and collegium dedicated to the teaching, writing, speaking and interpretation of Latin, ancient Greek and other languages of related cultures.

Moderator: Aldus Marius

One more translation request

Postby Cleopatra Aelia on Sat Feb 11, 2006 9:15 pm

Salvete Omnes,

I have a list of gladiator names and tried to translate them for one member of my reenactor group who still needs a name for his presentation as a retiarius.

I stumbled across the name Ripuanus but couldn't find this name in my dictionary neither on any online dictionary. I only found the word "ripa" meaning "steep river bank" or "sea shore". So could be "ripuanus" mean "man from the sea shore" or something like that?

Thanks in advance for your help.
Cleopatra Aelia
alias Medusa Gladiatrix
User avatar
Cleopatra Aelia
Curialis
Curialis
 
Posts: 353
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2005 12:57 pm
Location: Hamburg, Germania

Riparianism

Postby Aldus Marius on Sat Feb 11, 2006 10:09 pm

Salve, mi Aelia...

I'm not as useful for these things as I'd like to be, but...

In ecology, a "riparian" habitat is one along a river or other waterway. (Sealife is generally said to be "marine".) Many if not most rivers and streams have a greater density of plant life along their shores than is otherwise the case for the surrounding area. So the name may indicate something to do with a river-valley or stream-bed; like calling a town "Riverside".

I must admit that the 'u' in "Ripuanus" confounds me. Trying it as a 'v' doesn't help either. But...there was a lot of non-standard Latin out there in the Provinces, so anything's possible. Maybe the fighter was "like a river" rather than from one? He flows around his enemy and thus wears him down, like water on rock? --How delightfully Taoist, if so! >({|:-)

Hope this helps...
Aldus Marius Peregrinus.
User avatar
Aldus Marius
Curialis
Curialis
 
Posts: 2175
Joined: Wed Sep 11, 2002 3:16 am
Location: At the Ballgame

Postby Iacobulus on Sun Feb 12, 2006 10:33 pm

It's hard to say, especially in light of the possibility of this being a Latinized foreign name. Gladiators were slaves afterall. The derivation from ripa could be possible, but I wouldn't count on it.
Quis fallere possit amantem? ~ P. Vergilius Maro
Quidquid bene dictum est ab ullo, meum est ~L. Anneus Seneca
User avatar
Iacobulus
I. Auxiliary
I. Auxiliary
 
Posts: 27
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2005 1:51 am
Location: Lexington, KY


Return to Collegium Linguarum

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests

cron