| | |
| | 21 April 2012 00:19 |
| | Vita solum unus dies es.
Ok?
|
| | 21 April 2012 15:14 |
| | Oh. Isn't "unus" already implying "solum"? I was taught so |
| | 21 April 2012 19:53 |
| | You probably thought about "solus", Alex. Didn't you? This one has an implied "solum" indeed, but, however, "solus" wouldn't work for the sentence.
![](../images/emo/smile.png) |
| | 21 April 2012 20:06 |
| | Uhm, I am a bit confused.
I seem to remember that unus was never used as an indeterminative article (like in Italian) because the bare noun, for instance dies, could mean both "the day" and "a day". So they used unus only when they wanted to underline singularity, for instance when they wanted to say "only one day" - "just one day" - "merely one day" - "one day and no more".
Have I lived until now with such a wrong belief? |
| | 21 April 2012 20:30 |
| | To some extent you are right, dear. This rule works for instance in a sentence like
"Te unum amo" - I love only you.
But I don't think it could work here. If it could, how would you say in Latin: "Life is ![](../images/emo/cross.gif) one day"?
Ok, let's ask Efylove's opinion.
Efee?
CC: Efylove |
| | 21 April 2012 20:38 |
| | But if you don't like: Vita solum unus dies es t. I believe there is one more option possible:
Vita singulus dies est.
"Singulus" - single, only one ![](../images/emo/wink.png) |
| | 21 April 2012 20:38 |
| | I wrote "es" instead of "est"! |
| | 21 April 2012 20:39 |
| | We pointed out the same error at the same time!! |
| | 21 April 2012 20:48 |
| | I made the same mistake in my first post!
Well, that happened because I had copied your version first and then I added "solum". Hadn't noticed that "es" before! Hahaha! |
| | 22 April 2012 09:42 |
| | Hi dear Aneta & alex!
I agree with alex about the use of "unus" as "only one".
For example, our friend Cicero writes: "Itaque ille unus dies ... tantae mihi iucunditati fuit ut ...". In Quintilianus you can also find: "Tota vita hominis unus dies est".
Hope it helps!
![](../images/emo/smile.png) |
| | 22 April 2012 16:35 |
| | Thanks Efee!
You're right, we certainly need to follow our friends Cicero and Quintilianus.
Can you see, Alex? I can be wrong too. |
| | 22 April 2012 17:04 |
| | I can as well! ![](../images/emo/grin.png) |