07-13-2008, 08:12 PM
One which I picked up whilst studying the Crusades - Non nobis, domine, non nobis, sed nomine tua [or tuo ] da gloriam - from one of the Pslams, but used as the motto of the Knights Templar: "Not unto us, Lord, not unto us, but to thy name give glory". I just like the rhythm of it as much as anything!
Several on a less serious note:
Morituri nolumnus mori - (Dog?)-Latin, "We who are about to die don't want to", from the Pratchett book 'The Last Hero'. Another one of his, this time the singularly appropriate family motto of the Von Uberwald family of werewolves in 'The Fifth Elephant': Homo homini lupus, "Man is a wolf to his fellow man".
Then there is my signature until quite recently: Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam (I have a catapult. Give me all your money or I will fling an enormous rock at your head)
My current signature is:
Internecate! Consiste! Vel te interneceris! Captivi Dalekum estis!
(Exterminate! Stop! Or you will be exterminated! You are now a prisoner of the Daleks!) In the British sci-fi series Doctor Who a group of Daleks (armoured mutant blob alien invaders) were seen in a conquered Germany chanting this in German. This caused great delight (as the Daleks usually speak English) so there was a rash of traslations into other languages. Doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but imagine it said in an aggressive, grating electronic voice and it comes across quite well.
The original scene.
Several on a less serious note:
Morituri nolumnus mori - (Dog?)-Latin, "We who are about to die don't want to", from the Pratchett book 'The Last Hero'. Another one of his, this time the singularly appropriate family motto of the Von Uberwald family of werewolves in 'The Fifth Elephant': Homo homini lupus, "Man is a wolf to his fellow man".
Then there is my signature until quite recently: Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam (I have a catapult. Give me all your money or I will fling an enormous rock at your head)
My current signature is:
Internecate! Consiste! Vel te interneceris! Captivi Dalekum estis!
(Exterminate! Stop! Or you will be exterminated! You are now a prisoner of the Daleks!) In the British sci-fi series Doctor Who a group of Daleks (armoured mutant blob alien invaders) were seen in a conquered Germany chanting this in German. This caused great delight (as the Daleks usually speak English) so there was a rash of traslations into other languages. Doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but imagine it said in an aggressive, grating electronic voice and it comes across quite well.
The original scene.
Carus Andiae - David Woodall
"The greatest military machine in the history of the universe..."
"What is - the Daleks?"
"No... the Romans!" - Doctor Who: The Pandorica Opens
"The greatest military machine in the history of the universe..."
"What is - the Daleks?"
"No... the Romans!" - Doctor Who: The Pandorica Opens
