How would you translate \"Self-propelled chariot\" .

[Simplex]

......into Latin ??
Why I got that , ah well, question ...look here ...
http://www.chbeck.de/productview.aspx?pr...2&toc=3256
.....needless to say I got this after a little bit of ROFL :mrgreen:

Greez

Simplex

[Robert Vermaat]

FIAT?

[M. Demetrius]

Automobilus? hock:

[M. Caecilius]

"Automataria raeda".

If you refer to the the Libreria Editoria Vaticana's "lexicon recentis latinitatis", anyway. A car's an "autocinetum" or "automataria raeda".

Someone's done a lot of work here.

Much earlier, the Rituale Romanum (1926) included benedictions "vehiculi seu currus", but I guess it doesn't matter how the "vehiculus seu currus" moves. There are special benedictions for "viae ferreae et currum", and "machinae itineri aerio destinatae", too.

:mrgreen:

[john roberts]

I remember when John XXIII went out on the spur of the moment to asperge a helicopter that had landed in the Vatican. He made up the word "helicoptrum" on the spot.

[Simplex]

Hey, thanks to you all --
seems like this thread is finally getting some "momentum".
Both the "official" and the "non-official" expertises are welcome.
In my youth we also had a pun or two on similar expressios but since they were
referring to German expressions most of the punch-line would surely be lost.
I've always suspected the Vatican to try and keep pace with modern developments
by developping Latin since it is their "official" language.

Greez

Simplex