quae nunc frigescit laudabilis virtus caritas

keyu...@jcom.home.ne.jp

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Mar 5, 2015, 6:03:57 PM3/5/15

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In the Vita beati Maurilii, we see the following sentence: Semper enim in sumptibus cotidianis aequale erat pretium nummi, sane opere et praedicatione Maurilii inter populos ibi commissos crescente concordia diffundebtur ubique quae nunc frigescit laudablis virtus caritas. Would yous please explain the phrase "quae nunc frigescit laudabilis virutus caritas", and particularly the relation of the words "quae", "virtus" and "caritas" ?

Ed Cryer

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Mar 5, 2015, 6:25:49 PM3/5/15

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The praise-worthy virtue of charity (love??) which is out in the cold
(ie not seen much) at present.

"Caritas" is grammatically "in apposition" with "virtus". In English we
say "the virtue of charity"; Latin says "the virtue charity".

Ed

Evertjan.

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Mar 6, 2015, 3:32:23 AM3/6/15

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Ed Cryer <e...@somewhere.in.the.uk> wrote on 06 mrt 2015 in
alt.language.latin:

> keyu...@jcom.home.ne.jp wrote:
>> In the Vita beati Maurilii, we see the following sentence: Semper

>> [..]

> quae nunc frigescit laudablis virtus caritas
> The praise-worthy virtue of charity (love??) which is out in the cold
> (ie not seen much) at present.

Methinks 'nunc frigescit' is a more active process:
"gets more frozen every day [now]"
"gets less and less active these days"

<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/frigesco>

laudablis > laudabilis [transcription error?]

> Latin says "the virtue charity"
> ... "in apposition"

okay, if you say so. ;-(

virtus = Manliness, courage, excellence, character, virtue, power
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtus_(virtue)>
<http://latindictionary.wikidot.com/noun:virtus>

'quae' here is genitivus 'of which'/'of its', imho.

..., the laudable character [of] its charity
getting less and less apparent"

..., the laudable charity [of] its courage
getting less and less apparent"

..., the charity [of] its laudable power
getting less and less apparent"

--
Evertjan.
The Netherlands.
(Please change the x'es to dots in my emailaddress)

Ed Cryer

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Mar 6, 2015, 8:29:02 AM3/6/15

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Evertjan. wrote:
> Ed Cryer <e...@somewhere.in.the.uk> wrote on 06 mrt 2015 in
> alt.language.latin:
>
>> keyu...@jcom.home.ne.jp wrote:
>>> In the Vita beati Maurilii, we see the following sentence: Semper
>>> [..]
>
>> quae nunc frigescit laudablis virtus caritas
>> The praise-worthy virtue of charity (love??) which is out in the cold
>> (ie not seen much) at present.
>
> Methinks 'nunc frigescit' is a more active process:
> "gets more frozen every day [now]"
> "gets less and less active these days"
>
> <http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/frigesco>
>
> laudablis > laudabilis [transcription error?]
>
>> Latin says "the virtue charity"
>> ... "in apposition"
>
> okay, if you say so. ;-(
>
> virtus = Manliness, courage, excellence, character, virtue, power
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtus_(virtue)>
> <http://latindictionary.wikidot.com/noun:virtus>
>
> 'quae' here is genitivus 'of which'/'of its', imho.
>

No. That would be "cuius".
"Quae" is nominative singular, feminine.

This from L&S;
Transf., of animals, and of inanimate or abstract things, goodness,
worth, value, power, strength, etc.: nam nec arboris, nec equi virtus
(in quo abutimur nomine) in opinione sita est, sed in naturā, Cic. Leg.
1, 16, 45: praedium-solo bono, suā virtute valeat, Cato, R. R. 1, 2:
merci pretium statui, pro virtute ut veneat, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 131:
navium, Liv. 37, 24, 1: ferri, Just. 11, 13, 11: herbarum, Ov. M. 14,
357: oratoriae virtutes, Cic. Brut. 17, 65: oratio habet virtutes tres,
Quint. 1, 5, 1: dicendi (opp. vitium), id. 8, praef. § 17: facundiae,
id. 12, 3, 9.—

"Virtus" was used of ships, grasses, iron, horses, trees and even oratory.

Ed

Ed Cryer

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Mar 6, 2015, 1:14:40 PM3/6/15

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Ed Cryer wrote:
> Evertjan. wrote:
>> Ed Cryer <e...@somewhere.in.the.uk> wrote on 06 mrt 2015 in
>> alt.language.latin:
>>
>>> keyu...@jcom.home.ne.jp wrote:
>>>> In the Vita beati Maurilii, we see the following sentence: Semper
>>>> [..]
>>
>>>

A couple of additional points.
Consider how you'd have reacted to this if the word order had been
different; like this for example;
virtus laudablis caritas quae nunc frigescit

Also "is homo qui ...." can be stylistically shortened to "qui homo".
"Quae res me terrent" = "eae res quae me terrent".

Ed