Basketball in Lingua Latina
World Basketball
http://www.geocities.com/internationalbasketballdirectory/
I am very much interested in finding at least a site or two about
basketball in Lingua Latina. My search engine wasn't of much help...
There is a noble idea behind this as I believe basketball must be
covered in as many languages as possible. For example, another
language I was thinking about is coverage of basketball in Esperanto,
but I will work on it too and apply to their community soon.
I am appealing to the sports loving Latin speaking community, and my
apologies for addressing you in English. Since the users of the
beautiful Latin language may include in its community quite a few
basketball fans (we have fans in all walks of life you know...), so it
would surely be a great treat that we have at least a site which could
cater to basketball in Lingua Latina with some helpful descriptive
notes about this fascinating sport.
It can be just a simple page with some notes about the origin of the
sport and its popularity worldwide. Any effort in covering basketball
in Latin may just take a few hours of work but will be treated as a
great input in honor of our beloved sport and in a very classic and
classy language no less.
WHAT IS BASKETBALL CALLED IN LATIN?
One good place to start is actually what to name basketball in Latin.
Is there actually a word adopted for it of which I am still not aware
of? I have checked my Latin dictionary, but alas no clue. However
possible root words for creating a word in Latin would be:
-"pila" for ball is "pila" (with another choice being "globus")
-"canestrum" for basket (with other choices "corbis" and "fiscus").
Actually Italians call the sport "pallacanestro" probably coming from
those Latin root words pila and canestrum.
Of course the fact that basketball didn't exist in Roman days is no
excuse. Although there was no football/soccer during Roman times, but
my Latin English dictionary (Collins York) has "follis" for football,
but unfortunately no word for basketball.
So even if my post doesn't result in an actual basketball site, it
could at least be a step in the right direction towards adding a new
word in Latin vocabulary to keep it in pace with modern times.
Sincerely
worldbasketball
PS: You may contact me at: worldba...@yahoo.com in case you need
to discuss matter with me in more depth than the Latin newsgroup may
allow.
PS(2): I have also refrained from cross-posting in basketball
newsgroup so as to keep pranksters and jokers away from your more
serious newsgroup site.
Edward Casey
"World Basketball" <worldba...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:6b8af3aa.0204...@posting.google.com...
your guesses are very close. The best I've seen for basketball in Latin is:
follis canistrique lusus "ball and basket game." follis is better than pila
because it's air-filled or at least bigger that a pila. I suspect that at
the current state of Latin studies a site devoted to basketball is a little
too specialized but one devoted to all sports is a very good idea. I can't
host one but I would be happy to help with one. This is a very good idea
because Latin is most important for the young and the young are most
interested in (and adept at) sports.
Eduardus
Brion VIBBER
> "World Basketball" <worldba...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:6b8af3aa.0204...@posting.google.com...
>> it would surely be a great treat that we have at least a site which could
>> cater to basketball in Lingua Latina with some helpful descriptive
>> notes about this fascinating sport.
>>
>> It can be just a simple page with some notes about the origin of the
>> sport and its popularity worldwide. Any effort in covering basketball
>> in Latin may just take a few hours of work but will be treated as a
>> great input in honor of our beloved sport and in a very classic and
>> classy language no less.
> I suspect
> that at the current state of Latin studies a site devoted to basketball is
> a little too specialized but one devoted to all sports is a very good
> idea. I can't host one but I would be happy to help with one. This is a
> very good idea because Latin is most important for the young and the young
> are most interested in (and adept at) sports.
Well, only vaguely related but... the free community-edited encyclopedia
project Wikipedia has been going multilingual, now with active subprojects
in several languages (Spanish, Polish, German, Esperanto, and Dutch are the
five most active besides the original English version, with over 1000 pages
each) -- and there are ready-to-edit stub sites for almost every language
with a two-letter ISO-639 code, including Latin (la).
Articles in Latin about various sports (and everything else that should be
covered in an encyclopedia) would certainly be welcome there, if anyone
wants to give it a try:
http://www.wikipedia.com (English site; see documentation and project goals)
http://la.wikipedia.com (so-far empty Latin stub site)
Just hit "Edit text of this page" and start adding some text!
-- brion vibber (brion @ pobox.com) [en, eo, fr, ia, (es, la)]
World Basketball
Thanks for your sympathetic response and your offer for help in
helping a Latin sports page come about. Actually this will be a
testimony of the diversity of Latin and its relevance to modern times.
A subject like sports may attract younger persons towards a study of
Latin and form the basis for a gratifying internet project.
FOLLIS CANISTRIQUE LUSUS (meaning "ball and basketball game) may do as
a start, although I welcome other good suggestions before settling on
this one. Any suggestions?
A full site about general sports may be useful as a final stage, but
it would be too demanding for now. What to call volleyball, or ice
hockey or rugby for that matter. What I like about basketball in
Lingua Latina is a focused simple assignment, something achievable
more easily in a limited time.
I don't have some elaborate all-inclusive site in mind. That would be
too much. What I plan is just a few brief paragraphs, each one
paragraph talking about the creation of basketball, its history, its
rules, the basketball leagues and the popularity of the sport.
Somebody involved in the project should not only have a basic
knowledge of Lingua Latina, but also know the intricacies of the
basketball sport, for he/she must be able to find expressions for a
"pass", a "foul", an "assist" and a "dunk".
I have decided to give the time and effort to publish a one page
basketball website totally in Latin. I will also incurr all the
necessary expenses if need be. I will also provide the necessary space
and publicity through my directory.
What I will work on are two-fold:
-I will prepare a simple word list of basketball technical terms to
find Latin equivalent words for them.
-Prepare a simple text on basketball, just a few paragraphs that need
to be translated and published.
After all, this would be a great source of satisfaction for me and
participating person(s). We are talking about a sport we care about, a
noble sport at that, expressed in what I conceive as a classy and
beautiful language. It would benefit both basketball and Latin.
If successful, a full sports page may come at some later stage.
worldbasketball
"Edward Casey" <ej...@cpinternet.com> wrote in message
J. W. Love
start, although I welcome other good suggestions before settling on this one.
Any suggestions?>>
basket: corbis, -is, m.*
basketball: corbifollis, -is, m.
play basketball: corbifolle ludere
play (verb): ludo, -ere, lusi, lusum
play (noun): lusus, -us, m.
player: lusor, -oris, m.
assist (noun): auxilium, -i, n.
defeat: superare; vincere
forward (noun): possibly a derivative of _anterior_ or _anticus_
foul (verb): occurrere [= "bump into"]
foul (noun): occursus, -us, m.
free throw: jactus liber, -us -i, m.
free-throw line: linea [jactus liberi]
game (=a contest between teams): certamen, -inis, n.
game (=a kind of sport): lusus, -us, m.
guard (noun): custos, -odis, comm.; defensor, -oris, m.
gym: gymnasium, -i, n.
half: pars [certaminis]
first half: pars prior
second half: pars altera
jersey: tuniculum, -i, n. (?)
lose, suffer a defeat: cladem accipere
loss, defeat (noun): clades, -is, f.
overtime: additicium tempus, -oris, n.
point: punctum, -i, n.
referee: arbiter, -ri, m.
score (noun): summa, -ae, f. = summa punctorum
shorts: subligaculum, -i, n. (?= undershorts?); breviores [bracae]
sneakers: calcei gymnici
team: caterva, -ae, f.; manipulus, -i, m.
three-pointer (= a triple): triplex, -icis, n.
tie (be tied): pares esse
ticket (to a game): tessera aditialis
trainer, coach: exercitor, -oris, m.; exercitator, -oris, m.
uniform: habitus, -us, m.; ornatus lusorius, -us -i, m.
in uniform: subornatus, -a, -um
win (noun): victoria, -ae, f.
win (verb): vinco, -ere, vici, victus; victoriam adipiscor
*A _canistra_ was esp. for religious use in sacrifices (it may not necessarily
have been circular, and I wonder if it could have had a handle, like an Easter
basket); a _corbis,_ as its name ("the rounded thing") implies, was a circular
basket: the latter seems more suitable for the basket used in basketball.
<<What to call volleyball>>
the ball: follis volatilis
the game: lusus follis volatilis
<<or ice hockey>>
skate (verb): patinare
skate (noun): patinus, -i, m.
skating: patinatio, -onis, f.
[ice] hockey: lusus patinationis
rollerblades (noun): pedirotae, -arum, f. pl.
rollerblade (verb): pedirotis labor, ~ labi, ~ lapsus sum
<<or rugby for that matter.>>
the ball: pedifollis, -is, m.
the game: pedifollium, -i, m.; pediludium, -i, m.
play football, play rugby: pedifolle ludere**
[playing-]field: campus [lusorius]
kick (verb): [pedifollem] pulsare
pass (verb): [pedifollem] transmittere
pass (noun): transmissio, -onis, f.
umpire, referee: arbiter, -ri, m.
**Since people outside the U.S. call rugby "football" and football "American
[Australian, Canadian, etc.] football," there's no need to invent separate
base-words to distinguish among these games: _pedifollium,_ modified by an
adjective as necessary, should suffice for all of them.
<<expressions for a "pass", a "foul", an "assist" and a "dunk".>>
See above.
World Basketball
I actually like "corbifollis" much better than "follis canistrique
lusus". I much prefer shorter catchy words than long descriptive ones.
In this short dictionary of useful terms that you have prepared at
such short notice, you have already covered huge ground and from the
choice of the technical words, you sure do know a lot about
basketball.
I just read over your post and I am awe struck and almost electrified
at the simplicity and elegance of terms you propose. This is ten times
more than what I ever expected from my post. What's nicer is that I
could follow the logic of this great language and I already appreciate
it even more now than just a few days ago.
Just to benefit from your great input and expertise, how about
suggesting equivalent words for:
center (a position since you have covered guard and forward)
rebound (two versions here: offensive rebound and defensive rebound)
steal
block
dunk (you have thankfully covered words score and assist)
basketball court (playground)
backboard
rim/ring of the basket
to dribble v.
penetration (to the basket)
walking / travelling n.
intentional foul
technical foul (you have covered foul)
a pass n.
to pass v.
a draw in regulation time (since you covered overtime)
whistle
substitution
basketball league
tournament
championship / champion
statistics
trophy / cup
home game / away game
timeout
...and some tough ones... if you could give them a try although I
uderstand
if no satisfactory terms can be found:
a playoff (series)
air ball
double teaming
foul trouble
to foul out (from a game)
a lay up / fast break
a jump ball
a game plan
zone defense
I already am a firm believer in your ability to come with catchy and
very useful Latin equivalents. I believe these new series of words
will make our set of basketball words in Latin more comprehensive and
our plan to publish a decent descriptive site about basketball in
Lingua Latina so much nearer.
Million thanks for your input
worldbasketball
lov...@aol.comix (J. W. Love) wrote in message news:<20020423103508...@mb-mo.aol.com>...
Edward Casey
some suggestions or guesses to mull over:
> center (a position since you have covered guard and forward) = medius
lusor
> rebound (two versions here: offensive rebound and defensive rebound)
raptus follis e tabula vel trocho repercutientis
> steal verb = rapio, noun raptus
> block = verb = praecludere, noun praeclusio
> dunk (you have thankfully covered words score and assist) follem deorsum
per trochum jacere; jactus deorsum per trochum
> basketball court (playground) area lusoria corbiludii
> backboard tabula
> rim/ring of the basket trochus
> to dribble v. verb = follem in solum repercutere
> penetration (to the basket) penetratio propius corbem
> walking / travelling n. latio follis non in solum repercussi
> intentional foul = dolus (occursus) sponte perpetratus
> technical foul (you have covered foul) dolus cum malitia
> a pass n. transmissio folllis
> to pass v. follem transmittere
> a draw in regulation time (since you covered overtime) par certamen
> whistle sound: sibilus; instrument: fistula
> substitution substitutio
> basketball league grex manuum lusorum corbifollii
> tournament ultima certamina
> championship / champion titulus victoriae; victor, victrix
> statistics breviarium exituum
> trophy / cup niciterium, calix
> home game / away game certamen domi habitum; certamen alibi
> timeout intervallum; intercapedo
>
> ...and some tough ones... if you could give them a try although I
> uderstand
> if no satisfactory terms can be found:
>
> a playoff (series) series postrema certaminum
> air ball liber follis
> double teaming custodia duplex
> foul trouble laborare (versari) multis occursubus admissis
> to foul out (from a game) ejici e certamine propter nimis multos occursus
admissos
> a lay up / fast break curriculum ad tabulam
> a jump ball liber follis ab arbitro sursum jactus
> a game plan consilium ludo agendo
> zone defense praesidium per zonas
Eduardus
J. W. Love
descriptive ones.>>
Always a good approach! Only Howard-Cosell wannabes overindulge in
multisyllables! For each English term, it's best to find the most plausible
Latin synonym, and only then, if a good fit doesn't turn up, to go on to
circumlocutions.
<<Just to benefit from your great input and expertise,>>
Ha! I'm a rank amateur!
<<how about suggesting equivalent words for:>>
Aiiiiieeeee! Now you want more?! Time out!
Ah, I see that Eduardus gives us an assist (nobis auxilium dat), so I'll just
piggyback onto his comments, adapting, accepting, and substituting as I go.
Though I'm not adding quotation marks, it should be clear whose contribution is
which.
center: medius lusor. OK, or just one word: medium, -i, n.; centrum, -i, n.
rebound: raptus follis e tabula vel trocho repercutientis. Hmm. Wouldn't it be
better to build on: repulsus, -us, m.? So:
offensive rebound: repulsus aggrediens.
defensive rebound: repulsus defendens.
Or, if you accept medievalisms: repulsus offensivus & defensivus.
steal (v.): rapio. Hmm. Try: aufero, auferre, abstuli, ablatum.
steal (n.): raptus. Hmm. Try: furtum, -i, n. (=the act of stealing).
block (v.): praecludere. OK.
block (n.): praeclusio. OK, I guess; it isn't in my dictionary.
dunk (v.): follem deorsum per trochum jacere. Hmm. This = ‘throw the ball
through the rolling-hoop'. A single short word would be ideal. Since the
essence of the action is a pushing down through (rather than a tossing up at),
I wonder if it wouldn't be best to work from the idea of pushing; e.g.,
_pellere_; but it might be best to save _perpellere_ for ‘to drive' (scil.
down the court), so I'm perplexed. Maybe you want something else. The basic
idea of English _dunk_ is ‘dip into a liquid'. Maybe we can work from there.
How about _demergere_ ‘to plunge down, to thrust down, to force down'? So:
_follem demergo_ ‘I dunk the ball'.
basketball court (playground): area lusoria corbiludii. OK, but just plain
_area_ might suffice in most contexts. Or try: lusorium.
backboard: tabula. Hmm. _Tabula_ is basically "the cut thing," hence ‘board,
plank', and that looks OK, but the word esp. denotes an object for writing,
hence a thing written (a record or register), so I dunno.
rim/ring of the basket: trochus. Hmm. A _trochus_ seems to have been the kind
of hoop that kids rolled along the ground. Maybe better: _labrum,_ -i, n. =
‘lip; the edge of anything (i.e., the basket)'.
dribble (v.): follem in solum repercutere. OK, but it'd be better to have one
word for four. Strangely, I don't see in the dictionaries a good word relating
to "bounce" (in a transitive sense). This may be silly & kind of simple-minded,
but since the English word "dribble" basically means ‘to fall in drops, to
trickle', how about _stillare_ or something derived from it?
penetration (to the basket): penetratio propius corbem. Or: penetratio ad
corbem. Or just plain: penetratio.
walking / travelling (n.): latio follis non in solum repercussi. ??? For
brevity, why not merely: ambulatio, -onis, f.?
walking (v.): ambulare; peragrare; iter facere.
intentional foul: dolus (occursus) sponte perpetratus. ??? I like that _dolus_
is a short, pithy word, but it's basically a device, a wile, a trick, a guile,
a deceit. That could be OK, but maybe it's better here to stick with the simple
act of bumping (occursus), and for intentionality, just add a qualifier.
technical foul: dolus cum malitia. Hmm. Or: occursus artificialis.
pass (n.): transmissio folllis. OK (but too many L's). Mere _transmissio_
probably suffices.
pass (v.): follem transmittere. OK.
draw in regulation time: par certamen. ???
whistle (sound): sibilus. OK.
whistle (instrument): fistula. OK.
substitution: substitutio. OK, but apparently later than classical Latin, whose
word seems to be: suppositio.
basketball league: grex manuum lusorum corbifollii. Hmm. This = ‘flock (herd,
gang, chorus) of basketball players' hands'? Maybe better: foedus catervarum
corbiludii. Also: foedus manipulorum corbiludii. Btw, we should distinguish in
Latin between the ball (corbifollis) and the game (corbiludium); the English
word "basketball" does double duty here.
tournament: ultima certamina. OK, I guess.
championship: titulus victoriae. ??? Not merely: victoria?
champion: victor, victrix. OK.
statistics: breviarium exituum. Hmm. OK, but it basically = ‘register of
goings forth'. Some of us simpler folk might just want: numeri (pl.), if that's
allowed.
trophy / cup: niciterium, calix. Hmm. _Niceterium_ [sic] = ‘a reward of
victory (e.g., a ring, a collar of gold, a prize, etc.)'; so this word may be
OK. _Calyx_ is ‘the cup of a flower; a cup', so that's OK if the trophy is a
cup. Another relevant word---and the one from which the English word
comes---is: _tropaeum_ ‘a spoil taken from an enemy, a memorial of a
victory'.
home game: certamen domi habitum. ??? This = ‘contest given (esteemed,
treated enjoyed, gathered) at home'? Maybe try: certamen domi. Or: certamen in
domo. But of course these are literal glosses and might have struck an ancient
Roman as incredibly strange. Maybe someone familiar with Roman sports will help
with the home-away distinction.
away game: certamen alibi. ???
timeout: intervallum; intercapedo. Good, but I wonder if one of these doesn't
work better for "halftime," which you didn't ask about. Also OK: pausa, -ae, f.
a playoff (series): series postrema certaminum. Hmm. This seems to = ‘the
hindmost (worst, vilest) course (order, train, row, rank) of contests'. Not
sure there isn't a punchier concept lurking out there. The obvious word,
_finales_ 'finals', doesn't seem to be classical.
air ball: liber follis. OK, I guess.
double teaming: custodia duplex. OK!
foul trouble: laborare (versari) multis occursubus admissis. ??? Maybe: ludere
quattuor occursibus? For "be in foul trouble," how about a phrase built on the
deponent v. periclitor, -ari, -atus sum?
to foul out (from a game): ejici e certamine propter nimis multos occursus
admissos. That's a dictionary-definition! In conversation, maybe just: ejici
(passive of ejicere).
a lay up / fast break: curriculum ad tabulam. Curriculum = ‘place to run in,
a course, a race, a customary exercise', etc., so maybe better: cursus ad
corbem. Or maybe something more picturesque: volatura ad corbem. Or, more
violently and possibly best: irruptio ad corbem. But isn't a layup merely a
style of throwing the ball at the basket?
jump ball: liber follis ab arbitro sursum jactus. Why not just a jump: saltus,
-us, m.?
game plan: consilium ludo agendo. Or just plain: consilium (institutum,
propositum)?
zone defense: praesidium per zonas. Hmm. Or if nonclassical Latin is allowed:
defensio zonalis.
You forgot to ask for:
bench (n.): scamnum, -i, n.
bench (v.): mittere ad scamnum (?)
hoopster: corbilusor, -oris, m.
huddle (n.): circulus, -i, m.
out of bounds: extra margines
shot (n.): jactus, -us, m.
stands (n.): subsellia, -orum, n.pl. (?)
trade (v.): relegare (?)
And I leave these as an exercise for the reader:
announcer (radio, TV)
elbow (v.)
Final Four (tm)
four corners
full-court press
half-court offense
jock strap
lineup
locker room
man-to-man defense
NBA
NCAA
first-round (draft, playoff, etc.)
second-round (draft, playoff, etc.)
round robin
turnover
wakeup call :)
World Basketball
Surely I am very happy by the suggestions by Eduardus, although at
times they seem to be somewhat complicated. The counter-suggestions by
Love is in the right direction in trimming longer expressions for more
easily undestandable and shorter versions much more appropriate for
translation of texts.
I am taking note of all suggestions for creating a clear vocabulary of
basketball terms and progress already made is huge.
BTW, your additional words for bench n. and v., hoopster, out of
bounds, shot, stands, trade surely proves you are quite well-versed in
basketball. I am truly impressed. And this is no flattery. You do know
your basketball, quite well. Moreover I consider you a true
"basketball friend" for our community and basketball fan par
excellence.
So I am putting once again the list that you offered as additional
challenge and I welcome Latin equivalents for these terms you propose:
announcer (radio, TV)
to elbow (v.)
Final Four (tm)
four corners
full-court press
half-court offense
locker room
man-to-man defense
NBA (National Basketball Association)
NCAA (college basketball)
draft
turnover
wakeup call
To needed term for
lineup
... I am adding...
roster
starting five
seniors (the established players)
juniors (youngsters)
fans
cheerleaders
drills
also types of basketball games, as we have:
wheelchair basketball
mini-basketball (played by kids)
recreational basketball (non-competitive basketball jsut for fun)
streetball
All Star Game
exhibition game
I am not a selfish person and I know you have other pre-occupations
and priorities. So I am threading on shaky ground.
But I am so overwhelmed by the response and amazed at the power of
Lingua Latina to adapt to most modern requirements, like a game like
basketball which didn't even remotely exist during the prime of Latin,
I am just amazed by these many Latin terms for our game. All it needs
is a little bit of motivation and imagination, and sooner than you
know, you have great new phrases to use. And this was a revelation to
me.. the ability of Latin to cope with most modern terms and its great
level of derivation and compatibility.
And it couldn't have happened to a more beautiful game I tell you...
It is just yet another testimony to the attractiveness and the
fascination of the game in the minds of the general public. Hopefully
we will have more avid fans to our great game in this Latin community
too.
I already feel we are so close to a latin basketball site. I am pretty
sure...
Thanks a million
worldbasketball
lov...@aol.comix (J. W. Love) wrote in message news:<20020424104906...@mb-fk.aol.com>...
J. W. Love
juniors (youngsters)>>
Oops, I ran out of time today, but these are easy, and probably relevant for
any sport played in a high school (schola superior) or a university:
freshman: tiro, -onis, mf.
sophomore: sophomorus, -i, m.; sophomora, -ae, f.
junior: junior, -oris, mf.
senior: senior, -oris, mf.
The junior-senior distinction works in nonscholastic contexts too.
Eduardus can surely add other terms and correct those I've suggested, as his
mind & fingers are nimble. Btw, for "dribble," maybe something with his verb
_repercussi_ 'strike, drive back, cause to rebound' is apt after all. As you
ask, others should feel free to pitch in.
Edward Casey
"J. W. Love" <lov...@aol.comix> wrote in message
news:20020424104906...@mb-fk.aol.com...
.......
After second and third thought I think that "circulus" is better for "hoop,"
and so "follem per circulum detrudere" (thrust down) for dunk; "follem trans
rete detrudere," spike in volleyball, etc.
> You forgot to ask for:
> bench (n.): scamnum, -i, n.
> bench (v.): mittere ad scamnum (?)
> hoopster: corbilusor, -oris, m.
> huddle (n.): circulus, -i, m.
also: corona,ae, f.
> out of bounds: extra margines or extra fines
> shot (n.): jactus, -us, m.
> stands (n.): subsellia, -orum, n.pl. or anabathrum
> trade (v.): relegare (?) or permutare (swap)
>
> And I leave these as an exercise for the reader:
> announcer (radio, TV) praeco
> elbow (v.) cubitis pulsare
> Final Four (tm) quattuor ultima certamina (nota mercatoria in tabulis
relata)
> four corners dispositio lusorum per quattuor angulos medii
sphaeristerii ???
> full-court press custodia a singulis lusoribus per totum
sphaeristerium (= area lusoria)
> half-court offense impetus ad metam (corbem) ab omnibus lusoribus????
> jock strap suspensorium (pure latin might be "subligar" but
that's a loincloth.)
> lineup elenchus lusorum
> locker room loculamentorium
> man-to-man defense custodia singulorum opponentium a singulis lusoribus
> NBA societas popularis lusorum corbifollii
> NCAA societas athletica collegiorum popularium
> first-round (draft, playoff, etc.) prima vicis
> second-round (draft, playoff, etc.) secunda vicis
> round robin turdus rotundus (just kidding) series certaminum ubi cuique
manui sunt aliquot opportunitates superandi
> turnover amissio follis
> wakeup call :) evocatio excitatoria
Eduardus