Re: MR: Latin pigs

[edh@ascc01.ascc.lucent.com (Alfredus Scurra)]

Poster: edh@ascc01.ascc.lucent.com (Alfredus Scurra)

> > In recent postings, the esteemed Baron Storvik has ended his missives
> > thusly:
> >
> > >    Porcellus fori; Porcellus domi; Porcellus carnivorus;
> > >    Porcellus non voratus; Porcellus plorans domum.
> > > 				Mater Goose
> >
> > [...]  Should not the final 'Porcellus' be in fact 'Porcellissimus'?
>
> Only if that last piggie is the littlest pig of all.  Yes, I know the last
> toe is the smallest, but the verse I know says only that all piggies are
> little, and does not assign any special smallness to the last.  I think
> one could also argue that "porcellissimus" will not scan, either - not
> that the rest of it does very well, but maintaining the final "porcellus"
> lends a certain balance to the whole thing.
>
> In my own defence, the translation above is not my own, but was submitted
> by another (in a moment of extreme sillyness) to a professional list I
> read.  In its defence, it was not proffered as a nursery rhyme, but as a
> proposed set of Latin names for the toes (as there are Latin names for all
> the fingers).  I forwarded it to Corun for his amusement and he put it in
> his .sig.  And that, my friends, is the whole sordid story.
>
> --Alianora
> (who spent the morning in the Patrologia Latina and is tired)

With all due respect to Lady Alianora, I do not believe that that is
the whole story.  Perhaps after she has recuperated, she might address
some of these burning questions:

The verse I know goes like this:

    This little piggy went to the market.
    This little piggy stayed home.
    This little piggy had roast beef.
    This little piggy had none.
    This little piggy went "whee whee" all the way home.

* Why is the fourth piggy "non voratus" instead of "nullum voravit"?
  Is there perhaps a version that says, "This little piggy was had by
  none"?

* Are there names for all the fingers in Classical Latin, or only
  in modern scientific Latin?

* What are the names of all fingers?

"Index" (the index finger) is clearly related to "indicare" (to point).

* Is "pollex" (the thumb) related to "polliceri" (to promise)?

* Is "hallex" (the big toe) related to "halare" (to be fragrant)?

-- Alfredo
 
Alfredo el Bufon
Elvegast, Windmaster's Hill, Atlantia
edh@ascc01.ascc.lucent.com
______________________________________

Ignorance gets us in trouble, arrogance keeps us there.

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