# Death is the only way out



## b0sse

*Death is the only way out*

Anyone who can translate this to Latin? 

Would appreciate it a lot 

Thanks


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## Whodunit

*Mors exitus solus est.*


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## b0sse

Thanks mate !
your absolute positive ?

i wanted to use it in a tattoo thats why =)


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## Lorenzo Italiae

I'd say
Mors unus exitus est
That's because _solus_ = _on one's own / alone_, and _unus_ = _the only one_


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## b0sse

so which one is correct?


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## Lorenzo Italiae

In my opinion the correct one is "Mors unus exitus est"


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## Whodunit

Lorenzo Italiae said:


> I'd say
> Mors unus exitus est
> That's because _solus_ = _on one's own / alone_, and _unus_ = _the only one_


 
It depends:

I'd say
unus = the only of all/just one of many (possibilities)
solus = the only existing

I wasn't sure about which one to use myself. I wouldn't be agry if you, b0sse, used "unus," but I'm not yet sure if that's really the word you want.


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## Lorenzo Italiae

My dictionary (Castiglioni Mariotti Italian - Latin) provides these translations:
unus,-a,-um = uno, unico, uno solo = one, unique, only, just one, the only one
solus,-a,-um = solo, solitario = alone, by oneself, lonely
Thus, if you mean that "Death is alone" (???), you should use _solus_, but if you want to convey the idea that you can do something (i.e. get over a problem) only by dying, then you'd better use _unus._


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## Whodunit

You should check both words in this dictionary. I think your translation is based on the italian "unico," isn't it? But couldn't you translate "only" as "solo" here, as well?

I'm not sure how I should convince you, but to my mind, "solus" means "the one and only" and "unus" means "the only one of many."

Is modo *uno* multorum hominum.
_He is just *one* of many people._

From my Latin book:
*Soli* omnium opes inopiamque pari cupiditate expetunt.
literally: _As the only of all, they strive for power and poverty with the same lust._

I hope you can see that we won't agree with each other about "solus" and "unus," because they are so related that it is nearly impossible to distinguish between them. But you may be right that "unus" is better in this context. I'm giving up.


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## b0sse

Lorenzo Italiae said:


> My dictionary (Castiglioni Mariotti Italian - Latin) provides these translations:
> unus,-a,-um = uno, unico, uno solo = one, unique, only, just one, the only one
> solus,-a,-um = solo, solitario = alone, by oneself, lonely
> Thus, if you mean that "Death is alone" (???), you should use _solus_, but if you want to convey the idea that you can do something (i.e. get over a problem) only by dying, then you'd better use _unus._


 
"but if you want to convey the idea that you can do something (i.e. get over a problem) only by dying, then you'd better use _unus"_

thats exactly what i mean, that death is the only way out of this life.

so i should put it : Mors unus exitus est ?


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## Lorenzo Italiae

Yes: Mors unus exitus est


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## J.F. de TROYES

I am also confused to make up my mind. About "solus" my dictionary gives these examples: " Solus ex toto collegio", " Stoici soli ex omnibus" where "solus" undoubtedly means " the only one(s) ". Both words are used to strengthen each other in " ex uno oppido solo " ( Cicero ): "from only one city" ; so it seems to me they are synonyms in these phrases. If I had to cut the Gordian knot, I'd guess:
"Mors unicus exitus est"


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## Joca

My two cents...

I tend to agree with J.F. de Troyes: he's giving out a good solution. Moreover, if that's to be a tatoo, I would skip the verb: *Mors unicus exitus *should be enough.

I know this is off-topic, but I would rather favour that death is the last (not the only) way out. At least the last way out of this life. 

JC


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## Outsider

More sentences with _unus_ and _solus_ here.


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## relativamente

In a poem of Catullus you can read "una salus haec est, hoc est tibi pervincendum"


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