# Benedicte



## dcn2005

Hi all!

I would appreciate help with a dialogue that contains a couple of Latin quotations . Just in case: that's a conversation between a cat and a dog from this book.

_«Carpe baculum!» he added as I followed, somehow knowing that I recalled a bit of my Latin, and doubtless getting some obscure cat-laugh out of telling me to fetch a stick in a classical language._

(This part is pretty clear)
_
«Et cum spiritu tuo,» I replied, moving forward and entering._

(The same here, no need to explain it)
_
«*Benedicte*,» I heard his distant response as I drifted again in that place between worlds.
_
(And here's the culprit)
_
...
«What was all that business at the end?»
«He gave me a quick quiz on my Virgil.»_

So, my *question* is: can "benedicte" here mean just the praise for knowing "his Virgil", NOT blessing? (My quick research on Latin and the context itself do suggest so, but I may miss something, as I've never learned this language).


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## Scholiast

Greetings all round, and a warm welcome to the Latin Forum for dcn2005.

I have to confess that I have never heard either of Roger Zelazny or of this work of his. It looks rather entertaining.

To address the questions. Yes, _carpe baculum_ = 'Seize the stick';

_et cum spiritu tuo_ is a quotation or reference from the Latin Mass of the Roman Catholic Church: at the Offertory the priest pronounces to the congregation 'Dominus vobiscum' ['The Lord be with you'], and they in turn reply _et cum spiritu tuo_ ['And with your spirit'/'And also with you'].

'Benedicte' = 'blessed one', addressed to the other participant in the conversation (in what is called the 'vocative case'). In the context, it seems from the information given to be tantamount to 'Thank you'.

Does that make sense?

Σ


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## dcn2005

Hi Scholiast,

Thank you both for your greetings and the explanation!

As to "Benedicte" being the tantamount to "Thank you": I'm not sure, to tell the truth. The cat (who says "benedicte") does not really have anything to thank the dog for (neither in this dialogue, nor in wider context), and he is not over-polite, either.

As I can see from the dictionaries, "benedicte" (the vocative form of the adjective) is derived from "benedico" (or "bene dico"), which can mean not only "bless", but "praise", "speak well (of someone)", "commend someone", too. From the context (see the final remarks, "quiz on Virgil", like in teacher-student relations) I have a strong feeling that it means something like "praised one", "commended one" (like "good for you", "well done", "well said" or whatsoever in normal language - the dog has just passed the quiz by giving an appropriate reply). Does it make any sense?


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## jazyk

(like "good for you", "well done", "well said" or whatsoever in normal language - the dog has just passed the quiz by giving an appropriate reply). Does it make any sense?

This is what I thought when I read the Latin.


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## Scholiast

Dear all, especially jazyk



jazyk said:


> (like "good for you", "well done", "well said" or whatsoever in normal language - the dog has just passed the quiz by giving an appropriate reply). Does it make any sense?



Without having seen or studied the primary text, I like this interpretation.

Σ


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## dcn2005

Thank you, Scholiast and jazyk!


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## lentulax

Have you missed something out in your quotation, dcn? If not , there's nothing in what you quote which has anything to do with Virgil at all; in that case, the dog may simply be saying this to avoid explaining the Latin exchange to whoever asks him, 'What was that about?' , but if so 'Benedicte' can't possibly be praising the dog for his performance in a non-existent quiz.


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## dcn2005

Hi lentulax,

Thank you for your reply!

No, I haven't omitted anything relevant, all three Latin remarks are here.
And yes, I know very well that there are no Virgil quotations; as far as I can understand, he meant just "the language of Virgil" (figuratively), in fact that was pretty clear to me (if I was not mistaken).


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