# Life, the Universe and everything



## moonmaster

Hello all, i am doing an art project based on the works of one of my favorite authors (Douglas Adams)
I would like to incorporate the name of one of his books into the piece in latin.

The title is "Life, the Universe and everything"

I have this roughly translated as Vita, universum et omnia

I have roughly sketched out my intended usage.



The circle is suposed to be the earth with this scrollwork wraped around it.

I have omitted the "et" as i wasnt sure where it would go, i belive it looks better this way aswell although probably not the exact correct translation anymore?
I am not too fussed on a 100% acurate translation as i am using latin for its aesthetics although i would prefer it was correct

If anyone could suggest any improvements or comment on my translation and usage i would very much appreciated it.


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## XiaoRoel

En latín _universus, -a, um_ es un adjetivo. Puedes usar _*mundus*_ que se suele usar con el adjetivo _uniuersus_: *uniuersus mundus* (aunque también se usa solo sin el adjetivo). Si quieres usar el adjetivo* universus *como substantivo debes usarlo en neutro plural,* universa.*


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## Casquilho

Would not _ceterae [res]_ be better than _omnia_? I mean, I think it translates better the idea of everything in this context. In Horace's epode XIII there's something like _ceteris mitte loqui_, which I've translated as "let us talk no more of so many things". I may be wrong, of course, but I hear in _ceterae res_ something like "everything else", which, I think, is the sense intended by Douglas Adams.


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## Casquilho

moonmaster said:


> I have omitted the "et" as i wasnt sure where it would go, i belive it looks better this way aswell although probably not the exact correct translation anymore?
> I am not too fussed on a 100% acurate translation as i am using latin for its aesthetics although i would prefer it was correct
> 
> If anyone could suggest any improvements or comment on my translation and usage i would very much appreciated it.



I think it would be more aestethically appealing if instead of _et_, you use the enclitic _-que_: _universa, vita ceteraeque._


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## Cagey

_ceterae res_ would the rest, everything that is left after Life and the Universe are taken out.  This is a matter of interpretation, but I am inclined to prefer _omnia_ [all things, everything] which is inclusive of the two things that go before. In this case, the three things are of increasing generality: Life --> The Universe ---> _Everything_.  

With that in mind, I would prefer _mundus_ or _mundus universus_, which is closer to our sense of "universe" as the cosmos or the heavens. 

My preference would be:  _Vita, mundus [universus] et omnia._


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## keepcalm&carryon

I agree with Casquilho, using _-que_ instead of _et_ is definitely the way to go IMO.


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## Casquilho

Moonmaster, may I suggest you to put a [XLII], within a rectangle, under the Earth?


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## Casquilho

Now I think your best choice is,
_uita [uniuersus] mundus omniaque.

_(using u instead of v is more classical)


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## Scholiast

salve!

How about _vita et orbis terrarum mundusque totus_?


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