# To take something seriously



## Casquilho

May you please tell me if there is a Latin equivalent construction to express “to take [something] seriously”, _e. g. _“Ovid takes love seriously”?


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## relativamente

Hello!

Please what is you idea of taking love seriously? Maybe thinking that love is lovely?


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## Casquilho

Well, it's only an example. But indeed Ovid, in his _Ars Amandi_, adresses love in a comically solemn, religious tone.
But, to my question, "to take [something or someone] seriously" is what in Portuguese we call "levar [algo ou alguém] a sério". I don't know the equivalent construction in Spanish.


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## Maioneselover

Casquilho said:


> Well, it's only an example. But indeed Ovid, in his _Ars Amandi_, adresses love in a comically solemn, religious tone.
> But, to my question, "to take [something or someone] seriously" is what in Portuguese we call "levar [algo ou alguém] a sério". I don't know the equivalent construction in Spanish.


Salve. In italiano esiste la stessa espressione (ma *sul* serio) con lo stesso significato. Così, ho cercato sul dizionario:
"aliquid in serium convertere o vertere (CURT.), prendere qualcosa sul serio" _quindi _"Ovidius (con)vertit amorem in serium".


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## relativamente

In Latin serius is comparative of serus adjective from the adverb sero meaning late. In some meanings  is equivalent to modern languages serious but for example a serious illness cannot be translated as morbus serus, but as morbus gravis.
 A serious love I think can be said serus amor in the sense that is long lasting, but in general it is better to say for example amor sincerus.


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## Casquilho

Well, relativamente, then things are further complicated. The adjective depends on context, id est, the thing taken seriously? There's no general formula for saying "to take seriously" in Latin?


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## relativamente

Hi, Casquilho
 In ancient Rome  maybe the most important quality of a man was “gravitas” that meant behaving seriously, honoring always their own words. Maybe “aliquid severitate capere” or “gravitate capere” could translate your phrase


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## Maioneselover

relativamente said:


> In Latin serius is comparative of serus adjective from the adverb sero meaning late. In some meanings  is equivalent to modern languages serious but for example a serious illness cannot be translated as morbus serus, but as morbus gravis.
> A serious love I think can be said serus amor in the sense that is long lasting, but in general it is better to say for example amor sincerus.



Salve, relativamente. Scusami se parlo in italiano, ma penso che così facciamo entrambi uno sforzo minore a capirci.
Il dizionario etimologico spiega piuttosto che quel "serium" che noi usiamo ancora oggi con "serio" derivi da "severus":
http://www.etimo.it/?cmd=id&id=16252&md=dfcb4f918155b95a00396bfe6b5f1795
Poi, non so, la costruzione che ho citato è usata da Curzio Rufo. Non è forse un esempio di classicità assoluta, ma pur sempre un buon esempio di latino vivo.


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