# Simon and Susan united



## Tangosierra

Is "Simonis et Susan unitum" a correct translation of "Simon and Susan united"? The context is an engraving on a ring


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## Snodv

Well, no.  *Simon et Susanna coniuncti.*  This _coniuncti_ is the word for married people in particular, and it is plural.  I took _Simon _unchanged from Latin from Greek which was in turn from Hebrew.  _Simonis_ would be the putative genitive (possessive).


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## Tangosierra

Thanks, I appreciate your response. Her real name is Heidi, which is a modern name, so I assume the Latin translation is "Simon et Heidi coniuncti". A number of her friends are classicists, so please tell me if this will make them snigger!


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## Snodv

It shouldn't!  Looks legit to me!


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## Scholiast

saluete collaborantes!



Snodv said:


> It shouldn't! Looks legit to me!



_mihi quoque_. Just a thought here, however: _Heidi_ is I believe an abbreviation for 'Adelheid' (hence 'Adelaide' in Australia). The _Adel-_ bit ought to mean 'of noble birth'.  But I have no explanation ready to hand of _-heid_, unless it is related to [_die_] _Heiden_, the 'heathen', or rather, 'non-Christians'. 'A nobly born pagan Lady' might then work as an explanation, but into Latin this would be terribly clumsy—_Nobilis Domina Pagana. _And 'NoDomPaga' hardly reels off the tongue, nor sounds anything like as pretty as a bride by definition must be.

Perhaps someone with better command of German than I could enlighten our benighted ignorance?


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## bearded

Hello Scholiast

Adelaide - Wiktionary
Also according to other etym.Dictionaries, the -heid part corresponds to the current German -heit ending, so the name would simply mean ''Edelheit'' or nobleness - a woman of noble quality.


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## Snodv

I was wondering about that! (I think the late TV newsman Walter Cronkite's name was Anglicized from _Krankheit_ "sickness.")  Another possibility could be _Heide _"heath," so that would be _Erica--_still not a bad name, but poor Heidi might think "Who the heck is Erica?" so it might be best to stick with Heidi, both for euphony and marital peace.


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## Scholiast

Greetings once again!

Of course our estimable Milanese friend bearded has hit the nail on the head. (# 6). Yes, it is 'Nobility'. Doh, how stupid I was in # 5.

Unfortunately this leaves us little the wiser for 'Simon and Susanna', to whom of course all blessings for their nuptials.

There is still no obvious Latin derivative. _Nobilior_ was a known (male) _cognomen_, but not for a lady.  But maybe 'Princess' might work, at least as a nickname!

Stick therefore with 'Heid [-i]_', and may you flourish together._

Σ


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## Circunflejo

Scholiast said:


> But maybe 'Princess' might work


Would Sara work for princess?

P.S.: I guess Patricia is too modern for female nobility but, of course, I could be wrong so thoughts are very welcome.


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## Scholiast

saluete omnes!



Circunflejo said:


> I guess Patricia is too modern for female nobility


On the contrary: _patricia_ is after all directly Latin for 'Lady of noble birth' (so not actually far removed in sense from 'Adelheid'). Why should this be thought 'modern'?!

And yes, 'Sara(h)' is also Hebrew for 'Princess'.

Σ


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## Circunflejo

Scholiast said:


> Why should this be thought 'modern'?


Because, as far as I know, it wasn't a female name back in the Roman Empire times, but, of course, I could be wrong.


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## Scholiast

saluete amici!



Circunflejo said:


> Because, as far as I know, it wasn't a female name back in the Roman Empire times



Circunflejo is of course quite right, though there was a _vicus patricius, _where the great and the good had their urban habitations.

But it is unimaginable that any Lady of real breeding would ever have deigned to acknowledge 'Patricia' as her personal name. 'Else were Portia Brutus' harlot, not his wife'!  

Σ


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