# vox proletariatus, vox Diaboli



## bloomcountry

What is the meaning of this sentence? Thanks:

"Freely doing the will of the Proletariat. / And vox proletariatus, vox Diaboli".
Aldous Huxley's _Ape and Essence_.


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## jazyk

The voice of the proletariat is the voice of the devil.


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## Cagey

jazyk has given you the intended meaning. 

_proletarius_ is a Latin word meaning 'citizen of the lowest order.' The English word proletariat comes from a French word with a related meaning. 

_proleteriatus_ -- is made up of _proletatiat _+ the ending -us, to sound Latin. It is not Latin.  If it were, it would end in -a to agree with the feminine gender of 'vox': _proleteriata_ 

_vox _and _Diaboli_ mean, 'voice' and 'of the Devil', as you would expect.


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## jazyk

Although proletariatus is not Classical Latin, it is a well formed 4th declension collective noun just like consulatus, vicariatus, senatus, or patriarchatus.

Proletariatus doesn't work as an adjective, therefore no feminine form is possible.


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## Cagey

You are right: if it is 4th declension, _proletariatus _can be the genitive, parallel to _Diaboli._ 

(This restores some of my respect for Huxley.)


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## Glenfarclas

Cagey said:


> (This restores some of my respect for Huxley.)



Huxley taught Latin and Greek at Eton.


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## exgerman

Huxley is playing with the well-known expression _*Vox Populi, Vox Dei*_, apparently first attested in Alcuin.


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