# Magistrum in Artibus Liberalibus



## voltape

I am trying to translate a diploma:  it is:   "Nos Universitatis Academicae Edinburgensis Praefectus Vice Cancellarius et Artium Facultatis Decanus et Secretarius pro Senato Academico testatum hoc scripto volumus - Margaret - Magistrum in Artibus Liberalibus rite renuntiatum esse, cunctaque consecutum esse privilegia immunitates iura quae hic aut isquam alibi Bonarum Artium magistris concedi soleant". 

My attempt:   "We the Prefect, Vice Chancellor and the Dean and the Secretary of the Arts College (School of Humanities??) for the Academic Senate wish to witness by these letters that Margaret .... has been duly proclaimed Master of Liberal Arts, with which she has obtained the privileges, immunities and rights that are usually granted here and anywhere else to the Masters of the Good Arts" 

Magistrum in Artibus Liberalibus  is  Master of Liberal Arts?
What about  Bonarum Artium magistris would then be Masters of the Good Arts  (Beaux arts)???


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## Hamlet2508

voltape said:


> I am trying to translate a diploma: it is: "Nos Universitatis Academicae Edinburgensis Praefectus Vice Cancellarius et Artium Facultatis Decanus et Secretarius pro Senato Academico testatum hoc scripto volumus - Margaret - Magistr*a*m in Artibus Liberalibus rite renuntiat*a*m esse, cunctaque consecut*a*m esse privilegia immunitates iura quae hic aut isquam alibi Bonarum Artium magistris concedi soleant".


 
actually they should have used the feminine (forgive me for being so pernickety)

Still,your translation was right on target except for two words.

"We the Prefect, Vice Chancellor and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the Secretary on behalf of the Academic Senate wish to witness by these letters that Margaret .... has been duly proclaimed Master of Liberal Arts and that she has obtained all the privileges, immunities and rights that are usually granted here and anywhere else to the Masters of the Fine Arts" 

regards,
Hamlet


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## voltape

Thanks you for your quick answer, Hamlet.
So:
Artium Facultatis Decanus     = Arts and sciences
Bonarum Artium  =  Fine Arts
So we have two "arts"  
I too had noticed the masculines applied to a girl, but gender is immaterial for the example,  Right, you have to be punctillious if you want to be a good Latin translator.


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## bkk_mike

The University of Edinburgh provides free translations if you send them a copy of the degree certificate. (to the original owner anyway).

I also think, relating to ancient Universities in Scotland, Praefectus is probably translated to Principal, rather than prefect.


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## voltape

Thank you Bbk Mike for your collaboration; although it came half year later it is never our of time because now and then people ask me to translate diplomas from Latin, so every collaboration is welcome.  Now, I understand that the Principal is the Director (In secondary or High School), but a Principal is also the Director (or senior officer) in a University? -- (Now I may be influenced by USA English -- I am in Peru (South America) and my translations are from Latin into Spanish).


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## bkk_mike

Hi, I know it's 6 months later, but I found the thread because I was looking for a translation of my own degree certificate. (posted a copy to the University yesterday as I think that's the only way to have the correct names for the signatures.)

I'll know the official translation when I get it back.


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## voltape

Thanks again. These are matters of standing interest.  WR is indeed a great help!


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## bkk_mike

They were very quick, and emailed me today, and it was Principal.
Obviously, mine has differences as it's a BSc, rather than an MA, but translation came back as

We, the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, the Dean of the Faculty of Science, and the Secretary, on behalf of the Senatus Academicus. wish to testify by this document that <name> after gaining approval in subjects relating to Science, has obtained the degree of Bachelor of Science, together with all the privileges, exemptions and honours normally granted here or anywhere else to Bachelors of Science.
To give greater credence to this, we have attached the University's common seal and added our signatures at Edinburgh on (date) AD.

and they give class of degree (which wasn't on the original, it simply said cum laude, and named the signatories).

I'm not sure why they left it as Senatus Academicus, rather than Academic Senate though.


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## GraVin

Eleven years later and the thread still proves its immense worth - my thanks go to all colleagues for their previous contributions. For my twopenceworth, "Senatus Academicus" is the official name of the senate at Edinburgh. Senatus Academicus. "Academic Senate" is actually wrong as a translation. Just as a "universitas academicus" is a university (universitas means on its own just a "body of people", a "universality" if you like - it's the "academicus" that places it in its context), likewise the academicus tagged onto senatus has the same function. But it's simply translated as  "Senate" (i.e. there isn't another one at the university doing another function and, in ancient times, I suppose that would differentiate it from the political institution).

And, far be it from me to question the translation of my own alma mater, but “to give greater credence to this” I find a clumsy transposition of “in witness whereof”, actually. Witnesses are precisely there to give greater credence to a deed and a deed to give greater credence to an act. I might venture that, in Scots law, the three signatures are sufficient to constitute more than "credence" - more like proof, I think.


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