# SACRAE THEOLOGIE BACCALAUREATUM



## voltape

I have seen a Diploma in Latin from the Navarra University (Opus Dei) - the degree is SACRAE THEOLOGIE BACCALAUREATUM - Now, THEOLOGIA is a noun of the first declension (like Sacra).  Then, why SACRAE and not THEOLOGIAE?  Aren't both in genitive?   Thanks


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## bearded

voltape said:


> why SACRAE and not THEOLOGIAE?


Hello
I presume that it's a mistake.


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## Sobakus

ae (æ) and e got confused in the course of time (both standing for the vowel /ɛ/, short or long) and remained interchangeable ever since, especially in the endings. The ligature æ eventually developed into ę, the _e caudata_ or "tailed e", which only lead to more confusion. For this reason e for ae is the more common substitution. The older and less classicising the text, the more likely you are to see this. So _theologie_, which can also be written _theologię,_ is the genitive.


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## bearded

Sobakus said:


> remained interchangeable


True, but would you use ae and e in the same text in two subsequent words...?  An oversight, at least - I would think.


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## Sobakus

bearded said:


> True, but would you use ae and e in the same text in two subsequent words...?  An oversight, at least - I would think.


It's not what one would expect, but when I say interchangeable, that's exactly what I mean - even next to each other. You can see this in the image at the wikipedia link in my previous message or here for example:

'aecclesia' next to 'ecclesie'





'sanctae romanae ecclesie'


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## voltape

thank you very much to all - indeed, I have seen other diplomas of the same university in which they write "theologiae" - anyway, I would expect universities to be more consistent with their spellings.


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## fdb

One would expect Opus Dei (Opus Daei?) to do better than that,


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## bearded

fdb said:


> Opus Daei?


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