# Family is my Strength



## alfie55555

Hi guys,

its my first post so here goes!

I'd love to know what 

                              'Strength is my Family'
                                          or
                              'Family is my Strength'

would translate to in Latin. Much love and appreciation for any help!

Alf x


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## GreenWhiteBlue

"Family is my strength" would be _Familia fortis meus._  It might be compared to the opening verse of Psalm 143/144, which in English is "Blessed be the Lord my strength", but in Latin is _benedictus Dominus *fortis meus.*_

I am not sure what "strength is my family" means in English, let alone how to translate it into Latin.


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## modus.irrealis

It's odd though that the Latin there has _fortis_, which is after all an adjective. I would have expected something like _fortitudo mea_, which also occurs in the Bible.


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## alfie55555

thanks guys


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## alfie55555

A bit more research led me to

_'familia est meus fortitudo'_ translated to 'family is my strength'

In this instance would '_est'_ be needed, taking into account that '_fortitudo'_ is not an adjective?????

Correct me if I am wrong but I believe the correct latin to be :

_'familia meus fortitudo'_ - 'family is my strength'

Would greatly appreciate your suggestions guys, struggling student in need!!! x


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## modus.irrealis

The _est_ is optional, and it does sound better to me without it in this sort of phrase. With _fortitudo_, however, because it's feminine, you have to use _mea _instead of _meus_. And _mea_ generally follows its noun, as in GreenWhiteBlue's sentence -- if you put it in the middle, with both nouns being feminine, it becomes somewhat ambiguous which noun the _mea _goes with.


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## alfie55555

Thanks modus.irrealis,

 So in your opinion the correct translation is _'familia fortitudo mea'_, that sounds to me the best conclusion too.

Is there a masculine alternative to _'fortitudo'_ so that _'meus'_ will follow the noun? The main reason I am asking is that I am writing a small performance sketch in Latin with the main character, in this instance a male, quoting 'family is my strength' at the end scene.

I just really need to make sure this line is accurate as it ties the whole performance together.

Many thanks for all your help.


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## clara mente

alfie55555 said:


> Thanks modus.irrealis,
> 
> So in your opinion the correct translation is _'familia fortitudo mea'_, that sounds to me the best conclusion too.
> 
> Is there a masculine alternative to _'fortitudo'_ so that _'meus'_ will follow the noun?


 
I think Modus' rendition is the best choice here, and unfortunately, the other alternatives which come to mind are also feminine, i.e. "vis" and "potentia".


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## modus.irrealis

About _fortis meus_, I just realized that this is literally "my strong one" which makes sense -- I wonder if it reflects something in the original Hebrew.

Yes, I meant _familia fortitudo mea _is what I'd go with. And there's no disconnect between it being a male speaker and using _mea_, so that shouldn't be a problem.


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## alfie55555

thanks modus.irrealis,

i greatly appreciate your help!!!

i will let you know how the performance goes!!!

alf x


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## Pfeast14

Hello all. I need some help. I was wondering would changing this phrase from strength is my family to my strength in my family simply require a mea at the beginning? Thanks for any help


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## Cagey

Hello Pfeast14. 

I don't think a change in word order is going to accomplish what you want it to. However, we can help you better if you explain more fully what you it is want to say, using other words.


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## Scholiast

saluete



> _'familia est meus fortitudo'_ .....
> 
> _'familia meus fortitudo'_ - 'family is my strength'



These can, neither of them, be correct, as both _familia_ and _fortitudo_ are feminine.

Rhetorically, both

_fortitudo mea familia_

and 

_familia mea fortitudo

_work.


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## Franchino

"Familia fortitudo mea" is right too?(grammatically)


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## jrundin

"Familia" may not be the word you want here. It does not mean "family" as we thing of it.
"Familia" means household. Eytmologically, it means a bunch of slaves (from famulus).
You may be saying something closer to "My strength is a bunch of slaves." In fact, because
the social and economic conditions were different, Latin doesn't really have a direct equivalent
for family. I would suggest substituting some word like "propinqui" ("relatives") for family.

I think it generally would be good to rephrase. Latin does not use abstract  nouns as
freely as English. It tends to more concrete expression, tending to use verbal elements to convey
what we do with abstracts. I would go for something like "I am strong because of my relatives"
or "my relatives support me."


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## jrundin

How about this:

me corroborat meum genus = My family (birth) strengthens me.

OR

meo genere valeo  = I am strong from my family.


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## Franchino

thanks you for your respond 

"Propinqui fortitudo mea" is good ?


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