# Death is only the beginning



## MaChereAmie

Hello all!

Can anyone translate this to Latin, please?  

"Death is only the beginning."

Thanks in advance!


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## judkinsc

_Mors inceptio solum est_."Death the beginning only is."  I had a Latin teacher once compare the literal translation of Latin to speaking like Yoda from Star Wars.  It's a fairly accurate comparison.


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## J.F. de TROYES

My guess: "Mors nihil nisi principium (or: initium) est" ( "est" is not necessary ).


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## judkinsc

"_est_" and other forms of "_esse_" are often gapped (i.e. left out) for effect.

_Principia_, -_orum_ (the first things; the beginning) is plural in Classical Latin, but it is used in the vulgate Bible as a singular: _In principio erat verbum, et verbum erat Diem, et Diem erat verbum_, and so on in the _In Principio_ that begins Genesis.

I rather like the phrase that J.F. gave there, otherwise.  It maintains the ominous tone of the statement.


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## MaChereAmie

Thank you both!


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## jazyk

> Principia, -orum (the first things; the beginning) is plural in Classical Latin, but it is used in the vulgate Bible as a singular: In principio erat verbum, et verbum erat Diem, et Diem erat verbum, and so on in the In Principio that begins Genesis.


The Latin is all crooked here.  Could you double-check your source?


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## judkinsc

jazyk said:


> The Latin is all crooked here.  Could you double-check your source?




That was more a paraphrase I'd had stuck in my head; I hadn't thought about it in a while.  I'd forgotten the "_apud_" and I substituted "diem" for "deum," which was a type mistake.

It's not Genesis, but rather John 1:1. Here's the Vulgate, New Testament,  translated from the Greek to the Latin by Saint Jerome:

1:1  in principio erat Verbum et Verbum       erat apud Deum et Deus erat Verbum

1:2  hoc erat in principio apud Deum         

1:3  omnia per ipsum facta sunt et sine       ipso factum est nihil quod factum est

1:4  in ipso vita erat et vita erat lux       hominum

1:5  et lux in tenebris lucet et              tenebrae eam non conprehenderunt   


Greek form:
1.1 Εν αρχή ην ο Λόγος, και ο Λόγος ην προς τον Θεόν, και Θεός ην ο Λόγος. 2 Ούτος ην εν αρχή προς τον Θεόν. 3 πάντα δι' αυτού εγένετο, και χωρίς αυτού εγένετο *...*


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## Rosewood22

Hi.

I am currently taking Latin, so maybe I can help.

Death is only the beginning.

I have to break it down. (Sorry.  I am only in Latin 1.)

Death = Nominative, singular
Is = Indicative, Present conjucation for the verb sum, third person, singular
Only = Adjective describing the accusative
Beginning = Accusative, singular

Okay.  This is my best bet.

Death = Mors
Is = est
Only = tantum
Beginning = exordium

Mors est tantum exordium.

Does that sound right?


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