# Semel and Bis



## 8papillon8

"Illa vero induens se illud venit semel et bis ubi erat ille monachus."
This sentence does not make any sense to me. Can anyone help make sense of it please?


----------



## Stoicorum_simia

Could _illud_ be _illuc_? In that case we would have a sort of sense: 'But she, clothing herself, came [or, comes: depends on the context] once and twice [i.e. once, then again] to the place where he was/had been a monk'.


----------



## cassandradixit

In agreement. But instead of “a monk” I would translate “that monk”. That is to say, “that one” (_ille_) and not another one.


----------



## Stoicorum_simia

cassandradixit said:


> In agreement. But instead of “a monk” I would translate “that monk”. That is to say, “that one” (_ille_) and not another one.


Yes, it could be. I was taking _ille _in contrast with _illa_, as a pronoun. But on reflexion, yours is better, with _ille_ as demonstrative adjective agreeing with _monachus_. Of course the context would help!


----------



## berndf

It must be Medieval Latin, hence "ille monachus" could simply mean "the monk" (_ille_ used as a definite article).


----------



## cassandradixit

Completely in agreement. Thanks!


----------

