# Mellificas enim tu, sed non soli tibi.



## Santa Monica Dave

This is a personal dedication in a friend's book on the letters of Abelard & Heloise

"For Debra  
Mellificas enim tu, sed non soli tibi."

I am sadly illatinate, but would love to understand this dedication. 
What is the English translation, please?

Thank you in advance,
Santa Monica Dave


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## Ricsu

Something as: "You really make honey (Absolutely, you make honey), but not only for yourself"?
Wait for a better answer, it was only an attempt 

But, anyway, I have a doubt, shouldn't it be "_sed non *solum* tibi_"?

Thanks.


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## CapnPrep

Ricsu said:


> But, anyway, I have a doubt, shouldn't it be "_sed non *solum* tibi_"?


Both would be correct, with _solum_ as an adverb ("but not only for yourself") or with _soli_ as an adjective ("but not for you alone").

This dedication is adapted from a letter that Peter the Venerable sent to Heloise (see here). The passage talks about Deborah, whose name means "bee" in Hebrew. English translation and commentary here.


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## Ricsu

Ok.

I didn't know "_sola_" were an irregular adjective (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/solus).

But the original text you enclose above (is it correct to use "enclose" here?) says "_Mellificabis  enim  tu_", which would be "You really *will make* honey", wouldn't it?

Thanks!


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## Scholiast

salvete!

That was a fine catch, CapnPrep (#3), the _letter_ of Peter the Venerable. I am both impressed and enlightened, thanks.

To Ricsu (#4): there is a handful of adjectives like this, which, while mainly following the _altus__ or __bonus_ paradigm, form genitives singular (all three genders) with -_ius_ and datives singular with _-i_.

This is not the place to supply a list, but they are easily accessible in standard grammars or from internet sites such as www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_declension.


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## XiaoRoel

> I didn't know "_sola_" were an irregular adjective (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/solus).


Está equivocado el diccionario en cuestión: el dativo singular _*soli*_ y el genitivo singular _*solius*_, que no distinguen género, son los normales en las formas pronominales, como es este adjetivo pronominal *solus, -a, um*. Irregularidad ninguna. Plenamente regular.


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## Ricsu

> Nine first and second declension adjectives are irregular in the genitive and the dative in all genders. They can be remembered by using the mnemonic acronym UNUS NAUTA. They are:
> _ūllus, –a, –um;_ any
> _nūllus, –a, –um;_ no, none (of any)
> _uter, –tra, –trum;_ which (of two)
> _sōlus, –a, –um;_ sole, alone
> _neuter, –tra, –trum;_ neither (of two)
> _alius, –a, –ud;_ (gen. sing. _alīus_; another)
> _ūnus, –a, –um;_ one
> _tōtus, –a, –um;_ whole
> _alter, –era, –erum;_ the other (of two)



¿Adjetivos pronominales?. Según esta página sólo son irregulares esos nueve de arriba, ¿se consideran pronominales?, ¿hay más?
Gracias.


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## XiaoRoel

Son claramente pronominales. La categoría pronominal como su referencia la nominal, consta de adjetivos y substantivos y dee substantivos-adjetivos. La página que citas es poco rigurosa, ya que estos adjetivos (pronominales) cumplen con la regla del dativo y genitivo singular del los pronombres, que tiene como desinencias respectivas *-i, -ius*, diferentes de las de la categoría nominal )substantivos y adjetivos no pronominales).
Así que, irregularidad ninguna.


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## Stoicorum_simia

CapnPrep said:


> This dedication is adapted from a letter that Peter the Venerable sent to Heloise (see here). The passage talks about Deborah, whose name means "bee" in Hebrew. English translation and commentary here.



Very clever! I didn't know the letter to Heloise; but Peter in turn was adapting from a traditional saying attributed to Virgil. The story was that some verses of Virgil's in praise of Augustus had been claimed by someone else, whereupon the poet wrote four lines including _Sic vos non vobis mellificatis apes_ ('In the same way you, bees, make honey not for yourselves'). Probably untrue, but _Sic vos non vobis _is proverbial.


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