# reason of being



## Crescent

Hello! 

Would anyone know by any chance how to say ''raison d'être'' (reason of being) in latin?Does such an expression exist? I juste thought that because it's so common and deeply meaningful in French, it has to exist in its ''mother'' tongue as well! 

Thanks in advance for your help!


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## jazyk

I don't know if there's a standard rendition, but you could grammatically say ratio exsistentiae/essentiae or ratio exsistendi/essendi.


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## J.F. de TROYES

jazyk said:


> I don't know if there's a standard rendition, but you could grammatically say ratio exsistentiae/essentiae or ratio exsistendi/_essendi.[/_quote]
> 
> Sorry, but "sum" has no gerundive et  " exsistencia" is rathe rare in classical latin  . I think translating this phrase depends on the context : Is it related to somebody or to something ? I'd preferred something like "ratio vivendi" or "principium naturae ", though I suppose there are certainly  better tranlations.


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## Tagarela

Hello,

I do not know Latin, but I believe that I understand the expression, it would be the same of _Razão de ser _in Portuguese. It is the why you live, or why you are doing something. 
An writer could say "Literatura is my 'reason of being'" 
A in love person "You are my reason of being". It is somethign like, without it one gets lost in the world.

I hope I had helped.

Good bye.:


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## jazyk

> Sorry, but "sum" has no gerundive et  *" exsistencia" is rathe rare* in classical latin  .


This makes no difference to me.



> I'd preferred something like "ratio vivendi" or "principium naturae ", though I suppose there are certainly  better tranlations.


These are definitely the best translations so far, though.


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## Doktor Faustus

Hola. Si te referís a un concepto filosófico, conviene conservar el verbo ser: ratio essendi.


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## Flaminius

Moderator Note:

In view of difficulties translating the concept "being," the original poster could please provide more context for her enquiry.  I like "ratio vivendi" per J.F. but I am afraid the translation cannot be applied in reference to inanimate objects; Ordeal's raison d’être has been considerably undermined by the development of scientific investigation, for example.


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## wonderment

Doktor Faustus said:


> Hola. Si te referís a un concepto filosófico, conviene conservar el verbo ser: ratio essendi.



Yes, I agree completely. _essendi_ is a perfectly fine gerund (it’s not classical, but does everything have to be? ) In his metaphysical treatises, Nicolas of Cusa (early 15th century polymath) used the expression _essendi ratio_ to mean _raison d'être_ (source, search “_essendi ratio_” in notes).


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