# tantum pellis et ossa fuit



## Boerboel

In English class, we read a excerpt from Miguel de Cervantes _Don Quixote._
(It was an English translation.)  it gives this one phrase "...tantum pellis et ossa fuit."  and the footnote says it's a Spanish phrase meaning "was all skin and bones."  

Is this old Spanish or something?  It looks more like Latin or French to me.

Thanks!


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## mnewcomb71

It is Latin...


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## charisma_classic

That is a Latin phrase.

Makes one wonder about the book...


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## Eva Maria

Boerboel said:


> In English class, we read a excerpt from Miguel de Cervantes _Don Quixote._
> (It was an English translation.) it gives this one phrase "...tantum pellis et ossa fuit." and the footnote says it's a Spanish phrase meaning "was all skin and bones."
> 
> Is this old Spanish or something? It looks more like Latin or French to me.
> 
> Thanks!


 
B,

The footnote was mistaken: it's not Spanish, but Latin. In "Don Quixote", which was written in the XVII century, you can find some classical quotations, which were usual in the works of the writers of the period.

Creo que se trata de parte de la descripción de Rocinante, ¿verdad?

But the translation of the quotation is OK.

EM


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## Boerboel

Thanks! I didn't think it looked like Spanish. But I wasn't positive if maybe old Spanish was like that. So I suppose my literature book was wrong. hehe...

EDIT: EM:  Sí, es parte de la descripción de Rocinante.


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## Doktor Faustus

En el uso corriente del castellano quedaron consagrados muchos usos introducidos por Cervantes en el Quijote. La expresión "piel y huesos" (pellis et ossa) es muy frecuente para referirse a personas extremadamente delgadas, como yo


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## ChamuskoeL

This is in latin but it can be translated to the Spanish writing as "tanta piel y huesos fue,"


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## bearded

ChamuskoeL said:


> This is in latin but it can be translated to the Spanish writing as "tanta piel y huesos fue,"


Are you sure?  ''Tantum'' means only = 'solamente' (adverb) in Latin.  I would say _Solamente/solo fue piel y huesos (''fue puro hueso y pellejo'') _= ..was all/only skin and bones.


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