# Quality by example



## InCider

Greetings and salutations,

I have just joined as I need to translate a couple of things, and need 'active practicioners' of this very much alive language.

My first is easy - for my work I need a motto for some blokes I will be employing as coaches/trainers. I need them to be leaders, but not managers, but still maintain high quality of work. I have decided on:

Quality by example

For a translation, I would be truly grateful.


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## Whodunit

It's hard to translate such a short expression. Would you mind telling us more about your headline? Are there more than one example? Which kind of 'quality' is it? "Good quality" or rather "bad quality?"

"Qualitas exemplis" or "De exemplis qualitate" are the ones that I'd suggest without more context, but they are most likely wrong for your purpose.


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## InCider

Whodunit said:


> It's hard to translate such a short expression. Would you mind telling us more about your headline? Are there more than one example? Which kind of 'quality' is it? "Good quality" or rather "bad quality?"
> 
> "Qualitas exemplis" or "De exemplis qualitate" are the ones that I'd suggest without more context, but they are most likely wrong for your purpose.


 
Thanks WDT, the best requests are best questioned - I like your analysis, and it reminds me to pause for thought... With what I will be intending, I want regular staff to uphold levels of behavior, work quality and lead by example without the burden of management. The problem will be "all care, no responsibilty", and I am looking for the opposite. They will be coaches, not managers, but still rank and file. I want them to have an esteem to the slightly elevated rank, and behave that way.

Cheers,

Sean.


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## InCider

Whodunit said:


> It's hard to translate such a short expression. Would you mind telling us more about your headline? Are there more than one example? Which kind of 'quality' is it? "Good quality" or rather "bad quality?"
> 
> "Qualitas exemplis" or "De exemplis qualitate" are the ones that I'd suggest without more context, but they are most likely wrong for your purpose.


 
Sorry to quote so quickly, but being a pedant stops me getting hit by cars!

For me (1), am I close in saying "Quality by example" or am i off track? or, which my gut feels better for, (2) "Lead by qualative example" etc (latin I can use without feeling like i have clown shoes!)


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## Lorixnt2

InCider said:


> Sorry to quote so quickly, but being a pedant stops me getting hit by cars!
> 
> For me (1), am I close in saying "Quality by example" or am i off track? or, which my gut feels better for, (2) "Lead by qualative example" etc (latin I can use without feeling like i have clown shoes!)



Let's see InCider

A closer to english translation could involve the per + accusative construction which may be seen as golden as other ones. Cp. e.g.

_per exploratores Caesar certior  factus est_

so we could think to

_qualitas per exempla_

but unluckily _qualitas_, a word I could personally like very much since it's a medieval latin philosophical word, both was not known by Cicero or Caesar 
and didn't mean anyway exactly "quality" in the nowadays sense It meant instead property/charactheristic. The Latins of the golden age preferred to use the concrete instead of the abstract. Cicero would have probably said 

*Ad altiora per exempla *

To the higher/better things by examples


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## Whodunit

In contrary to Lorix (no offense meant, of course ), I prefer the use of the _ablativus instrumenti_ to express "by" in Latin. Having read your reply, InCider, I'd use "*Exemplis ad humanitatem bonam*" (= using examples to be led to good human behavior).


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## Lorixnt2

Whodunit said:


> In contrary to Lorix (no offense meant, of course ), I prefer the use of the _ablativus instrumenti_ to express "by" in Latin. Having read your reply, InCider, I'd use "*Exemplis ad humanitatem bonam*" (= using examples to be led to good human behavior).




Of course, of course don't worry and tell me everything passing through your 
mind instead. Ablativus instrumenti is OK but interestingly enough for me I've noticed  english has preserved a "per" preposition alone or in the form "as per". 
Don't forget then some ready made latin sentences that a sentence with the per + acc. could be nice as a reminder of . E.g. 

_Per aspera ad astra

so

Per exempla ad altiora 

_could be even better


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## Whodunit

Lorixnt2 said:


> _Per aspera ad astra_
> 
> _so_
> 
> _Per exempla ad altiora _
> 
> could be even better


 
Hm, I think that's another interpretation of the phrase, but also possible. The word "per" in your example means "through," as far as I know. What is implied here, though, I think is "by means of" (mediante? tramite?), and the "per" in your example sentence is more like "through" (attraverso).

That's again just my opinion.


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## Lorixnt2

Whodunit said:


> Hm, I think that's another interpretation of the phrase, but also possible. The word "per" in your example means "through," as far as I know. What is implied here, though, I think is "by means of" (mediante? tramite?), and the "per" in your example sentence is more like "through" (attraverso).
> 
> That's again just my opinion.



Tecum convenio.

Vale.


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