ILLUNSE : a constructed language: A Latin phrase

Saturday, April 02, 2011

A Latin phrase

Here's a Latin phrase. I haven't posted a Latin proverb or phrase recently.

Latin phrase : Aut inveniam viam aut faciam

English translation : "I shall either find a way or make one"

According to Wikipedia: The phrase has been attributed to Hannibal; when his generals told him it was impossible to cross the Alps by elephant, this was supposedly his response. However, Hannibal would have spoken in Punic, not Latin.

The Punic language or Carthagian language is an extinct variety of the Phoenician language.

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About Illunse

Illunse is the language of the fantasy land of Illun. It's a constructed language or conlang that I'm creating word by word.

Words in Illunse are a mix of Old English (Anglo-Saxon) and Latin, but without any diacritics or accent marks.

I enjoy detailed world-building and unusual names in fantasy books. When I read The Lord of the Rings books I was impressed with J.R.R. Tolkien's elf languages of Quenya and Sindarin.

Illunse is inspired by the fact the Tolkien created fantasy languages, but is not in any way derivative of Tolkien’s works. Out of curiosity I'm looking up Tolkien's words after I create my own. I don't claim to be in the same league as Tolkien.

Disclaimer

Illunse words are not written in stone; they are written in sand. Words can be later changed or modified. Illunse is a work in progress.

I'm not knowledgeable in Tolkien's languages. I look up all the Quenya and Sindarin words that I mention in dictionaries and webpages that I've found on the Internet. I try to always check multiple sources, but apologies for any unintentional errors.

I've never taken classes in Latin or Old English (I took Spanish and French). The words I show are found using online resources. I try to get it right, but I'm an amateur not an expert. If you are knowledgeable in these languages, please let me know if you see any errors.