Sunday, July 20, 2008

Calling all Latin scholars!

I have a slogan I would like to have translated into correct Latin.

Order Beyond Understanding; Openness Without Limit

The first part I imagine will be something like: Ordo Supra Intelleco. That's not so hard.

The second one is tougher. I want the word for "openness" to retain the literal sense of being "wide open" and the figurative senses of being receptive, welcoming, and generous.

EDIT: I suspect that this word will be the substantive form of the verb accipio, accipere (to accept, to welcome). Accipere Sine Termino - "To welcome without end"? Acceptio Sine Termino - "Welcoming without end?"

Ordo Supra Intellecto, Acceptio Sine Termino?

2 comments:

Fr. Thomas said...

What about "patesco sine termino"? See patesco : to be laid open, bare, exposed, to be revealed.

And maybe instead of "ordo supra intellecto," what about "ordo extra intellecto"? Or even "ultra" or "praeter" as alternatives to "extra".

bona fortuna, amicus!

Jeff said...

I like "ultra" better than "supra". von Balthasar used "supra" when discussing the manner in which qualities could be predicated of God, i.e., God is "supra-feminine" "supra-rational". Ordo Ultra Intellecto. Ordo Supra Intellecto.

Patesco refers to revelation, and it is true that God is endlessly self-revealing. But self-revelation, in the sense of disclosing to the intellect, seems to me to be only one dimension of God's total self-gift.

But I don't like acceptio either.

I'll go with another: Expansio. You'll see why.