If you’ve ever wonder how you would tell people not to park their bicycles in Latin and Ancient Greek, as I’m sure you have, the sign in the photo shows you.
The Latin, Duae rotae hic relictae perimentur, apparently means “two wheels [cycles] left/abandoned here will be removed”.
The Greek, Εηθαδε αηφθεητες δυοκυκλοι διαφθαρνσονται, apparently means “Two wheels taken here will be destroyed”, which isn’t quite what it’s supposed to mean.
As there were no bicycles in ancient Rome and Greece, there were no words in Latin of Ancient Greek for them, so the they are translated as “duae rotae / δυοκυκλοι” (two wheels/cycles). Are these good translations?
The sign was put up in Portugal Place in Cambridge, and some comments on it called it elitist. Not everybody in Cambridge knows Latin or Greek, it seems, as photos of the sign show a bike parked under it. Have you seen any modern signs like this in ‘dead’ languages?
Source: BBC News
Hi,
Wallsend station on the Tyneside Metro is full of Latin signs. View them at:
https://web.cloud.virginmedia.com/?shareObject=99decabc-db47-9d1f-a34e-3e338875aa46
There’ve been no claims of elitism though!
I’ve seen birota and birotula for “bicycle”.
The Greek text is : Ἐνθάδε ληφθέντες δυοκύκλοι διαφθαρήσονται (entháde lêfthéntes duokúkloi diaphtharê’sontai), which means ‘bicycles (two wheels) taken here will be destroyed’. By the way, the Latin word ‘perimentur’ has the same meaning : ‘will be destroyed’, not ‘will be removed’.
It seems that these are good translations, although I think a single Latin word as ‘birotae’ would be better.
No English sign?
No – just Latin and Greek.
Yes, I am somewhat surprised as birota seems to be a word anyone studying Latin since the 20th century would know. (unless, I suppose, they focused strictly on classical or liturgical texts.)