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  3. Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting

timet non fides

English translation: faith fears not

23:37 May 12, 2008
Latin to English translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting / Family
Latin term or phrase: timet non fides
This is a family moto that I was considering getting tattood across my heart. I was curious as to how many different translations of this there were. So far I've seen "Faith without fear" and "Faith fears not" Does anyone know if these are correct. I'd appreciate input.
jesse
English translation:faith fears not
Explanation:
I think this is the most simple and correct. In my opinion the reason why "non" is before the subject is just because of the possibility that Latin offers of not keeping a rigid phrase structure.
Selected response from:

Luis Antonio de Larrauri
Local time: 01:37
Grading comment
First validated answer (validated by peer agreement)



Summary of answers provided
5 +1(It is) not faith (which) fears.
Joseph Brazauskas
4 +2faith fears not
Luis Antonio de Larrauri


  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
(It is) not faith (which) fears.


Explanation:
That this is the meaning is indicated by the fact that the negative precedes the subject nominative rather than the predicate. 'Faith without fear' is incorrect and 'Fair fears not' is literally correct but does not bring out the emphasis on 'faith' implied in the Latin.

Joseph Brazauskas
United States
Local time: 19:37
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Rebecca Garber: 'fides non timet' appears as the more common motto; therefore, I believe that the reversal in this case serves to emphasize 'fides' in the manner Joseph suggests.
11 hrs
  -> Thank you, Rebecca.
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
faith fears not


Explanation:
I think this is the most simple and correct. In my opinion the reason why "non" is before the subject is just because of the possibility that Latin offers of not keeping a rigid phrase structure.

Luis Antonio de Larrauri
Local time: 01:37
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
First validated answer (validated by peer agreement)

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Nina Storey
46 mins
  -> Thank you, Nina
agree  Joseph Brazauskas: Latin word order is certainly not rigid, but one does not place words in a certain position arbitrarily. In good prose at least, there is always a reason why a word is placed where it is placed, and usually the reason is either emphasis or contrast.
5 hrs
  -> I absolutely agree, generally speaking. I just feel in this specific case word order is not that important, as in vincit omnia veritas = veritas omnia vincit. Thank you Joseph
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