dramatis persona

English translation: sing.>> dramatis persona // plu. >> dramatis personae

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Latin term or phrase:dramatis persona
English translation:sing.>> dramatis persona // plu. >> dramatis personae
Entered by: dawn39 (X)

06:14 Oct 25, 2003
Latin to English translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - Cinema, Film, TV, Drama / drama
Latin term or phrase: dramatis persona
The phrase "dramatis personae" occurs in about 42,000 internet documents. And the phrase "dramatis persona" about 800 times. I understand "dramatis personae" to be plural (meaning, roughly, "the people or characters in the play"). What is the singular of this term in the case where, for example, there was only one character in the play? Would it be "dramatis persona"?
Ric
sing.>> dramatis persona // plu. >> dramatis personae
Explanation:
persona = the mask worn by actors in Greco-Roman drama.

"Greimas and Courtés state that the term **"actor"** has gradually replaced "character" and **"dramatis persona"**, extending its use outside the purely literary".
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
Dramatis Personae
"Dramatis Personae" refers to the cast of characters in a play or poem or story. In this course you will have an opportunity to explore the creation of character, the development of "voice," and the nature of self through the vehicle of the persona. You will be expected to invent and develop **a persona** and to write *monologues*, poems, scenes, and other assignments in **the voice of that persona**. You will also be expected to design and complete a project in which your persona plays a major role"
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
"You know how Henry Emerson Foster wrote a book called 'How to be a Real Person'? Translated into it's original terms, that means 'How to be a Genuine Fake.' Because the person is the mask, **the 'persona' worn by actors in Greco-Roman drama**. They put a mask on their face which had a megaphone-shaped mouth which projected the sound in an open- air theater. So **the 'dramatis persona' at the beginning of a play is the list of masks**, and the word 'person,' which means 'mask,' has come to mean the real you. 'How to be a Real Person.' Imagine."
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
Have a nice day!




--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-10-25 08:13:45 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

\"**Dramatis Persona Cassandra** (f). Synopsis \"The Trojan prophetess Cassandra, now a
contemporary feminist, wonders why no one can hear or believe her prophecies. ..\".

www.heniford.net/1234/1f_tcc.htm
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
If you understand Spanish, here is something very interesting.
Sorry, I could not find it in English... :(

\"**Persona** es término latino y, entre sus significados está el de *máscara*. *Persona es el personaje*, y por eso *los personajes de la obra teatral son **\"dramatis personae\"**. A veces se hace derivar persona del verbo persono (infinitivo personare), \'sonar a través de algo\' -de un orificio o concavidad-, \'hacer resonar la voz\'. como la hacía resonar el actor trágico a través de la máscara. El actor \'enmascarado\' es, así, alguien \'personado\', personatus.
Retengamos este algo, este orificio atravesado por el sonar, como el cuerpo necesario para que haya goce. El cuerpo en su puesto bajo la máscara que cubre el semblante del que actúa, muestra la apariencia necesaria al decir\".

www.eolrosario.org.ar/cartele_text10.htm
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
==============================
DRAMATIS PERSONA as plural, as well.

Sometimes, \"dramatis persona\" also refers to more than one person, that is to say, a group people playing the same role.


\"Leaders and managers are often responsible for assembling a cast of characters in a complex enterprise, and for giving the corporation its **dramatis persona identity** (character)\".

cbae.nmsu.edu/~dboje/septet/characters.htm
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
DRAMATIS PERSONA = DRAMATIS PERSONAE

A brief introduction to the **characters** of the LaJnaD series

Brigid Giles: Biological daughter of Abbey Giles and Wesley Wyndham-Pryce, adopted by Rupert Giles after her mother\'s death in 1998. The Slayer.

Rupert Giles: Former Watcher and still librarian at Sunnydale High School. He remains in Sunnydale both at the request of the Council to watch the Hellmouth, and to raise his adopted daughter.

Willow Rosenberg-Harris: Software Engineer, Watcher to Brigid and wife of Xander Harris.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
So, \"dramatis personae\" is always plural, while \"dramatis persona\" can be both singular and plural.









--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-10-25 08:20:35 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

\"**Dramatis Personae**. Characters are listed in order of appearance. Not all of these characters have their own
webpage, click here for **a cast list**\".
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
Translation:

dramatis persona >>> character, actor, actress

dramatis personae >>> cast, cast list, list/cast of characters
Selected response from:

dawn39 (X)
Grading comment
Thank you for all the information you provided.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +4Yes, it would
Jack Doughty
5sing.>> dramatis persona // plu. >> dramatis personae
dawn39 (X)
4The actor (of the plot)
Pierre POUSSIN
3The people (characters) involved in...
J. Leo (X)


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
The actor (of the plot)


Explanation:
To help.

Pierre POUSSIN
France
Local time: 19:22
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
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17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
The people (characters) involved in...


Explanation:
the daily drama of life.
When describing a situation, for instance at work, which may be similar to a scene in a play, the dramatis personae could be the boss (authority figure), the colleagues (subjects of the situation) or even the silent mail courier (Shakespeare's Iago) who appears or influences the situation a bit behind the scenes.

J. Leo (X)
Local time: 19:22
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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26 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +4
Yes, it would


Explanation:
Dramatis persona is indeed the singular. Where it is in the plural, if you have to translate it, I would just say "Cast" or "Cast list".
In the singular, if e.g. Dramatis persona: Kenneth Branagh, I would say "Played by Kenneth Branagh".

Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:22
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  J. Leo (X): I certainly branched off from the question asked.
13 mins
  -> Thank you.

agree  Flavio Ferri-Benedetti: Exactly. No need to use "dramatis persona" as a singular nome. I prefer Jack's options
1 hr
  -> Thank you. I have never seen it in the singular. There are one or two plays (by Alan Bennett, for example) with only one character, so I suppose it might be used in such a case.

agree  Joseph Brazauskas
5 hrs

agree  giogi: yes Jack, and Beckett "Happy days" is another
9 hrs
  -> Thank you. I am not very familiar with Beckett's work.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
sing.>> dramatis persona // plu. >> dramatis personae


Explanation:
persona = the mask worn by actors in Greco-Roman drama.

"Greimas and Courtés state that the term **"actor"** has gradually replaced "character" and **"dramatis persona"**, extending its use outside the purely literary".
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
Dramatis Personae
"Dramatis Personae" refers to the cast of characters in a play or poem or story. In this course you will have an opportunity to explore the creation of character, the development of "voice," and the nature of self through the vehicle of the persona. You will be expected to invent and develop **a persona** and to write *monologues*, poems, scenes, and other assignments in **the voice of that persona**. You will also be expected to design and complete a project in which your persona plays a major role"
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
"You know how Henry Emerson Foster wrote a book called 'How to be a Real Person'? Translated into it's original terms, that means 'How to be a Genuine Fake.' Because the person is the mask, **the 'persona' worn by actors in Greco-Roman drama**. They put a mask on their face which had a megaphone-shaped mouth which projected the sound in an open- air theater. So **the 'dramatis persona' at the beginning of a play is the list of masks**, and the word 'person,' which means 'mask,' has come to mean the real you. 'How to be a Real Person.' Imagine."
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
Have a nice day!




--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-10-25 08:13:45 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

\"**Dramatis Persona Cassandra** (f). Synopsis \"The Trojan prophetess Cassandra, now a
contemporary feminist, wonders why no one can hear or believe her prophecies. ..\".

www.heniford.net/1234/1f_tcc.htm
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
If you understand Spanish, here is something very interesting.
Sorry, I could not find it in English... :(

\"**Persona** es término latino y, entre sus significados está el de *máscara*. *Persona es el personaje*, y por eso *los personajes de la obra teatral son **\"dramatis personae\"**. A veces se hace derivar persona del verbo persono (infinitivo personare), \'sonar a través de algo\' -de un orificio o concavidad-, \'hacer resonar la voz\'. como la hacía resonar el actor trágico a través de la máscara. El actor \'enmascarado\' es, así, alguien \'personado\', personatus.
Retengamos este algo, este orificio atravesado por el sonar, como el cuerpo necesario para que haya goce. El cuerpo en su puesto bajo la máscara que cubre el semblante del que actúa, muestra la apariencia necesaria al decir\".

www.eolrosario.org.ar/cartele_text10.htm
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
==============================
DRAMATIS PERSONA as plural, as well.

Sometimes, \"dramatis persona\" also refers to more than one person, that is to say, a group people playing the same role.


\"Leaders and managers are often responsible for assembling a cast of characters in a complex enterprise, and for giving the corporation its **dramatis persona identity** (character)\".

cbae.nmsu.edu/~dboje/septet/characters.htm
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
DRAMATIS PERSONA = DRAMATIS PERSONAE

A brief introduction to the **characters** of the LaJnaD series

Brigid Giles: Biological daughter of Abbey Giles and Wesley Wyndham-Pryce, adopted by Rupert Giles after her mother\'s death in 1998. The Slayer.

Rupert Giles: Former Watcher and still librarian at Sunnydale High School. He remains in Sunnydale both at the request of the Council to watch the Hellmouth, and to raise his adopted daughter.

Willow Rosenberg-Harris: Software Engineer, Watcher to Brigid and wife of Xander Harris.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
So, \"dramatis personae\" is always plural, while \"dramatis persona\" can be both singular and plural.









--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-10-25 08:20:35 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

\"**Dramatis Personae**. Characters are listed in order of appearance. Not all of these characters have their own
webpage, click here for **a cast list**\".
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
Translation:

dramatis persona >>> character, actor, actress

dramatis personae >>> cast, cast list, list/cast of characters


    Reference: http://www.cosignconference.org/cosign2001/papers/Petric.pdf
    Reference: http://las.alfred.edu/~egl/howard/dramatis.html
dawn39 (X)
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
Grading comment
Thank you for all the information you provided.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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