Re: Translation: QED (was Re: Are conlangs fictional?)

At 3:03 pm +0100 22/3/02, Christophe Grandsire wrote:
>En réponse à Christopher B Wright <faceloran@...>:
>
>> Jan nsakwish
>> >Q.E.D.
>>
>> Wow! Another person who actually uses this! I wonder how many people
>> use
>> the abbreviation without knowing what it stands for or means, only how
>> to
>> use it. "Quid erat demonstrandum": what was to be shown?
>
>*Quod* erat demonstrandum! "Quid" means "who" :)) .
'Quod erat demonstrandum' certainly - but 'quid' does mean "what?".

The difference between 'quod' and 'quid' is that the former is a _relative
pronoun_ (which is what we need here) and the latter is an _interrogative
pronoun_.  In case the grammarians on this list are wondering, the
antecedent is not expressed in the Latin phrase.

"Who", BTW, is 'qui' if its a relative pronouns, but 'quis' if it's
interrogative.

[snip]
>
>As for the meaning, I think in this case the translation "What had to be
>demonstrated" is nearer to the original intent.
Précisement, mon ami!

Ray.

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A mind which thinks at its own expense
will always interfere with language.
                     [J.G. Hamann 1760]
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