En réponse à Raymond Brown <ray.brown@...>:
>
> >The problem is that I don't know of any Latin verb *titillare.
>
> No need for the asterisk. The verb is well enough attested in
> Classical
> Latin, being used even by Cicero himself! It means "to tickle" or "to
> amuse"; hence the English "to titillate".
>
So the French verb "titiller" comes directly from Latin! Strange, I thought it
was more an argot formation...
>
> Not only in verse - 'twas not uncommon in prose of the "Silver Latin"
> (i.e.
> post-Augustan) period.
>
I never studied that unfortunately :(( . In class we only studied texts of the
end of the Republic or beginning of the Augustan period...
>
> Yep - same idea as the English proverb: "Let sleeping dogs lie" (IME a
> very
> good idea - never had any experience with dragons, but I have no doubt
> the
> same applies).
>
Quite more so I guess :)) .
>
> But maybe your language has an equivalent phrase to:
> Let sleeping dogs lie
> Draco dormiens numquam titillandus
> Na deffro'r ci a fo'n cysgu
>
> What's the equivalent proverb in French? (There must be one, I guess).
I wish I remembered. I'm wondering if we don't use the lion in French... :))
Not that there are many lions in France (though, between the zoos, reserves and
circusses, we must have a few :)) ), but that's the archetype of the wild
animal in France :) .
Christophe.
http://rainbow.conlang.free.fr
Take your life as a movie: do not let anybody else play the leading role.