summis auspiciis

English translation: By appointment to / by authority from

02:31 May 11, 2006
Latin to English translations [PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / Graduate Diploma
Latin term or phrase: summis auspiciis
"Summis Auspiciis" appears on top of the diploma in front of the name of the country and the university.
vlasy
English translation:By appointment to / by authority from
Explanation:
Summis auspiciis (quite often also "Sub summis auspiciis") literally means "under highest favour of", thus "by permission of".

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Note added at 9 hrs (2006-05-11 11:55:31 GMT)
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Here a few typical examples of the usage of these standard formula meaning "by authority" or "under the permission, patronage", "by appointment to/of"

"Summis augustissimae Catharinae II Rosiarum imperatricis et autocratois auspiciis, directore Academiae illustrissimo domino.."
ww.setbook.ru/lib_stock/4/hronology/page53/list.html

"summis auspiciis imperatoris..."
http://www.kfunigraz.ac.at/communication/unizeit/archiv/vor1...

and plenty more to be found under "sub auspiciis"

HIH
Selected response from:

Leonardo Marcello Pignataro (X)
Local time: 11:17


Summary of answers provided
5 +3By appointment to / by authority from
Leonardo Marcello Pignataro (X)
3for the highest authorities, or illustrious founders
Brigitte Albert (X)
3with the greatest promise
Joseph Brazauskas


  

Answers


3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
By appointment to / by authority from


Explanation:
Summis auspiciis (quite often also "Sub summis auspiciis") literally means "under highest favour of", thus "by permission of".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 hrs (2006-05-11 11:55:31 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Here a few typical examples of the usage of these standard formula meaning "by authority" or "under the permission, patronage", "by appointment to/of"

"Summis augustissimae Catharinae II Rosiarum imperatricis et autocratois auspiciis, directore Academiae illustrissimo domino.."
ww.setbook.ru/lib_stock/4/hronology/page53/list.html

"summis auspiciis imperatoris..."
http://www.kfunigraz.ac.at/communication/unizeit/archiv/vor1...

and plenty more to be found under "sub auspiciis"

HIH


Leonardo Marcello Pignataro (X)
Local time: 11:17
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 8
Notes to answerer
Asker: Your translations seems to be fitting the modern day diploma context the best way. Using your ideas and historical explanations of the other translators, I am inclined to translate the words as "Under the highest authority of". By the way, one document on Charles University website suggests a simple translation "On behalf of".


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Joseph Brazauskas: Very possibly.
40 mins

agree  Olga Cartlidge: Could have to do with the dean, ok. On the highest authority from or with the full backing of (style register to be adjusted) Cf Sous l egide de ie with the protection of (Greek for shield)
5 hrs
  -> I think it means that the University Decanus/Rector has been given by the State the authority (i.e. has been appointed) to confer the diploma

agree  Alfa Trans (X)
7 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
summis auspiciis
for the highest authorities, or illustrious founders


Explanation:
[DOC] Doktor lékařství - varianta s vyznamenáním
File Format: Microsoft Word - View as HTML
SUMMIS AUSPICIIS REI PUBLICAE BOHEMICAE. UNIVERSITAS CAROLINA PRAGENSIS. NOS RECTOR UNIVERSITATIS. ET DECANUS FACULTATIS MEDICAE .............. ...
Here is a quote from someone who had to translate a Latin diploma and found the following:
"We had to translate yesterday a Latin diploma ($50 for a half-hour's work) from a Czech Republic medical school that began with the mysterious acronym "Q.B.F.F.F.F.Q.S." All the Google results for that string were in Czech. Finally, we were able to trianulate, through much sophisticated searching [We lie, it was XRefer] a Web-savvy classicist to clue us in :
When in the earliest times the king or the custos urbis, after consulting the pleasure of the gods by auspices, had convoked the senate (senatum edicere, convocare), he opened the session with the words: "Quod bonum, faustum, felix fortunatumque sit populo Romano Quiritibus," and then laid before the assembly (referre, relatio) what he had to propose. The president then called upon the members to discuss the matter, and when the discussion was over, every member gave his vote. The majority of votes always decided a question. The majority was ascertained either by numeratio or by discessio, that is, the president either counted the votes (Festus, s.v. Numera), or the members who voted on the same side joined together, and thus separated from those who voted otherwise. This latter method of voting appears in later times to have been the usual one, and according to Capito (ap. Gell. xiv.7), the only legitimate method.

That is "may it be beneficial, well-omenen, fruitful, and fortunate for the Roman people and the Quirites [citizens of Rome]." In this case, the diploma substituted "summis auspiciis rei publicae Bohemiae" or "the highest authorities, or illustrious founders, of the Czech Republic."

This form is the dative plural of "summum auspicium" (the highest authority) because apparently the right to read the auspices of birds (auspicium) for the Roman army was given to the commander, hence associated with authority.



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Note added at 12 hrs (2006-05-11 14:50:36 GMT)
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Thank you to Joseph for your comment. The series of letters before summis auspiciis in some diplomas does contain both adjectives: bonum and faustum: "Quod bonum, faustum, felix fortunatumque sit populo Romano Quiritibus."
If the diploma does not contain these words, then I agree with you on the ablative. Thank you all for the discussion!


    www.hairyeyeball.net/blog/archives/000629.html -
    www.cuni.cz/UK-179-version1-LatDipl.doc - Similar pages
Brigitte Albert (X)
Local time: 06:17
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: Although your first translation ended up making sense, I was confused with the preposition.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Leonardo Marcello Pignataro (X): "Summis auspiciis" is ablative plural // That was a standard formula by which the king would open Senate's session, "after" consulting the Gods, so that he could do so "with good omens", thence "having the authority" from the Gods who were pleased
57 mins
  -> Thanks, Leonardo. If the document does not have the Q.B.F.F.F.F.Q.S, then I would say yes, ablative is the answer. With the letters, does dative not make mroe sense?

neutral  Joseph Brazauskas: Ablative of accompaniment.//Firstly, I graded this response as neutral, and someone or something changed it to 'disagree'. Secondly, the dative in the Roman senatorial formula is a dative of purpose dependent on the adjectives 'felix' and 'faustum'.
1 hr
  -> Thanks Joseph, see above for my question. Does it not depend on the presence of the Q.B.F.F.F.F.Q.S string?

neutral  Olga Cartlidge: The only kind of dative imaginable here d be Dativus Modi - rare and archaic- and equals Ablativus anyway.Changes nothing in the meaning.In classical Latin Ablativus would been used here. This is an Ablativus modi par excellence, no doubt about that.
6 hrs
  -> Thanks Olga. Lewis states that the word auspicium obtains its meaning "authority" because only the highest official was allowed to do the auspices ...see my note above.
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
with the greatest promise


Explanation:
More literally, 'with the best tokens', i.e., signs of ability. Properly 'auspicia' refers to the 'auspices', or divination by birds, conducted by Roman magistrates (in peacetime; during war, they could be conducted only by the commander-in-chief in the field). Hence it came to mean 'guidance' or 'power' or even 'right'. But it also came to be used concretely of the 'sign' or 'omen' supplied by the observation of the flight of the birds themselves, and so, by extension, of any person or thing which shows promise or ability or talent. It may therefore be nearly synonymous with 'magna cum laude'.

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Note added at 12 hrs (2006-05-11 15:07:52 GMT)
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Incidentally, since we've strayed almost completely off the subject, the correct vocative singular form 'bonus vir' is 'bone vir'. Most of my students know this by the end of their first week of class.

Joseph Brazauskas
United States
Local time: 06:17
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 8
Notes to answerer
Asker: Although having the diploma translated this way would make it sound more flattering, I do not think it was the intention in the context.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Olga Cartlidge: Gratias tibi ago, bone vir Joseph Branzauskas... Tandem, vera dicere, quot homines tot sententiae...
4 hrs
  -> 'Magna cum laude' means literally 'with great praise', i.e., the student graduated with high marks, not 'top' marks. That would be 'summa cum laude'. In any case, I suggested that the two were NEARLY synonymous, not actually so.//Benigne dicis, Aulga.
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