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The phrase Dog Latin refers to the creation of a phrase or jargon in imitation of Latin, often by directly translating English words (or those of other European languages) into Latin without conjugation or declension.
Examples
One well-known use of dog Latin is in the temporary naming of undiscovered (or not yet officially named) chemical elements. For example, the name given to element 118 is "ununoctium", the IUPAC systematic element name, from the Latin words for "one one eight".
Other applications of Dog Latin mix correct Latin with English words for humorous effect or attempt to update Latin by providing equivalents for twentieth century items. Examples include the description of a kitchen in legal Latin recorded in the 1898 edition of Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable:
- camera necessaria pro usus cookare; cum saucepannis, stewpannis, scullero, dressero, coalholo, stovis, smoak-jacko; pro roastandum, boilandum, fryandum, et plum-pudding-mixandum…
Writers and filmmakers also often employ dog Latin (or dog Greek) when in need of names for characters, places or objects. The names of spells employed by JK Rowling in the Harry Potter books are a well-publicised example, such as 'Petrificus Totalus'.
Likewise, fans of Warner Brothers cartoons from the 1940s and 50s will remember the "scientific" taxonomy names given to the Coyote and Road Runner at the opening of each cartoon (eg. "Eatabilus Anythingus" and "Burnus upus Roadus" respectively).
P.D.Q. Bach's Monk’s Aria from Hansel and Gretel and Ted and Alice consists of four stanzas of dog Latin along the lines of
- Et in terra chicken pox romana; Sic sic transit gloria mañana; Sanctus estes Kefauviridiana.
On the other hand, these rhymes contain only Latin words, but are in fact English:
- Brutus ad sum iam forte/ Caesar aderat/ Brutus sic in omnibus/ Caesar sic in at. Quoted in I Saw Esau (ISBN 1564020460).
- Brutus et erat forti/ Caesar et sum iam/ Brutus sic in omnibus/ Caesar sic intram.
Dog Latin is used extensively - principally in the names of Roman characters - in the Astérix stories, written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo. Examples of this usage of the technique - for which readers really have to thank the English language translators, Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge - include Noxious Vapus; Crismus Bonus; and the celebrated duo, Sendervictorius and Appianglorius.
Dog Latin, despite the similar name, is not related to Pig Latin.
See also
- Hiberno-Latin, playful learned Latin literature by Irish monks
- Illegitimi non carborundum, well-known dog Latin for "don't let the bastards grind you down".
- Latatian, dog Latin in the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett
- Macaronic Latin, mixture of Latin and English
- New Latin, post-mediaeval Latin used for international science
- Pig Latin, simple verbal code language in English
- Spanglish, similar to Dog Latin, but instead translated into Spanish
"Dog Latin"