Cogito ergo sum

[ChevronB19]

Sorry - can’t find an appropriate subforum, so this is my best guess.

I only have the loosest grasp of Latin, but a close friend would like a version of this in his gravestone when he goes.

So cogito ergo sum = I think, therefore I am (and I know there are multiple minor variations on this, I guess that’s Latin for you).

What he would like is ‘I thought, therefore I was’.

Is it possible to put cogito ergo sum into the past tense?

Thanks for any advice.

[sunbeam alpine]

Cogitavi ergo eram?

[Alorotom]

sunbeam alpine said:

Cogitavi ergo eram?

its abstract and simplified, not sure the OP will get much closer than that though.

[Roofless Toothless]

Romanes eunt domus?

[ChevronB19]

Roofless Toothless said:

Romanes eunt domus?

Lol, nice try, I do know *some* latin!

[alfaspecial]

ChevronB19 said:

Roofless Toothless said:

Romanes eunt domus?

Lol, nice try, I do know *some* latin!

Correct quote





Or, if he is/was a ladies man

vidi, vici, veni ( I saw, I conquered, I came!)

[Roofless Toothless]

https://youtu.be/IIAdHEwiAy8

[alfaspecial]

Roofless Toothless said:

https://youtu.be/IIAdHEwiAy8

Roofless Toothless, you learn something new, everyday

I must sound like centurion John Cleese
"People called Romanes, they go the house"


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romani_ite_domum



quote
Case of domus
The exchange on the case of domus concludes:

Centurion: ?'Domus'? Nominative? 'Go home', this is motion towards, isn't it, boy?
Brian: The dative, sir?
[Centurion draws his sword and holds it to Brian's throat]
Brian: Ahh! No, not the dative, not the dative, sir. No, the, accusative, accusative, 'ad domum', sir!
Centurion: Except that 'domus' takes the ...?
Brian: The locative, sir!
Centurion: Thus it is ...?!
Brian: ?'Domum'.

The (allative) case construction used in the final formulation is not locative but accusative of motion towards. The locative of domus in literary classical Latin is domi.[2] The locative case (without the preposition in) was only used for the names of cities, small islands and a few other isolated words. Correspondingly for these places and the word domus, the accusative was used without a preposition (in or ad) to indicate a motion towards.

Edited by alfaspecial on Tuesday 15th November 16:39

[sospan]

Descartes was French. Why not put it in French?
Can’t remember French for therefore so google translate used.
I think, therefore I am ......
Je pense donc je suis

[sunbeam alpine]

sospan said:

Descartes was French. Why not put it in French?
Can’t remember French for therefore so google translate used.
I think, therefore I am ......
Je pense donc je suis

He wants it in the past tense, so -

J'ai pensé, donc j'etais

or Je pensais, donc j'etais

would maybe more appropriate?

[TwigtheWonderkid]

There was a law student called Rex
Who had very small organs of sex
When charged with exposure
He replied with composure
De minimis non curat lex

[nickfrog]

sunbeam alpine said:

He wants it in the past tense, so -

J'ai pensé, donc j'etais

or Je pensais, donc j'etais

would maybe more appropriate?

The imperfect is fine although a little passé simple will add a touch of grandeur to the proceedings and will save on the amount of engraving

Je pensai donc je fus.

[ChevronB19]

Love the replies, and taking it all on board! Despite Descartes, he would prefer the Latin.

[LordGrover]

Twitter may have the answer... cogitavi ergo ego eram.