Latin language

Latin was the dominant language of the Romans. Because the Romans controlled so much of Europe for so long, Latin became a major influence on many European languages, among which English. In English, remnants of Latin exist in the origins of many words, in several idioms, and in the advanced terminology of several fields, but for the most part English speakers know little about Latin. That does not matter for its use in Transformers, because between being a language associated with might and grandeur and being a language that is dead, Latin just sounds cool.

Latin: some basics

Nouns and adjectives

Latin is a highly inflected language, which means that almost all words change form depending on their number and their case. Latin nouns have a default form, the nominative (subject) singular, and exchange their suffixes according to the declension they belong to. There are five declensions in Latin, of which the two most relevant and well-known are the first declension, which covers feminine words ending on the suffix -a, and the second declension, which covers masculine words ending on the suffix -us and neuter words ending on the suffix -um. An example of a Latin noun is tyrannus (second declension), which means "tyrant", and an example of it being declensed is when, for instance, it's in the dative (indirect object) plural and therefore changes to tyrannis.

Some nouns have counterparts in other declensions, such as dominus ("master", second declension) and domina ("mistress", first declension), but they don't switch declensions themselves. The same is true for adjectives, but because adjectives take the gender, case, and number of the noun they're attached to, every adjective is available in enough forms to serve the three genders. So for instance, magnus, magna, and magnum, are all the same adjective meaning "big", just applicable to a differently gendered noun each. An example of how a noun and an adjective interact is clavis aurea, which means "golden key". The noun clāvis is in the female nominative singular (third declension) and the adjective aurea is in the female nominative singular (first declension) to match. To repeat the dative plural example, in that instance clavis aurea becomes clāvibus aureīs because the words as a unit change together.

Articles

Latin does not have articles. Any use of "the" and "a"/"an" in translation to English are derived from context.

Historical variation

As a language that has existed for several millennia, Latin has undergone changes. Classical Latin is regarded as the default Latin, but Neo-Latin is the Latin of the Renaissance and therefore the Latin most associated with science. Between the two, Neo-Latin has many new words and some grammar changes influenced by contemporary languages. Notably, Classical Latin doesn't have one-on-one equivalents for "yes" and "no" and rather affirms and denies indirectly. Neo-Latin, developed by people used to "yes" and "no", has more direct ways of expressing these.

Latin in Transformers

Latin has been with the Transformers brand at least as early as when Denny O'Neil came up with "Optimus Prime", a name that combines the Latin adjective optimus, meaning "best", with the English multi-use "prime". Does it make sense? Not really, but it sounds cool and that's what matters. In the first years, use of Latin, both real and invented, was largely centered around the double names that implied Autobot leadership as derived from "Optimus Prime", such as "Elita One" and "Fortress Maximus". The sole exception among these is "Alpha Trion", whose name takes from Ancient Greek.

One other instance of Latin in the first years, also derived from "Optimus Prime", is Primus, the deity within Cybertron. Prīmus is Latin for "first". This set the foundation for the introduction of the Thirteen in the 2010s, starting with "Megatronus", an example of faux Latin. Most members of the Thirteen would end up with Latin or faux Latin names. In that same decade, the IDW comics also worked a lot with Latin, mostly implemented by James Roberts, and Timelines added a few instances more.

Double names

• Dominus Ambus: Dominus is a noun that means "master" and "ambus" doesn't exist in Latin. The closest is ambō̆, which means "both". In relation to "Minimus Ambus", it probably is supposed to evoke that between the both of them, Dominus is the better, although the fact that both words are in the nominative case linguistically doesn't allow "dominus" to be only one half of "ambus".
• Elita One: "Elita" is faux Latin created by fusing the English word "elite" with the Latin particle ēlēcta, which means "chosen" and is the etymological root of "elite".
• Fortress Maximus: Maximus is an adjective that means "greatest".
• Minimus Ambus: Minimus is an adjective that means "smallest" and "ambus" doesn't exist in Latin. The closest is ambō̆, which means "both". In relation to "Dominus Ambus", it probably is supposed to evoke that between the both of them, Minimus is the lesser, although the fact that both words are in the nominative case linguistically doesn't allow "minimus" to be only one half of "ambus".
• Optimus Prime: Optimus is an adjective that means "best".
• Optimus Minor: Optimus is an adjective that means "best". "Minor" exists in both Latin and English with the same meaning of "lesser".
• Pyra Magna: Magna is an adjective that means "big". Pyra is a noun that means "funeral pyre", although it's probably intended to mean just "fire" the way the English word "pyre" is.
• Rodimus Prime: "Rodimus" is faux Latin that combines "(Hot) Rod" and "Optimus" into one, although the word rōdimus does exist in Latin. It's the first-person plural present of the verb rōdere and means "we gnaw".
• Ultra Magnus: Magnus is an adjective that means "big". "Ultra" exists in both Latin and English with the same meaning of "beyond".

Thirteen names

• Adaptus: "Adaptus" is a faux-Latin take on "adapt", which is derived from the Latin verb adaptāre, which means "to adapt". That said, adaptāre itself comes from the prefix ad-, which means "towards", and the noun aptus, which means "suitable", so "Adaptus" does have approximate existence in Latin.
• Censere: Cēnsēre is a verb that means "to assess".
• Epistemus: "Epistemus" is faux Latin created by combining the English word "episteme", copied from the Ancient Greek epistḗmē (ἐπιστήμη), which means "knowledge", with the Latin -us suffix.
• Malleus Minotaurus: Malleus is a noun that means "hammer", while minotaurus means "minotaur".
• Megatronus: "Megatron" itself is a portmanteau of "megaton" and "electronic" and with that it is English almost entirely derived from Ancient Greek. The -us suffix turns it into faux Latin.
• Micronus Prime: "Micronus" is faux Latin created by combining the English word "micron", copied from the Ancient Greek mikrón (μικρόν), which means "small", with the Latin -us suffix.
• Mortilus: Mortillus combines the noun mors, which means "death", and the suffix -illus, which turns the noun into the diminutive. "Mortilus" lacks one "l", but otherwise should mean "little death" or "deathlet".
• Nexus Prime: Nexus is a particle that means "connected".
• Nova Prime: Nova is a (feminine) adjective that means "new".
• Liege Maximo: Maximō is the dative and ablative case of both maximus and maximum. Maximus/Maximum is an adjective that means "(masculine/neuter) greatest".
• Prima: Prīma is a (feminine) adjective that means "first"
• Primus: Prīmus is an adjective that means "first"
• Quintus Prime: Quīntus is the numeral "fifth". The name is based on the early Transformers villains, the Quintessons. The Quintessons themselves are named after the English word "quintessence", which is derived from the Medieval Latin quinta essentia and means "fifth element", which refers to the Ancient Greek concept of aether (αἰθήρ).
• Solomus: "Solomus" is faux Latin derived from the name Solomon. For context, Solomōn already is Latin, copied from the Ancient Greek Solomôn (Σολομών), which itself is a rendition of the original Hebrew Šlōmō (שְׁלֹמֹה).
• Solus Prime: Sōlus is a (masculine) adjective that means "only".
• Vector Prime: Vector is a noun that means "bearer".

Other names

• Adjudicus: "Adjudicus" is a faux Latin take on "adjudication", which is derived from the Latin noun adiūdicātiō, which means "judgement".
• Bruticus: Bruticus combines the noun brūtus, which means "unreasonable", and the suffix -icus, which carries the meaning of "pertaining to" and usually turns the word its attached to into an adjective.
• Chromia: "Chromia" is derived from the noun chrōmium, Neo-Latin for "chromium". The form chrōmia exists as the plural of chrōmium, but here is chrōmium made feminine by exchanging the neuter -um suffix for the feminine -a.
• Decimus: Decimus is a numeral that means "tenth".
• Defensor: Dēfēnsor is a noun that means "defender".
• Jhiaxus: "Jhiaxus" is a faux Latin rendition of "Gee, axe us".
• Legonis: "Legonis" is a faux Latin take on Lepidus.
• Luna Secundus: Lūna is a noun that means "moon" and secundus is a numeral that means "second". Together, it is supposed to mean "second moon", but the grammar is incorrect because the genders don't match. Luna Secunda is the correct form.
• Magnificus: Magnificus is an adjective that means "magnificent". However, while the name is supposed to be Latin, the actual intent behind the name is a portmanteau of "magnify", of which magnificus is the etymological root, and "Maximus".
• Magnum: Magnum is an adjective that means "(neuter) big".
• Maxima: Maxima an adjective that means "greatest".
• Moriturus: Moritūrus is the future participle of the verb morior. It means "about to die".
• Nautica: Nautica an adjective that means "nautical".
• Navitas: Navitas is a noun that means "zeal".
• Nova Cronum: Nova is an adjective that means "new" and "cronum" is faux Latin. The grammar is incorrect because the genders cannot match. "Novum Cronum" would be the correct form.
• Octus: "Octus" is faux Latin that combines the numeral octō, meaning "eight", with the -us suffix.
• Ramulus: "Ramulus" is a portmanteau of "ram" and the name "Romulus". Coincidentally, it ends up as the Latin noun rāmulus, which means "sprig".
• Straxus: "Straxus" is faux Latin.

Concepts

• Amica Endura (Amica Endurae): Amīca is a noun that means "(female) friend". Endūra exists in Medieval Latin and while it looks like it's supposed to mean "enduring", it means a specific kind of fast and is a noun. It comes from the Latin verb indūrāre, which means "to solidify" and of which the particle is indūrāns. The plural "Amica Endurae" also fails to make amica the plural amicae despite proposing Latin rules through the Latin -ae.
• Clavis Aurea: Clavis aurea, meaning "golden key", is a Medieval Latin term for the means by which hidden meanings in texts may be discovered.
• Conjunx Endura (Conjunx Endurae): Conjunx is a noun that means "spouse", both male and female, although the additional endūra and its declension suggest that here it's female. Endūra exists in Medieval Latin and while it looks like it's supposed to mean "enduring", it means a specific kind of fast and is a noun. It comes from the Latin verb indūrāre, which means "to solidify" and of which the particle is indūrāns. The plural "Conjunx Endurae" also fails to make conjunx the plural conjuges despite proposing Latin rules through the Latin -ae. Incidentally, the term is a bit of a pleonasm since conjunx/spousehood already implies something lasting.
• Deus ex Machina: Deus ex machina means "god out of the machine" and refers to unearned plot solutions in stories. It goes back to Ancient Greek theater and translated from the Ancient Greek apò mēkhanês theós (ἀπὸ μηχανῆς θεός).
• Dux non Intruitus: Supposed to mean "No Entrance to Leaders", "Dux non Intruitus" is an erroneous rendering of Dux non Introitus and not functional Latin. The phrase may have been modeled on the Neo-Latin expression persona non grata, where grata is an adjective to persona and therefore has to be in the same case, but dux and introitus are separate nouns and cannot both be in the nominative as they seem to be here. Also, dux is singular. Dux in the plural dative ducibus would reflect the intended "to leaders". Non introitus itself is an acceptable way to say "no entrance" in Neo-Latin, though not in Classical Latin.
• Parvus Oppidum: Parvus is an adjective that means "small" and "oppidum" is a noun that means "town". Together, it is supposed to mean "small town", but the grammar is incorrect because the genders don't match. Parvum Oppidum is the correct form.
• Semper Tyrannis: Semper Tyrannis is shortened from sic semper tyrannis, which translates into "thus always to tyrants", meaning that tyrants will get their comeuppance. The origin of the phrase is unknown and it's possible that instead of being an actual Latin phrase, it is an 18th Century American translation of Ancient Greek into Latin.

Texts

• Lūstrāre: Lūstrāre is a verb that means "to purify ceremoniously".
• Namine erit: Namine erit is stated to mean "No one shall have it", "namine" isn't a Latin word. It is supposed to be nēmō and looks most like the ablative nēmine. Erit, from esse, means "[person] shall be". Esse does have a secondary meaning of "to have", but only in the construction "to [person] is [possession]", which requires the dative nēminī. There is no Latin word written here to represent "it", which is as possible-but-jarring in Latin as it is in English.
• NULLUM SACRIFICIUM SINE VICTORIA: Stated to mean "No sacrifice, no victory", nūllum sacrificium sine victōria actually translates to "no sacrifice without victory". That is something of the opposite.
• Uno sumus machina: A Cybertronian take on Ūnō sumus animō, which means "We are [as by] one soul" or more cleanly "We are of one soul". The Cybertronian version means "We are [as by] one machine".
• Ubi libertas ibi Primus: A Cybertronian take on Ubī̆ lībertās ibī̆ patria, which means "Where liberty [is], there the homeland [is]" but is better understood as "Where liberty [is], there my home [is]". The Cybertronian version means "Where liberty [is], there Primus [is]". The grammar is correct, but the call for freedom of the original sentence is not at all conveyed by the religious dogma of the Cybertronian version.
• Ultima ratio titan: A Cybertronian take on Ultima ratiō, which means "The last resort" and usually is followed by a genitive to create "The last resort of [someone]". The Cybertronian version means "The last resort of a titan" although titan is in the nominative and therefore incorrect. It should be tītānos or tītānis.

Latin, English, and the rest

Because of Roman dominance and the influence of Ancient Greek culture on Roman culture, a lot of Ancient Greek words and concepts have become widespread in the West but foremost through a Roman lens. When the Romans Latinized Greek words, recurring alterations that were made are that the Ancient Greek suffixes -os, -a or -e, and -on became the Latin suffixes -us, -a, and -um, that the "rough breathing h" became an actual "h", that the "k" became a "c" sometimes pronounced as "k" and sometimes as "s", and that the "u" became an "y". An encompassing example is how the English word "hyacinth" comes from the Latin hyacinthus that in turn comes from the Ancient Greek hŭakinthos (ῠ̔ᾰ́κινθος). So any time you see a name like Cerberus or Centaurus instead of Kerberos or Kentauros, you know you're looking through the Latin lens.

Japan doesn't have Europe's historical predisposition for Roman interpretations of culture and therefore hews closer to the original Ancient Greek in regards to Ancient Greek concepts. This can be confusing, as Scylla demonstrates. "Scylla" is the Latinized name of the Ancient Greek Skúlla (Σκύλλα) or Skúllē (Σκύλλη) and the name in use in English, but the character's original Japanese name Sukyūre (スキュウレ) appears to be based on the original Ancient Greek term Skúllē, which in Japanese is rendered as Sukyurē (スキュレー). So, here is an alteration tough to render in English on a name that is largely alien to English but which Latin counterpart is well-known in English. "Scylla" is not the originally intended name, but it's understandable it became the character's English name.

Notes

• Latolata's name is partially taken from Pterois lunulata, the scientific name for the luna lionfish. Lunulata is Neo-Latin for "lunulate" or "shaped like a small crescent".
• "Empurata" is an anagram of the Latin word amputare, meaning "to cut away". Rather than be used in a surgical context, as the descended word "amputation" is today, amputare was a punishment inflicted upon criminals to mark them as such, as it is in the world of Transformers.
• The term "kratomechafora" is a fusion of krắtos (κρᾰ́τος), Ancient Greek for "strength"; mecha; and forīs/forās, Latin adverbs for "outside". The linguistic hodgepodge seems to mean something like "Strength outside the mecha."
• "Lorem ipsum" is a commonly utilized try-out text which purpose is to test the design or layout ahead of the intended text being finalized. "Lorem ipsum" is based on the Latin text De finibus bonorum et malorum, of which words are altered, added, and removed to make it nonsensical. The title words "Lorem ipsum" are the truncation of Dolorem ipsum, Latin for "Pain itself". The text has occasionally shown up in Transformers, usually by accident.
  • Shining Armor #2: On page 18, in the third-to-last panel, where the Decepticons come soaring through the sky, the placeholder text "Loremvipsum" is written on top of Blitzwing.
  • "The Flyin' Fox Trot": After the race starts, the placeholder words "Lorem ipsum" are printed in the middle of the page.
  • Transformers #26: On the penultimate page, a "Lorem ipsum" placeholder text is placed between the bottom panels.
  • "Spirit of Halloween": The Halloween contest poster reads "HALLOWEEN" up top, followed by "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor". This instance of "Lorem ipsum" is on purpose.