Disputatio:Nialus Armstrong

Usual Latin equivalent of Neil is Nialus. I need to post that elegiac Latin poem I wrote about Armstrong a number of years ago. --Iustinus 23:37, 2 Martii 2007 (UTC)

Nialus, hmm. I found Nigellus to be the traditional identification a ways back, though it seems to be based on a false etymology. Google Web: nialus neil nigellus neil / Google Books: nigellus neil nialus neil —Mucius Tever 15:46, 3 Martii 2007 (UTC)

Si cognoscitis synonimum verbi "planeur"( gallice), dicite mihi. Utor verbo " alans, alantis"--Marc mage 00:05, 3 Martii 2007 (UTC)

(Someone remind me to respond to both of these points later) --Iustinus 18:19, 3 Martii 2007 (UTC))

See also Nigellus Faulkner. --Alex1011 09:13, 30 Ianuarii 2008 (UTC)

navis imperator

Was he an admiral, general or some kind of president. I'm placing a dubsig.--Jondel (disputatio) 08:00, 2 Maii 2012 (UTC)

Maybe he was an emperor? :) Andrew Dalby (disputatio) 08:19, 2 Maii 2012 (UTC)

With strong arms! :) --Jondel (disputatio) 08:29, 2 Maii 2012 (UTC)

Imperator = 'commander'. He was the commander of the ship. IacobusAmor (disputatio) 10:39, 2 Maii 2012 (UTC)

It doesn't seem a good choice, though. One expects an imperator to lead an army in war -- or, in later Latin, to rule an empire. We'd be hard put to it to find an example of an imperator who leads a handful of men in one little boat on an exploratory mission. Would "dux" fit better? Or, if the ship's the thing, "gubernator"? Andrew Dalby (disputatio) 11:18, 2 Maii 2012 (UTC)

The latin term for commander of a ship is navarchus. Gubernator is the pilot.--94.100.23.2 11:38, 2 Maii 2012 (UTC)

And Cassell's offers praefectus navis and magister, and Caesar has dominus. IacobusAmor (disputatio) 11:57, 2 Maii 2012 (UTC)

Niel before your imperator!!! Dux or better gubernatur. A real commander wouldn't want to be called an emperor if one(not himself) was around. I searched the English wiki. The most I got was Lieutenant Junior Grade, no 'commander'.Jondel (disputatio) 11:47, 2 Maii 2012 (UTC)

Nobody is calling him an emperor. For 'commander', Cassell's gives dux, imperator, praefectus, and says that senses of imperator include "in gen., leader, chief." IacobusAmor (disputatio) 11:57, 2 Maii 2012 (UTC)

For the record: the history of the page shows that noster Rafaelgarcia changed gubernator to imperator at 04:58 hours on 4 Iunii 2009. IacobusAmor (disputatio) 12:13, 2 Maii 2012 (UTC)

Well (if Cassell's was the source used) Cassell's didn't help here ... unless we can show a real source in which "imperator" is used in such a context (leading "a handful of men in one little boat on an exploratory mission", as I said above). I doubt if we can.

I guess we all agree now, gubernator was also not the right choice. Navarchus and praefectus navis (suggested by Anon and Iacobus repectively) would serve well, I think, for commander of this small but significant "ship"; or dux for the leader of a party of men on an expedition. Andrew Dalby (disputatio) 12:17, 2 Maii 2012 (UTC)

Another solution is to avoid the A = B structure altogether and say he navi praefuit 'was in command of the ship'. IacobusAmor (disputatio) 12:42, 2 Maii 2012 (UTC)

Yes, I really like that. Andrew Dalby (disputatio) 14:12, 2 Maii 2012 (UTC)

Try not to avoid and make the best decision you can. I vote navarchus.I got to go. The cafe is closing here and it is late at night. sayonara.Jondel (disputatio) 13:00, 2 Maii 2012 (UTC)

Thank you Andrew and Iacobus for your valuable advice and guidance!--Jondel (disputatio) 02:14, 3 Maii 2012 (UTC)