Any Latin scholars out there?

[Shoeshine]

OK, simple enough.
Designing a grand seal for a piece of art.
Eagles, sheaves of wheat, eyes on pyramids, the whole nine...
But, ... What's a grand seal without a motto?

My motto:
"always in the shit, only the depth changes"

So far via the web translators I've gotten:
"semper est in excretio, solum profundum mutare."

Is this even close?
any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

[geekster]

I would go with something like

semper mutare excretio

Shit always changes.

[Ugly Dougly]

The first clause would be: "semper in excretio est". Not sure about solum in the second part.

[Shoeshine]

Thanks UD,

I will change up the first phrase. Thats the kind of stuff I need to know (well not really..., but in the interest of doing this with authenticity[chuckle])

Solum was what I got from babelfish for the word "only" it might mean alone however. Which would put a twist on the meaning. "alone, the depth varies" I suppose meaning that -- "together, the depth stays the same?" or "together, it's not quite so deep?" have to think on that.

[Clar-i-ty]

I think the version of only you want is tantum. I wish I knew why I know that.

[Ugly Dougly]

I don't know that depth is used in the same way in Latin. At any rate it might be in a differnt form, profundus, profundo etc.

[Shoeshine]

Yeah I know. I haven't a clue about tenses, etc... I was hoping there was an ex seminarian or the like on here who could just whip this out. (pun sort of intended)

Oh well, all in good fun. If I cant get accurate, I'll just go with whatever sort of sounds grand. It is going to be engraved in thin brass though. I'll probably use this for several years, so If I can get it right I'd like to.

[theCryptofishist]

Yeah, those monks over at babelfish latin are too busy illuminating to translate very fast.

[Ugly Dougly]

"Semper in excretae est - tantum fio profundum"!!

[Shoeshine]

Right on Ugly! Thank you.

Do you mind if I ask how you came up with it? old tomes of wisdom? a jesuit hiding in your closet? downhill from here.... I'll stop.

But I am curious as I might do more of these in the future.

Thanks again.
Chris

[theCryptofishist]

a jesuit hiding in your closet?

[whispers]Shhhhh! Camp Vatican moved him there cause he got into "trouble." Those lousy lieing alter boys! Anyway, Dougly feeds him, gives him a slop bucket which is emptied twice a day and has him translate obscure congolese pronography. this was just a side project. So don't tell anyone.[/whispers]

[holleeb]

"Semper in excretae est - tantum fio profundum"!!

so the tense on this is wrong, and my dictionary is showing "excretae" meaning "grow," and the second half says "I happen so much deep/boundless."

The most literal I could come up with :

"Semper in excremento, solum altum mutat"

"always in the shit" (in the ablative declination with the preposition "in"), "only" (or "alone" that is an accurate translation) "the deep" (usually referring to the ocean but literally "deep") "changes" (conjugated in 3 person singular present active indicative)

you can add "est" to "semper in excremento est" but it's implied so you don't have to.

Latin word order isn't strict, so moving it around a bit keeps the same meaning ie. "in excremento semper est, solum mutat altum" is exactly the same thing .

keep "in excremento" together, and keep them on the right side of the comma and you keep the meaning the same.

My bona fides : I'm a senior at UCLA (Classics Major) studying Latin.

See you on the playa,
Hollee

[Clar-i-ty]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7wc55oXWf8[/youtube]

[theCryptofishist]

Latin word order isn't strict, so moving it around a bit keeps the same meaning ie. "in excremento semper est, solum mutat altum" is exactly the same thing .

Oh the blessings of a highly inflected language.

[Elorrum]

Super holleeb!
Great lesson thank you.

I needed a shield motto translated years ago, and I can't remember how, but I ended up in correspondence with an individual at a college in England. Very helpful fellow. I think I started by just searching "Latin translation." Things were less automated then.