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stranger
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I am posting this on the suggestion of another forum member (Faldage) who has been helping me with this project. I am soliciting help with the development of a latin motto for a S.W.A.T. medic unit. The general gist of the message we would like to develop is "to aid another in the face of danger" or "To risk oneself in order to aid another". What we have so far is " in pericul(o,um) pro aliis" I welcome all input and suggestions on this. Thanks.
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Carpal Tunnel
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I cheerfully admit to any gross grammatical errors in the Latin GDoc quoted above. It is my belief that the difference between periculo and periculum in the quote is the difference between being in danger and entering into danger.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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It's the "pro aliis" I'm having problems with. Alius is an adjective. And since "pro" normally takes the accusative, it would have to be "pro alium" I would have thought, but even then ...
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Carpal Tunnel
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My dictionary (An Elementary Latin Dictionary by Charlton T. Lewis) says pro takes the ablative and it's plural in this case, so I'm sticking with aliis.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Mea culpa. Ablative it is. Well, it's been a long time. But alius is an adjective according to Woodhouse. You nouning it?
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Carpal Tunnel
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You nouning it?
Audaces fortuna iuvat.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Yeah, but just how brave are you? 
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Carpal Tunnel
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Nouning adjectives was as prevalent in Latin as it is in English.
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veteran
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veteran
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Latin had nomina 'nouns (lit. names)' (according to their native grammarians), and they had two kinds of nouns: nomina substantiva 'nouns (in our sense)' and nomina adjectiva 'adjectives (in our sense)'. As Faldage suggests, using a noun as an adjective in Latin was very common (I'd say more common than in English), and I am unaware of any Roman grammarian who shunned it.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Well, I hunted high and low for a noun which meant the same thing as "another" and couldn't find one. They had to have a word with that meaning. Figured they must have used the adjective as a noun.
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veteran
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veteran
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Lewis & Short list alius as both an adjective and a substantive. And, isn't the word another both an adjective and a pronoun in English? It doesn't really seem like a noun to me. You can't really say something like: The big another sits high on the horse.
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veteran
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veteran
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Gave this some thought today. How about: pro aliis in periculo auxiliari 'aiding others in danger'?
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Carpal Tunnel
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pro aliis in periculo auxiliari
Sounds good to me. GDoc? Too long?
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veteran
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On second thought, it might be better: aliis in periculo auxiliari. "To give aid to others in danger."
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old hand
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old hand
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Finally, I realized why the proposed motto did not "sound right" with me: there are two words for "the other" in latin: alius and alter. The first one has a connotation of difference, or segregation. It led to the English "alien" with all its consequences.. The second, on the other hand, lies at the root of "altruism" - and this is probably what you would like to capture in your motto. I thus propose: "Pro alteris in periculo" (the modified order also avoids the misunderstanding that the helper might be the one in danger..)
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Carpal Tunnel
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"Pro alteris in periculo"
That sounds good aloud and looks good.
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Carpal Tunnel
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(the modified order also avoids the misunderstanding that the helper might be the one in danger..)
Which as I understand it, (GDoc first approached me in PM) is not entirely a misunderstanding. They're both in danger.
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stranger
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OP
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"Pro alteris in periculo" Sounds good to me. I'm relying on your collective expertise here since I do not speak (or read) Latin. Faldage is correct in saying that both parties would be in danger (potentially). I would also like to say that I sincerely appreciate all of the help with this, it is very nice of you all to take your time to provide this assistance.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Grunt Doc, I like wsieber's suggestion, too. And I have an idea: university professors are usually very accessible (and of couse they all like to, er, share their knowledge!). Maybe you could look up a Latin prof at a college near you and run this suggestion by him/her. If you do, please report back and let us know! 
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Carpal Tunnel
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It occurred to me that alter might have the connotation of the other of two. We have to watch out for ascribing modern English connotations to Classical Latin words. I think the lovely AnnaS's suggestion of checking with a college professor is a good one.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Well, it seems you've had quite a lot of good suggestions and I don't speak or read latin, either. I was reminded of what the guide said to our group just as we began our climb up an active volcano in Costa Rica. He instructed us to not depart from the path. If we were to get too adventuresome and get into real trouble, that would be quite a thoughtless thing to do as we would be putting in danger whoever had to go after our bodies. Needless to say, none of us strayed from the path.
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old hand
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old hand
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Hi Faldage,
the other of two
this is indeed the primary meaning, but the signification has grown beyond these limits. "Perseus Word Study Tools" has the following:
A. Another of a class = alius (as opp. to one's self, to another); subst., another, a neighbor, a fellow-creature, ho pelas (so sometimes heteros, Xen. Cyr. 2, 3, 17); cf. Ochsn. Eclog. 90 and 458 (alter designates the similarity of two objects; alius a difference in the objects contrasted).
(found after my first posting)
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Thanks, weis bier. I always manage to learn something new here.
Pro alteris in pericul-. Now, do we want to be in periculo or go into periculum?
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