I know in Classical Latin, dies (day) was masculine, except for special days, which were feminine. I thought that when the Christians switched from that old lingua franca, Aramaic to that other old lingua franca, Latin, they decided that every day was special, or something like that, because you get stuff like from the Dies Irae where it's feminine, e.g., dies irae, dies illa. But our little community chorus is doing a Te Deum and, in the Salvum Fac Populum Tuum section we get the line: Dignare, Domine, die isto sine peccato nos custodire.

So my question is:

Does anyone know from whence the text of the Te Deum? Or is this day not so special?

On the origins of the Te Deum: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14468c.htm

As for the issue of dies being masculine or feminine, the Romans do not seem to have been consistent about this. Although, as you say when dies means a particular appointed day in the singular it is feminine, this is not a hard and fast rule -- there are plenty of examples of it still being masculine. See the entry in the Latin dictionary on Perseus:
http://makeashorterlink.com/?H30423FE5

Bingley

Like Faldo, I assumed that the rules for dies were that any old day was masculine and that some days (feast days, etc.) were feminine. Ah well, another misconception held for 30-some years blown right out of the water.

But I love the Perseus dictionary link, Bingley. I shall treasure it ...

Thanks, Bingley. OTOH, I'm thinking that maybe the day mentioned in the Te Deum isn't all that special. I'll have to put some effort into translating.

Hey, Bingley, what's the secret to getting acknowledged for plugging Perseus? I've done so on several occasions, and have it on my page of links, and nary a peep from others.

Dunno, I must have given the secret handshake without realising it.

Bingley

Just consider yourself not so much as chopped liver as pâté ...