How do you write God Alone in Latin?
Friday, September 18th, 2009 at
8:44 am
I want to get a tattoo sometime soon on my wrist that says God Alone, but in latin. I found different ways to say it though and am not sure which one is the right one. I found:
Solus Deus
Sola Deus
Solus Dei
Sola Dei
if anyone knows please reply
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Tagged with: deus • different ways • god • latin • tattoo
Filed under: Written and Spoken Latin
Simple answer, your best choice is your first one, Solus Deus. The other three you list are completely wrong.
Detailed answer: First, it is always best to translate a complete idea from English to Latin. God alone…what? A Roman would not simply write "God Alone" under normal circumstances, though sometimes in inscriptions and on coins one finds similarly shortened expressions. In a phrase such as ‘God alone guides us" or something of that nature, the first choice you listed above is correct, solus deus. Capitalization is irrelevant in Classical Latin, so you may use it or not.
And contrary to one of the answers listed, Bradley’s Arnold Latin Composition teaches us that Latin prefers an adjectival phrase over an adverbial phrase, so while an adverbial phrase such as ’solummodo deus’ or one of several similar phrases can be used, it would not be considered the best Ciceronian style Latin.
Deus sôlus
Solus Deus or Deus Solus.
"Solus Deus" is grammatically correct ("solus" = alone, male; "sola" = feminine, not good in this case. "Deus" = God, "Dei" is not good because it means "of God" – other case). But the adjective "solus" is not quite right in the context. I don’t think you meant that God is alone (=lonely), but that He alone can do something…
I’d personally use "Deus" and an adverb, like "demum", "solum" or "solummodo".
Solummodo Deus = God and no one else.