Latin Glossary and some suggestions/corrections

[F.F.C._fritz]

Latin was the common european language in literature before the various vulgar languages kicked in. Medieval latin was different from ancient latin and changed from an author to another, from a country to another, influenced by the languages spoken locally. But still it was latin.
So I think it is a GREAT idea to have the european troop tree in latin, it really helps the "medieval feeling".
I don't have many problems with the latin in the game, italian has many similar terms, so many words can be guessed.
But being out there many people who speak pretty different languages, I thought a glossary would have been useful:


Fur - Thief - Looter
Montis Sicaris - Mountain Bandits
Silvae Sicaris - Forest Bandits
Libertus - Freed man, former slave in ancient Rome. I think it now refers to a common serf.
Iaculator - he who throws (missile troop)
Non didicti - something like "those who are not known as", I guess, but I may be wrong
Absolvitor - he who solve, do things.
arcoballista - crossbow
sagittarius - bowmen
Hastatus - man armed with hasta (spearman)
Dux - He who leads, leader
Machaerophorus - He who brings a sword, sword bearer (I think is more greek than latin, anyway)
Gisarme - this is not latin. Kinda halberd, big badass blade
Pedes de cives - citizen infantry
Oppidanus - man from an oppidum (fortification)
Gladius - old short latin sword
Retrobannum - The ban was the king calling for his vassals. The retrobannum was the vassals calling for vavassins and so on.
Vicanus - villager
Servio eques - Serf horseman
Scutifer - Those who brings the shield - squire
Homo armatus - Man-at-arms
Armiger eques - Armiger ahorse
Miles - Knight

Miles and Eques
The word "miles" was originally referred to infantry, while eques was the word for horseman. In the middle-ages
miles started to be referred to knight and general soldiers alike, creating a lot of confusion.


I know I'm going to sound a little like this

(click to show/hide)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIAdHEwiAy8

but I thought some corrections was needed for the revisions to come. No offense is intended, of course.
I basically changed all the non-knight miles with pedes (footman), to avoid confusion, and all the machaeroporus and gladius with ensifer (sword-bearer, literally).
Masnadiere is an italian word that literally means "criminal" "bandit" or something like that. Maybe it should be cut out from the troop tree.
Gisarme is not a latin word, so I didn't know how to insert it, yet I tried something.

Original name - My version (english translation)

Absolvitor - may be changed with "Mercenarius" for a clearer meaning (?)
Sicarius - Praedo (bandit)*
Libertus - Servus (serf)
Iaculator arcoballista militaris absolvitur - Arcoballista iaculator (Thrower with crossbow)
Sagittarius militaris absolvitur - Sagittarius (Archer)
Dux iaculator militaris absolvitur - Dux iaculatorum (Commander of the throwers)

Miles absolvitur - Pedes (Footman)
Hastatus militaris absolvitur - Hastatus (Spearman)
Dux hastatus militaris absolvitur - Dux hastati (Commander of the spearmen)
Machaerophours militaris veteranis absolvitur - Veteranus ensiferorum (Veteran of the swordbringers)
Dux machaerophours militaris absolvitur - Dux ensiferorum (Commander of the swordbearers)

Gisarme militaris absolvitur - Pedes ferens gisarme (Footman who brings a gisarme)
Dux gisarme militaris absolvitur - Dux peditum ferentium gisarme (Commander of the footmen bringers of gisarme)

Pedes de cives - Pedes civitatis (City footman)
Oppidanus - It means "from the fort". Should be changed with "cives" (cives)
Dux iaculator arcoballista militaris - Dux iacolatum (Commander of the throwers)
Miles gladius portat - Ensifer (Sword-bringer)
Miles gladius portat veteranus - Veteranus ensiferorum (Veterans of the swordbringers)
Dux miles gladius portat militaris - Dux ensiferorum (Commander of the swordbringers)
Miles pro communitas - Miles communi (Knights of the Commune)

Retrobannum pedes - Pedes servorum domini (footman of the serfs of the lord)
Vicanus -

Servio eques - Eques (Horseman)
Homo armatus - Could be changed with "Loricatus eques" (horseman with armor)


Hope it helps 

*while "sicarius" means assassin and is helpful to distinguish between looters and bandits, praedo is a more accurate definition of a general bandit.

[KnightPeter]

helpfull for me, thanks.

[kuauik]

i was Ioculator when i get drunk and laid on my bed,tried to get some sleep...than i was a real Genoese crossbowman

[Mannerheim]

Nice job with the translation, new users should finally stop asking questions about 'weird'(?) troop names This thread should be sticked imo

One thing:
I've noticed that 'absolvitur' was added for mercenary troops (Libertus troop tree). Removing this word can add some confusion... Maybe you should replace it with proper Latin name for mercenary soldier (mercennarius, conducticius)?

[F.F.C._fritz]

I based myself on the "presentable troop tree" topic up here, which I think may be outdated (some latin troop name may still be missing).
I didn't understood absolvitor (that may be executioner) was used for mercenary troops, that solves many doubts I had.

Now, I'm not sure if the word was widespread, but I think even the simple "mercenarius" word may be correct.
Tough I'm not sure "absolvitor" needs to be corrected, "mercenarius" would surely be more clear.

(Added a correction for bandits and for the word masnadiere, along with the mercenarius/absolvitor doubt.)

[xNECROx]

I also have gone through and drew my own troop trees/stats as I do for all mods..it's just kinda required ..especially cultural things, I try to avoid problems with army composition.

[Dynastia]

Hi. I noticed you said that you had to have a guess at what to call the guisarm.

Oakeshott mentions that the word they used as a catch-all for any pole-weapon was "stave"... so if you wanted to call guisarmiers something like Baculumii it might be period-accurate.

[MariusThePaladin]

Thanks,man. I love you

[geala]

I would like to get a statement from the devs. If they took contemporary terms from the sources, it should remain as it is. If not, the new terms could be used. I think "militaris absolvitur" hints ad men with military experience or training. "Miles" in antiquity just meant "soldier" or "warrior", not especially foot-soldier. Also in the middle ages it was not used solely for knights, but very often it had that meaning.