POSTED BY

Brandon Boyer

AT 8:18 AM
Tuesday February 10, 2009

Retro

Because He Could: Zelda II: Expiditio Linci

linklatin.jpg

Translator 'tempestas_caput' doesn't seem to offer any explanation as to why he's translated Zelda II into Latin, so we just won't ask. But it's not the only game getting his "sleeping language" treatment: he's also gone alone, dangerously with the original Zelda, and is making his way, even more ambitiously, through Final Fantasy III.

I'd add something profound, but it already took me too long to realize I couldn't even find an online translator that could tell me how to say "because he could" in Latin.

Zelda II: Expiditio Linci [Romhacking, via and 'error' image courtesy Auntie Pixelante]

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7 Comments

freshyill

#1 – 11:12 AM February 10, 2009

So in the first Zelda, how do you translate "10th enemy has the bomb?" Keep in mind that this, in itself, is a mistranslation. Or something. Nobody can really decide.

cpuwhiz11

#2 – 1:52 PM February 10, 2009

Because he could in Latin is: "quod est" quod being "because" and est being "he/she/it is able". Its not a exact translation, but its the best I know.

@FRESHYILL
"decimus hostes armam habuit" decimus being "tenth" armam being "weapon" (don't think they had a word for bomb) hostes being "enemy" and habuit being "he/she/it has something".

I am pretty sure I did that all right. In other news this is the coolest thing ever.

Little Asi

#3 – 3:46 PM February 10, 2009

I'm no expert, but I believe it's "quod posset."


"Est" is a present, active, indicative verb meaning "he/she/it is."


"He could" requires imperfect, active, subjunctive; imperfect because that corresponds to past continuous verbs in English, active because the subject is performing the action, and subjunctive because it is expressing a potential action.

Anonymous Anonymous

#4 – 7:49 PM February 10, 2009

Indicative is correct:
quod poterat
There is no potentiality here: he did it because he actually was able to do so. 'Could' in English here is simply the past indicative of 'to be able' and it is directly equivalent to saying "because he was able."

pentomino

#5 – 11:14 PM February 10, 2009

I used to have an Esperanto translation of Zelda 1. I'll see if I can dig it up, and get the permission of the guy who did it.

cpuwhiz11

#6 – 2:37 AM February 11, 2009

@Little Asi
Your right, just goes to show how much I know.

Anonymous Anonymous

#7 – 3:49 PM February 13, 2009

Quod poterat.

Also, hostis decimum pyrobolum habet. There's a word for "bomb." I think the Vatican probably made it up, but it looks like a form of fire+ball, so it works anyway.

t_c, if you see this, you do indeed know more. Combined. Congrats, man.

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