Lupus Candoris?

[White Wolf]

Hi,

I have to tell in advance, that all Latin I know fits on the tip of a
needle. So if I my question is completely silly, the problem is not at your
end.

I was trying to translate White Wolf into Latin. First attempt (for someone
like me) at it would be lupus alba, or alba lupus (liker Alba Regia) but
somehow neither of these sounds right for my ears. Cannot tell why, possibly
alba itself sound too female? No idea, my just be my bad.

Lupus Albatus sounds right, but it my be silly as - according to a
dictionary - say Albatus means "clothed in white", which may or may not be a
way to refer to animals fur...

Anyway. How would you translate it? I was thinking to put a twist into it
and say Lupus Candoris, but then again, I know no Latin grammar, so that
could be just very bad, too. :-(

Help! ;-)

[Johannes Patruus]

Post by White Wolf
Hi,
I have to tell in advance, that all Latin I know fits on the tip of a
needle. So if I my question is completely silly, the problem is not at your
end.
I was trying to translate White Wolf into Latin. First attempt (for someone
like me) at it would be lupus alba, or alba lupus (liker Alba Regia) but
somehow neither of these sounds right for my ears. Cannot tell why, possibly
alba itself sound too female? No idea, my just be my bad.
Lupus Albatus sounds right, but it my be silly as - according to a
dictionary - say Albatus means "clothed in white", which may or may not be a
way to refer to animals fur...
Anyway. How would you translate it? I was thinking to put a twist into it
and say Lupus Candoris, but then again, I know no Latin grammar, so that
could be just very bad, too. :-(

The full name is "Canis lupus albus":
http://www.wolfhowl.org/info/subspecies/albus.html

Now here's a real cutie -
http://www.blacknudl.de/galerie/zooleipzig/LZ17wolf.htm

Johannes

[White Wolf]

Johannes Patruus wrote:
[SNIP]

Post by Johannes Patruus

Post by White Wolf
Anyway. How would you translate it? I was thinking to put a twist
into it and say Lupus Candoris, but then again, I know no Latin
grammar, so that could be just very bad, too. :-(

http://www.wolfhowl.org/info/subspecies/albus.html
Now here's a real cutie -
http://www.blacknudl.de/galerie/zooleipzig/LZ17wolf.htm
Johannes

Thanks! Any ideas about that Lupus Candoris? I read that candoris means:

candor -oris m. [shining whiteness , luster]; of character, [sincerity,
candor]; of writing, [clarity, simplicity].

I like that idea, and I also like the idea that people will need to
think/know a bit to connect that Lupus Candoris to White Wolf. :-)

Could you tell me if that is (can be) a proper Latin proper name? (lame pun
intended :-) )

[Johannes Patruus]

Post by White Wolf
[SNIP]

Post by Johannes Patruus

Post by White Wolf
Anyway. How would you translate it? I was thinking to put a twist
into it and say Lupus Candoris, but then again, I know no Latin
grammar, so that could be just very bad, too. :-(

http://www.wolfhowl.org/info/subspecies/albus.html
Now here's a real cutie -
http://www.blacknudl.de/galerie/zooleipzig/LZ17wolf.htm
Johannes

candor -oris m. [shining whiteness , luster]; of character, [sincerity,
candor]; of writing, [clarity, simplicity].
I like that idea, and I also like the idea that people will need to
think/know a bit to connect that Lupus Candoris to White Wolf. :-)
Could you tell me if that is (can be) a proper Latin proper name? (lame pun
intended :-) )

"Candor" is a noun, so "Lupus candoris" is literally "Wolf of whiteness",
the meaning of which is not clear.

The adjective is "candidus", so you could have "Lupus candidus".

The latter expression not unprecedented:
http://www.google.com/search?q=%22lupus+candidus%22

You can see the definition of "candidus" by scrolling a little way down
this page: http://tinyurl.com/5xkn6

Signing off for today,

Johannes

[neoholistic]

x-no-archive: yes

Post by White Wolf
[SNIP]

Post by Johannes Patruus

Post by White Wolf
Anyway. How would you translate it? I was thinking to put a twist
into it and say Lupus Candoris, but then again, I know no Latin
grammar, so that could be just very bad, too. :-(

http://www.wolfhowl.org/info/subspecies/albus.html
Now here's a real cutie -
http://www.blacknudl.de/galerie/zooleipzig/LZ17wolf.htm
Johannes

candor -oris m. [shining whiteness , luster]; of character, [sincerity,
candor]; of writing, [clarity, simplicity].
I like that idea, and I also like the idea that people will need to
think/know a bit to connect that Lupus Candoris to White Wolf. :-)
Could you tell me if that is (can be) a proper Latin proper name? (lame pun
intended :-) )

"Candor" means "whiteness, purity", etc. "Candoris" means "of whiteness,
of purity", etc. You would be saying "the wolf of whiteness" or similar.
Besides, "candor" isn't an adjective.

You could use "candidus", though, which means "bright, clear; clean,
spotless; innocent, pure; radiant; dressed in white; of light colour;
fair skinned, pale", among other things. That would be "lupus candidus"
or "candidus lupus", as you like.

"Canus" means "(snow) white", too, and also "wise" (but more often "old
aged" or "white/grey haired"). If you're old enough, "lupus canus" could
be a good choice.

Your first choice, "alba", was incorrect because it's the femenine form
of "albus". Unless you're a female, in which case it would be "lupa
alba" ("white she-wolf"). For a male wolf, "lupus albus" is perfectly
correct.

[White Wolf]

x-no-archive: yes
[SNIP]

Post by neoholistic

Post by White Wolf
candor -oris m. [shining whiteness , luster]; of character, [sincerity,
candor]; of writing, [clarity, simplicity].
I like that idea, and I also like the idea that people will need to
think/know a bit to connect that Lupus Candoris to White Wolf. :-)
Could you tell me if that is (can be) a proper Latin proper name? (lame
pun intended :-) )

"Candor" means "whiteness, purity", etc. "Candoris" means "of whiteness,
of purity", etc. You would be saying "the wolf of whiteness" or similar.
Besides, "candor" isn't an adjective.

OK. Since I know no Latin grammar and my grammar vocabulary (in English) is
rather weak as well, lwt me try to clarify this for me. If I say Lupus
Candoris, that would mean Wolf of Whiteness, or Wolf or
Purity/Sincerity/Clarity/Simplicity? I mean is that just all bad grammar
and makes no sense, or does it hold the same meaning as my (attempts in)
translations in English?

Post by neoholistic
You could use "candidus", though, which means "bright, clear; clean,
spotless; innocent, pure; radiant; dressed in white; of light colour;
fair skinned, pale", among other things. That would be "lupus candidus"
or "candidus lupus", as you like.

Yep. Now you will not believe it, but the first Google hit on that word
shows that this is used as an ID on that very web forum I wanted to use it
on (one of the two)... And there were 3 other hits.

Post by neoholistic
"Canus" means "(snow) white", too, and also "wise" (but more often "old
aged" or "white/grey haired"). If you're old enough, "lupus canus" could
be a good choice.

I like to think that I am not old enough for it, although I feel like it
time to time. :-)

Post by neoholistic
Your first choice, "alba", was incorrect because it's the femenine form
of "albus". Unless you're a female, in which case it would be "lupa
alba" ("white she-wolf"). For a male wolf, "lupus albus" is perfectly
correct.

Thanks. So far I still think that if Lupus Candoris is not absolutely silly
beyond repair, I'd like to go with that. Canus sounds probably too old for
me. Candidus is not only taken, but nowadays people might associate it with
candida (that fungus/whatever), which is not what I want people to think of.

[Ed Cryer]

Post by White Wolf
candor -oris m. [shining whiteness , luster]; of character, [sincerity,
candor]; of writing, [clarity, simplicity].
I like that idea, and I also like the idea that people will need to
think/know a bit to connect that Lupus Candoris to White Wolf. :-)
Could you tell me if that is (can be) a proper Latin proper name? (lame pun
intended :-) )

You seem highly attached to this genitive, and maybe I can see why. Latin
has a usage known as "genitive of quality", BUT it invariably comes with an
adjective attached.
Vir summae fortitudinis = a man of the greatest courage.
A brave man = homo fortis (never homo fortitudinis)

So, although one would say "lupus candidus" or lupus albus", you could say
"lupus summi candoris" or "lupus candoris nivalis" (snowy whiteness), or
lots more of the sort.

Ed

[White Wolf]

Post by Ed Cryer

Post by White Wolf
candor -oris m. [shining whiteness , luster]; of character, [sincerity,
candor]; of writing, [clarity, simplicity].
I like that idea, and I also like the idea that people will need to
think/know a bit to connect that Lupus Candoris to White Wolf. :-)
Could you tell me if that is (can be) a proper Latin proper name? (lame
pun intended :-) )

You seem highly attached to this genitive, and maybe I can see why. Latin
has a usage known as "genitive of quality", BUT it invariably comes with
an adjective attached.
Vir summae fortitudinis = a man of the greatest courage.
A brave man = homo fortis (never homo fortitudinis)
So, although one would say "lupus candidus" or lupus albus", you could
say "lupus summi candoris" or "lupus candoris nivalis" (snowy
whiteness), or lots more of the sort.

OK. So that means that Lupus Candoris is silly/not-good. Well, then I am
back to square one. Lupus Albus is too plain, Lupus Candidus is taken.
For Lupus Canus I still have at least 10 years to go.

I did not think it will be that difficult. I hoped (after reading the other
two answers) that it would just mean Wolf of
Whiteness/Purity/Sincerity/Clarity/Simplicity, which I could go with. But
as I understand what you wrote, it is grammatically incorrest. What am I
going to do now? :-(

[neoholistic]

x-no-archive: yes

Post by White Wolf

Post by Ed Cryer

Post by White Wolf
candor -oris m. [shining whiteness , luster]; of character, [sincerity,
candor]; of writing, [clarity, simplicity].
I like that idea, and I also like the idea that people will need to
think/know a bit to connect that Lupus Candoris to White Wolf. :-)
Could you tell me if that is (can be) a proper Latin proper name? (lame
pun intended :-) )

You seem highly attached to this genitive, and maybe I can see why. Latin
has a usage known as "genitive of quality", BUT it invariably comes with
an adjective attached.
Vir summae fortitudinis = a man of the greatest courage.
A brave man = homo fortis (never homo fortitudinis)
So, although one would say "lupus candidus" or lupus albus", you could
say "lupus summi candoris" or "lupus candoris nivalis" (snowy
whiteness), or lots more of the sort.

OK. So that means that Lupus Candoris is silly/not-good. Well, then I am
back to square one. Lupus Albus is too plain, Lupus Candidus is taken.
For Lupus Canus I still have at least 10 years to go.
I did not think it will be that difficult. I hoped (after reading the other
two answers) that it would just mean Wolf of
Whiteness/Purity/Sincerity/Clarity/Simplicity, which I could go with. But
as I understand what you wrote, it is grammatically incorrest. What am I
going to do now? :-(

"Lupus Niveus" means "Snowy/White Wolf". Maybe you'll be lucky and it
isn't taken yet.

How about "Lupus S. Candoris" (S. standing for "Summae", ie, "Wolf of
Great Whiteness"), or "Lupus N. Candoris" (N. standing here for
"Nivalis", ie, "Wolf of Snowy Whiteness")? The Romans were very fond of
abbreviations themselves. If someone asks what the "S." or the "N."
stand for, you just explain it as above...

[neoholistic]

x-no-archive: yes

Post by neoholistic
How about "Lupus S. Candoris" (S. standing for "Summae", ie, "Wolf of

Oops! I meant "Summi", not "Summae". As Ed Cryer said, "Wolf of
Greatest/Highest Whiteness".

[White Wolf]

x-no-archive: yes
[SNIP]

Post by neoholistic
"Lupus Niveus" means "Snowy/White Wolf". Maybe you'll be lucky and it
isn't taken yet.
How about "Lupus S. Candoris" (S. standing for "Summae", ie, "Wolf of
Great Whiteness"), or "Lupus N. Candoris" (N. standing here for
"Nivalis", ie, "Wolf of Snowy Whiteness")? The Romans were very fond of
abbreviations themselves. If someone asks what the "S." or the "N."
stand for, you just explain it as above...

Thanks! I will have now some thinking to do. :-)

[J. W. Love]

I hoped (after reading the other two answers) that it would just
mean Wolf of Whiteness/Purity/Sincerity/Clarity/Simplicity,
which I could go with. But as I understand what you wrote, it is
grammatically incorrest. What am I going to do now?

Review your options! Linnaean Latin has refined the colors rather precisely.
Here, more or less from whitest to least white, are the whites:

albus: dead white
snow-white: niveus, nivalis
unblemished white: virgineus
paper-white: papyraceus
pure white: candidus, candidissimus
ivory-white: eburneus, eborinus
milk-white: lacteus, lacticolor, galactites, galachrous
chalk-white: cretaceus, creteus, calcareus, gypseus
plaster-white: cerussatus
clay-white: argillaceus
silver-white: argenteus, argentaceus, argyraceus
cream-colored: ermineus, cremeus, cremicolor
marble-white: alabastrinus, marmoratus
whitish: albidus, albidulus, albinus, albineus, albellus, exalbidus
whitening: albescens, albicans, candicans
whitened: dealbatus

Most of these are probably unsuitable for your purposes. Additional terms are
available (but are probably inadvisable); e.g.,

candidulus: shining white, whitish
canens: being white, gray, or hoary
canescens: becoming white, gray, or hoary
canus: hoary-white (mainly poetical)

If you must have a noun plus an adjective, those are most of your choices for
adjectives. Maybe someone else can offer a more.

Could we interest you in terms for gray?

ash-gray:cinereus
ash-grayish (whiter than the preceding): cineraceus
pearl-gray: griseus
slate-gray: schistaceus
lead-colored: plumbeus
smoky gray: fumeus, fumosus
mouse-gray: murinus
hoary-gray: incanus

There are a bunch of others (e.g., liveus, lividus, lixivius, molybdinus,
myochrous, spodochrous, and many others, including, according to Stearn's
_Botanical Latin,_ an odd one: elbidus 'saddest gray').