25.04.24: adjectives functioning as nouns

Robin Hood: the legendary hero who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. ‘Rich’ and ‘poor’ are obviously adjectives, but here they function as nouns i.e. the rich (people) and the poor (people). Latin can do the same. Here are a few lines from the Codex Buranus; it’s a Mediaeval drinking song (in taberna quando sumus: when we’re in the pub), part of which lists every conceivable member of society who enjoys a pint!

The lyrics which have 1st / 2nd declension adjectives are marked in italics and 3rd declension adjectives are marked in bold. I will post the extract, give a literal translation and then my own translation:

Bibit hera bibit herus │the mistress drinks, the master drinks

bibit miles bibit clerus │the soldier drinks, the cleric drinks

bibit ille bibit illa │he drinks, she drinks

bibit servus cum ancilla │the manservant drinks with the maidservant

bibit velox bibit piger │the swift (man) drinks, the sluggish (man) drinks

bibit albus bibit niger │the white (man) drinks, the black (man) drinks

bibit constans bibit vagus │the steadfast (man) drinks, the rambling (man) drinks

bibit rudis bibit magus │the rough (man) drinks, the “magic” (man) drinks (can refer to a trickster; it may also be a noun here)

…

bibit pauper et egrotus* │the poor (man) drinks and the sick (man)

bibit exul et ignotus │the exile drinks and the foreign (man)

bibit puer bibit canus │the boy drinks, the grey-haired (man) drinks

bibit presul et decanus │the prelate drinks and the deacon

*Classical Latin: aegrotus; shift in Mediaeval to egrotus [/ae/ > /e/]

__________

My own translation; it is not an exact reproduction but it fits the mood, the metre and the rhyme:

Mistress drinks, so does the master

And the soldier and the pastor.

He is drinking, she is drinking,

Maid and servant glasses clinking.

Swift man drinks as much as slack man,

White man drinks as much as black man.

Those who’re steadfast, those who waver,

Coarse men, conmen liquor savour.

Poor or sick with ailment aching,

Strangers, exiles are partaking.

Beer by boy and grey man swilled,

With spirit deans and bishops filled.

I post my favourite version of the entire song. Sorry, I don’t like the Carl Orff composition because I don’t think he conveys the Mediaeval mood.

The lines that I’ve discussed here begin at 3:51.

And we’ll look at it again because there are other features in all the lyrics which tie in with the topic of 3rd declension adjectives, but not yet: I hope you enjoy being transported back to the 12th century while they all get increasingly plastered toasting everybody they can think up!