Sun, 21 Feb 2010
Gravedancing Greek
While Sam observes the Graystone house:
- Sam: Because, σοφιστής [sophistēs], they're both in the house and there's two other people in there. (6:37)
Bureau chief to Duram: You're wrong about this, I own your ὄρχεις [orkheis] (18:20).
ὄρχεις means "testicles".
The knucklebones game given to Willie Adama was in fact common in Greece and other parts of the ancient world.
Sam slips backstage at Backtalk with Baxter Sarno (29:44):
- Girl: There's a plastic bracelet for backstage visitors.
- Sam: οὐ δέομαι οὐδενὸς [ou deomai oudenos] plastic bracelet, but I could use that ID badge.
οὐ δέομαι οὐδενὸς means "I don't need no", i.e., "I don't need any" — the double negative is used in Greek as in Southern American English. - Girl: ἡδὺ τῇ σῇ εἰσόδῳ [hēdu tēi sēi eisodōi]
[May there be] pleasure in your visit.
As Sam and Joseph discuss Amanda Graystone's ride home:
- She was getting a little … ἐμπλήκτη [emplēktē] in the car. (38:35)
ἔμπληκτος means "stunned", "senseless", or "impulsive", "frantic". (The Liddell and Scott lexicon does not show a separate feminine form of this word; ἐμπλήκτη is what it would be).
Sat, 20 Feb 2010
Reins of a Waterfall Greek
Willie in the Tauron tavern:
A rap song plays in the background of this scene some of whose lyrics are in Greek. The song is called "Voices of the Dead"; it can be heard in full at Bear McCreary’s blog. I'm still trying to puzzle out part of the lyrics. The phrase repeated throughout the song is αὕται εἰσί αἱ φωναί [hautai eisi hai phōnai], "these are the voices", which in the last line is completed: αὕται εἰσί αἱ φωναὶ τῶν τεθνηκότων [hautai eisi hai phōnai tōn tethnēkotōn], "these are the voices of the dead".
Sam, Larry, and Joseph at dinner:
- “All you do is σκευλιάζειν [skeuliazein].” (Sam to Larry) — it means "to complain".
- "Hey, ἀδελφέ μου [adelphe mou]" — Sam’s casual address to Joseph. It means "my brother".
Mon, 08 Feb 2010
Caprica Greek Dialogue
Battlestar Galactica pulled a lot of verbal influence from the Ancient Greek world and language — Kara Thrace (the wild region north of Greece); Helo Agathon (a form of the word for “good” which was used as a name) and his wife Athena, the goddess; Lee “Apollo” Adama (the god); the Pythia, Apollo’s priestess at Delphi, etc, etc. In Caprica the Greek is even more obvious: The Tauronian language spoken onscreen is “real”, correct, Ancient Greek. I have tried to transcribe the Greek in the pilot episode and will continue to do so as time permits.
Sam Adama to Joseph, on the terrorist attack:
- ”The guatrau [a word which does not appear to me to be Greek] has pledged to help us find the νόθος [nothos] who killed Shannon and Tamara.” νόθος means “bastard”.
- αἷμα ἀντὶ αἵματος. ἡ δίκη τῶν Ταυρωνείων. [haima anti haimatos. he dikē tōn Taurōneiōn.]
Blood for blood. The justice of the Tauronians. - μᾶλλον οὖν χρὴ διῶξαι τὴν ἡμῖν δίκην, ὦ ἀδελφὲ μου. [mallon oun khrē diōxai tēn hēmin dikēn, ō adelphe mou.]
The more then must we prosecute our own justice [or “justice for ourselves”], my brother.
Sam Adama to the Defense Minister (during the assassination):
- χαίρε, Ὦ Θεράπων. [khaire, Ō Therapōn.]
Hello, Minister. - The remainder of his speech is unclear. What I can discern runs something like "οὔποτε […] νόσφι[σαι?] ὄπισθε ἀνέρος ὄντινα φίλον ὀνομαστι …" (never turn away from a man who is "friend" by name). But there's a few words missing from that and it's hard to work out what forms he's actually using.
Caprica Greek Dialogue — ”Rebirth”
On the memorial event:
“Looks like the Graystone people gave some money. Should be εὐπατρίδης [eupatridēs].” εὐπατρίδης literally means something like “of good parentage”; hence, “aristocratic”, “noble”.
Sam Adama and Willie in Little Tauron:
- He was λιπαρός [liparos] — you know that word?
Willie: Not really.
Sam: It means, ah, “smooth”.
λιπαρός does mean “smooth”, “sleek”, “oily”. - The sign of the Tauron shop through whose window Sam throws a trash can reads “ποίοτητα εκτύπωσης σε λογικές τιμές“ [poiotēta ektypōsēs se logikes times] / “ΕΜΠΟΡΙΟ[Ν]” [EMPORION]. ΕΜΠΟΡΙΟΝ means “store”. The remainder of the sign appears to me to be Modern Greek, which I can’t translate.
Joseph Adama to Willie:
- ”Δέσποινα [Despoina] Kolas called.” Δέσποινα means “Mistress” or “Lady”, i.e., a term of respectful address.
