Google translate now does Latin!

[ElizaG]

Please excuse me if this has already been mentioned somewhere. I was just using Google translate for something else, and noticed Latin in the drop-down. It's listed as an Alpha release, i.e. still in the very early testing phase. But still... good to know that they're at work on it.

 

http://translate.google.com/#la|en|

 

My Latin is pretty limited, but I tried a few things out on it. It seems to do well with common Catholic prayers (I'm suspecting it's been "fed" those already), but it thoroughly mangled many of the translation exercises from old Latin textbooks.

 

 

All you experts out there, please throw some more stuff at it, and let us know how it does! If nothing else, at this stage, it will be good for a laugh. :D

Edited October 15, 2010 by Eleanor

[kalphs]

Thank you for sharing this resource!

[keptwoman]

I'm in no way an expert, but it thoroughly mangled the one thing I gave it.

[ElizaG]

Forgot to mention that real live human beings are encouraged to suggest their own corrections. To do this, just move the mouse pointer over the text of the machine translation, and a pop-up window will appear.

 

It's sort of like being part of a vast electronic version of Mr. Chips. Minus the canings. (And Petula Clark bursting into song in the 1969 version.) :tongue_smilie:

[Michelle in MO]

I believe there are other online Latin translation websites as well. One way to check their accuracy is to do a reverse translation, i.e., English to Latin, and then Latin to English, and check the accuracy.

 

My thought is that these can be only marginally helpful. I've used them, but primarily only for one word and not for a phrase. There are just too many nuances and subtleties in Latin case usage and verb usage, particularly with the many different uses of the ablative and dative cases, for example, or the varieties of subjunctive verbs.