Cirogrillus animal est lege prohibitum. Est autem animal parvum et naturaliter debile et in hoc plerumque mirabile, quia licet debile sit, tamen infestum et rapax est et mortiferum ceteris animantibus terre.
- Translation
- Vocabulary
- Notes
Concerning the cirogrillus. The cirogrillus is an animal prohibited by law. It is however a small animal and naturally weak and for the most part astonishing in this, because although it may be weak it is nevertheless hostile and greedy and it is deadly to other living things of the earth.
debilis, a, um adj. weak; feeble
infestus, a, um adj. dangerous; hostile
lex, legis n./f. law
mirabilis, a, um adj. wonderful
mortifer, a, um adj. deadly
naturaliter adv. naturally; normally
plerus, a, um adj. the majority; most
prohibeo, prohibere, prohibui, prohibitus 2 hinder; restrain
rapax, rapacis adj. rapacious
terreo, terrere, terrui, territus 2 frighten
licet: means “although” here. Often it is translated as “it is permitted” but in this case it means “although.”
sit: third person singular subjunctive form of “esse.” Here it is used as the potential subjunctive, which is translated “it may be.”
terre: is really terrae (the ’a’ is omitted as was common during 13th c. Latin writings)