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Dr Adequate · 3rd August 2009, 02:47 AM

Can anyone tell me how to translate the English idiom "cleanliness is next to godliness" into Italian? Thanks.

P.S: Latin would be equally acceptable, now I think of it.

Powa · 3rd August 2009, 04:00 AM

Pulizia è accanto alla pietà.

Disclaimer: this was translated by Google, so do not use.

Akhenaten · 3rd August 2009, 04:13 AM

Munditia iuxtus pietas.

ETA: The original is, I believe, in Hebrew. Which is all Greek to me.

Shrike · 3rd August 2009, 04:34 AM

I know a little Italian.
Look, there he is.

MG1962 · 3rd August 2009, 06:18 AM

Originally Posted by Shrike

I know a little Italian.
Look, there he is.

....................tootsie fruitsie, get your tootsie fruitsie..................

Dr Adequate · 3rd August 2009, 07:06 AM

Originally Posted by Akhenaten

Munditia iuxtus pietas.

Ah, Latin. "Munditia" ... would be an odd coincidence, for reasons that will become apparent.

I'd be happier if you were more sure about the grammar. But thanks for the suggestion.

Anyone else like to weigh in?

---

P.S: I'd have thought it would be "iuxta" ... what's your reasoning for "iuxtus"?

Damien Evans · 3rd August 2009, 07:15 AM

according to Babelfish:

la pulizia è vicino a godliness

This can't be right as God in Italian is Dio.

Dr Adequate · 3rd August 2009, 07:21 AM

Yeah, it just doesn't translate words it doesn't know.

The actual translation of "godliness", however, is unlikely to be the Italian for god-li-ness, morpheme for morpheme. "Pietà" (piety) may be as close as one can get.

Kritikos · 3rd August 2009, 07:32 AM

I don't think the phrase exists in Italian. Someone posting here gives "La pulizia rende simili alla divinità" ("Cleanliness makes one like divinity"), but a Google search does not turn up that phrase anywhere but on that one page. (Edited to add: I just noticed a that the Italian is ungrammatical, which is a further reason not to trust this translation. "Simili" is plural; the singular is "simile.") The Italian Wikipedia does not include it among the proverbs on cleanliness, though you will find several proverbs there that praise cleanliness:

"Chi è pulito è bello" (Who is clean is beautiful).

"La pulizia adorna la padrona e la serva" (Cleanliness adorns the mistress and the maidservant).

"La pulizia costa poco, e molto vale" (Cleanliness costs little and is worth much).

"La pulizia piace a Dio e alle persone" (Cleanliness is pleasing to God and to people).

The last one is pretty close to the one that you have in mind. Why not use a proverb that actually exists in Italian?

ETA:

Originally Posted by Dr Adequate

Yeah, it just doesn't translate words it doesn't know.

The actual translation of "godliness", however, is unlikely to be the Italian for god-li-ness, morpheme for morpheme. "Pietà" (piety) may be as close as one can get.

Yes, I am pretty sure that "pietà" is the best translation of "godliness." It's rather a rum word in English: I don't recall ever seeing it used in any context other than that proverb.

Akhenaten · 3rd August 2009, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by Dr Adequate

P.S: I'd have thought it would be "iuxta" ... what's your reasoning for "iuxtus"?

I had "iuxta" and changed it because I thought "iuxtus" sounded better. That was dumb.

"Munditia" is feminine and therefore the verb should also be feminine, so yours and my first thoughts seem correct - "iuxta"

I'm very rusty, and also hope someone better will chime in.

bpesta22 · 3rd August 2009, 10:57 AM

I am a little italian. Can I help?

Akhenaten · 3rd August 2009, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by Dr Adequate

Yeah, it just doesn't translate words it doesn't know.

The actual translation of "godliness", however, is unlikely to be the Italian for god-li-ness, morpheme for morpheme. "Pietà" (piety) may be as close as one can get.

I don't know Italian, but it does seem that the Italian word is very close to the Latin "pietas", which translates exactly as "godliness".

ETA: It occurs to me that in English, there's very little difference in meaning between piety and godliness. They seem like Roman and Germanic versions of the same word, like "deus" and "gott". both of which mean "god".

3rd August 2009, 02:47 AM	#1
Dr Adequate Banned Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Waiting Long Enough By The River Posts: 17,897	Little Italian Help? Can anyone tell me how to translate the English idiom "cleanliness is next to godliness" into Italian? Thanks. P.S: Latin would be equally acceptable, now I think of it.

3rd August 2009, 04:00 AM	#2
Powa to the people Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Slovenia Posts: 7,603	Pulizia è accanto alla pietà. Disclaimer: this was translated by Google, so do not use.
	__________________ Satan is waitin', anticipatin' and hatin'. Stop Sylvia Browne www.whatstheharm.net What's a "sig"?

3rd August 2009, 04:13 AM	#3
Akhenaten Heretic Pharaoh Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Pi-Broadford, Australia Posts: 24,749	Munditia iuxtus pietas. ETA: The original is, I believe, in Hebrew. Which is all Greek to me.
	__________________ Life is mostly Froth and Bubble - Adam Lindsay Gordon The Australasian Skeptics Forum Last edited by Akhenaten; 3rd August 2009 at 04:27 AM. Reason: I changed "iiuxta" to "iuxtus" but I'm still not sure.

3rd August 2009, 04:34 AM	#4
Shrike Warning: May Contain Nuts Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Waddinxveen Posts: 2,331	I know a little Italian. Look, there he is.
	__________________ <This space for rent>

3rd August 2009, 07:06 AM	#6
Dr Adequate Banned Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Waiting Long Enough By The River Posts: 17,897	Originally Posted by Akhenaten Munditia iuxtus pietas. Ah, Latin. "Munditia" ... would be an odd coincidence, for reasons that will become apparent. I'd be happier if you were more sure about the grammar. But thanks for the suggestion. Anyone else like to weigh in? --- P.S: I'd have thought it would be "iuxta" ... what's your reasoning for "iuxtus"?
	Last edited by Dr Adequate; 3rd August 2009 at 07:22 AM.

3rd August 2009, 06:18 AM	#5
MG1962 Guest Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Kansas (Australia) Posts: 14,750	Originally Posted by Shrike I know a little Italian. Look, there he is. ....................tootsie fruitsie, get your tootsie fruitsie..................

3rd August 2009, 07:15 AM	#7
Damien Evans Up The Irons Tagger Join Date: May 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 25,506	according to Babelfish: la pulizia è vicino a godliness This can't be right as God in Italian is Dio.
	__________________ WHAT CAN THE HARVEST HOPE FOR, IF NOT THE CARE OF THE REAPER MAN? - Death

3rd August 2009, 07:21 AM	#8
Dr Adequate Banned Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Waiting Long Enough By The River Posts: 17,897	Yeah, it just doesn't translate words it doesn't know. The actual translation of "godliness", however, is unlikely to be the Italian for god-li-ness, morpheme for morpheme. "Pietà" (piety) may be as close as one can get.

3rd August 2009, 07:32 AM	#9
Kritikos Thinker Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Cambridge, Mass. Posts: 131	I don't think the phrase exists in Italian. Someone posting here gives "La pulizia rende simili alla divinità" ("Cleanliness makes one like divinity"), but a Google search does not turn up that phrase anywhere but on that one page. (Edited to add: I just noticed a that the Italian is ungrammatical, which is a further reason not to trust this translation. "Simili" is plural; the singular is "simile.") The Italian Wikipedia does not include it among the proverbs on cleanliness, though you will find several proverbs there that praise cleanliness: "Chi è pulito è bello" (Who is clean is beautiful). "La pulizia adorna la padrona e la serva" (Cleanliness adorns the mistress and the maidservant). "La pulizia costa poco, e molto vale" (Cleanliness costs little and is worth much). "La pulizia piace a Dio e alle persone" (Cleanliness is pleasing to God and to people). The last one is pretty close to the one that you have in mind. Why not use a proverb that actually exists in Italian? ETA: Originally Posted by Dr Adequate Yeah, it just doesn't translate words it doesn't know. The actual translation of "godliness", however, is unlikely to be the Italian for god-li-ness, morpheme for morpheme. "Pietà" (piety) may be as close as one can get. Yes, I am pretty sure that "pietà" is the best translation of "godliness." It's rather a rum word in English: I don't recall ever seeing it used in any context other than that proverb.
	Last edited by Kritikos; 3rd August 2009 at 08:02 AM.

3rd August 2009, 10:56 AM	#10
Akhenaten Heretic Pharaoh Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Pi-Broadford, Australia Posts: 24,749	Originally Posted by Dr Adequate P.S: I'd have thought it would be "iuxta" ... what's your reasoning for "iuxtus"? I had "iuxta" and changed it because I thought "iuxtus" sounded better. That was dumb. "Munditia" is feminine and therefore the verb should also be feminine, so yours and my first thoughts seem correct - "iuxta" I'm very rusty, and also hope someone better will chime in.
	__________________ Life is mostly Froth and Bubble - Adam Lindsay Gordon The Australasian Skeptics Forum

3rd August 2009, 10:57 AM	#11
bpesta22 Cereal Killer Join Date: Jul 2001 Posts: 4,651	I am a little italian. Can I help?
bpesta22 Cereal Killer Join Date: Jul 2001 Posts: 4,651	__________________ Manifest thy bosoms or decamp.

3rd August 2009, 11:01 AM	#12
Akhenaten Heretic Pharaoh Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Pi-Broadford, Australia Posts: 24,749	Originally Posted by Dr Adequate Yeah, it just doesn't translate words it doesn't know. The actual translation of "godliness", however, is unlikely to be the Italian for god-li-ness, morpheme for morpheme. "Pietà" (piety) may be as close as one can get. I don't know Italian, but it does seem that the Italian word is very close to the Latin "pietas", which translates exactly as "godliness". ETA: It occurs to me that in English, there's very little difference in meaning between piety and godliness. They seem like Roman and Germanic versions of the same word, like "deus" and "gott". both of which mean "god".
	__________________ Life is mostly Froth and Bubble - Adam Lindsay Gordon The Australasian Skeptics Forum Last edited by Akhenaten; 3rd August 2009 at 11:20 AM.