What is the translation of the latin phrase: Argentum honor et amicitia?
The words denote silver, honor, and friendship–except that it doesn’t. All three words have connotations in Latin that don’t really come across in their English equivalents. In the context of these three particular words together I’d translate them a little more idiomatically. Argentum means money. The word for money in several Romance languages, i.e., those derived from Latin, comes from this one. Honor means the perks that come with an office, i.e., the prestige and power. I’d translate this word as power. Amicitia does sort of mean friendship. The word for friend in several Romance languages is derived from the Latin word amicus. But when a Roman used the term amicus, he didn’t mean it exactly the same way we do when we call someone a friend. An amicus was someone you exchanged favors with in a mutually beneficial relationship. Mutual back-scratching, if you will. It didn’t include the sort of affectionate attitude the English word implies. In the context of your friend’s motto, I’
