Talk:Responsum Pontificum de Diebus (Nova Roma)

VII : Commentary

"Fixed days (dies fissi)"

The following comments were made by A. Apollonius a. d. VII Kal. Qui. K. Buteone Po. Minucia cos. ‡ MMDCCLIX a.u.c. in discussion on the ReligioRomana list (message 8854 in the archive):

I fear the pontices have fallen victims to a false etymology. Fissus is the past participle of the verb findere, meaning "to split or cut", and therefore dies fissi are "cut days". [The] pontifices may have been thinking of fixus, meaning "fixed", the past participle of figere, meaning "to fix or fasten".

Q. Metellus pontifex replied (message 8855):

You're quite correct. The Latin is correct here; they should be dies fissi. However, the translation should have been "split days", since they are split between two different characters. I'm sure this is one of those errors that happen when you pay more attention to the Latin than the English, especially in translating.