VROMA :: Glossary for VRoma's Latin Voice

Thanks to a generous grant from The Classical Association of the Atlantic States, in August 2008 the six classicists listed here translated the “voice” of VRoma (all of the system and interface messages, menu items, buttons, etc.) into classical Latin: David M. Conti (Saint Mark's School); John C. Gruber-Miller (Cornell College); Barbara F. McManus (The College of New Rochelle); Stephen A. Nimis (Miami University); Ann. R. Raia (The College of New Rochelle); James S. Ruebel (Ball State University).

The primary principle of this translation is that the words used would have been recognized by an educated Roman of VRoma's time period, the mid second-century CE, although many of the objects and concepts to which those words refer in their modern context would be totally incomprehensible to that ancient Roman. A few modern words were used with quotation marks (such as 'Java,' 'Telnet,' and 'Xpress'), and certain acronyms were retained (URL, HTML, CSS), since the Romans themselves famously employed one (SPQR). However, the rest of the vocabulary was classical; words had to appear in the Oxford Latin Dictionary with ancient meanings that were at least compatible with their modern references in VRoma. This glossary explains the most significant choices made by the translators and will help a modern visitor understand VRoma's ancient tongue (note that VRoma will speak in English unless a visitor explicitly requests the Latin).

accessus: -us: m. right of approach, access. In VRoma owners can restrict access to rooms or objects—either completely, so that only the owner can enter the room or use the object, or partially, by specifying certain players who have these rights and excluding all other players.

acta: -orum: n. pl. a written record of events; especially the record of business transacted by the Senate. In VRoma this word refers to the various types of “logs,” written records that are kept for players and events.

actio: -onis: f. activity, doing of an action. This is the word for “applications,” programs that carry out various actions (e.g., the Rerum Mutator or “Object Editor” that is used to modify owned objects).

adhibeo: -ere, -ui, -itum: verb (2) to make use of, employ for a particular purpose. This is sometimes accompanied by the dative of the gerundive expressing the purpose.

adiungo: -gere, -xi, -ctum: verb (3) to connect, link up, attach; to add (an extra person or thing) to (a group, class, etc.). VRoma draws upon the second meaning for “subscribing” to a colloquium (discussion board), using the reflexive and in plus the ablative.

aedificator: -oris: m. a builder. This is the natural word choice for the player level called “builder,” a player with the ability to create rooms and objects.

antepono: -ponere, -posui, -positum: verb (3) to place above, esteem more highly, prefer. In VRoma the perfect passive participle of this verb refers to a player's “preferred language,” and this is especially appropriate since one chooses this language by raising it to the top of the list, above all other languages listed.

apparatus: -us: m. instruments, equipment, apparatus. This word was chosen to designate a computer.

arcesso: -ere, -ivi/ii, -itum: verb (3) to send for, fetch, summon; to summon before a court. A wizard or teacher is able to “summon” other players to his or her location, and the legal meaning of this word helps to convey the peremptory nature of such summoning.

area: -ae: f. a space clear of buildings, an open space; a field of action. In VRoma, this word denotes a web “frame,” one of the five frames that constitute the VRoma screen—area instrumentorum, the menu frame at the top; area sermonis, the chat frame; area scribendi, the frame for writing dialogue and commands; area telae, the web frame that shows the images and descriptions of rooms and objects; area lusorum, the player frame that shows who is currently in a given room.

argumentum: -i: n. the subject or theme (of a letter, speech, etc.). This word indicates the subject heading on an email or posting to a discussion board.

auctor: -oris: m/f. the maker, creator, builder, inventor, artist; the originator or source. In VRoma, this word designates the “owner” of a room or other object, since the player who creates an object is its only full owner (although this ownership can later be transferred in various ways; see below on mancipium).

automatum: -i: n. an automatic contrivance, automaton. This is VRoma's word for “bots,” objects that imitate players because they can participate in conversations using pieces of dialogue written by their creators. The automatum ludens actually appears to be a player, showing up in the player frame and Who browser, while the automatum non ludens speaks but is not disguised as an actual player.

callais: -idis: f. a greenish-blue precious stone, turquoise. In VRoma, this designates one of the “themes,” characterized by a lovely aqua color.

capsula: -ae: f. a small container for books. Since a capsa in VRoma is a container that can hold any kind of written document, we chose this word to designate a “file folder” on a computer, a little container for holding files.

census: -us: m. the written records of the census, the census roll or returns. These were the most elaborate quantitative records kept by the Roman state, and we have used this word to indicate any kind of “statistics” in VRoma.

citrus: -i: f. the African citron-tree, with a fruit resembling a lemon. The Romans did not know our citrus fruits, and so for the VRoma “themes” referring to lemon, lime, and tangerine, we have used this word modified by an appropriate color.

civis: -is: m/f. a citizen, considered in his relationship to the state; specifically, a Roman citizen. In VRoma, this word denotes a “registered user,” a player with a valid user ID and password, in contrast with the more general word lusor, which designates any kind of player, including unregistered “guests”.

coacervo: -are, -avi, -atum: verb (1) to gather together into a heap; to make by collecting or heaping up. This seemed appropriate for a “batchfile”—scriptum conservatum ad coacervandum—which gathers a number of objects together in order to perform an action on them simultaneously.

coarto: -are, -avi, -atum: verb (1) to make narrower; to crowd or pack together. This verb describes what happens when a user “collapses” threads in a discussion board, showing only the first message in each thread.

colloquium: -i: n. talk, conversation (in written form); conference, discussion. This is VRoma's term for a “discussion board,” set up so that members can post email messsages in order to conduct discussions on various topics.

communico: -are, -avi, -atum: verb (1) to share something (with another). This verb is used when an owner wishes to make another player a “shared owner/co-owner” of an object.

communis: -is, -e: adjective shared, possessed, used, etc. by all in a particular group. In VRoma, the owner (auctor) of an object can share with one or more other players the right to edit it and perform other actions with it; this is not the same as full ownership (mancipium), since these other players cannot recycle or delete the object. In VRoma, “shared objects” are called res communes, and the group of “shared owners/co-owners” is known as qui rem communiter habent.

compositio: -onis: f. physical arrangement in order or sequence. This is an obvious choice for “layout,” including the layout of a web page, the arrangement of the five frames on the VRoma screen, etc. It also refers to the “sorting” of objects in a list.

comprobo: -are, -avi, -atum: verb (1) to sanction, ratify (a proposal, arrangement). VRoma will use this verb when confirming a setting you have already made (i.e., when you try to save an editing change that you had previously saved).

condicio: -onis: f. term, stipulation, provision; circumstance, situation, state of affairs. In the first sense, this word designates one or more “criteria” a player sets when conducting a search (condiciones quaerendi); in the second, it denotes the current status of an object property (e.g., the “hidden status” of a slide).

confero: -rre, contuli, collatum: verb (3) to confer, bestow (benefits); to supply as one's share to a common fund or stock, contribute. Information about those who have contributed in various ways to the enCore platform (Qui contulerunt) can be found through MOO Info (de Structura) in the menu frame, including those who have translated various languages (Interpretes).

confundo: -undere, -udi, -usum: verb (3) to mingle or join together so as to make one, combine, blend. Wizards and teachers use this verb to “merge” duplicate accounts into one (used with in plus the accusative). In this process, the surviving account/player is known as dominus, the “master,” and the account/player to be blended as servus, the “slave.”

consto: -are, -iti: verb (1) to continue (in a state or condition); to remain unchanged. VRoma will use this verb to tell you that a setting has not been changed but remains as before.

corpus: -oris: n. any structure comparable to a body, a fabric, framework; the structure of a speech. We have chosen this word for the text or “body” of any document (corpus scripti), as oppposed to its subject or description.

deleo: -ere, -evi -etum: verb (2) to remove (written characters, marks) by wiping or scratching out, to delete; to destroy completely. This is the natural choice for “delete,” a process which irrevocably destroys an object.

dignitas: -atis: f. rank, status; a position conferring rank. VRoma, like ancient Rome, is a class-conscious society, with a hierarchy of player classes (civium dignitates). As in Rome, each higher rank confers more powers on a citizen, and the different ranks are marked by different tunic colors on the player's icon.

dilabor: -bi, -psus: verb (3) to melt or dissolve away (as a ghost, vision, etc.). When a player “teleports” to another place in VRoma (by typing the @go command), others in the room will see this verb as the departing player melts away like the vision of a god.

diligo: -igere, -exi, -ectum: verb (3) to have an especial regard or liking for. In VRoma, “bookmarks” or “favorites” are called loca dilecta, those rooms or objects that one expects to visit frequently and so stores in a clickable list for quick access.

discus: -i: m. a disk-shaped object. This word invokes the same metaphor as English to designate a computer “disk,” a memory device for storing data.

dispenso: -are, -avi, -atum: verb (1) to pay out, distribute, apportion; to control, administer. Since this verb was especially used with regard to money, it is the obvious choice for “managing” one's finances in VRoma, which is accomplished via the Inventory Manager.

epistula: -ae: f. a written communication, letter, dispatch. In VRoma, email communications are the “fastest possible letters,” epistulae celerrimae, differentiated as exteriores (Internet email) or interiores (email within the MOO itself).

exemplar: -aris: n. an example (for imitation), pattern, model. This word designates the “themes” in VRoma, models or templates of styles and colors that each player can choose to personalize the VRoma screen.

exeo: -ire, -ivi/ii,-itum: verb irreg. to go by, expire (of a period of time). This verb indicates the expiration of an object that has had an “expiry date” (dies exeundi) set by its owner.

expedio: -ire, -ivi/ii,-itum: verb (4) to prepare for use, make ready; to make available. VRoma will use this verb when “reseting” something, for example a guest account that needs to be cleared of information from the previous user and made ready for the next guest who wishes to visit the city.

exscribo: -bere, -psi,-ptum: verb (3) to make a written copy of, transcribe, copy out. If you wish to “copy and paste” in VRoma, your Latin verbs will be exscribere et reponere.

fabrico: -are, -avi, -atum: verb (1) to build, construct; to devise, contrive, invent. In VRoma, this word means “to program,” to write the code that structures everything and makes everything function smoothly. Hence a fabricator is a member of the player class called “programmers,” and fabricatio denotes the code itself.

facio: -ere, feci, factum: verb (3) to bring into existence, make, create; to cause to be or become. This extremely useful verb will be found everywhere in VRoma, designating the process of creating rooms and objects, of causing players to become members of groups, etc. It is also used to mean “inform, notify” with the comparative of certus, as in the phrase Fac magum certiorem . . . , “Notify a wizard . . . ”

facultas: -atis: f. power, potency; (plural) resources, means. In VRoma, the phrase facultates multiplices is used for “multimedia”; this seemed appropriate for a word that signifies the combination of many types of resources at once (text, graphics, audio, etc.).

fides: -ei: f. a guarantee, promise, assurance. In VRoma, fides scriptorum indicates “copyright.”

filum: -i: n. a thread, single strand of yarn. VRoma employs the same metaphor as English for a “thread” in a discussion board, signifying all the messages on a single topic.

foedus: -eris: n. a formal agreement between states or peoples; a compact. In VRoma, this is the “license,” the legal compact that defines permissible uses of the platform.

forma: -ae: f. visible form, appearance; something considered in respect of its shape or outward appearance. In VRoma, the extremely broad meaning of this word has been restricted to the “style” of an object (forma rei) as created by CSS (Cascading Stylesheets).

formatura: -ae: f. shape or conformation. This word refers to a specific “format,” for example temporis formatura, the format in which time is displayed.

formula: -ae: f. a set form of words, formula; a rule of procedure; a guide, pattern. This word refers both to the speech “patterns” to which bots will respond (set order of words that the bot will repeat in its response) and also to the formulas used in code, such as javascript. Hence a “Doctype,” an HTML declaration that determines what type of codes can be used in a web page, is called formulae genus.

generalis: -is, -e: adjective shared by or common to the whole of a class or group, generic; forming a group or class. In VRoma a res generalis is a “generic,” from which all objects of that type descend and inherit their primary characteristics.

gero: -rere, -ssi, -stum: verb (3) to carry on, perform, do. This verb refers to “operating,” for example when a piece of equipment or an application carries out its prescribed function.

gradus: -us: m. a degree of comparative quality, size, importance, intensity, etc. In VRoma, this refers to the “level” of a setting, e.g, the degree of privacy, the intensity with which an object clings to its home site, etc.

hereditas: -atis: f. the action or fact of inheriting; hereditary succession. In VRoma, all objects inherit characteristics (“properties”) from their parents, the generics. When the values of these properties have not been explicitly changed, they are considered “clear” (i.e., inherited), which we express through the adjective hereditarius. When the values have been changed, a user can always restore the original inherited values by clicking a button marked repara hereditates.

horreum: -i: n. a storehouse for grain; a room or building for storing other commodities. This physical, literal Roman storehouse in VRoma represents a virtual storehouse of digital information, the database. The general database is termed rerum computatarum horreum, the “storehouse of calculated things,” while specific databases are modified by the appropriate genitive noun.

hospes: -itis: m/f. a guest, visitor; stranger. Guests visit VRoma with no permanent stake in the city; any settings they make disappear as soon as they disconnect and they leave no traces of their presence in the city.

illabor: -bi, -psus: verb (3) to move smoothly, glide (into); to flow (into). When a player “teleports” to another place in VRoma (by typing the @go command), those in the destination room will see this verb as the arriving player “materializes” out of thin air.

imago: -inis: f. visible form; a representation; a duplicate, reflection, likeness; (philosophy) an image emitted by an object and apprehended by the eyes. This is VRoma's word for a “slide,” a visual representation (composed of text, graphics, sound, etc.) created by a player and projected to everyone present in a room through the use of a slide projector machina imaginum or machina ad proiciendum.

immuto: -are, -avi, -atum: verb (1) to make different, alter, modify. This important verb enables players to “edit” their rooms and objects, to alter settings, modify appearance, etc.

imprimo: -imere, -essi, -essum: verb (3) to mark by the application of pressure, stamp or imprint (with). The ancient Romans used bronze seals or stamps to imprint ownership marks on objects, but the modern VRoman can “print” documents and logs by clicking the button that says mitte hoc machinae ad imprimendum.

index: -icis: m. something that shows or reveals; a list, catalogue (esp. of books or authors). This word denotes any kind of “list” in VRoma, from the table of owned objects (Thesauri index) that is displayed by the Inventory Manager to the many drop-down lists of choices that appear when editing various objects. It is also part of the name of the Who Browser (Quis-Index) that displays a table of all connected players along with their current locations.

ineo: -ire, -ii/ivi, -itum: verb irreg. to go into, enter (a place). A player enters the city with this verb (“connecting” or “logging in” to the MOO). Hence the “Login page” is the Pagina ineundi.

inscriptio: -onis: f. an inscribed legend, inscription. In VRoma this word indicates a written “address” (especially an email address, inscriptio epistulae celerrimae); this is an extension of the meaning of the verb inscribo, which could mean “to address a letter to” (although this referred to the person, not his place of residence).

instrumentum: -i: n. equipment, tools, apparatus (for a particular trade or other specified purpose). In VRoma this word indicates any kind of tool, whether a concrete piece of equipment such as the “microphones” (instrumenta ad auscultandum) or “loudspeakers” (instrumenta ad alloquendum) attached to an Intercom Device, or the virtual editing tools found in the menu frame.

interpres: -etis: m/f. an interpreter of foreign languages, translator. This word credits those who have translated the various languages that a user can choose through Preferences (Optiones) in the menu frame.

inveho: -here, -exi, -ctum: verb (3) to bring from abroad, import. Registered VRoma users who hold dual citizenship in another enCore MOO (externa urbs) can “import” various types of rooms and objects that they own there directly into VRoma.

inviso: -ere, -i, -um: verb (3) to see by visiting, have visual experience of. This verb describes an anonymous visit to VRoma by “browsing,” visually experiencing the city on the web without logging in, meaning that one cannot interact or converse with any players or manipulate any objects.

irritus: -a, -um: adjective not ratified or valid (legal); (made) null and void. This adjective describes any object that is “invalid,” that cannot function according to its proper type for whatever reason.

ligamen: -inis: n. a fastening, tie, string. We have chosen this word for a “link,” a word or phrase tied by code to a particular web page, which will open when the link is clicked.

loculus: -i: m. a small space; a compartment. In VRoma this word designates a “buffer,” a small area of memory reserved by a computer to store temporary data.

lusor: -oris: m. a player (of a game). Since MOOs originated in game-playing and have a strong imaginative component, users have traditionally been called “players.” We use this term in VRoma when connected users are spoken of in the broadest possible sense, as for example when referring to the player frame (area lusorum), which shows all connected users including guests who are in a given room.

machina: -ae: f. a large mechanism, apparatus, machine. Despite the difference in size, we have chosen this word to designate various types of mechanical devices in VRoma that did not exist in antiquity (particularly because we liked this word's association with the theater). Hence the Slide Projector is the machina imaginum and the Intercom Device is the machina ad auscultandum.

magus: -i: m. a magician, sorcerer. With its feminine counterpart maga, this word denotes members of the “wizard” player class, programmers with full administrative powers over everything and everyone in the MOO (powers even broader than those available to the emperors of Rome).

mancipium: -ii: n. full possession, ownership acquired by the legal process of physically taking hold of a thing in the presence of witnesses. This word denotes the full ownership of an auctor, whose owned objects are termed res mancipii. As in ancient Rome, this kind of ownership can be transferred by a legal “handing over” of the object to another player (rem mancipio dare).

manus: -us: f. any group or associations of persons, company, faction. This word indicates a “group” in VRoma, any kind of association that binds players into a collective. An individual member of a group is called a socius, and smaller groups may be contained within larger ones.

momentum: -i: n. a minute quantity, space, or division; influence, importance, weight. Since the smallest measurable time unit for the Romans was an hour (which was a twelfth part of the time between sunrise and sunset and thus varied with the seasons), they referred to smaller amounts of time with the vague phrase temporis momentum. In VRoma, we use this phrase to indicate a second, while temporis momentum minimum is a “tick,” one-sixtieth of a second. This word also occurs in its second meaning in the phrase magni momenti!, “very important!”

multiplex: -icis: adjective consisting of many at once, multitudinous; complex, compound. This word is used in the phrase facultates multiplices to signify “multimedia.”

mutator: -oris: m. a person or thing that makes different, that modifies. This is VRoma's word for “editor,” as in the Object Editor (Rerum Mutator) and the Program Editor (Fabricandi Mutator).

nexus: -us: m. an intertwined or entangled formation, interplacement. We have chosen this word for “interface,” the GUI (“graphical user interface”) of the enCore platform.

nota: -ae: f. a mark placed against a word or passage in a piece of writing. This is VRoma's word for “checkmark.” The verb notare means to place a checkmark, and notam removere means “to uncheck” something.

nucleus: -i: m. the inside of a nut, kernel; the central part of anything. In VRoma, this word refers to the “core,” which includes all the generic objects in a MOO.

nuntius: -ii: m. a message containing information, a report. We have used this word in VRoma to designate a “message” posted on a discussion board and also to indicate the content or body of an email, as opposed to its subject header.

obsero: -are, -avi, -atum: verb (1) to place a bar across; to prohibit access to (buildings, etc.), shut off. This is the verb that will be used by VRoma owners who want to use the Access tab (Accessus) in the Object Editor to “lock” their rooms and objects and restrict access to a few other players.

octonarius: -a, -um: adjective containing eight of something. We have used octonaria in VRoma to designate “bytes,” which are binary strings consisting of eight bits.

officium: -ii: n. a function; a service performed by a thing. This word designates a software function, such as a browser's “Save As” function.

orbus: -a, -um: adjective one who has lost one or both parents, orphaned; (as noun) an orphan. This word is used metaphorically to designate discussion boards that do not belong to any Forum Category (Genus colloquiorum).

pagina: -ae: f. a column or page of writing. VRoma uses the same metaphor as the Internet to designate a single HTML file or “web page.” Hence a pagina domestica is a “home page.”

pando: -ere, pansum/passum: verb (3) to spread out, extend; to render visible, uncover. This verb is used to “expand” the display of messages in a discussion board so that all messages under each thread become visible.

pars: -tis: f. that part of a thing that is allotted to a person, one's share, portion. VRoma uses the phrase pars rata, a fixed proportion, to denote “quota,” the allocatiion of a proportion of bytes that a player may use to create rooms and objects.

permuto: -are, -avi, -atum: verb (1) to give and take reciprocally, exchange, “swap”; (passive, with coins) to be received as equivalent (for). This is the verb used when one goes to the moneychanger (nummularius) to “exchange” coins of one denomination for others of equivalent value.

perscribo: -bere, -psi, -ptum: verb (3) to write a detailed record of (especially of official transactions). This verb is used when a scriptor writes out a transcription of all public conversation in a room.

persona: -ae: f. a mask, especially as worn by actors; a character in a play, dramatic role. Since all registered users enter VRoma under a “character name” that in some ways resembles a theatrical mask, we have chosen this word to signify both the “user ID” and the “user account.” This word is never used to indicate “players” when they are considered as active individuals, but it does appear when, for example, user accounts are being created or deleted (since only the account is deleted, not the individual who has used it), or when one logs in by typing a user ID.

plaga: -ae: f. a blow, stroke. VRoma uses the same metaphor as English, “hits,” to indicate the number of requests to view a web page.

porta: -ae: f. the gate of a city or town; a place of entry, opening, outlet. This word is used to designate a telnet or web “port,” a software or network outlet through which information is transmitted.

premo: -mere, -ssi, -ssum: verb (3) to apply pressure to, press. We have chosen this verb to indicating the action of “clicking” a link to open a web page or execute an action.

procuratio: -onis: f. responsibility or charge over (persons or things); administration. In VRoma, this word denotes the “Administration Module” in the menu frame, from which wizards and teachers manage global settings for VRoma (like the praefectus urbi in the ancient city of Rome). The word is also used in the Inventory Manager (Thesauri Procuratio, an important tool which every player who is a builder or higher will use to manage his/her property.

productio: -onis: f. an extension; the lengthening of a word by the addition of a suffix. This word is indicates a “file extension” (e.g., filename.doc) or other type of suffix.

proicio: -icere, -ieci, -iectum: verb (3) to project, cast (a light or reflection). This verb describes the action of the Slide Projector (machina ad imagines proiciendas).

promptus: -us: m. within one's capabilities or powers. This word is almost exclusively used in Latin in the phrase in promptu meaning “capable of.” In VRoma we have used it with infinitives to translate difficult terms such as “movability” (in promptu moveri, “capable of being moved”), “takability” (in promptu tolli, “capable of being picked up”), and “visibility” (in promptu conspici, “capable of being seen”).

proprietas: -atis: f. the special property or character of a thing. In VRoma, this word signifies a “property,” an individual characteristic of an object, usually inherited from a generic, that can be changed by the object's owner or co-owners.

pugillares: -ium: m. pl. a set of wax writing tablets small enough to hold in the hand. This word designates a player's “Notebook,” where brief notes (adnotationes) can be jotted down to be saved for later use or emailed.

quaero: -rere, -sivi/sii, -situm: verb (3) to try to find, search for, hunt for. This is the natural verb to indicate the search process in VRoma, conducted through the Inventory Manager.

quisquiliae: -arum: f. pl. waste material, sweepings, refuse. In VRoma the “trashbin/recycle bin” is called the cista quisquiliarum, and one recycles objects by casting them into this bin by clicking the button pone in cistam quisquiliarum. This is not a deletion process, since objects can be restored to usability by removing them from this bin.

ratus: -a, -um: adjective regarded as valid, established; determined, fixed. This adjective is applied to objects that are valid and functioning examples of their type. The second meaning is most commonly invoked in the phrase pars rata, meaning “building quota.”

recognosco: -oscere, -ovi, -itum: verb (3) to examine, check (a document) in order to establish authenticity, accuracy, etc. In VRoma, the recognoscendi modus is the method of checking and authenticating accounts when users attempt to log in.

renovo: -are, -avi, -atum: verb (1) to renew; to refresh. In VRoma, we have used this verb with the meaning “update,” indicating that an object has been saved with new settings.

reparo: -are, -avi, -atum: verb (1) to recover (something lost), get back, restore. In VRoma, this word is frequently used in the phrase repara hereditates, indicating the restoration of inherited values for an object. It is also used to describe the recovery of a formerly owned object from the recycle bin (cista quisquiliarum).

res: -ei: f. that which can be conceived as a separate entity, any object of imagination or experience, a thing. We have used this wonderfully broad Latin word to signify “object,” which refers to any separate entity in a MOO with an object number.

resero: -are, -avi, -atum: verb (1) to unbar; to open (a place) to access or passage, make accessible. This is the verb that will be used by VRoma owners who want to use the Access tab (Accessus) in the Object Editor to “unlock” their rooms and objects and grant full access to all players.

revoco: -are, -avi, -atum: verb (1) to restore (a person or thing) to some previous condition or status. In VRoma, a scriptum revocatum is the “backup” of a document that will allow you to restore it to its former state if you have lost portions of text.

scriptor: -oris: m. one who takes down another's words, scribe, copyist. This is the ancient Roman version of a recorder, one with a lot more personality than a mere machine.

scriptum: -i: n. a written communication; a written composition. This is the word denoting any kind of document; a saved document or “file” is a scriptum conservatum, and an “HTML document” is an HTML-scriptum.

scripulum: -i: n. a weight equivalent to 1/24 of a Roman ounce. In VRoma, this unit of measurement translates the modern metric term “gram,” although it actually denoted a slightly greater weight (1.137 gram). The term is appropriate because this word was used in antiquity when calculating the weight of coins.

scrutor: -ari, -atum: verb (1) to look searchingly at, scan scrutinize; to probe or examine (for something hidden), search. This is the verb used for “checking,” for searching out errors that need to be corrected. The hourly “checkpoints” when the database is checked are termed tempora scrutandi.

sedes: -is: f. the place previously occupied, or intended to be occupied, by anything, site. In VRoma, this word designates an object's “home site,” the place where it belongs and should be returned if carried off (the place where a player belongs is his or her “home”—domus).

signo: -are, -avi, -atum: verb (1) to draw special attention to; to make noteworthy. Bots in VRoma have “keywords” (verba signata), which draw their special attention and produce particular responses.

signum: -i: n. a word, name, or phrase used among members of a group, password (especially a military password). This is the term for “password.” Every registered user must have a valid password in order to log in to VRoma.

socius: -ii: m. a companion, comrade; one who shares a responsibility, possession, etc., a partner, colleague. This designates a player who has been enrolled in a group (manus) and thus shares the privileges and companionship of the group with other members.

sodalis: -is: m. an intimate companion, comrade, mate, crony. We have chosen this word for “buddy.” In VRoma, users can designate certain players as their special friends in order to communicate more freely (even using a special color), automatically share ownership, etc.

spatium: -ii: n. an expanse of ground, area, space; the space occupied by something. Since the Romans had no general word for “room,” we have chosen this term, which emphasizes the spatial metaphor that underlies all MOOs and is in fact more appropriate (since a MOO “room” can designate any kind of space, from a tiny closet to the Circus Maximus, from a meadow to a mountain, from a staircase to a cave).

species: -ei: f. visual appearance, look, aspect. This term describes the aspects of an object that are edited by adjusting the CSS code, which controls “presentational” qualities like color, layout, etc.

stabilio: -ire, -ivi,-itum: verb (4) to fix or establish firmly; to keep from moving. We have chosen this verb to translate “set,” an important action in the MOO which firmly fixes the values of properties for objects. Normally, the value of a property is inherited from an object's generic parent, and it will change whenever the parent's value is changed. However, once the value of a property has been “set” it will no longer change unless the owner explicitly sets it to something else.

structura: -ae: f. the form or structure of anything; masonry, brickwork. We have chosen this word to designate “platform” or “system,” the underlying software framework that allows MOO applications to run.

subduco: -cere, -xi,-ctum: verb (3) to draw up, raise; to draw or pull from under anything. This word designates the process of “uploading” files from a local to a remote computer. VRoma does not permit users to upload local files and store them on our server, but this process may be enabled in other enCore MOOs.

tabula: -ae: f. a flat piece of wood, board, etc. used for various purposes, especially for writing, posting notices, etc.; (plural) a record or records (especially public). In VRoma this word is used to designate various types of spaces for writing, such as “textarea boxes” in which information can be typed, tables and maps, the scribe's wax tablets, the blackboard, etc. In the plural, it signifies the “record-books” of VRoma, especially in the phrase referre in tabulas, “to enter into the record-books.”

tela: -ae: f. a spider's web. VRoma uses the same metaphor as English to speak of the Internet; hence the area telae in VRoma is the “web frame,” where rooms and objects appear with images, descriptions, clickable links, etc.

tessera: -ae: f. a small square or cubical block (e.g., the component pieces of a mosaic). We have chosen this word to designate HTML “tags,” the snippets of code that fit together to make a functional and beautiful web page.

thesaurus: -i: m. a place in which money, valuables, etc. are stored, treasure-chamber; a repository. In VRoma this word designates a user's “inventory,” the treasure-trove of owned objects that can be accessed and administered through the Inventory Manager (Thesauri Procuratio).

titulus: -i: m. a flat piece of wood or stone inscribed with a notice or other information, a label; an identifying word or phrase, title. In VRoma this word designates any kind of label, from the title of a document to the label on a exit indicating its destination.

tracto: -are, -avi,-atum: verb (1) to employ, handle (means, resources, etc.); to carry out, perform (an activity, task, etc.). In VRoma, this verb is used whenever objects or equipment need to be handled, manipulated, or processed.

Glossary for VRoma Latin