Latin phrase, "conplecte abyssum" translation

Question

"Conplecte abyssum" - to embrace chaos, or more literally, to entwine yourself into the depths.

Hello! This is what i found online, I'm hoping someone could verify or clarify if its an accurate translation? Thank you!

Answer 1

Niklaus,

"Embrace chaos" or "entwine yourself into the depths" are perfectly valid translations of this phrase.

"Conplecte" (alternately spelled "complecte") is the singular imperative form of the verb "conplecto, conplectere, conplecti, conplexus". The imperative is used to express a command. The one small problem with the translation you present is the word "to", which indicates in English that this is an infinitive. Since "conplecte" is an imperative, not an infinitive, the correct translations are "embrace chaos" or "entwine yourself into the depths".

"Abyssum" is the accusative singular form of the second-declension noun "abyssus, -i". Because it is in the accusative, it is the direct object of "conplecte". "Abyssus, -i" has a wide range of meanings, from the more literal "depths", "depths of the sea", or a "deep hole" to the figurative "chaos", "unknown", or "that which we fear". All of these meanings are retained in the English "abyss".

In the end, your translation is valid if you just remove the word "to":

"Conplecte abyssum" - embrace chaos; entwine yourself into the depths

Ave atque vale, amice!

Magister Andrew

Answer 2

Certainly the word abyssus may be translated as chaos. It means literally bottomless, and is used often to refer to the great depth of the sea. However, it is used in Genesis to signify the primitive chaos that existed before creation. So metaphorically it can mean chaos.

On conplecte, the correct spelling is complecte -- m not n.

I hope this helps.