What is verrus singularis silvano? (spoilers?)
So, when the suitors are trying to identify the flea skin, one of them says Verrus Singularis Silvano. Does this actually mean anything? Just wondering.
shareIt's the latin name for the wild pig
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MovieChat Forums > Il racconto dei racconti - Tale of Tales (2016) Discussion > What is verrus singularis silvano? (spoi...
Haven't seen the film, but singularis verrus means rare boar. Silvano is either a dative or ablative, and I only recall the word in connection with the forest deity Silvanus— unless it has a history, perhaps in Medieval Latin, of being metonymic for forest; in which case, it is probably a locative of some sort. Meaning "The rare boar in the woods."
shareThank you! I tried a google search and got nothing useful. Mystery solved! :)
shareIt would be very funny if the scholar had guessed right and answered with the scientific name for the flea (which would be "Ctenocephalides Canis" or "Pulex Irritans" for the dog and human fleas). That way, adding to the common thread of the tales (where people are punished for their vanity), the candidate would have lost the bride due to his intelectual arrogance. I actually thought during the film that "verrus singularis silvano" was another scientific name for flea.
shareLatin name for the common flea (the type that are attracted to humans rather than cats or dogs) is 'Pulex irritans'
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