Talk:Parabellum

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Hmm, would I be correct in saying that, in practice, parabellum means a bit more than the page currently says. Doesn't it mean something like "legal under the haig convention and geneva accord" (in that it is not designed to cause "unnecessary suffering"). In particular, doesn't it mean (in practice) "full metal jacket", as opposed to deforming or spalling rounds (dumdum, hollowpoint etc) which are (again, if memory serves) prohibited by said conventions. Comments? -- Finlay McWalter 02:20, 28 Jan 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Isn't this only a proprietary noun?

After much searching and discussion, these are my thoughts on the word "Parabellum".

The actual English use of the word for "prepare for war" which is lifted from the ancient Latin quote would require that parabellum use a different prefix definition than that generally accepted for "para". While I am no Latin scholar and do not know for sure, the concept that you can take the Latin phrase "para bellum" and lift it, delete the space, and use it for a word in a different language seems questionable. Those who wished to use the Latin phrase should quote it directly such as in "E puribus unum" Don't write it "epluribusunum" or you will look like a fool.

Using the "para" prefix to mean in this case "prepare for" seems at odds with other defnitions of para which include "beside, near, alongside, beyond, incorrect or abnormal, resembling, subsidiary, or a few chemical definitions. Not quite "prepare for" in English, it would most often be interpreted as "peripheral to".

The fact that I cannot find it in use other than as a proprietary name used by Luger for their 9mm, and for proper (place) names in a video game indicates that the definition should be the one found at Dictionary.com:

Parabellum : noun Definition: a type of semiautomatic pistol or machine-gun; also called Luger. Etymology Latin "for war" Usage: PROPRIETARY

Your questioning the use of "para" is definitely the result of a lack of Latin knowledge. "Para" isn't a Latin preposition or prefix. It's the imperative of the verb paro, parare, which means "to prepare." Also, there's nothing conventionally wrong with taking the spaces out of Latin statements; in Classical times, putting spaces between words was rare.