How do you say these words/phrases in Latin?

Question

fairy

nightmare

dream

pretty

beautiful

silver wind

love

Answer 1

'Fairies' in the modern sense of attractive and benevolent supernatural creatures don't really exist until the middle ages, and don't start wearing pretty frocks until the Sixteenth Century.

The nearest Latin word would probably be 'Lar' - but a 'Lar' is something between an elf and a family ghost. You could also use the word 'Genius' -a 'genius' is the spirit of a tree or a stream (or similar). A 'genius' is not especially pretty, and not especially good or bad either.

'Suppressio nocturna' is how Pliny says 'nightmare'.

'Somnium' is 'dream'.

'Pretty' is 'formosus', and 'beautiful' is 'pulcher' (but remember that if you are talking about a female this becomes 'formosa').

'Silver wind' is probably 'aura argentea'.

Sexual love is 'amor'; brotherly love is 'caritas'.