"He wants to sell the new sandals."

Translation: Calceos novos vendere vult.

[Stivusik]

A calceus is not a sandal! It's a type of shoe or boot that encloses the whole foot.

[teacon7]

This is 100% the kind of thread I'd like to see. discussions: what did the Romans/Medievals actually use this word for? is this how they talked about footwear?

[yasmine_y]

I agree that it's not exactly the same, but that's probably the word that comes closer to describe this kind of footwear:

Translating it as just "calceus" would make everything 100x more difficult and confusing.

[Stivusik]

A number of sources do not agree with this picture. See:

https://images.app.goo.gl/3WSPAUZ4LJMRVzSX7

https://images.app.goo.gl/zc4LZwQE8Hg1mQqs9

Please note that Vindolanda is a Roman archeological site in the UK. Excavation is ongoing there. There are other words for "sandal". Calcei served the role of a dress shoe (worn with a toga); Martial says they were hot in the summertime.

[yasmine_y]

I see. Maybe "shoes" should be better then. I doubt we can use the exact same word ("calceus") however. Let's wait for the moderators to reply.

[SuzanneNussbaum]

We've elsewhere used calceus to mean "shoe," and there is a perfectly good word, solea, that seems to mean "sandal."

[tibfulv]

I disagree that you can omit the subject in the first sentence, since unlike with the first and second person, the gender is not fully known until after it's been stated. In later sentences, or if it can be inferred from other elements, it's fine. But otherwise you have to state it for a faithful translation.

[SuzanneNussbaum]

But can't you just choose, that it's either HE or SHE; and anyone should accept either possibility, since nothing forecloses either one ?

[SyedMoheel]

"Is calceos novos vendere vult" was marked wrong.. Is that really wrong? thanks ;)

[lfd]

¿‘Is vendere calceos novos vult’?

[whitebabe]

I put, "Vendere calceos novos vult." It was marked wrong. Can anyone tell me why?

[Elisha558715]

It would be nice to be able to hear these phrases....could you please look into this? Thanks:)

[Paul704844]

Why is it "novos" not novum?

[SuzanneNussbaum]

We need a plural form for "new," since the "shoes" / "sandals" that are being described as "new" are themselves plural.

"He wants to sell the new shoes/sandals." WHAT he wants to sell, the direct object of the verb, will be accusative case; and, in this sentence, plural and masculine:
calceōs novōs .

In another sentence, perhaps "The new shoes are in the country house," the new shoes are the subject of the verb, thus nominative, plural masculine:
Calceī novī sunt in vīllā .

For the adjective to describe the noun, they must share the same C, N, G ( = case, number, gender).