Google's AI is now telling me what I "really" want to search for!

I read classical Latin as a hobby.

One of the authors I enjoy is Martial, who writes witty epigrams.

I was reading the fifth poem in his eight volume, and I wanted to look up a translation. So I simply entered "Martial 8.5" in Google. In the past, this would have worked just fine. But today I got

You're likely referring to Macho 8.5oz Traditional Karate Gi / Uniform, a popular choice for martial arts practitioners, known for its quality and comfortable fit.

And all the hits were about martial arts.

So I tried again with the Latin name "Martialis". I got one relevant hit, and the rest were about martial arts again!

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Murmurs · 31-35, F

Martial 8:5 (note the colon) does get you somewhere.

For a devotee of Marcus Tullius, though, I've just found that googling "Off 1.2" does not get you,

there are many to whom I yield with regard to their philosophical knowledge

but,

BLOW OFF DUMP VALVE KIT Fits VW 1.2L 1.4L...

O tempora, O mores

(don't google that either, you'll get a recipe for more-ish deep-fried seafood)

ElwoodBlues · M

On the topic of Latin (I took two years in high school half a century ago) I recently saw a comment that used the form 'agendum' as if agenda were a neuter noun. I tried to look it up and some sites said agenda is first declension feminine singular.

But google's AI tried to tell me

The word "agenda" is the English form of the Latin plural "agenda," which literally means "things to be done" and is the gerundive of the verb "agere" (to do).

Who is right here, if I may be so bold as to butt in, hijack your comment, and ask?

DrWatson · 70-79, M

@ElwoodBlues I think "agenda" is "things to be done" and "agendum" is "a thing to be done."

Murmurs · 31-35, F

@ElwoodBlues I'd generally trust wiktionary over google

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/agendus#Latin

agendus/a/um is a first declension adjective (having the quality of necessity). 'agendum' is also the accusative gerund of 'ago'.

I think what it comes down to is like the spiralling plurals for octopus (for which the real answer is surely 'octopodes'! ), people with a smattering understanding of the language of origin want to display their erudition and get it wrong (I'm surely guilty of this too?), and eventually 'agenda' entered English discourse as a plural of 'thing which will be done'.

HotPizza71 · 51-55, M

@Murmurs I need you for my pub quiz team 🧐😋

4meAndyou · F

Now that AI is, unfortunately, infesting Bing, (I used to have Google until Bing hijacked me), I find I have to be very, very specific and use a LOT more words to let the stupid AI know what I am looking for.

So, for example, to do your search, I would write "epigrams of latin author Martial , translation volume 8, poem #5."

SomeMichGuy · M

Of course...

FreestyleArt · 36-40, M

"Hey A.I. search for Martial"

A.I. "yes"

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