Latin for "Dear Teacher"

by Johanna

Dear Latin teacher,

How would you say "Dear teacher" - or "Dear Latin teacher" above a letter?! Thanks very much!

Johanna


Dear Johanna,

Roman letters used a formulaic greeting: Name of Sender in the nominative case, Name of Recipient in the dative case, then the letters S.D or S.P.D.

If you wrote a letter to your dear male teacher, it would begin thus:

Johanna Magistro suo carissimo S.P.D.

If to a dear female teacher, your letter would begin thus:

Johanna Magistrae suae carissimae S.P.D.

The abbreviation S.P.D. stands for Salutem Plurimam Dicit, which means something like "sends fondest greetings".

To put a more modern style to your Latin letter, it would be simply magistra carissima or magister carissime.

Thanks for asking a Latin Teacher!

Sincerely,

John

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