Skip to content

Instantly share code, notes, and snippets.

Show Gist options
  • Save vmbrasseur/b4e3ae3cc67b860b8590 to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.
Save vmbrasseur/b4e3ae3cc67b860b8590 to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.
Who will disrupt the disruptors?

This tweet suggested the saying Who disrupts the disruptors? It is a spin on the quote from Juvenal, Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?, which is popularly (but not entirely accurately) translated as Who watches the watchers?

In fact, the Juvenal quote is more accurately translated as Who will guard the guards themselves?. The key differences here between this translation and the popular one are the intensifier ipsos and, most importantly, the future tense of the custodiet.

Using that more accurate translation as the basis…

Disrupt is already of Latin derivation. It is based upon the passive participle of the verb disrumpere, meaning to break into pieces. But as there is no passive sense in our target phrase, the passive participle root of disrupt- will not be used in the final translation.

However, the verb disrumpere itself is exactly what we need. It has the perfect meaning for our purposes. Therefore, following the pattern of the Juvenal original, the Latin version of "Who will disrupt the disruptors (themselves)?" would be:

Quis disrumpet ipsos disrumpentes?

Who will disrupt those who are themselves disrupting?

Sign up for free to join this conversation on GitHub. Already have an account? Sign in to comment