I would like to know five different latin translations for "kill or be
killed."  I would like to have something short and catchy for a
website.

Hi  blounp-ga -

So it's quick and sexy Latin phrases you're after?  I'm afraid Latin
is not loaded with short, catchy phrases, but it IS sexy.

I know you're after the way the phrase sounds and looks, but I'm sure
you want the meaning to be exact.

"Aut...aut..." means "either...or..." as was mentioned in one of the comments.

If you want to convey a dilemma, that is, "either to kill or to be
killed, that is the question" you could use one of the following five
phrases:

1.Aut occidere aut occidi          (generic "to kill") 
2.Aut interficere aut interfieri   (generic "to kill")
3.Aut trucidare aut trucidari      ("to murder")
4.Aut necare aut necari            ("to murder cruelly")
5.Aut interimere aut interrimi     ("to wipe out")

If, however, you mean, "You either kill [imperative] or you'll be
killed" as perhaps pertaining to a command to a soldier in battle,
then you could say:

1.Aut occide aut occisus eris
2.Aut interfice aut interfectus eris
3.Aut trucida aut trucidatus eris
4.Aut neca aut necatus eris
5.Aut interime aut intereptus eris

NOTE: In both sets of translations  the first "aut" could be left out,
but it is a most unusual Latin construction.

In my humble opinion, "Aut occidere aut occidi" will look the nicest
on your web page with all those O's.  However, "aut necare aut necari"
seems the zippiest.  However I suspect the meaning you're after is
found in the second group in which case, I'd go with the first or the
fourth in the list.

As to your comment, "vel" does in fact mean "or" but would not be used
in an "either ...or..." construction.  "Vell...vel..." does not mean
"either...or...."


Infinitive: interimere=kill, cut off from life, wipe out
http://www.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/words.exe?interimere

Infinitive: interficere = kill, slaughter
http://www.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/words.exe?interficere

Infinitive:necare=Kill/murder/put to death
http://www.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/words.exe?necare

Infinitive:occidere=kill, murder, slaughter
http://www.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/words.exe?occidere

aut= or  aut...aut = either...or
http://www.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/words.exe?aut

For these translations, I consulted a Latin scholar, and I also used
Cassell's dictionary.

Cassell's  Latin-English and English-Latin Dictionary revised by
J.R.V. Marchant, M.A. and Joseph F. Charles, B.A., Funk and Wagnell's
(New York)


Good luck with your website.  I hope this has been helpful to you.

All the best, 

alanna-ga

I thought I cancelled this order a while ago.

5 different translations? Well, an official researcher can weigh in
with others, but for a basic, prosaic, unnuanced translation, I might
go for:

Aut neca aut necare

or 

Aut occide aut occidere.

These use the singular imperative verb forms in both active ("Kill!)
and passive ("Be killed!") voices.  But if you want to convey
something a little more nuanced (such as "Kill lest you be killed" or
"Unless you kill, you will be killed" there are probably different
phrasings you can use.

Also, note that there several different Latin verbs often translated
as "to kill", some with different nuances.  I've used "necare" and
"occidere" here, which I think are close to generic "to kill" or "to
slay" in meaning, but there are probably other verbs to imply "to
massacre" or "to destroy" if that's what you're going for...

I assume that by Latin you mean Latinamerican Spanish, right?
Some answers then:
1. mata o muere
2. matar o ser muerto
3. mata o te matan
4. mata o te matarán
5. O matas o te matas
Hope it helps.

I am looking for something quick and sexy, aut neca aut necare is
pretty cool.  What does aut mean?  Would it be insufficient as neca
aut necare?
how about the latin word "vel" some website translated it as "or" 
maybe that isn't it.

The Latin "aut...aut" construction basically means "either/or". 
("Vel...vel" is also used.)  So basically (if I'm right) "Aut neca aut
necare" translates to "Either kill or be killed"--in an imperative
sense, the sense of giving a command.

Yes, I do think you can use "aut" or "vel" just one time to simply
mean "or" which would be:
 
"Neca aut necare" or "Neca vel necare"

I think those work equally well...

Thinking a bit more about my earlier comment about a slightly more
nuanced translation, I've come up with another one that might be of
interest:

Neca ne neceris

Which, if I'm right, basically translates to "Kill so that you
(singular) are not killed." (I'm pretty sure I have the verbs right,
but this construction takes the subjunctive mood, on which I'm a bit
rusty...)

It's a little different in meaning than just "kill or be killed," but
if you like the alliteration of "neca ne neceris", that might be
something fun to use...