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Appendix:
List of Latin phrases Warning, this page may be too large for some browsers. If so, the sections can be reviewed individually:
This appendix lists direct Englishtranslations of Latin phrases. Some of the phrases are themselves translations of Greek phrases, as Greek rhetoric and literature reached its peak centuries before that of Ancient Rome:
This list is a combination of the three divided pages, for users who have no trouble loading large pages and prefer a single page to scroll or search through. The contents of the list cannot be edited here, and are kept automatically in synch with the divided lists (A-E), (F-O) and (P-Z) through template inclusion.
Or "at will", "at one's pleasure". This phrase is synonymous with the more common ad libitum ("at pleasure").
a caelo usque ad centrum
"from the sky to the center"
Or "from heaven all the way to the center of the earth". In law, can refer to the obsolete cuius est solum eius est usque ad coelum et ad inferos maxim of property ownership.
a capite ad calcem
"from head to heel"
From top to bottom; all the way through. Equally a pedibus usque ad caput.
a contrario
"from the opposite"
Equivalent to "on the contrary" or "au contraire". An argumentum a contrario is an "argument from the contrary", an argument or proof by contrast or direct opposite.
Loosely, "even more so" or "with even stronger reason". Often used to lead from a less certain proposition to a more evident corollary.
a mari usque ad mare
"from sea to sea"
From Psalm 72:8, "Et dominabitur a mari usque ad mare, et a flumine usque ad terminos terrae" (KJV: "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth"). National motto of Canada.
Based on observation (i.e. empirical knowledge), the reverse of a priori. Used in mathematics and logic to denote something that is known after a proof has been carried out. In philosophy, used to denote something that can be known from empirical experience.
Presupposed, the reverse of a posteriori. Used in mathematics and logic to denote something that is known or postulated before a proof has been carried out. In philosophy, used to denote something that can be known without empirical experience. In everyday speech, it denotes something occurring or being known before the event.
ab absurdo
"from the absurd"
Said of an argument that seeks to prove a statement's validity by pointing out the absurdity of an opponent's position (cf. appeal to ridicule) or that an assertion is false because of its absurdity. Not to be confused with a reductio ad absurdum, which is usually a valid logical argument.
ab abusu ad usum non valet consequentia
"a consequence from an abuse to a use is not valid"
Inferences regarding something's use from its misuse are invalid. Rights abused are still rights (cf. abusus non tollit usum).
ab aeterno
"from the eternal"
Literally, "from the everlasting" or "from eternity". Thus, "from time immemorial", "since the beginning of time" or "from an infinitely remote time in the past". In theology, often indicates something, such as the universe, that was created outside of time.
"from the depths of (my) chest", "from the bottom of my heart"
More literally, "from the deepest chest". Attributed to Julius Caesar. Can mean "with deepest affection" or "sincerely".
ab inconvenienti
"from an inconvenient thing"
New Latin for "based on unsuitability", "from inconvenience" or "from hardship". An argumentum ab inconvenienti is one based on the difficulties involved in pursuing a line of reasoning, and is thus a form of appeal to consequences; it refers to a rule in law that an argument from inconvenience has great weight.
"At the outset", referring to an inquiry or investigation. In literature, refers to a story told from the beginning rather than in medias res (from the middle). In law, refers to something being the case from the start or from the instant of the act, rather than from when the court declared it so. A judicial declaration of the invalidity of a marriage ab initio is a nullity. In science, refers to the first principles. In other contexts, often refers to beginner or training courses. Ab initio mundi means "from the beginning of the world".
From someone who dies with no legal will (cf. ex testamento).
ab intra
"from within"
From the inside. The opposite of ab extra.
ab irato
"from an angry man"
By a person who is angry. Used in law to describe a decision or action that is detrimental to those it affects and was made based on hatred or anger, rather than on reason.
ab origine
"from the source", "from the origin"
From the origin, beginning, source, or commencement—i.e., "originally".
From Horace, Satire 1.3. Means "from beginning to end", based on the Roman main meal typically beginning with an egg dish and ending with fruit. Thus, ab ovo means "from the beginning", and can also connote thoroughness.
ab uno disce omnes
"from one, learn all"
From Virgil's Aeneid. Refers to situations where a single example or observation indicates a general or universal truth.
ab utili
"from utility"
Used of an argument.
absens haeres non erit
"an absent person will not be an heir"
In law, refers to the principle that someone who is not present is unlikely to inherit.
absente reo (abs. re.)
"with the defendant being absent"
In the absence of the accused.
absit iniuria
"let injury be absent"
Expresses the wish that no insult or wrong be conveyed by the speaker's words, i.e., "no offense". Also rendered absit iniuria verbis "let injury be absent from these words". Contrast with absit invidia.
Said in the context of a statement of excellence. Unlike the English expression "no offense", absit invidia is intended to ward off jealous deities who might interpret a statement of excellence as hubris. Also extended to absit invidia verbo, meaning "may ill will/jealousy be absent from these words." Contrast with absit iniuria. An explanation of Livy's usage.
In other words, "let there not be an omen here", "may the presentiment not be realized". Expresses the wish that something seemingly ill-boding does not turn out to be an omen for future events, and calls on divine protection against evil.
absolutum dominium
"absolute dominion"
Total power or sovereignty.
abundans cautela non nocet
"abundant caution does no harm"
Thus, one can never be too careful; even excessive precautions don't hurt anyone.
abusus non tollit usum
"abuse does not preclude proper use", "misuse does not remove use"
An axiom stating that just because something can be, or has been, abused, does not mean that it must be, or always is. Abuse does not, in itself, justify denial of use.
accusare nemo se debet nisi coram Deo
"no one ought to accuse himself except in the Presence of God"
A legal maxim denoting that any accused person is entitled to make a plea of not guilty, and also that a witness is not obliged to give a response or submit a document that will incriminate himself. A very similar phrase is nemo tenetur seipsum accusare.
accipe hoc
"take that"
Motto of 848 Naval Air Squadron, Royal Navy.
acta est fabula, plaudite!
"The play is over, applaud!", "The play has been performed; applaud!"
A common ending to ancient Roman comedies, also claimed by Suetonius in Lives of the Twelve Caesars to have been Caesar Augustus' last words.
The actual crime that is committed, rather than the intent or thought process leading up to the crime. Thus, the external elements of a crime, as contrasted with mens rea, the internal elements.
ad absurdum
"to the absurd"
In logic, to the point of being silly or nonsensical. See also reductio ad absurdum. Not to be confused with ab absurdo ("from the absurd").
adaequatio intellectûs nostri cum re
"conformity of our minds to the fact"
A phrase used in epistemology regarding the nature of understanding.
ad abundantiam
"to abundance"
In legal language, used when providing additional evidence to an already sufficient collection. Also used commonly, as an equivalent of "as if this wasn't enough".
ad astra
"to the stars"
Name or motto (in full or part) of many organizations/publications/etc.
ad astra per aspera
"to the stars through difficulty"
Motto of Kansas, and other organisations.
ad astra per alia porci
"to the stars on the wings of a pig"
A favorite saying of John Steinbeck. A professor told him that he would be an author when pigs flew. Every book he wrote is printed with this insignia.
"in order to court the crowd", "to appeal to the crowd"
To do something to appeal to the masses. Often used of politicians who make false or insincere promises to appeal to popular interest. An argumentum ad captandum is an argument designed to please the crowd.
ad eundem
"to the same"
An ad eundem degree, from the Latin ad eundem gradum ("to the same step" or "to the same degree"), is a courtesy degree awarded by one university or college to an alumnus of another. It is not an honorary degree, but a recognition of the formal learning that earned the degree at another college.
Connotations of "against the man". Typically used in argumentum ad hominem, a logical fallacy consisting of criticizing a person when the subject of debate is the person's ideas or argument, on the mistaken assumption that the validity of an argument is to some degree dependent on the qualities of the proponent.
Attributed by Suetonius in Lives of the Twelve Caesars to Caesar Augustus. The phrase means "never" and is similar to phrases like "when pigs fly". The Kalends were specific days of the Roman calendar, not of the Greek, and so the "Greek Kalends" would never occur.
Loosely, "according to what pleases" or "as you wish"; libitum comes from the past participle of libere, "to please". It typically indicates in music partitures and theatrical scripts that the performer has the liberty to change or omit something.
A legal term referring to a party appointed by a court to act in a lawsuit on behalf of another party who is deemed incapable of representing himself. An individual who acts in this capacity is called a guardian ad litem.
ad lucem
"to the light", "towards the light"
Motto of Oxford High School (Oxford), the University of Lisbon, Withington Girls' School and St. Bartholomew's School, Newbury, UK
"to the point of nausea", "to the point of disgust"
Sometimes used as a humorous alternative to ad infinitum. An argumentum ad nauseam is a logical fallacy involving basing one's argument on prolonged repetition, i.e., repeating something so much that people are "sick of it".
ad oculos
"With your own eyes."
Meaning "obvious on sight" or "obvious to anyone that sees it".
"to the perpetual memory ", "to the eternal memory "
Is used to wish for someone to be remembered long after death.
ad pondus omnium
"to the weight of all things"
More loosely, "considering everything's weight". The abbreviation was historically used by physicians and others to signify that the last prescribed ingredient is to weigh as much as all of the previously mentioned ones.
Meaning "according to the harm" or "in proportion to the harm". The phrase is used in tort law as a measure of damages inflicted, implying that a remedy, if one exists, ought to correspond specifically and only to the damage suffered (cf. damnum absque injuria).
ad referendum
"to that which must be brought back"
Loosely "subject to reference", meaning that something has been approved provisionally, but must still receive official approval. Not necessarily related to a referendum.
"for the use of the Dauphin", "for usage of the Dauphin"
Said of a work that has been expurgated of offensive or improper parts. The phrase originates from editions of Greek and Roman classics which Louis XIV (of France) had censored for his heir apparent, the Dauphin. Also rarely in usum Delphini ("into the use of the Dauphin").
From Horace, Ars Poetica, 7. Loosely, "troubled dreams".
aetatis suae
"of his own age"
Thus, "at the age of". Appeared on portraits, gravestones, etc. Sometimes extended to anno aetatis suae (AAS), "in the year of his age". Sometimes shortened to just aetatis (aet.).
Latin translation from John 1:36, where John the Baptist exclaims "Ecce Agnus Dei!" ("Behold the Lamb of God!") upon seeing Jesus, referring both to a lamb's connotations of innocence and to a sacrificial lamb.
Said by Julius Caesar upon crossing the Rubicon with his troops in 49 BC, according to Suetonius. (Suetonius actually uses it in the future imperative "Alea iacta esto": "Let the die be cast".)
alenda lux ubi orta libertas
"Let learning be cherished where liberty has arisen."
taken from the Book of Isaiah, Chapter 40. "But those who wait for the Lord shall find their strength renewed, they shall mount up on wings like eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not grow faint."
Term used for the university one attends or has attended. Another university term, matriculation, is also derived from mater. The term suggests that the students are "fed" knowledge and taken care of by the university.
"another self", a second persona or alias. Can be used to describe different facets or identities of a single character, or different characters who seem representations of the same personality. Often used of a fictional character's secret identity.
alterius non sit qui suus esse potest
"Let no man belong to another that can belong to himself"
Short for anno Domini nostri Iesus Christi ("in the year of the/our Lord Jesus Christ"). Indicates a year counted from the traditional date birth of Jesus Christ, which is the predominantly used system for dating years across the world.
Used particularly to refer to the years 1665–1666, during which Isaac Newton made revolutionary inventions and discoveries in calculus, motion, optics and gravitation. It has since been used to refer to other years, especially to 1905, when Albert Einstein made equally revolutionary discoveries concerning the photoelectric effect, Brownian motion and the special theory of relativity.
annus terribilis
"dreadful year"
Used to describe 1348, the year the Black Death began to afflict Europe.
ante bellum
"before the war"
As in "status quo ante bellum", "as it was before the war".
ante cibum (a.c.)
"before food"
Medical shorthand for "before meals".
ante litteram
"before the letter"
Said of an expression or term that describes something which existed before the phrase itself was introduced or became common.
"Spirit of Wine" in many English texts. Used to refer to various native distilled beverages, such as whisky in Scotland and Ireland, gin in Holland, brandy (eau de vie) in France, and akvavit in Scandinavia.
aquila non capit muscas
"an eagle doesn't catch flies"
A noble or important person doesn't deal with insignificant issues.
arare litus
"to plough the seashore"
From Erasmus' (1466-1536) collection of annotated Adagia (1508). Wasted labour.
arbiter elegantiarum
"judge of tastes"
One who prescribes, rules on, or is a recognized authority on matters of social behavior and taste. Said of Petronius. Also rendered arbiter elegentiae ("judge of a taste").
arcus senilis
"senile bow"
An opaque circle around the cornea of the eye, often seen in elderly people.
ars celare artem
"art to conceal art"
An aesthetic ideal that good art should appear natural rather than contrived.
The Latin translation by Horace of a phrase from Hippocrates, often used out of context. The "art" referred to in the original aphorism was the craft of medicine, which took a lifetime to acquire.
asinus ad lyram
"an ass to the lyre"
From Erasmus' (1466-1536) collection of annotated Adagia (1508). An awkward or incompetent individual.
Refers to the founding of Rome, which occurred in 753 BC according to Livy's count. Used as a reference point in ancient Rome for establishing dates, before being supplanted by other systems.
State motto of Alabama, adopted in 1923. Translated into Latin from a paraphrase of the stanza "Men who their duties know / But know their rights, and knowing, dare maintain" from the poem "What Constitutes a State?" by 18th-century author William Jones.
audentes fortuna iuvat
"fortune favors the bold"
From Virgil, Aeneid X, 284 (where the first word is in the archaic form audentis). Allegedly the last words of Pliny the Elder before he left the docks at Pompeii to rescue people from the eruption of Vesuvius in 79. Often quoted as audaces fortuna iuvat.
From Horace's Odes II, 10. Refers to the ethical goal of reaching a virtuous middle ground between two sinful extremes. The golden mean concept is common to many philosophers, chiefly Aristotle.
From Virgil, Aeneid 3,57 = Vergil, Aeneis 3,57; later quoted by Seneca as "quod non mortalia pectora coges, auri sacra fames": "What aren't you able to bring men to do, miserable hunger for gold!"
auribus teneo lupum
"I hold a wolf by the ears"
A common ancient proverb, this version from Terence. Indicates that one is in a dangerous situation where both holding on and letting go could be deadly. A modern version is "To have a tiger by the tail."
Indicates that the only valid possibility is to be emperor, or a similarly prominent position. More generally, "all or nothing". Adopted by Cesare Borgia as a personal motto.
aut concilio aut ense
"either by meeting or by the sword"
Thus, either through reasoned discussion or through war. A former motto of Chile, post tenebras lux ultimately replaced by Por la Razon o la Fuerza (Spanish) ' by reason or by force '.
From Catullus, carmen 101, addressed to his deceased brother.
Ave, Caesar, morituri te salutant
"Hail, Caesar! The ones who are about to die salute you!"
From Suetonius' Lives of the Twelve Caesars, Claudius 21. The traditional greeting of gladiators prior to battle. morituri is also translated as "we who are about to die" based on the context in which it was spoken, and this translation is sometimes aided by changing the Latin to nos morituri te salutamus. Also rendered with imperator instead of Caesar.
A common name in the Roman Catholic Church for Mary, the mother of Jesus. The genitive, Beatae Mariae Virginis, occurs often as well, appearing with such words as horae ("hours"), litaniae ("litany") and officium ("office").
beatae memoriae
"of blessed memory"
See in memoriam.
beati pauperes spiritu
"Blessed in spirit the poor."
Vulgate, Matthew 5:3. The full quote is "beati pauperes spiritu quoniam ipsorum est regnum caelorum" ("Blessed in spirit the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens" - one of the Beatitudes).
beati possidentes
"blessed those who possess", "the happy who possess"
Originally from the Habsburg marriages of 1477 and 1496, written as bella gerant alii tu felix Austria nube ("let others wage war; you, fortunate Austria, marry"). Said by King Matthias
In other words, "well-intentioned", "fairly". In modern contexts, often has connotations of "genuinely" or "sincerely". Opposite of mala fide.
bona notabilia
"considerable goods"
In law, if a person dying has goods, or good debts, in another diocese or jurisdiction within that province, besides his goods in the diocese where he dies, amounting to a certain minimum value, he is said to have bona notabilia; in which case, the probat of his will belongs to the archbishop of that province.
bona officia
"good services"
A nation's offer to mediate in disputes between two other nations.
bona vacantia
"vacant goods"
United Kingdom legal term for ownerless property that passes to The Crown.
boni pastoris est tondere pecus non deglubere
"It is of a good shepherd to shear his flock, not to flay them."
Tiberius reportedly said this to his regional commanders, as a warning against taxing the populace excessively.
bonum commune communitatis
"common good of the community"
Or "general welfare". Refers to what benefits a society, as opposed to bonum commune hominis, which refers to what is good for an individual.
bonum commune hominis
"common good of a man"
Refers to an individual's happiness, which is not "common" in that it serves everyone, but in that individuals tend to be able to find happiness in similar things.
Refers to allowing statemanship and diplomacy to supersede declaration of war. Arms (i.e. weapons) are to yield to the toga, a formal garment symbolizing Rome.
Refers to a situation where nobody is safe from anybody, each man for himself.
capax infiniti
"capable of the infinite"
a pejorative term refering (at least) to some Christian doctrines of the incarnation of the Son of God when it asserts that humanity is capable of housing full divinity within its finite frame. Related to the Docetic heresy and sometimes a counterpoint to the Reformed 'extracalvinisticum.'
caput inter nubila (condit)
"head in the clouds"
So aggrandized as to be beyond practical (earthly) reach or understanding (from Virgil's Aeneid and the shorter form appears in John Locke's Two Treatises of Government)
caritas Christi
"the love of Christ"
It implies a command to love as Christ loved. Motto of St. Franicis Xavier High School located in West Meadowlark Park (Edmonton).
An exhortation to live for today. From Horace, Odes I, 11.8. By far the most common translation is "seize the day", though carpere normally means something more like "pluck", and the allusion here is to picking flowers. The phrase collige virgo rosas has a similar sense.
carpe noctem
"seize the night"
An exhortation to make good use of the night, often used when carpe diem, q.v., would seem absurd, e.g., when observing a deep sky object or conducting a Messier marathon.
From Roman senator Cato the Elder, who ended every speech of his between the second and third Punic Wars with ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam, literally "For the rest, I am of the opinion that Carthage is to be destroyed." or "Furthermore, I move for Carthage to be destroyed."
Or simply "faster than cooking asparagus". A variant of the Roman phrase velocius quam asparagi coquantur, using a different adverb and an alternate mood and spelling of coquere.
cepi corpus
"I got the body"
In law, it is a return made by the sheriff, upon a capias, or other process to the like purpose; signifying, that he has taken the body of the party.
certum est quod certum reddi potest
"It is certain if it is capable of being rendered certain"
Often used in law when something is not known, but can be ascertained (e.g. the purchase price on a sale which is to be determined by a third-party valuer)
cessante ratione legis cessat ipsa lex
"When the reason for the law ceases, the law itself ceases."
A rule of law becomes ineffective when the reason for its application has ceased to exist or does not correspond to the reality anymore.
Idiomatically translated as "other things being equal", "all other things being equal". A phrase which rules out outside changes interfering with a situation.
ceterum censeo...
"additionally, I think that..."
Cato the Elder used to conclude his speeches, on any topic whatsoever, with Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam ("Additionally, I think that Carthage must be destroyed").
charta pardonationis se defendendo
"a paper of pardon to him who defended himself"
The form of a pardon for killing another man in self-defence. (see manslaughter)
charta pardonationis utlagariae
"a paper of pardon to the outlaw"
The form of a pardon of a man who is outlawed. Also called perdonatio utlagariae.
A writ whereby the king of England could command the justice in eyre to admit one's claim by an attorney, who being employed in the king's service, cannot come in person.
clausum fregit
An action of tresspass; thus called, by reason the writ demands the person summoned to answer to wherefore he broke the close(quare clausum fregit), i.e. why he committed such a trespass.
The means of discovering hidden or mysterious meanings in texts, particularly applied in theology and alchemy.
clerico admittendo
"about to be made a clerk"
In law, a writ directed to the bishop, for the admitting a clerk to a benefice upon a ne admittas, tried, and found for the party who procures the writ.
clerico capto per statutum mercatorum
In law, a writ for the delivery of a clerk out of prison, who is imprisoned upon the breach of statute merchant.
clerico convicto commisso gaolae in defectu ordinarii deliberando
In law, a writ for the delivery of a clerk to his ordinary, that was formerly convicted of felony; by reason that his ordinary did not challenge him according to the privilege of clerks.
clerico intra sacros ordines constituto non eligendo in officium
In law, a writ directed to the bailiffs, etc, that have thrust a bailiwick or beadleship upon one in holy orders; charging them to release him.
One year with another; on an average. "Common" here does not mean "ordinary," but "common to every situation"
communibus locis
"in common places"
A term frequently used among philosophical and other writers, implying some medium, or mean relation between several places; one place with another; on a medium. "Common" here does not mean "ordinary," but "common to every situation"
Describes someone of sound mind. Sometimes used ironically. Also a legal principle, non compos mentis ("not in control of one's faculties"), used to describe an insane person.
concordia cum veritate
"in harmony with truth"
Motto of the University of Waterloo.
concordia salus
"salvation through harmony"
Motto of Montreal. It is also the Bank of Montreal coat of arms and motto.
condemnant quod non intellegunt
"they condemn what they do not understand" or "they condemn because they do not understand" (the quod is ambiguous)
condicio sine qua non
"condition without which not"
A required, indispensable condition. Commonly mistakenly rendered with conditio ("seasoning" or "preserving") in place of condicio("arrangement" or "condition").
The official name of Switzerland, which explains the use of "CH" for its ISO country code, ".ch" for its Internet domain, and "CHF" for the ISO three-letter abbreviation of its currency, the Swiss franc.
coniunctis viribus
conjunctis viribus
"with connected strength"
Or "with united powers".
consuetudo pro lege servatur
"custom is kept before the law"
An inconsistently applied maxim. See also consuetudo est altera lex (custom is another law) and consuetudo vincit communem legem (custom overrules the common law)
consummatum est
"it is completed"
The last words of Jesus on the cross in the Latin translation of John 19:30.
contemptus saeculi
"contempt of the secular (world)"
Less literary, "scorn for the times". Despising the secular world. The monk's or philosopher's rejection of a mundane life and worldly values.
First formulated by Hippocrates to suggest that the diseases are cured with contrary remedies. Antonym of similia similibus curantur (the diseases are recovered with similar remedies. )
contra bonos mores
"against good morals"
Offensive to the conscience and to a sense of justice.
contra legem
"against the law"
cor ad cor loquitur
"heart speaks to heart"
From Augustine's Confessions, referring to a prescribed method of prayer: having a "heart to heart" with God. Commonly used in reference to a later quote by John Henry Cardinal Newman. A motto of Newman Clubs.
cor meum tibi offero domine prompte et sincere
"my heart I offer to you Lord promptly and sincerely"
motto of Calvin College
cor unum
"one heart"
A popular school motto. Often used as names for religious and other organisations such as the Pontifical Council Cor Unum.
coram Deo
"in the Presence of God"
A phrase from Christian theology which summarizes the idea of Christians living in the Presence of, under the authority of, and to the honor and glory of God.
The body of facts that prove that a crime has been committed, a necessary factor in convicting someone of having committed that crime; if there was no crime, there can not have been a criminal.
A person or thing fit only to be the object of an experiment.
corruptio optimi pessima
"the corruption of the best is the worst"
corruptus in extremis
"corrupt to the extreme"
Motto of the fictional Springfield Mayor Office in The Simpsons TV-Show
corruptissima re publica plurimae leges
"When the republic is at its most corrupt the laws are most numerous"
Tacitus
cras amet qui nunquam amavit; quique amavit, cras amet
"May he love tomorrow who has never loved before; And may he who has loved, love tomorrow as well"
It's the refrain from the 'Pervigilium Veneris', a poem which describes a three day holiday in the cult of Venus, located somewhere in Sicily, involving the whole town in religious festivities joined with a deep sense of nature and Venus as the "procreatrix", the life-giving force behind the natural world.
An expression of disbelief, originally from Horace.
credo in unum Deum
"I Believe in One God"
The first words of the Nicene Creed.
credo quia absurdum est
"I believe it because it is absurd"
A very common misquote of Tertullian's et mortuus est Dei Filius prorsus credibile quia ineptum est ("and the Son of God is dead: in short, it is credible because it is unfitting"), meaning that it is so absurd to say that God's son has died that it would have to be a matter of belief, rather than reason. The misquoted phrase, however, is commonly used to mock the dogmatic beliefs of the religious (see fideism). This phrase is commonly shortened to credo quia absurdum, and is also sometimes rendered credo quia impossibile est ("I believe it because it is impossible")or, as Darwin used it in his autobiography, credo quia incredibile.
State motto of New Mexico, adopted in 1887 as the territory's motto, and kept in 1912 when New Mexico received statehood. Originally from Lucretius' On the Nature of Things book VI, where it refers in context to the motion of a thunderbolt across the sky, which acquires power and momentum as it goes.
cruci dum spiro fido
"while I live, I trust in the cross", "Whilst I trust in the Cross I have life"
Motto of the Sisters of Loreto (IBVM) and its associated schools. A second translation is "Whilst I trust in the Cross I have life"
"Who benefits?" An adage in criminal investigation which suggests that considering who would benefit from an unwelcome event is likely to reveal who is responsible for that event (cf. cui prodest). The opposite is cui malo ("Bad for whom?").
cui prodest?
"for whom it advances?", "whom does it benefit?"
Short for cui prodest scelus, is fecit ("for whom the crime advances, he has done it") in Seneca the Younger's Medea. Thus, the murderer is often the one who gains by the murder (cf. cui bono).
"Whose the land is, all the way to the sky and to the underworld is his."
First coined by Accursius of Bologna in the 13th century. A Roman legal principle of property law that is no longer observed in most situations today. Less literally, "For whosoever owns the soil, it is theirs up to the sky and down to the depths."
The privilege of a ruler to choose the religion of his subjects. A regional prince's ability to choose his people's religion was established at the Peace of Augsburg in 1555.
Cuiusvis hominis est errare, nullius nisi insipientis in errore perseverare.
"Anyone can err, but only the fool persists in his fault."
Marcus Tullius Cicero, Philippica XII, ii, 5
cum gladiis et fustibus
"with swords and clubs"
From the Bible. Occurs in Matthew 26:47 and Luke 22:52.
cum gladio et sale
"with sword and salt"
Motto of a well-paid soldier.
cum grano salis
"with a grain of salt"
I.e. not to be taken too seriously or as the literal truth.
An exhortation to physicians, or experts in general, to deal with their own problems before addressing those of others.
cur Deus Homo
"Why the God Man"
The question attributed to Anselm in his work of by this name, wherein he reflects on why the Christ of Christianity must be both fully Divine and fully Human. Often translated "why did God become Man?"
A Roman custom in which disgraced Romans (particularly former Emperors) were pretended to have never existed.
damnum absque injuria
"damage without injury"
A loss that results from no one's wrongdoing. In Roman law, a man is not responsible for unintended, consequential injury to another resulting from a lawful act. This protection does not necessarily apply to unintended damage by negligence or folly.
Trespass de bonis asportatis was the traditional name for larceny, or wrongful taking of chattels.
decus et tutamen
"an ornament and a safeguard"
Inscription on one pound coins. Originally on 17th century coins, it refers to the inscribed edge as a protection against the clipping of precious metal. The phrase originally comes from Virgil's Aeneid.
Said of something that actually is the case. Often the implication is that it isn't the case of necessity (de jure) or that it is supposed not to be the case.
de fideli
"with faithfulness"
A clerk makes the declaration De fideli on when appointed, promising to do his or her tasks faithfully as a servant of the court.
de futuro
"regarding the future"
Usually used in the context of "at a future time"
de gustibus non est disputandum
"there is not to be discussion regarding tastes"
Less literally "In matters of taste there is no dispute" or simply "There's no arguing taste". A similar expression in English is "There's no accounting for taste". Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, without attribution, renders the phrase as de gustibus non disputandum; the verb "to be" is often assumed in Latin, and is rarely required.
"Official", in contrast with de facto. Analogous to "in principle", whereas de facto is to "in practice". In other contexts, can mean "according to law", "by right" or "legally". Also written de iure, the classical form.
"The commander does not bother with the smallest things."
Also "The chief magistrate does not concern himself with trifles." Trivial matters are no concern of a high official (cf. aquila non capit muscas, "the eagle does not catch flies"). Sometimes rex ("the king") or lex ("the law") is used in place of praetor, and de minimis is a legal term referring to things unworthy of the law's attention.
de mortuis aut bene aut nihil
"about the dead, either well or nothing"
Less literally, "speak well of the dead or not at all" (cf. de mortuis nil nisi bonum).
From de mortuis nil nisi bonum dicendum est, "nothing must be said about the dead except the good", attributed by Diogenes Laertius to Chilon (of Sparta). In legal contexts, this quotation is used with the opposite meaning, as defaming a deceased person is not a crime. In other contexts, it refers to taboos against criticizing the recently deceased.
de nobis fabula narratur
"about us is the story told"
Thus, "their story is our story". Originally referred to the end of Rome's dominance. Now often used when comparing any current situation to a past story or historical event.
In Catholic theology, a pleasure taken in sinful thought or imagination, such as brooding on sexual images. It is distinct from actual sexual desire, and involves voluntary and complacent erotic fantasizing, without any attempt to suppress such thoughts.
deliriant isti Romani
"They are mad, those Romans!"
A translation into Latin from René Goscinny's "ils sont fous, ces romains!", frequently issued by Obelix in the Asterix comics.
This was often used in conjunction with a signature at the end of letters. It was used in order to signify that "God willing" this letter will get to you safely, "God willing" the contents of this letter come true.
A contrived or artificial solution, usually to a literary plot. Refers to the practice in Greek drama of lowering by machine an actor playing a god or goddess onto the stage — as though he were descending from Olympus — to resolve an insuperable conflict in the plot.
I.e. "From a rule without exception." Short for A dicto simpliciter, the a often being dropped by confusion with the indefinite article. A dicto simpliciter occurs when an acceptable exception is ignored or eliminated. For instance, the appropriateness of using opiates is dependent on the presence of extreme pain. To justify the recreational use of opiates by referring to a cancer patient or to justify arresting said cancer patient by comparing him to the recreational user would be a dicto simpliciter.
dictum meum pactum
"my word my bond"
Motto of the London Stock Exchange
dictum sapienti sat est
"the said is enough for the wise"
Understandable for a wise one without the need for explanations (Plautus). Also as: sat sapienti and sapienti sat.
diem perdidi
"I have lost the day"
From the Roman Emperor Titus. Passed down in Suetonius's biography of him in Lives of the Twelve Caesars (8)
Refers to the Judgment Day in Christian eschatology. The name of a famous 13th-century Medieval Latin hymn by Tommaso da Celano, used in the Mass for the dead.
differentia specifica
"specific differences"
dis aliter visum
"it seemed otherwise to the gods"
In other words, the gods have different plans than mortals, and so events do not always play out as people wish them to.
dis manibus sacrum (D.M.S.)
"Sacred to the ghost-gods"
Refers to the Manes, Roman spirits of the dead. Loosely "To the memory of". A conventional inscription preceding the name of the deceased on pagan grave markings, often shortened to dis manibus (D.M.), "for the ghost-gods". Preceded in some earlier monuments by hic situs est (H. S. E.), "he lies here".
Disce aut Discede
"Learn or Depart"
Motto of Royal College, Colombo.
disce quasi semper victurus vive quasi cras moriturus
"Learn as if always going to live; live as if tomorrow going to die."
Attributed to St. Edmund of Abingdon.
discipuli nostri bardissimi sunt
"Our students are the stupidest"
disjecta membra
"scattered limbs"
That is, "scattered remains". Paraphrased from Horace, Satires, I, 4, 62, where it was written "disiecti membra poetae" ("limbs of a scattered poet"). Also written as disiecta membra.
disjecti membra poetae
"members of a dismembered poet", "limbs of a scattered poet"
i.e. "the scattered remnants of the poet" (Horace, Satires, I, 4, 62), battered poetry.
A popular eloquent expression, usually used in the end of a speech. The implied meaning is: "I have said all that I had to say and thus the argument is settled".
dixit
" said"
Used to attribute a statement or opinion to its author, rather than the speaker.
do ut des
"I give that you may give"
Often said or written for sacrifices, when one "gives" and expects something back from the gods.
docendo discitur
"it is learned by teaching"
Also translated "one learns by teaching". Attributed to Seneca the Younger.
docendo disco, scribendo cogito
I learn by teaching, think by writing.
Domine, dirige nos
"Lord guide us"
Motto of the City of London.
Dominus illuminatio mea
"the Lord is my light"
Motto of the University of Oxford.
Dominus vobiscum
"Lord be with you"
Phrase used during and at the end of Catholic sermons, and a general greeting form among and towards members of Catholic organisations, such as priests and nuns. See also pax vobiscum.
dona nobis pacem
"give us peace"
Often set to music, either by itself or as part of the Agnus Dei prayer of the Mass (see above).
donatio mortis causa
"giving in expectation of death"
A legal concept where a person in imminent mortal danger need not meet the requisite consideration to create or modify a will.
draco dormiens nunquam titillandus
"a sleeping dragon is never to be tickled"
Motto of the fictional Hogwarts school in the Harry Potter series; translated more loosely in the books as "never tickle a sleeping dragon".
Used when someone has been asked for urgent help, but responds with no immediate action. Similar to Hannibal ante portas, but referring to a less personal danger.
Usually translated "out of many, (is) one". Motto of the United States of America. Inscribed on the Capitol and many coins used in the United States of America. The motto of the Sport Lisboa e Benfica Portuguese soccer club.
ecce homo
"Behold the man!"
in the Latin translation of the Gospel of John these words are spoken by Pilate as he presents Jesus Christ crowned with thorns to the crowd.
eo ipso is a technical term used in philosophy. It means 'by that very act' in Latin. Similar to ipso facto. It is also used, with the same meaning, in law.
Truly being something, rather than merely seeming to be something. State motto of North Carolina and academic motto of several schools, including North Carolina State University, Berklee College of Music, and Columbia College Chicago as well as Connell's Point Public School and Cranbrook High School in Sydney, Australia. From chapter 26 of Cicero's De amicitia ('On Friendship'). Earlier than Cicero, the phrase had been used by Sallust in his Bellum Catilinae (54.6), where he wrote that Cato esse quam videri bonus malebat ('he preferred to be good, rather than to seem so'). Earlier still, Aeschylus used a similar phrase in Seven Against Thebes, line 592, ou gar dokein aristos, all' enai thelei ('his resolve is not to seem the best, but in fact to be the best').
Said of Venice by the Venetian historian Fra Paolo Sarpi shortly before his death. Also the state motto of Idaho, adopted in 1867.
et alibi (et al.)
'and elsewhere'
A less common variant on et cetera used at the end of a list of locations to denote unlisted places.
et alii (et al.)
'and others'
Used similarly to et cetera ('and the rest'), to stand for a list of names. alii is actually masculine, so it can be used for men, or groups of men and women (the feminine, et aliae, is appropriate only when the 'others' are all female; et alia is correct for the neuter)
Used to indicate a betrayal by someone close. From William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, based on the traditional dying words of Julius Caesar. However, these were almost certainly not Caesar's true last words; Plutarch quotes Caesar as saying, in Greek (which was the language of Rome's elite at the time), kai su, teknon?, in English 'You as well, (my) child?'
--
Literal quotation from William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. He renders as Latin in an English play what was originally quoted as Greek supposedly spoken by a Roman. But Plutarch quotes Caesar as saying, Kai su, teknon? — Greek for "You too, my child?" (Greek would have been the language of Rome's elite at the time.) However it is unlikely that Caesar actually said these words.
et uxor (et ux.)
'and wife'
A legal term.
ex abundantia enim cordis os loquitur
'For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.'
A phrase applied to the declarations or promulgations of the Pope when, preserved from even the possibility of error by the action of the Holy Ghost (see Papal Infallibility), he solemnly declares or promulgates to the Church a dogmatic teaching on faith or morals as being contained in divine revelation, or at least being intimately connected to divine revelation. Used, by extension, of anyone who is perceived as speaking as though with supreme authority or with arrogance.
'From harmful deceit'; dolus malus is the Latin legal term for 'fraud'. The full legal phrase is ex dolo malo non oritur actio ('an action does not arise from fraud'). When an action has its origin in fraud or deceit, it cannot be supported; thus, a court of law will not assist a man who bases his course of action on an immoral or illegal act.
Idiomatically rendered 'on the face of it'. A legal term typically used to note that a document's explicit terms are defective without further investigation.
More literally 'from grace'. Refers to someone voluntarily performing an act purely out of kindness, as opposed to for personal gain or from being forced to do it. In law, an ex gratia payment is one made without recognizing any liability or legal obligation.
From Lucretius, and said earlier by Empedocles. Its original meaning is 'work is required to succeed', but its modern meaning is a more general 'everything has its origins in something' (cf. causality). It is commonly applied to the conservation laws in philosophy and modern science. Ex nihilo often used in conjunction with the term creation, as in creatio ex nihilo, meaning 'creation, out of nothing'. It is often used in philosophy or theology in connection with the proposition that God created the universe from nothing.
ex officio
'from the office'
By virtue of office or position. Often used when someone holds one position by virtue of holding another.
A theological phrase contrasted with ex opere operato, referring to the notion that the validity or promised benefit of a sacrament depends on the person administering it.
A theological phrase meaning that the act of receiving a sacrament actually confers the promised benefit, such as a baptism actually and literally cleansing one's sins. The Catholic Church affirms that the source of grace is God, not just the actions or disposition of the recipient.
ex oriente lux
'from the East, the light'
Superficially refers to the sun rising in the east, but alludes to culture coming from the Eastern world.
In general, the claim that the absence of something demonstrates the proof of a proposition. An argumentum ex silentio ('argument from silence') is an argument based on the assumption that someone's silence on a matter suggests ('proves' when a logical fallacy) that person's ignorance of the matter or their inability to counterargue validly.
ex tempore
'from time'
'This instant', 'right away' or 'immediately'. Also written extempore.
ex vi termini
'from the force of the term'
Thus, 'by definition'.
ex vivo
'out of or from life'
Used in reference to the study or assay of living tissue in an artificial environment outside the living organism.
ex voto
'from the vow'
Thus, in accordance with a promise. An ex voto is also an offering made in fulfillment of a vow.
'The exception confirms the rule in cases which are not excepted'
A juridical motto which means that exception, as for example during a 'state of exception', does not put in danger the legitimity of the rule in its globality. In other words, the exception is strictly limited to a particular sphere (see also: exceptio strictissimi juris est.
excusatio non petita accusatio manifesta
'an excuse that has not been sought is an obvious accusation'
More loosely, 'he who excuses himself, accuses himself'—an unprovoked excuse is a sign of guilt. In French, qui s'excuse, s'accuse.
Literally 'believe one who has had experience'. An author's aside to the reader.
expressio unius est exclusio alterius
'the expression of the one is the exclusion of the other'
'Mentioning one thing may exclude another thing'. A principle of legal statutory interpretation: the explicit presence of a thing implies intention to exclude others; e.g., a reference in the Poor Relief Act 1601 to 'lands, houses, tithes and coal mines' was held to exclude mines other than coal mines. Sometimes expressed as expressum facit cessare tacitum (broadly, 'the expression of one thing excludes the implication of something else').
extra domus
'(placed) outside of the house'
Refers to a possible result of Catholic ecclesiastical legal proceedings when the culprit is removed from being part of a group like a monastery.
This expression comes from the writings of Saint Cyprian of Carthage, a bishop of the third century. It is often used to summarise the doctrine that the Catholic Church is absolutely necessary for salvation.
extra omnes
'out, all of you'
It is issued by the Master of the Papal Liturgical Celebrations before a session of the Papal Conclave which will elect a new Pope. When spoken, all those who are not Cardinals, or those otherwise mandated to be present at the Conclave, must leave the Sistine Chapel.
extra territorium jus dicenti impune non paretur
'he who administers justice outside of his territory is disobeyed with impunity'
A Roman legal principle indicating that a witness who willfully falsifies one matter is not credible on any matter. The underlying motive for attorneys to impeach opposing witnesses in court: the principle discredits the rest of their testimony if it is without corroboration.
An archaic legal term for one who commits suicide, referring to early English common law punishments, such as land seizure, inflicted on those who killed themselves.
fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt
"as a rule, men willingly believe that which they wish to"
People believe what they wish to be true, even if it isn't. Attributed to Julius Caesar.
Less literally, "let light arise" or "let there be light" (cf. lux sit). From the Latin translation of Genesis, "dixitque Deus fiat lux et facta est lux" ("and God said, 'Let light be made', and light was made"). The motto of the University of California, Angelo State University, University of Lethbridge and Rollins College.
A title given to Henry VIII of England by Pope Leo X on 17 October 1521, before Henry became a heresiarch. Still used by the British monarchs, it appears on all British coins, usually abbreviated.
fides qua creditur
"the faith by which it is believed"
the personal faith which apprehends, contrasted with fides quae creditur
fides quae creditur
"the faith which is believed"
the content of "the faith," contrasted with fides qua creditur
"universal things do not detract from specific things"
A principle of legal statutory interpretation: If a matter falls under a specific provision and a general provision, it shall be governed by the specific provision.
The unique, distinctive aspects or atmosphere of a place, such as those celebrated in art, stories, folk tales, and festivals. Originally, the genius loci was literally the protective spirit of a place, a creature usually depicted as a snake.
Often translated "Glory to God on High". The title and beginning of an ancient Roman Catholic doxology, the Greater Doxology. See also ad maiorem Dei gloriam.
Or "you must have the body", i.e. you must justify an imprisonment. A legal term from the 14th century or earlier. Refers to a number of legal writs to bring a person before a court or judge, most commonly habeas corpus ad subjiciendum ("you may have the body to bring up"). Commonly used as the general term for a prisoner's legal right to have the charge against them specifically identified.
Roman parents would tell their misbehaving children this, invoking their fear of Hannibal.
haud ignota loquor
"I speak not of unknown things"
Thus, "I say no things that are unknown". From Virgil's Aeneid, 2.91.
hic abundant leones
"here lions abound"
Written on uncharted territories of old maps.
hic et nunc
"here and now"
hic jacet... (HJ)
"here lies..."
Also rendered hic iacet. Written on gravestones or tombs, preceding the name of the deceased. Equivalent to hic sepultus ("here is buried"), and sometimes combined into hic jacet sepultus (HJS), "here lies buried".
hic manebimus optime
"here we'll stay excellently"
According to Titus Livius the phrase was pronounced by Marcus Furius Camillus, addressing the senators who intended to abandon the city, invaded by Gauls, in 390 BCE circa. It is used today to express the intent to keep one's position even if the circumstances appear adverse.
hic sepultus...
"here is buried..."
hic sunt leones
"here there are lions"
Written on uncharted territories of old maps.
hinc illae lacrimae
"hence those tears"
From Terence, Andria, line 125. Originally literal, referring to the tears shed by Pamphilus at the funeral of Chrysis, it came to be used proverbally in the works of later authors, such as Horace (Epistula XIX, 41).
historia vitae magistra
"history, the teacher of life"
From Cicero, Tusculanas, 2, 16. Also "history is the mistress of life".
First attested in Plautus' Asinaria ("lupus est homo homini"). The sentence was drawn on by Hobbes in Leviathan as a concise expression of his human nature view.
homo sum humani a mi nihil alienum puto
"I am a human being; nothing human is strange to me"
From Terence, Heautontimoroumenos. Originally "strange" or "foreign" (alienum) was used in the sense of "irrelevant", as this line was a response to the speaker being told to mind his own business, but it is now commonly used to advocate respecting different cultures and being humane in general. Puto ("I consider") is not translated because it is meaningless outside of the line's context within the play.
Based on a Christian belief that "this one is King of the Jews" was written in Latin, Greek and Aramaic at the top of the cross Jesus was crucified on.
igne natura renovatur integra
"through fire, nature is reborn whole"
An alchemical aphorism invented as an alternate meaning for the acronym INRI.
igni ferroque
"with fire and iron"
A phrase describing scorched earth tactics. Also rendered as igne atque ferro, ferro ignique, and other variations.
The logical fallacy of irrelevant conclusion: making an argument that, while possibly valid, doesn't prove or support the proposition it claims to. An ignoratio elenchi that is an intentional attempt to mislead or confuse the opposing party is known as a red herring. Elenchi is from the Greek elenchos.
ignotum per ignotius
"unknown by means of the more unknown"
An explanation that is less clear than the thing to be explained. Synonymous with obscurum per obscurius.
A principle, held by several religions, that believers should strive to resemble their god(s).
imperium in imperio
"an order within an order"
1. A group of people who owe utmost fealty to their leader(s), subordinating the interests of the larger group to the authority of the internal group's leader(s); a fifth column, a group of people within an nation's territory who owe allegiance to some other leader.
imperium sine fine
"an empire without an end"
In Virgil's Aeneid, Jupiter ordered Aeneas to found a city (Rome) from which would come an everlasting, neverending empire, the endless (sine fine) empire.
Figuratively, "in secret". See also camera obscura.
in casu
"in the event"
"in this case"
in cauda venenum
"the poison is in the tail"
Using the metaphor of a scorpion, this can be said of an account that proceeds gently, but turns vicious towards the end — or more generally waits till the end to reveal an intention or statement that is undesirable in the speaker's eyes.
Usually as opposed to figurative or metaphysical usage.
in Deo speramus
"in God we hope"
Motto of Brown University.
in dubio pro reo
"in doubt, on behalf of the culprit"
Expresses the judicial principle that in case of doubt the decision must be in favor of the accused (in that anyone is innocent until there is proof to the contrary).
in duplo
"in double"
"in duplicate", "in two (copies)"
in effigie
"in the likeness"
"in (the form of) an image", as opposed to "in the flesh" or "in person".
in esse
"in existence"
in extenso
"in the extended"
"in long (form)", "in full", "at full length", "completely", "unabridged"
in extremis
"in the furthest reaches"
In extremity; in dire straits. Also "at the point of death" (cf. in articulo mortis).
"in flaming crime", "in a blazing wrong", "while the crime is blazing"
Equivalent to the English idiom "caught red-handed": caught in the act of committing a crime. Sometimes carried the connotation of being caught in a "compromising position".
in flore
"in blossom", "in bloom"
Blooming.
in foro
"in forum"
Legal term for "in court".
in girum imus nocte et consumimur igni
"We enter the circle at night and are consumed by fire"
A palindrome said to describe the behavior of moths.
in hoc signo vinces
"by this sign you will conquer"
Words Constantine I claimed to have seen in a vision before the Battle of Milvian Bridge.
in illo tempore
"in that time"
"at that time", found often in Gospel lectures during Masses, used to mark an undetermined time in the past.
in limine
"at the outset"
Preliminary, in law referring to a motion that is made to the judge before or during trial, often about the admissibility of evidence believed prejudicial
A legal term meaning "assuming parental (i.e. custodial) responsibility and authority".
in luce Tua videmus lucem
"in Thy light we see light"
Motto of Valparaiso University.
in lumine tuo videbimus lumen
"in your light we will see the light"
Motto of Columbia University and Ohio Wesleyan University.
in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum
"in your hands I command my spirit", "into your hands I entrust my spirit"
According to Luke 23:46, the last words of Jesus on the cross.
in medias res
"into the middle of things"
From Horace. Refers to the literary technique of beginning a narrative in the middle of, or at a late point in, the story, after much action has already taken place. Examples include the Iliad and the Odyssey. Compare ab initio.
"in necessary things unity, in doubtful things liberty, in all things charity"
"Charity" (caritas) is being used in the classical sense of "compassion" (cf. agape). Motto of the Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen. Often misattributed to Augustine of Hippo.
in nuce
"in a nut"
"In a nutshell." or "in potentiality". Comparable to "potential", "to be developed".
in omnia paratus
"Ready for anything."
Motto of the so-called secret society of Yale in the sitcom Gilmore Girls.
in omnibus requiem quaesivi, et nusquam inveni nisi in angulo cum libro
"Everywhere I have searched for peace and nowhere found it, except in a corner with a book"
That is, "in the land of the infidels". Infidels here refers to non-Christians. After Islam conquered a large part of the Roman Empire, the corresponding bishoprics didn't disappear, but remained as titular sees.
"Directed towards a particular person". In a lawsuit in which the case is against a specific individual, that person must be served with a summons and complaint to give the courtjurisdiction to try the case. The court's judgment applies to that person and is called an "in personam judgment." In personam is distinguished from in rem, which applies to property or "all the world" instead of a specific person. This technical distinction is important to determine where to file a lawsuit and how to serve a defendant. In personam means that a judgment can be enforceable against the person, wherever he or she is. On the other hand, if the lawsuit is to determine title to property (in rem), then the action must be filed where the property exists and is only enforceable there.
in propria persona
"in one's own person"
"personally", "in person".
in rerum natura
"in the nature of things"
See also Lucretius' De rerum natura ("On the Nature of Things").
in saeculo
"in the times"
"In the secular world", that is, outside a monastery, or before death.
In the original place, appropriate position, or natural arrangement. In medical contexts, it implies that the condition is still in the same place and has not worsened, improved, spread, etc.
in spe
"in hope"
"future"
in specialibus generalia quaerimus
"To seek the general in the specifics"
That is, to understand the most general rules through the most detailed analysis.
in statu nascendi
"in the state of being born"
Or "at the moment of birth". Just as something is about to begin.
Commonly said in Medieval debates referring to Aristotle, who was considered the supreme authority on matters of philosophy. Used in general to emphasize that some assertion comes from some authority, i.e., as an appeal to authority; and the term ipsedixitism has come to mean any unsupported rhetorical assertion that lacks a logical argument.
ipsissima verba
"the very words themselves"
"strictly word for word", "strictly word by word" (cf. verbatim).
Like the vast majority of inhabitants of the ancient world, the ancient Romans practiced pagan rituals, believing it important to achieve a state of Pax Deorum ("Peace of the Gods") instead of Ira Deorum ("Wrath of the Gods"): earthquakes, floods, famine, etc.
A useful phrase, as the Romans had no word for "yes", preferring to respond to questions with the affirmative or negative of the question (i.e., "Are you hungry?" was answered by "I am hungry" or "I am not hungry", not "Yes" or "No").
Meaning "leave, the mass is finished"; the final words of the Roman Missal.
iunctis viribus
"by united efforts"
iura novit curia
"the court knows the laws"
A legal principle in civil law countries of the Roman-German tradition (e.g., in Brazil, Germany and Italy) that says that lawyers need not to argue the law, as that is the office of the court.
Motto of the Seal of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; taken from the account in the Gospel of Luke (chapter 1, verse 63) describing the naming of St. John the Baptist by his father Zachary: et postulans pugillarem scripsit dicens Iohannes est nomen eius. ("and demanding a writing tablet, he wrote, saying "John is his name.") The original Spanish name given to the island by Columbus was San Juan Bautista, or St. John the Baptist; the name "Puerto Rico" was a later development.
juris ignorantia est cum jus nostrum ignoramus
"it is ignorance of the law when we do not know our own rights"
jus ad bellum
"law towards war"
Refers to the "laws" that regulate the reasons for going to war. Typically, this would address issues of self-defense or preemptive strikes
jus in bello
"law in war"
Refers to the "laws" that regulate the conduct of combatants during a conflict. Typically, this would address issues of who or what is a valid target, how to treat prisoners, and what sorts of weapons can be used. The word jus is also commonly spelled ius.
Used in Event Horizon (1997), where it is translated as "save yourself". It is initially misheard as liberate me ("free me"), but is later corrected. Libera te is often mistakenly merged into liberate, which would necessitate a plural pronoun instead of the singular tutemet (which is an emphatic form of tu, "you").
From late 4th-century grammarian Honoratus Maurus, who sought to mock implausible word origins such as those proposed by Priscian. A pun based on the word lucus ("dark grove") having a similar appearance to the verb lucere ("to shine"), arguing that the former word is derived from the latter word because of a lack of light in wooded groves. Often used as an example of absurd etymology.
lupus in fabula
"the wolf in the story"
With the meaning "speak of the wolf, and he will come". Occurs in Terence's play Adelphoe.
A more literal Latinization of the phrase "let there be light", the most common translation of fiat lux ("let light arise", literally "let light be made"), which in turn is the Latin Vulgate Bible phrase chosen for the Genesis line "ג וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, יְהִי אוֹר; וַיְהִי-אוֹר" ("And God said: 'Let there be light.' And there was light"). Motto of the University of Washington.
M
Latin
Translation
Notes
magister dixit
"the master has said it"
Canonical medieval reference to Aristotle, precluding further discussion
Said (sometimes ironically) of someone's masterpiece.
maiora premunt
"greater things are pressing"
Used to indicate that it is the moment to address more important, urgent, issues.
mala fide
"in bad faith"
Said of an act done with knowledge of its illegality, or with intention to defraud or mislead someone. Opposite of bona fide.
mala tempora currunt
"bad times are upon us"
Also used ironically, e.g.: New teachers know all tricks used by pupils to copy from classmates? Oh, mala tempora currunt!.
malum discordiae
"apple of dischord"
Alludes to the apple of Eris in the judgement of Paris, the mythological cause of the Trojan War. It is also a pun based on the near-homonymous word malum ("evil"). The word for "apple" has a long a vowel in Latin and the word for "evil" a short a vowel, but they are normally written the same.
With the implication of "signed by one's hand". Its abbreviated form is sometimes used at the end of typewritten or printed documents or official notices, directly following the name of the person(s) who "signed" the document exactly in those cases where there isn't an actual handwritten signature.
manus celer Dei
"the swift hand of God"
Originally used as the name of a ship in the Marathon videogame series, its usage has spread.
The branch of medical science concerned with the study of drugs used in the treatment of disease. Also, the drugs themselves.
me vexat pede
"it annoys me at the foot"
Less literally, "my foot itches". Refers to a trivial situation or person that is being a bother, possibly in the sense of wishing to kick that thing away.
Used in Christian prayers and confession to denote the inherently flawed nature of mankind. Can also be extended to mea maxima culpa ("my greatest fault"). Also used similarly to the modern English slang "my bad".
Loosely "method of subtracting", "method of denying". A logical rule of inference stating that from propositions not Q and if P then Q one can conclude not P.
used to describe any sexual act in the manner of beasts
morituri te salutant
"those who are about to die salute thee"
Used once in Suetonius' Life of the Divine Claudius, chapter 21, by the condemned prisoners manning galleys about to take part in a mock naval battle on Lake Fucinus in AD 52. Popular misconception ascribes it as a gladiator's salute.
"with those things changed which needed to be changed"
Thus, "with the appropriate changes".
N
Latin
Translation
Notes
natura non contristatur
"nature is not saddened"
That is, the natural world is not sentimental or compassionate.
natura non facit saltum ita nec lex
"nature does not make a leap, thus neither does the law"
Shortened form of "sicut natura nil facit per saltum ita nec lex" ("just as nature does nothing by a leap, so neither does the law"), referring to both nature and the legal system moving gradually.
Used as a level name in the Marathon series to reflect the doomed theme of the level, and derived from the family motto of one of the developers.
ne sutor ultra crepidam
"Cobbler, no further than the sandal!"
Thus, don't offer your opinion on things that are outside your competence. It is said that the Greek painter Apelles once asked the advice of a cobbler on how to render the sandals of a soldier he was painting. When the cobbler started offering advice on other parts of the painting, Apelles rebuked him with this phrase in Greek, and it subsequently became a popular Latin expression.
nec dextrorsum, nec sinistrorsum
"Neither to the left nor to the right"
Do not get distracted. This Latin phrase is also the motto for Bishop Cotton Boys School and the Bishop Cotton Girls High school, both located in Bangalore, India.
nec plus ultra
"nothing more beyond"
Also ne plus ultra or non plus ultra. A descriptive phrase meaning the best or most extreme example of something. The Pillars of Hercules, for example, were literally the nec plus ultra of the ancient Mediterranean world. Charles V's heraldic emblem reversed this idea, using a depiction of this phrase inscribed on the Pillars—as plus ultra, without the negation. This represented Spain's expansion into the New World.
Used to imply that one must like a subject in order to study it.
nemo tenetur seipsum accusare
"no one is bound to accuse himself"
A maxim banning mandatory self-incrimination. Near-synonymous with accusare nemo se debet nisi coram Deo. Similar phrases include: nemo tenetur armare adversarium contra se ("no one is bound to arm an opponent against himself"), meaning that a defendant is not obligated to in any way assist the prosecutor to his own detriment; nemo tenetur edere instrumenta contra se ("no one is bound to produce documents against himself", meaning that a defendant is not obligated to provide materials to be used against himself (this is true in Roman law and has survived in modern criminal law, but no longer applies in modern civil law); and nemo tenere prodere seipsum ("no one is bound to betray himself"), meaning that a defendant is not obligated to testify against himself.
A notation, usually on a title page, indicating that a Roman Catholiccensor has reviewed the book and found nothing objectionable to faith or morals in its content.
Or "nothing without providence". State motto of Colorado, adopted in 1861. Probably derived from Virgil's Aeneid Book II, line 777, "non haec sine numine devum eveniunt" ("these things do not come to pass without the will of the gods"). See also numina.
nil volentibus arduum
"Nothing arduous for the willing"
"Nothing is impossible for the willing"
nisi Dominus frustra
"if not the Lord, in vain"
That is, "everything is in vain without God". Summarized from Psalm 127, "nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum in vanum laboraverunt qui aedificant eam nisi Dominus custodierit civitatem frustra vigilavit qui custodit" ("unless the Lord builds the house, they work on a useless thing who build it; unless the Lord guards the community, he keeps watch in vain who guards it"). The motto of Edinburgh.
nisi prius
"unless previously"
In England, a direction that a case be brought up to Westminster for trial before a single judge and jury. In the United States, a court where civil actions are tried by a single judge sitting with a jury, as distinguished from an appellate court.
nolens volens
"unwilling, willing"
That is, "whether unwillingly or willingly". Sometimes rendered volens nolens or aut nolens aut volens. Similar to willy-nilly, though that word is derived from Old English will-he nil-he (" he will or he will not").
Commonly translated "touch me not". According to the Gospel of John, this was said by Jesus to Mary Magdalene after his resurrection.
noli turbare circulos meos
"Do not disturb my circles!"
That is, "Don't upset my calculations!" Said by Archimedes to a Roman soldier who, despite having been given orders not to, killed Archimedes at the conquest of Syracuse, Italy. The soldier was executed for his act.
That is, "no contest". A plea that can be entered on behalf of a defendant in a court that states that the accused doesn't admit guilt, but will accept punishment for a crime. Nolo contendere pleas cannot be used as evidence in another trial.
A purported scientific name that does not fulfill the proper formal criteria and therefore cannot be used unless it is subsequently proposed correctly.
"Not all of me will die", a phrase expressing the belief that a part of the speaker will survive beyond death.
non progredi est regredi
"to not go forward is to go backward"
non prosequitur
"he does not proceed"
A judgment in favor of a defendant when the plaintiff failed to take the necessary steps in an action within the time allowed.
non scholae sed vitae discimus
"We learn not for school, but for life."
from Seneca
non sequitur
"it does not follow"
A non sequitur statement is the result of faulty logic. As a logical fallacy, a non sequitur conclusion is a conclusion that does not follow from a premise.
Possibly derived from a Vulgate mistranslation of the Book of Jeremiah. Commonly used in literature as Satan's statement of disobedience to God, though in the original context the quote is attributed to Israel, not Satan.
non sum qualis eram
"I am not such as I was"
Or "I am not the kind of person I once was". Expresses a change in the speaker.
non vi, sed verbo
"not through violence, but through the word alone"
Martin Luther on Catholic church reform (see Reformation)
From Cicero, based on the Greek γνῶθι σεαυτόν (gnothi seauton), inscribed on the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. A non-traditional Latin rendering, temet nosce ("thine own self know"), is translated in The Matrix as "know thyself".
That is, "nothing". It has been theorized that this expression is the origin of Italian nulla, French rien, and Spanish and Portuguese nada, all with the same meaning.
Legal principle meaning that one cannot be penalised for doing something that is not prohibited by law. It also means that penal law cannot be enacted retroactively.
In the Gospel of Luke, spoken by Simeon while holding the baby Jesus when he felt he was ready to be dismissed into the afterlife ("he had seen the light"). Often used in the same way the phrase Eureka is used, as a jubilant exclamation of revelation.
nunc est bibendum
"now is the time to drink"
Carpe-Diem-type phrase from the Odes of Horace, "Nunc est bibendum, nunc pede libero pulsanda tellus" (Now is the time to drink, now the time to dance footloose upon the earth).
Attributed (in Tacitus, Annales, III, 65) to the EmperorTiberius, in disgust at the servile attitude of Roman senators. Used of those who should be leaders but instead slavishly follow the lead of others.
o tempora, o mores!
"O, the times! O, the morals!", "Oh the times! Oh the morals!"
Also translated "What times! What customs!". From Marcus Tullius Cicero, Catilina I, 1, 2.
obiit (ob.)
"one died"
"He died" or "she died", an inscription on gravestones. ob. also sometimes stands for obiter ("in passing" or "incidentally").
In law, an observation by a judge on some point of law not directly relevant to the case before him, and thus neither requiring his decision nor serving as a precedent, but nevertheless of persuasive authority. In general, any comment, remark or observation made in passing.
Attributed by Seneca the Younger to the playwright Lucius Accius, and said to be a favourite saying of Caligula.
odi et amo
"I hate and I love", "I hate (her), and I love (her)"
The opening of Catullus 85. The entire poem reads, "odi et amo quare id faciam fortasse requiris / nescio sed fieri sentio et excrucior" ("I hate and I love. Why do I do this, you perhaps ask. / I do not know, but I feel it happening and am tormented.").
Loosely, "be at peace", "with due deference to", "by leave of" or "no offense to". Used to politely acknowledge someone who disagrees with the speaker or writer.
pace tua
"with your peace"
Thus, "with your permission".
pacta sunt servanda
"agreements must be kept"
Also "contracts must be honored". Indicates the binding power of treaties.
panem et circenses
"bread and circuses", "bread and circus plays"
From Juvenal, Satires 10, 81. Originally described all that was needed for emperors to placate the Roman mob, and today used to describe any entertainment used to distract public attention from more important matters.
pari passu
"with equal step"
Thus, "moving together", "simultaneously", etc.
parturiunt montes, nascetur ridiculus mus
"the mountains are in labour, and a ridiculous mouse shall be born"
Or "master of the house". The eldest male in a family, who held patria potestas ("paternal power"). In Roman law, a father had enormous power over his children, wife, and slaves, though these rights dwindled over time. Derived from the phrase pater familias, an Old Latin expression preserving the archaic -as ending.
Like the vast majority of inhabitants of the ancient world, the Romans practiced pagan rituals, believing it important to achieve a state of Pax Deorum (The Peace of the Gods) instead of Ira Deorum (The Wrath of the Gods).
pax et bonum
"peace and the good"
Motto of St. Francis of Assisi and, consequently, of his monastery in Assisi, in the Umbria region of Italy. Translated in Italian as pace e bene.
According to Suetonius, when Emperor Vespasian was challenged by his son Titus for taxing the public lavatories, the emperor held up a coin before his son and asked whether it smelled or simply said non olet ("it doesn't smell"). From this, the phrase was expanded to pecunia non olet, or rarely aes non olet ("copper doesn't smell").
Motto of the British Royal Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force, the Royal Canadian Air Force, and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The phrase was derived from H. Rider Haggard's famous novel The People of the Mist, and was selected and approved as a motto for the Royal Flying Corps on 15 March 1913. In 1929, the Royal Australian Air Force decided to adopt it as well.
per aspera ad astra
"through hardships to the stars"
From Seneca the Younger. Motto of NASA and the South African Air Force. A common variant, ad astra per aspera ("to the stars through hardships"), is the state motto of Kansas.
Thus, "per day". A specific amount of money an organization allows an individual to spend per day, typically for travel expenses.
per mensem
"through a month"
Thus, "per month", or "monthly".
per os (p.o.)
"through the mouth"
Medical shorthand for "by mouth".
per procurationem (p.p.)
"through the agency"
I.e. "through the agency (of ...)". Used to indicate that a person is signing a document on behalf of another person. Correctly placed before the name of the person signing.
per quod
"by reason of which"
In a UK legal context: "by reason of which" (as opposed to per se which requires no reasoning). In American jurisprudence often refers to a spouse's claim for loss of consortium.
per rectum
"through the rectum"
Medical shorthand. See also per os.
per se
"through itself"
Also "by itself" or "in itself". Without referring to anything else, intrinsically, taken without qualifications, etc.
An unwelcome, unwanted or undesirable person. In diplomatic contexts, a person rejected by the host government. The reverse, persona grata ("pleasing person"), is less common, and refers to a diplomat acceptable to the government of the country to which he is sent.
petitio principii
"request of the beginning"
'begging the principle', 'begging the question'; a logical fallacy in which a proposition to be proved is implicitly or explicitly assumed in one of the premises.
pia desideria
"pious longings"
Or "pious desires", "dutiful desires".
pia fraus
"pious fraud"
Or "pious betrayal", "dutiful deceit". Expression from Ovid. Used to describe deception which serves Church purposes.
The first-person plural pronoun when used by an important personage to refer to himself or herself.
pollice verso
"with a turned thumb"
Used by Roman crowds to pass judgment on a defeated gladiator. It is uncertain whether the thumb was turned up, down, or concealed inside one's hand. [2]
pons asinorum
"bridge of asses"
Any obstacle that stupid people find hard to cross. Originally used of Euclid's Fifth Proposition in geometry.
Originally an epithet of the Roman Emperors, and later a traditional epithet of the Pope. The pontifices were the most important priestly college of the ancient Roman religion; their name is usually thought to derive from pons facere ("to make a bridge").
Thus, to be able to be made into part of a retinue or force. In common law, posse comitatus is a sheriff's right to compel people to assist law enforcement in unusual situations.
post aut propter
"after it or by means of it"
Causality between two phenomena is not established (cf. post hoc, ergo propter hoc).
post cibum (p.c.)
"after food"
Medical shorthand for "after meals" (cf. ante cibum).
post coitum omne animal triste est sive gallus et mulier
"after sexual intercourse every animal is sad, except the cock (rooster) and the woman"
A logical fallacy where one assumes that one thing happening after another thing means that the first thing caused the second.
post meridiem (p.m.)
"after midday", "after noon"
The period from noon to midnight (cf. ante meridiem).
post mortem
"after death"
post scriptum (p.s.)
"after what has been written", "post script"
A postscript. Used to mark additions to a letter, after the signature. Can be extended to post post scriptum (p.p.s.), etc.
post tenebras lux
"after darkness, light"
A motto of the Protestant Reformation inscribed on the Reformation Wall in Geneva, Switzerland. A former motto of Chile, replaced by the current one, Por la Razón o la Fuerza (Spanish: "By Right or Might"). Another obsolete motto is aut concilio aut ense.
Or "first moving one". A common theological term, such as in the cosmological argument, based on the assumption that God was the first entity to "move" or "cause" anything. Aristotle was one of the first philosophers to discuss the "uncaused cause", a hypothetical originator—and violator of—causality.
A medical precept; attributed to Hippocrates, often falsely attributed to the Hippocratic Oath, though its true source is probably a paraphrase from Hippocrates' Epidemics, where he wrote, "Declare the past, diagnose the present, foretell the future; practice these acts. As to diseases, make a habit of two things: to help, or at least to do no harm."
Medical shorthand for "as the occasion arises" or "as needed".
pro studio et labore
"for study and work"
pro se
"for oneself"
to defend oneself in court without counsel
pro tanto
"for so much"
Denotes something that has only been partially fulfilled. A philosophical term indicating the acceptance of a theory or idea without fully accepting the explanation
pro tempore
"for the time"
I.e. "temporarily"; equivalent to English phrase "for the time being". Denotes a temporary current situation.
Or "what an artist dies with me!". Attributed to Nero by Suetonius.
quamdiu bene gesserit
Legal Latin: "as long as he shall have behaved well"
I.e. " good behavior". From which Frank Herbert extracted the name for the sisterhood in the Dune novels.
quantum libet (q.l.)
"as much as pleases"
Medical shorthand for "as much as you wish".
quantum sufficit
"as much as needed", "as much as will suffice"
Medical shorthand.
quaque hora
"every hour"
Medical shorthand.
quare clausum fregit
"wherefore he broke the close"
An action of tresspass; thus called, by reason the writ demands the person summoned to answer to wherefore he broke the close(quare clausum fregit), i.e. why he committed such a trespass.
quater in die
"four times a day"
Medical shorthand.
quem di diligunt adulescens moritur
"he whom the gods love dies young"
Other translations of diligunt include "prize especially" or "esteem". From Plautus, Bacchides, IV, 7, 18. In this comic play, a sarcastic servant says this to his aging master. The rest of the sentence reads: dum valet sentit sapit ("while he is healthy, perceptive and wise").
Thus, silence gives consent. Sometimes accompanied by the proviso "ubi loqui debuit ac potuit", that is, "when he ought to have spoken and was able to".
qui transtulit sustinet
"he who transplanted still sustains"
Or "he who brought us across still supports us", meaning God. State motto of Connecticut. Originally written as sustinet qui transtulit in 1639.
quia suam uxorem etiam suspiciore vacare vellet
"because he should wish even his wife to be free from suspicion"
Attributed to Julius Caesar by Plutarch, Caesar 10. Translated loosely as "because even the wife of Caesar may not be suspected". At the feast of Bona Dea, a sacred festival for females only, which was being held at the Domus Publica, the home of the Pontifex Maximus, Caesar, and hosted by his second wife, Pompeia, the notorious rhetorian Clodius arrived in disguise. Caught by the outraged noblewomen, Clodius fled before they could kill him on the spot for sacrilege. In the ensuing trial, allegations arose that Pompeia and Clodius were having an affair, and while Caesar asserted that this was not the case and no substantial evidence arose suggesting otherwise, he nevertheless divorced, with this quotation as explanation.
quid est veritas
"What is truth?"
In the Vulgate translation of John 18:38, Pontius Pilate's question to Jesus.
quid novi ex Africa?
"what of the new out of Africa?"
Less literally, "what's new out of Africa?", "what's new from Africa?" Derived from an Aristotle quotation.
Also translated "this for that" or "a thing for a thing"; i.e. a favor for a favor.
Trivia: The expression "quid pro quo" is not used in Italian. An exchange of favours is indicated by "do ut des", another Latin expression meaning "I give in order that you give".
quid nunc?
"what now?"
quidquid Latine dictum sit altum videtur
"whatever has been said in Latin seems deep"
Or "anything said in Latin sounds profound". A recent ironic Latin phrase to poke fun at people who seem to use Latin phrases and quotations only to make themselves sound more important or "educated". Similar to the less common omnia dicta fortiora si dicta latina.
From Juvenal's Satire VI: On Women, originally referring to the practice of having eunuchs guard women and beginning with the word sed ("but"). Usually translated less literally, as "Who watches the watchmen?" This translation is a common epigraph, such as of the Tower Commission and Alan Moore's Watchmen comic book series.
quis ut Deus
"Who as God?"
Usually translated "Who is like unto God?" Questions who would have the audacity to compare himself to a Supreme Being.
From Cicero's Ad Catilinam speech to the Roman Senate regarding the conspiracy of Catiline: quo usque tandem abutere Catilina patientia nostra ("For how much longer, Catiline, will you abuse our patience?").
According to John 13:36, Saint Peter asked JesusDomine, quo vadis ("Lord, where are you going?"; KJV: "Lord, whither goest thou?") on the Appian Way in Rome.
The abbreviation is often written at the bottom of a mathematical proof. Sometimes translated loosely into English as "The Five Ws", W.W.W.W.W., which stands for "Which Was What We Wanted".
quod erat faciendum (Q.E.F)
"which was to be done"
Or "which was to be constructed". Used by Euclid in his Elements when there was nothing to prove, but there was something be constructed, for example a triangle with the same size as a given line.
quod est (q.e.)
"which is"
quod gratis asseritur, gratis negatur
"what is asserted without reason may be denied without reason"
If no grounds have been given for an assertion, there is no need to provide grounds for contradicting it.
quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi
"what is permitted to Jupiter is not permitted to an ox"
If an important person does something, it does not necessarily mean that everyone can do it (cf. double standard). Iovi (also commonly rendered Jovi) is the dative form of Iuppiter ("Jupiter" or "Jove"), the chief god of the Romans.
quod me nutrit me destruit
"what nourishes me destroys me"
Thought to have originated with Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe. Generally interpreted to mean that that which motivates or drives a person can consume him or her from within. This phrase has become a popular slogan or motto for pro-ana websites, anorexics and bulimics. In this case the phrase is literally describing food.
quod natura non dat, Salmantica non praestat
"what nature does not give, Salamanca does not provide"
Refers to the Spanish University of Salamanca, meaning that education cannot substitute the lack of brains.
quod vide (q.v.)
"which see"
Used after a term or phrase that should be looked up elsewhere in the current document or book. For more than one term or phrase, the plural is quae vide (qq.v.).
quomodo vales?
"how are you?"
quot homines, tot sententiae
"how many people, so many opinions"
Or "there are as many opinions as there are people".
quousque tandem?
"for how much longer?"
From Cicero's speech to the Roman senate regarding the conspiracy of Catiline: Quousque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra?i.e. "For how much longer, Catilina, will you abuse our patience?".
An extraodinary or unusual thing. From Juvenal's Satires: rara avis in terris nigroque simillima cygno ("a rare bird in the lands, and very like a black swan").
"leading back to the absurd", "reduction to absurdity"
A common debate technique and a method of proof in mathematics and philosophy, that proves the thesis by showing that its opposite is absurd or logically untenable. In general usage outside mathematics and philosophy, a reductio ad absurdum is a tactic in which the logic of an argument is challenged by reducing the concept to its most absurd extreme. Translated from Aristotle's "" (hi eis atopon apagogi, "reduction to the impossible").
An argument that creates an infinite series of causes that does not seem to have a beginning. As a fallacy, it rests upon Aristotle's notion that all things must have a cause, but that all series of causes must have a sufficient cause, that is, an unmoved mover. An argument which does not seem to have such a beginning becomes difficult to imagine.
State motto of Arkansas, adopted in 1907; originally rendered in 1864 in the plural, regnant populi ("the peoples rule"), but subsequently changed to the singular.
repetitio est mater studiorum
"repetition is the mother of study"
requiescat in pace (R.I.P.)
"let him rest in peace", "may he rest in peace"
A benediction for the dead. Often inscribed on tombstones or other grave markers.
rerum cognoscere causas
"to learn the causes of things"
Motto of the University of Sheffield, the University of Guelph, and London School of Economics.
(1) A phrase used in law representing the belief that certain statements are made naturally, spontaneously and without deliberation during the course of an event, they leave little room for misunderstanding/misinterpretation upon hearing by someone else ( i.e. by the witness who will later repeat the statement to the court) and thus the courts believe that such statements carry a high degree of credibility. (2) In history, a Latin biography
A phrase from the common law of torts meaning that negligence can be inferred from the fact that such an accident happened, without proof of exactly how.
A matter which has been decided by a court. Often refers to the legal concept that once a matter has been finally decided by the courts, it cannot be litigated again (cf. non bis in idem and double jeopardy).
Goods without an owner. Used for things or beings which belong to nobody and are up for grabs, e.g. uninhabited and uncolonized lands, wandering wild animals (cf. terra nullius, "no man's land").
respice finem
"look back at the end"
i.e., "have regard for the end" or "consider the end". Generally a memento mori, a warning to remember one's death.
respiciendum est iudicanti ne quid aut durius aut remissius constituatur quam causa deposcit nec enim aut severitatis aut clementiae gloria affectanda est
"the judge must see that no order be made or judgment given or sentence passed either more harshly or more mildly than the case requires; he must not seek renown, either as a severe or as a tender-hearted judge"
Regarded as a legal maxim in agency law, referring to the legal liability of the principal with respect to an employee. Whereas a hired independent contract acting tortiously may not cause the principal to be legally liable, a hired employee acting tortiously will cause the principal (the employer) to be legally liable, even if the employer did nothing wrong.
The rigidity of corpses when chemical reactions cause the limbs to stiffen about 3–4 hours after death. Other signs of death include drop in body temperature (algor mortis, "cold of death") and discoloration (livor mortis, "bluish color of death").
rosa rubicundior, lilio candidior, omnibus formosior, semper in te glorior
"redder than the rose, whiter than the lilies, fairer than all things, I do ever glory in thee", "redder than the rose, whiter than the lilies, fairer than everything, I will always glory in thee."
rus in urbe
"farm in the city"
Generally used to refer to a haven of peace and quiet within an urban setting, often a garden, but can refer to interior decoration.
"the welfare of the people is to be the highest law"
From Cicero's De Legibus, book III, part III, sub. VIII. Quoted by John Locke in his Second Treatise, On Civil Government, to describe the proper organization of government. Also the state motto of Missouri and of Harrow.
From Horace's Epistularum liber primus, Epistle II, line 40. Popularized by its use in Immanuel Kant's What is Enlightenment? to define the Enlightenment. Frequently used in mottos, such as for some schools.
sapientia et doctrina
"Wisdom and Learning"
Motto of Fordham University, New York.
sapienti sat
"enough for the wise"
From Plautus. Indicates that something can be understood without any need for explanation, as long as the listener has enough wisdom or common sense. Often extended to dictum sapienti sat est ("enough has been said for the wise", commonly translated as "a word to the wise is enough").
The Papacy or the Holy See. Synonymous with Sancta Sedes.
sedes incertae
seat (i.e. location) uncertain
Used in biological classification to indicate that there is no agreement as to which higher order grouping a taxon should be placed into. Abbreviated sed. incert.
Motto of Exeter and several other cities; more recently has become the motto of United States Marine Corps and the Swiss Grenadiers. Also the motto of the Rot-Weiß Oberhausen and Plymouth Argyle football clubs.
semper paratus
"always prepared"
Motto of the United States Coast Guard and the United States Cavalry's 12th Regiment.
semper reformanda
"always reforming"
A shortened form of a motto of the Protestant Reformation, Ecclesia reformata semper reformanda est secundu Verbum Dei ("the reformed Church must be always reforming according to the Word of God"), which refers to the Protestant position that the church must continually re-examine itself, reconsider its doctrines, and be prepared to accept change, in order to conform more closely to orthodox Christian belief as revealed in the Bible. The shortened form, semper reformanda, literally means "always about to be reformed", but the usual translation is taken from the full sentence where it is used in a passive periphrastic construction to mean "always reforming."
I.e. "the Aristocrats and the Commoners", the official name of the Roman Republic. "SPQR" was carried on battle standards by the Roman legions. In addition to being an ancient Roman motto, it remains the motto of the modern city of Rome.
Long and complicated words that are used without necessity. From Horace's Ars Poetica, "proicit ampullas et sesquipedalia verba" ("he throws down his high-flown language and his foot-and-a-half-long words").
State motto of Michigan, adopted in 1835, adapted from si monumentum requiris, circumspice.
si tacuisses, philosophus mansisses
"If you had kept your silence, you would have stayed a philosopher"
This quote is often attributed to the Latin philosopher Boethius of the late fifth and early sixth centuries. It translates literally as, "If you had been silent, you would have remained a philosopher." The phrase illustrates a common use of the subjunctive verb mood. Among other functions it expresses actions contrary to fact. Sir Humphrey Appleby translated it to the PM as: "If you'd kept your mouth shut we might have thought you were clever".
si vales valeo (SVV)
"if you are well, I am well"
A common beginning for ancient Roman letters. Also extended to si vales bene est ego valeo ("if you are well, that is good; I am well"), abbreviated to SVBEEV. The practice fell out of fashion and into obscurity with the decline in Latin literacy.
State motto of Virginia, adopted in 1776. Attributed to Brutus at the time of Julius Caesar's assassination, and to John Wilkes Booth at the time of Abraham Lincoln's assassination; whether it was actually said at either of these events is disputed.
From the Bible. A reminder that all things are fleeting. During Papal Coronations, a monk reminds the pope of his mortality by saying this phrase, preceded by pater sancte ("holy father") while holding before his eyes a burning paper illustrating the passing nature of earthly glories. This is similar to the tradition of a slave in Roman triumphs whispering "memento mori".
sic utere tuo ut alienum non laedas
"use yours so as not to harm of others"
Or "use your property in such a way that you do not damage others'". A legal maxim related to propertyownership laws, often shortened to simply sic utere ("use it thus").
sic vita est
"thus is life"
Or "such is life". Indicates that a circumstance, whether good or bad, is an inherent aspect of living.
Used in bibliographies to indicate that the date of publication of a document is unknown.
sine die
"without a day", "without a (set) day"
Originally from old common law texts, where it indicates that a final, dispositive order has been made in the case: there is nothing left for the court to do, so no date for further proceedings is set.
A motto of the Protestant Reformation and one of the five solas, referring to the idea that God is the creator of all good things and deserves all the praise for them. Johann Sebastian Bach often signed his manuscripts with the abbreviation S.D.G. to invoke this phrase, as well as with AMDG (ad maiorem Dei gloriam).
A motto of the Protestant Reformation and one of the five solas, referring to the Protestant claim that the Bible teaches that Jesus is the only mediator between God and mankind. Also rendered solo Christo ("by Christ alone").
solus ipse
"I alone"
spectemur agendo
"let us be judged by our deeds"
Motto of the South African College School (SACS) and many other institutions.
From The Second Coming (poem) by William Butler Yeats. Refers to Yeats' belief that each human mind is linked to a single vast intelligence, and that this intelligence causes certain universal symbols to appear in individual minds. The idea is similar to Carl Jung's concept of the collective unconscious.
Loosely "splendour without diminishment" or "magnificence without ruin". Motto of British Columbia.
stamus contra malo
"we stand against by evil"
The motto of the Jungle Patrol in The Phantom. The phrase actually violates Latin grammar because of a mistranslation from English, as the preposition contra takes the accusative case. The correct Latin rendering of "we stand against evil" would be "stamus contra malum".
The title by which Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, was known. More literally translated "the bewilderment of the world", or, in its original, pre-Medieval sense, "the stupidity of the world".
sua sponte
"by its own accord"
Motto of the U.S. Army Rangers. Also a legal term.
sub cruce lumen
"The Light Under the Cross"
Motto of the University of Adelaide, Australia. Refers to the figurative "light of learning" and the Southern Cross constellation, Crux.
sub judice
"under a judge"
Said of a case that cannot be publicly discussed until it is finished. Also sub iudice.
Said of a request, usually by a court, that must be complied to on pain of punishment.
sub rosa
"under the rose"
"in secret", "secretly", "privately", "confidentially" or "covertly". In the Middle Ages, a rose was suspended from the ceiling of a council chamber to indicate that what was said in the "under the rose" was not to be repeated outside. This practice originates in Greek mythology, where Aphrodite gave a rose to her son Eros, and he, in turn, gave it to Harpocrates, the god of silence, to ensure that his mother's indiscretions—or those of the gods in general, in other accounts—were kept under wraps.
sub specie aeternitatis
"under the sight of eternity"
Thus, "from eternity's point of view". From Baruch Spinoza, Ethics.
Capable of responsibility. Has both legal and ecclesiastical use.
sum quod eris
"I am what you will be"
A gravestone inscription to remind the reader of the inevitability of death (cf. memento mori). Also rendered fui quod sis ("I have been what you are") and tu fui ego eris ("I have been you, you will be I").
sum quod eris / fui quod sis
"I am what you will be / I was what you are"
gravestone incriptions that remind the reader of the inevitability of death. Also see tu fui, ego eris.
summa cum laude
"with highest praise"
summum bonum
"the supreme good"
Literally "highest good". Compare summum malum ("the supreme evil").
summum malum
"the supreme evil"
sunt lacrimae rerum
"there are tears for things"
From Virgil, Aeneid. Followed by et mentem mortalia tangunt ("and mortal things touch my mind"). Aeneas cries as he sees Carthaginian temple murals depicting the deaths of the Trojan War. See also hinc illae lacrimae.
Thus, "(a) blank slate". Romans used to write on wax-covered wooden tablets, which were erased by scraping with the flat end of the stylus. John Locke used the term to describe the human mind at birth, before it had acquired any knowledge.
tabula gratulatoria
"congratulatory tablet"
A list of congratulations.
talis qualis
"just as such"
"such as it is" or "as such".
taliter qualiter
"somewhat"
tanquam ex ungue leonem
"we know the lion by his claw"
We may recognize the whole by looking at a part. Said in 1697 by Johann Bernoulli about Isaac Newton's anonymously submitted solution to Bernoulli's challenge regarding the Brachistochrone curve.
In archaeology or history, refers to the date before which an artifact or feature must have been deposited. Used with terminus post quem ("limit after which"). Similarly, teminus ad quem ("limit to which") may also refer to the latest possible date of a non-punctual event (period, era, etc.), while terminus a quo ("limit from which") may refer to the earliest such date.
terra australis incognito
"unknown southern land"
First name used to refer to the Australian continent.
That is, no man's land. A neutral or uninhabited area, or a land not under the sovereignty of any recognized political entity.
terras irradient
"let them illuminate the lands"
Or "let them give light to the world". An allusion to Isaiah 6.3: plena est omnis terra gloria eius ("the whole earth is full of his glory"). Sometimes mistranslated as "they will illuminate the lands" based on mistaking irradiare for a futureindicative third-conjugation verb, whereas it is actually a presentsubjunctive first-conjugation verb. Motto of Amherst College; the college's original mission was to educate young men to serve God.
tertium non datur
"a third is not given"
More loosely, "no third is given". A logical axiom that a claim is either true or false, with no third option.
tertium quid
"a third something"
1. Something that cannot be classified into either of two groups considered exhaustive; an intermediate thing or factor. 2. A third person or thing of indeterminate character.
timeo Danaos et dona ferentes
"I fear Greeks, even bearing gifts"
Danaos being a term for the Greeks. In Virgil's Aeneid, II, 49, the phrase is said by Laocoön when warning his fellow Trojans against accepting the Trojan Horse. The full original quote is quidquid id est timeo Danaos et dona ferentis, quidquid id est meaning "whatever it is" and ferentis being an archaic form of ferentes. Commonly mistranslated "Beware of Greeks bearing gifts".
A Latin refrain originating in the response to the seventh lesson in the Office of the Dead. In the Middle Ages, this service was read each day by clerics. As a refrain, it appears also in other poems and can frequently be found inscribed on tombs.
The logical fallacy of attempting to defend one's position merely by pointing out the same weakness in one's opponent. If a politician is criticized for advocating an inadequately-funded plan, and replies that his or her opponent's plan is equally inadequately funded, this is a 'tu quoque' argument: undermining the counterproposal on the same basis does not make the original plan any more satisfactory. Tu quoque may also refer to a "hypocrisy" argument, a form of ad hominem where a claim is dismissed as untrue on the basis that the claimant has contradicted his own advice. While contradiction may make the claimant's argument unsound, it does necessarily not make his claims untrue. It comes from the supposed last words of Julius Caesaer ("Et tu, Brute?")
Thus, there can be no judgement or case if no one charges a defendant with a crime. The phrase is sometimes parodied as "where there are no police, there is no speed limit".
ubi re vera
"when, in a true thing"
Or "whereas, in reality..." Also rendered ubi revera ("when, in fact" or "when, actually").
"the only safety for the conquered is to hope for no safety"
Less literally, "the only safe bet for the vanquished is to expect no safety". Preceded by moriamur et in media arma ruamus ("let us die even as we rush into the midst of battle") in Virgil's Aeneid, book 2, lines 353–354. Used in Tom Clancy's novel Without Remorse, where character Clark translates it as "the one hope of the doomed is not to hope for safety".
ultimo mense
"in the last month"
Formerly used in formal correspondence to refer to the previous month.
ultima ratio
"last method"
The last resort. Louis XIV of France had Ultima Ratio Regum ("(the) last resort of kings") engraved on the cannons of his armies.
ultra vires
"beyond powers"
"Without authority".
uno flatu
"in one breath"
Used in criticism of inconsistent pleadings, ie. "one cannot argue uno flatu both that the company does not exist and that it is also responsible for the wrong."
Standard opening of Roman proclamations; also a traditional blessing by the Pope.
usus magister est optimus
practice makes perfect
ut biberent, quoniam esse nollent
ut biberent, quando esse nollent
"so that they might drink, since they refused to eat"
"so that they might drink, when they refused to eat"
From a story by Suetonius (Vit. Tib. 2.2) and Cicero (De Natura Deorum, 2.3). The phrase was said by Roman admiral Publius Claudius Pulcher right before the battle of Drepana, as he threw overboard the sacred chickens which had refused to eat the grain offered them — an unwelcome omen of bad luck. Thus the sense is, "if they do not perform as expected, they must suffer the consequences".
ut incepit fidelis sic permanet
"as she began loyal, so she persists"
Thus, the state remains as loyal as ever. Motto of Ontario.
ut desint vires tamen est laudanda voluntas
"though the power be lacking, the will is to be praised all the same"
"That the matter may have effect rather than fail"
ut retro
"as backwards"
Or "as on the back side"; thus, "as on the previous page" (cf. ut supra).
ut sit finis litium
"So there might be an end of litigation"
A traditional brocard. The full form is Interest reipublicae ut sit finis litium, "it is in the government's interest that there be an end to litigation." Often quoted in the context of statutes of limitation.
ut supra
"as above"
V
Latin
Translation
Notes
vade ad formicam
"go to the ant"
A Biblical phrase from the Book of Proverbs. The full quotation translates as "go to the ant, O sluggard, and consider her ways, and learn wisdom".
vade retro!
"go back!"
I.e. "step back!", "begone!". From Terence, Formio I, 4, 203.
An exhortation for Satan to begone, often used in response to temptation. From a popular Medieval Catholic exorcism formula, (apparently) based on a rebuke by Jesus to Saint Peter in the VulgateNew Testament, Mark 8:33: vade retro me, Satana! ("step back from me, Satan!").
Or simply "faster than cooking asparagus". Ascribed to Augustus by Suetonius (The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, Book 2 (Augustus), para. 87). Can refer to anything done very quickly. A very common variant is celerius quam asparagi cocuntur ("more swiftly than asparagus is cooked").
"by the power of truth, I, a living man, have conquered the universe"
From Christopher Marlowe's The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. Note that v was originally the consonantal u, and was written the same before the two forms became distinct, and also after in many cases, when u and v were both capitalized as V: thus, Vniversum.
Motto of University of Bristol taken from Horace Ode 4.4.
videre licet
"one may see"
Used to introduce examples or a listing of something just named.
vincere scis Hannibal victoria uti nescis
"you know to win, Hannibal; you do not to use victory"
According to Livy, a cavalry colonel told Hannibal this after the victory at Cannae in 216 BC, meaning that Hannibal should have marched on Rome directly.
Or "by manhood and weapons". State motto of Mississippi. Possibly derived from the motto of Lord Gray De Wilton, virtute non armis fido ("I trust in virtue, not in arms").
vis legis
"power of the law"
visio dei
"Vision of a god"
vita ante acta
"life before the events", "a life done before"
Thus, "a previous life", generally due to reincarnation.
viva voce
"living voice"
An oral, as opposed to a written, examination of a candidate.
"to one willing, no harm is done" or "to he who consents, no harm is done
used in tort law to delineate the principle that one cannot be held liable for injuries inflicted on an individual who has given his consent to the action that gave rise to the injury.
votum separatum
"separate vow"
An independent, minority voice.
vox clamantis in deserto
"the voice of one shouting in the desert"
Or, traditionally, "the voice of one crying in the wilderness"; thus "unheeded", "in vain". From Isaiah 40, and quoted by John the Baptist in the Gospels.
Sometimes extended to vox populi, vox Dei ("the voice of the people the voice of God"). In its original context, the extended version means the opposite of what it's frequently taken to mean: the source is usually given as the monk Alcuin, who advised Charlemagne that nec audiendi qui solent dicere vox populi vox Dei quum tumultuositas vulgi semper insaniae proxima sit, meaning "And those people should not be listened to who keep saying, 'The voice of the people the voice of God,' since the riotousness of the crowd is always very close to madness." (Works, Letter 164)
