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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:
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. [1]
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)
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