latin words and phrases

7/23/2019 Latin Words and Phrases

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Latin Words and Phrases Every Man Should Know

a posteriori from the latter -- knowledge or justication is dependenton experience or empirical evidence

a priori from what comes before -- knowledge or justication isindependent of experience

faber est suaequisque fortunae

every man is the artisan of his own fortune --quote by Appius Claudius Caecus

acta non verba deeds, not words

ad hoc to this -- improvised or made up

ad hominem to the man -- below-the-belt personal attack rather than a

reasoned argument

ad honorem for honor

ad innitum to innity

ad nauseam used to describe an argument that has been taking placeto the point of nausea

ad victoriam to victory -- more commonly translated into for victory,

this was a battle cry of the !omans

alea iacta est the die has been cast

alias at another time -- an assumed name or pseudonym

alibi elsewhere

alma mater nourishing mother -- used to denote one"s

college#university

amor patriae love of one"s country

amor vincit omnia love conquers all

annuit c$ptis %e &'od( nods at things being begun -- or he approvesour undertakings, motto on the reverse of the 'reat )ealof the *nited )tates and on the back of the *nited )tatesone-dollar bill



ante bellum before the war -- commonly used in the )outhern *nited)tates as antebellum to refer to the period preceding theAmerican Civil +ar

ante meridiem before noon -- A, used in timekeeping

aqua vitae water of life -- used to refer to various native distilledbeverages, such as whisky &uisge beatha( in )cotland and.reland, gin in %olland, and brandy &eau de vie( in /rance

arte et marte by skill and valour

astra inclinant,

sed non obligant

the stars incline us, they do not bind us -- refers to the

strength of free will over astrological determinism

audemus juranostra defendere

we dare to defend our rights -- state motto of Alabama

audere est facere to dare is to do

audio . hear

aurea mediocritas golden mean -- refers to the ethical goal of reaching avirtuous middle ground between two sinful extremes

auribus teneolupum

. hold a wolf by the ears -- a common ancient proverb0indicates that one is in a dangerous situation where bothholding on and letting go could be deadly0 a modernversion is, to have a tiger by the tail

aut cum scuto autin scuto either with shield or on shield -- do or die, no retreat0said by )partan mothers to their sons as they departed forbattle

aut neca autnecare

either kill or be killed

aut viaminveniam autfaciam

. will either nd a way or make one -- said by %annibal,the great ancient military commander

barba non facit a beard doesn"t make one a philosopher



philosophum

bellum omniumcontra omnes

war of all against all

bis dat qui citodat

he gives twice, who gives promptly -- a gift given withouthesitation is as good as two gifts

bona de good faith

bono malumsuperate

overcome evil with good

carpe diem sei1e the day

caveat emptor let the buyer beware -- the purchaser is responsible forchecking whether the goods suit his need

circa around, or approximately

citius altius fortius faster, higher, stronger -- modern 2lympics motto

cogito ergo sum . think therefore . am -- famous quote by !ene 3escartes

contemptusmundi#saeculi

scorn for the world#times -- despising the secular world,the monk or philosopher"s rejection of a mundane life andworldly values

corpus christi body of Christ

corruptissima republica plurimaeleges

when the republic is at its most corrupt the laws are mostnumerous -- said by 4acitus

creatio ex nihilo creation out of nothing -- a concept about creation, oftenused in a theological or philosophical context

cura te ipsum take care of your own self -- an exhortation to physicians,or experts in general, to deal with their own problemsbefore addressing those of others

curriculum vitae the course of one"s life -- in business, a lengthenedresume



de facto from the fact -- distinguishing what"s supposed to be fromwhat is reality

deo volente 'od willing

deus ex machina 'od out of a machine -- a term meaning a con5ict isresolved in improbable or implausible ways

dictum factum what is said is done

disce quasisemper victurusvive quasi crasmoriturus

learn as if you"re always going to live0 live as if tomorrowyou"re going to die

discendo discimus while teaching we learn

docendo disco,scribendo cogito

. learn by teaching, think by writing

ductus exemplo leadership by example

ducunt volentemfata, nolentem

trahunt

the fates lead the willing and drag the unwilling --attributed to 6ucius Annaeus )eneca

dulce belluminexpertis

war is sweet to the inexperienced

dulce et decorumest pro patriamori

it is sweet and tting to die for your country

dulcius ex asperis sweeter after di7culties

e pluribus unum out of many, one -- on the *) seal, and was once thecountry"s de facto motto

emeritus veteran -- retired from o7ce

ergo therefore

et alii and others -- abbreviated et al

et cetera and the others



et tu, 8rute9 last words of Caesar after being murdered by friend8rutus in )hakespeare"s :ulius Caesar, used today toconvey utter betrayal

ex animo from the heart -- thus, sincerely

ex libris from the library of -- to mark books from a library

ex nihilo out of nothing

ex post facto from a thing done afterward -- said of a law withretroactive e;ect

fac fortia etpatere

do brave deeds and endure

fac simile make alike -- origin of the word fax

5ectere si nequeosuperos,acherontamovebo

if . cannot move heaven . will raise hell -- <irgil"s Aeneid

fortes fortunaadiuvat fortune favors the bold

fortis in arduis strong in di7culties

gloria in excelsis3eo

glory to 'od in the highest

habeas corpus you should have the body -- a legal term from the =>thcentury or earlier0 commonly used as the general term fora prisoner"s legal right to challenge the legality of their

detention

habemus papam we have a pope -- used after a Catholic Church papalelection to announce publicly a successful ballot to elect anew pope

historia vitaemagistra

history, the teacher of life -- from Cicero0 also history isthe mistress of life



hoc est bellum this is war

homo unius libri&timeo(

&. fear( a man of one book -- attributed to 4homas Aquinas

honor virtutispraemium

esteem is the reward of virtue

hostis humanigeneris

enemy of the human race -- Cicero dened pirates in!oman law as being enemies of humanity in general

humilitas occiditsuperbiam

humility conquers pride

igne naturarenovatur integra

through re, nature is reborn whole

ignis aurumprobat

re tests gold -- a phrase referring to the rening ofcharacter through di7cult circumstances

in absentia in the absence

in aqua sanitas in water there is health

in 5agrantedelicto

in 5aming crime -- caught red-handed, or in the act

in memoriam into the memory -- more commonly in memory of

in omnia paratus ready for anything

in situ in position -- something that exists in an original ornatural state

in toto in all or entirely

in umbra, igitur,pugnabimus

then we will ght in the shade -- made famous by)partans in the battle of 4hermopylae and by the movie300

in utero in the womb

in vitro in glass -- biological process that occurs in the lab



incepto nedesistam

may . not shrink from my purpose

intelligenti pauca few words su7ce for he who understands

invicta unconquered

invictus maneo . remain unvanquished

ipso facto by the fact itself -- something is true by its very nature

labor omnia vincit hard work conquers all

laborare pugnareparati sumus to work, &or( to ght0 we are ready

labore et honore by labor and honor

leges sinemoribus vanae

laws without morals ?are@ vain

lex parsimoniae law of succinctness -- also known as 2ccam"s !a1or, thesimplest explanation is usually the correct one

lex talionis the law of retaliation

magna cum laude with great praise

magna est visconsuetudinis

great is the power of habit

magnum opus great work -- said of someone"s masterpiece

mala de in bad faith -- said of an act done with knowledge of itsillegality, or with intention to defraud or mislead someone0opposite of bona de

malum in se wrong in itself -- a legal term meaning that something isinherently wrong

malum prohibitum wrong due to being prohibited -- a legal term meaning



that something is only wrong because it is against the law

mea culpa my fault

meliora better things -- carrying the connotation of alwaysbetter

memento mori remember that ?you will@ die -- was whispered by aservant into the ear of a victorious !oman general tocheck his pride as he paraded through cheering crowdsafter a victory0 a genre of art meant to remind the viewerof the reality of his death

memento vivere remember to live

memores actiprudentes futuri

mindful of what has been done, aware of what will be

modus operandi method of operating -- abbreviated 2

montani semperliberi

mountaineers ?are@ always free -- state motto of +est<irginia

morior invictus death before defeat

morituri tesalutant

those who are about to die salute you -- populari1ed as astandard salute from gladiators to the emperor, but onlyrecorded once in !oman history

morte magismetuendasenectus

old age should rather be feared than death

mulgere hircum to milk a male goat -- to attempt the impossible

multa paucis say much in few words

nanos gigantumhumerisinsidentes

dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants -- commonlyknown by the letters of .saac ewtonB .f . have seenfurther it is by standing on the shoulders of giants

nec asperaterrent

they don"t terrify the rough ones -- frightened by nodi7culties, less literally di7culties be damned

nec temere nectimide neither reckless nor timid

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/10/29/memento-mori-art/

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/10/29/memento-mori-art/



nil volentibusarduum

nothing ?is@ arduous for the willing

nolo contendere . do not wish to contend -- that is, no contest0 a plea

that can be entered on behalf of a defendant in a courtthat states that the accused doesn"t admit guilt, but willaccept punishment for a crime

non ducor, duco . am not led0 . lead

non loqui sedfacere

not talk but action

non progredi estregredi

to not go forward is to go backward

non scholae, sedvitae discimus

we learn not for school, but for life -- from )eneca

non sequitur it does not follow -- in general, a comment which is absurddue to not making sense in its context &rather than due tobeing inherently nonsensical or internally inconsistent(,often used in humor

non sum qualiseram

. am not such as . was -- or . am not the kind of person .once was

nosce te ipsum know thyself -- from Cicero

novus ordoseclorum

new order of the ages -- from <irgil0 motto on the 'reat)eal of the *nited )tates

nulla tenaci inviaest via

for the tenacious, no road is impassable

obliti privatorum,publica curate

forget private a;airs, take care of public ones -- !omanpolitical saying which reminds that common good shouldbe given priority over private matters for any personhaving a responsibility in the )tate

panem etcircenses

bread and circuses -- originally described all that wasneeded for emperors to placate the !oman mob0 todayused to describe any entertainment used to distract publicattention from more important matters



para bellum prepare for war -- if you want peace, prepare for warif acountry is ready for war, its enemies are less likely toattack

parvis imbutustentabis grandiatutus

when you are steeped in little things, you shall safelyattempt great things -- sometimes translated as, onceyou have accomplished small things, you may attemptgreat ones safely

pater familias father of the family -- the eldest male in a family

pecunia, si utiscis, ancilla est0 sinescis, domina

if you know how to use money, money is your slave0 if youdon"t, money is your master

per angusta adaugusta

through di7culties to greatness

per annum by the year

per capita by the person

per diem by the day

per se through itself

persona non grata person not pleasing -- an unwelcome, unwanted orundesirable person

pollice verso with a turned thumb -- used by !oman crowds to pass judgment on a defeated gladiator

post meridiem after noon -- D, used in timekeeping

post mortem after death

postscriptum thing having been written afterward -- in writing,abbreviated D)

praemonituspraemunitus

forewarned is forearmed

praesis ut prosisne ut imperes

lead in order to serve, not in order to rule

primus inter pares rst among equals -- a title of the !oman Emperors



pro bono for the good -- in business, refers to services rendered atno charge

pro rata for the rate

quam bene vivasreferre &or refert(,non quam diu

it is how well you live that matters, not how long -- from)eneca

quasi as if or as though

qui totum vulttotum perdit

he who wants everything loses everything -- attributed to)eneca

quid agis what"s going on9 -- what"s up, what"s happening, etc

quid pro quo this for that -- an exchange of value

quidquid 6atinedictum sit altumvidetur

whatever has been said in 6atin seems deep -- oranything said in 6atin sounds profound0 a recent ironic6atin phrase to poke fun at people who seem to use 6atinphrases and quotations only to make themselves soundmore important or educated

quis custodietipsos custodes9

who will guard the guards themselves9 -- commonlyassociated with Dlato

quorum of whom -- the number of members whose presence isrequired under the rules to make any given meetingconstitutional

requiescat in pace let him rest in peace -- abbreviated !.D

rigor mortis sti;ness of death

scientia ac labore knowledge through hard work

scientia ipsapotentia est

knowledge itself is power

semper anticus always forward

semper delis always faithful -- *) arines motto



semper fortis always brave

semper paratus always prepared

semper virilis always virile

si vales, valeo when you are strong, . am strong

si vis pacem, parabellum

if you want peace, prepare for war

sic parvis magna greatness from small beginnings -- motto of )ir /rances3rake

sic sempertyrannis thus always to tyrants -- attributed to 8rutus at the timeof :ulius Caesar"s assassination, and to :ohn +ilkes 8oothat the time of Abraham 6incoln"s assassination0 whether itwas actually said at either of these events is disputed

sic vita est thus is life -- the ancient version of it is what it is

sola de by faith alone

sola nobilitatvirtus

virtue alone ennobles

solviturambulando

it is solved by walking

spes bona good hope

statim &stat( immediately -- medical shorthand

status quo the situation in which or current condition

subpoena under penalty

sum quod eris . am what you will be -- a gravestone inscription to remindthe reader of the inevitability of death

summa cumlaude

with highest praise

summum bonum the supreme good

suum cuique to each his own

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/04/22/solvitur-ambulando-it-is-solved-by-walking/

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/04/22/solvitur-ambulando-it-is-solved-by-walking/



tabula rasa scraped tablet -- blank slate0 :ohn 6ocke used the termto describe the human mind at birth, before it hadacquired any knowledge

tempora heroica %eroic Age

tempus edaxrerum

time, devourer of all things

tempus fugit time 5ees -- commonly mistranslated time 5ies

terra rma rm ground

terra incognita unknown land -- used on old maps to show unexploredareas

vae victis woe to the conquered

vanitas vanitatumomnia vanitas

vanity of vanities0 everything ?is@ vanity -- from the 8ible&Ecclesiastes =(

veni vidi vici . came, . saw, . conquered -- famously said by :uliusCaesar

verbatim repeat exactly

veritas etaequitas

truth and equity

versus against

veto . forbid

vice versa to change or turn around

vincit qui patitur he conquers who endures

vincit qui se vincit he conquers who conquers himself

vir prudens noncontra ventummingit

?a@ wise man does not urinate ?up@ against the wind

virile agitur the manly thing is being done

viriliter agite act in a manly way



viriliter agiteestote fortes

quit ye like men, be strong

virtus tentamine

gaudet

strength rejoices in the challenge

virtute et armis by virtue and arms -- or by manhood and weapons0state motto of ississippi

vive memor leti live remembering death

vivere est vincere to live is to conquer -- Captain :ohn )mith"s personalmotto

vivere militare est to live is to ght

vox populi voice of the people

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