MedLibrary.

org
Open Source Encyclopedia

List of Latin phrases (full)

This page lists direct English translations of common 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 twenty divided List of Latin phrases pages, for users who have no trouble loading large pages and prefer a
single page to scroll or search through. The content of the list cannot be edited here, and is kept automatically in sync with the separate lists
through the use of transclusion.
Contents

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R

S
T
U
V

Notes
References

A
Latin
a bene placito
a caelo usque ad
centrum

Translation
from one well
pleased
from the sky to the
center

a capite ad calcem from head to heel

a contrario

from the opposite

from or since
Deucalion
a falsis principiis to set forth from
proficisci
false principles
a Deucalione

a fortiori

from the stronger

a mari usque ad
mare

from sea to sea

a pedibus usque
ad caput

from feet to head

a posse ad esse

from being able to

being

Notes
Or at will, at ones pleasure. This phrase, and its Italian (beneplacito) and Spanish
(beneplcito) derivatives, are synonymous with the more common ad libitum (at pleasure).
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 (for whoever owns
the soil, it is theirs up to the sky and down to the depths).
From top to bottom; all the way through (colloquially from head to toe). Equally a pedibus
usque ad caput.
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.
A long time ago. From Gaius Lucilius (Satires, 6, 284)
Legal term from Ciceros De Finibus 4.53.
Loosely, even more so or with even stronger reason. Often used to lead from a less certain
proposition to a more evident corollary.
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.
Completely. Similar to the English expressions from tip to toe or from head to toe. Equally a
capite ad calcem. See also ab ovo usque ad mala.
From possibility to actuality or from being possible to being actual

a posteriori

from the latter

a priori

from the former

ab absurdo

from the absurd

Based on observation (i.e., empirical evidence), 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 known from experience.
Presupposed independent of experience, 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 is supposed without empirical evidence. In everyday
speech, it denotes something occurring or being known before the event.
Said of an argument that seeks to prove a statements validity by pointing out the absurdity of an
opponents 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 an inference from an

non valet
abuse to a use is not Rights abused are still rights (cf. abusus non tollit usum).
consequentia
valid
Literally, from the everlasting or from eternity. Thus, from time immemorial, since the
ab aeterno
from the eternal
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.
ab antiquo
from the ancient
From ancient times.
ab epistulis
from the letters
Or, having to do with correspondence.
A legal term meaning from without. From external sources, rather than from the self or the
ab extra
from beyond
mind (ab intra).
ab hinc or abhinc from here on
from the deepest
Or from the bottom of my heart, with deepest affection, sincerely.. Attributed to Julius
ab imo pectore
chest
Caesar.
New Latin for based on unsuitability, from inconvenience or from hardship. An
from an
argumentum ab inconvenienti is one based on the difficulties involved in pursuing a line of
ab inconvenienti
inconvenient thing 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.
Thus, from the beginning or from infancy. Incunabula is commonly used in English to refer
ab incunabulis
from the cradle
to the earliest stage or origin of something, and especially to copies of books that predate the
spread of the printing press around AD 1500.
ab initio
from the beginning 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

ab intestato
ab intra
ab invito

from an intestate
from within
unwillingly

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).
From the inside. The opposite of ab extra.

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. The form irato is
ab irato
from an angry man
masculine; however, this does not mean it applies only to men, rather person is meant, as the
phrase probably elides homo, not vir.
From the origin, beginning, source, or commencementi.e., originally. The source of the word
ab origine
from the source
aboriginal.
From Horace, Satire 1.3. Means from beginning to end, based on the Roman main meal
ab ovo usque ad from the egg to the
typically beginning with an egg dish and ending with fruit (cf. the English phrase soup to nuts).
mala
apples
Thus, ab ovo means from the beginning, and can also connote thoroughness.
ab uno disce
From Virgils Aeneid. Refers to situations where a single example or observation indicates a
from one, learn all
omnes
general or universal truth. Visible in the court of King Silas in the TV series Kings.
Or from the founding of Rome, which occurred in 753 BC according to Livys count. Used as a
ab urbe condita from the city having reference point in ancient Rome for establishing dates, before being supplanted by other systems.
(a.u.c.)
been founded
Also anno urbis conditae (a.u.c.) (literally in the year of the founded city).
ab utili
from utility
Used of an argument.
absens haeres non an absent person will
In law, refers to the principle that someone who is not present is unlikely to inherit.
erit
not be an heir
absente reo (abs. [with] the defendant In the absence of the accused.
re.)
being absent
Expresses the wish that no insult or wrong be conveyed by the speakers words, i.e., no offense.
absit inuria
let injury be absent 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
let ill will/jealousy invidia is intended to ward off jealous deities who might interpret a statement of excellence as
absit invidia
be absent
hubris. Also extended to absit invidia verbo, meaning may ill will/jealousy be absent from these
words. Contrast with absit iniuria verbis. An explanation of Livys usage.
absit omen
let an omen be
Or let this not be a bad omen. Expresses the wish that something seemingly ill-boding does not

absent

turn out to be an omen for future events, and calls on divine protection against evil.

absolutum
dominium

absolute dominion

Total power or sovereignty.

absolvo

I acquit

A legal term said by a judge acquitting a defendant following a trial. Te absolvo or absolvo te,
translated, I forgive you, said by Roman Catholic priests during the Sacrament of Confession,
in Latin prior to the Second Vatican Council and in vernacular thereafter.

abundans cautela
non nocet
abusus non tollit
usum
abyssus abyssum
invocat
accipe hoc

abundant caution
does no harm
misuse does not
remove use
deep calleth unto
deep
Take this
no one ought to
accusare nemo se
accuse himself
debet nisi coram
except in the
Deo
Presence of God
acta deos
mortal actions never
numquam
deceive the gods
mortalia fallunt

Frequently phrased as one can never be too careful.

Just because something is misused doesnt mean it cant be used correctly.
From Psalms 42:7; some translations have Sea calls to sea.

Motto of 848 Naval Air Squadron, Royal Navy.

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 se ipsum accusare no one is bound to accuse
himself. See right to silence.
Ovids Tristia 1.2.97: si tamen acta deos numquam mortalia fallunt, / a culpa facinus scitis
abesse mea. Yet if mortal actions never deceive the gods, / you know that crime was absent from
my fault.
A common ending to ancient Roman comedies, also claimed by Suetonius in The Twelve Caesars
acta est fabula
The play has been
to have been Augustus last words. Applied by Sibelius to the third movement of his String
plaudite
performed; applaud! Quartet no. 2 so that his audience would realize it was the last one, as a fourth would normally be
expected.
acta non verba
Deeds, not Words
Motto of the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
Also used in the singular, Acta Sancti (Deeds of the Saint), preceding a specific Saints name. A
acta sanctorum
Deeds of the Saints
common title of works in hagiography.
actus me invito
the act done by me
factus non est
against my will is
meus actus
not my act
actus non facit
The act does not
A legal term outlining the presumption of mens rea in a crime.
reum nisi mens sit make [a person]
rea
guilty unless the

mind should be
guilty.
actus reus

guilty act

ad absurdum

to the absurd

ad abundantiam

to abundance

ad captandum
vulgus

I strive towards
higher things
at will, at pleasure
to the archives, no
longer relevant
to the stars
to the stars through
difficulties
to rise to a high
position overcoming
hardships.
in order to capture
the crowd

ad clerum

to the clergy

ad eundem

to the same

ad fontes

to the sources

ad fundum

to the bottom

ad hoc

to this

ad altiora tendo
ad arbitrium
ad acta
ad astra
ad astra per
aspera
ad augusta per
angusta

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.
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).
In legal language, used when providing additional evidence to an already sufficient collection.
Also used commonly, as an equivalent of as if this wasnt enough.

Name or motto (in full or part) of many organizations, publications, etc.

Motto of Kansas, and other organisations. The phrase is also translated as A rough road leads to
the stars, as on the Launch Complex 34 memorial plaque for the astronauts of Apollo 1.

To appeal to the masses. Often used of politicians. An argumentum ad captandum is an argument

designed to please the crowd.
A formal letter or communication (in the Christian tradition) from a Bishop to the clergy under his
direction. An ad clerum may be a letter of encouragement at a time of celebration, or a technical
explanation of new regulations or canons.
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.
A motto of Renaissance humanism. Also used in the Protestant Reformation.
Said during a generic toast, equivalent to bottoms up! In other contexts, generally means back
to the basics.
Generally means for this, in the sense of improvised on the spot or designed for only a specific,

immediate purpose.
Or at the man. Typically used in argumentum ad hominem, a logical fallacy consisting of
ad hominem
to the man
criticizing a person when the subject of debate is the persons ideas or argument, on the mistaken
assumption that the soundness of an argument is dependent on the qualities of the proponent.
ad honorem
to the honour
Generally means for the honour, not seeking any material reward.
Going on forever. Used to designate a property which repeats in all cases in mathematical proof.
Also used in philosophical contexts to mean repeating in all cases. For example, the claim of
ad infinitum
to infinity
the existence of a creator of the universe would require an explanation of the creators creation,
and so on ad inifinitum.
As in the term charg daffaires ad interim for a diplomatic officer who acts in place of an
ad interim (ad int) for the meantime
ambassador.
Attributed by Suetonius in The Twelve Caesars to Augustus. The Calends were specific days of
ad kalendas
at the Greek Calends the Roman calendar, not of the Greek, and so the Greek Kalends would never occur. Similar to
graecas
when pigs fly.
Loosely, according to what pleases or as you wish; libitum comes from the past participle of
libere, to please. It typically indicates in music and theatrical scripts that the performer has the
ad libitum (ad lib) toward pleasure
liberty to change or omit something. Ad lib is specifically often used when someone improvises or
ignores limitations. Also used by some restaurants in favor of the colloquial all you can eat or
drink.
A legal term referring to a party appointed by a court to act in a lawsuit on behalf of another party
ad litem
to the lawsuit
who is deemed incapable of representing himself. An individual who acts in this capacity is called
a guardian ad litem.
Motto of Oxford High School (Oxford), the University of Lisbon, Withington Girls School and
ad lucem
to the light
St. Bartholomews School, Newbury, UK
ad maiorem Dei
gloriam or ad
to the greater glory Motto of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Edward Elgar dedicated his oratorio The Dream of
majorem Dei
of God
Gerontius A.M.D.G.
gloriam (AMDG)
Towards better
ad meliora
motto of St. Patricks College, Cavan, Ireland
things
ad mortem
To death
used in medical contexts as a synonym for death
ad multos annos to many years!
A wish for a long life. Similar to Many happy returns!
ad nauseam
to seasickness
Or to the point of disgust. Sometimes used as a humorous alternative to ad infinitum. An

ad oculos

to the eyes
to the foot of the
ad pedem litterae
letter
ad perpetuam
to the perpetual
memoriam
memory
ad pondus
to the weight of all
omnium (ad pond things

argumentum ad nauseam is a logical fallacy involving basing ones argument on prolonged

repetition, i.e., repeating something so much that people are sick of it.
Meaning obvious on sight or obvious to anyone that sees it.
Thus, exactly as it is written. Similar to the phrase to the letter, meaning to the last detail.

Generally precedes of and a persons name, and is used to wish for someone to be remembered
long after death.
More loosely, considering everythings 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
om)
previously mentioned ones.
Meaning according to the harm or in proportion to the harm. The phrase is used in tort law as
ad quod damnum to whatever damage 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 iniuria).
to be proposed
Loosely subject to reference: provisionally approved, but still needing official approval. Not the
ad referendum
(ad ref)
[before the Senate] same as a referendum.
ad rem
to the matter
Thus, to the point, without digression.
ad terminum qui for the term which
A legal term for a writ of entry ad terminum qui praeteriit [for the term which has passed].[1]
praeteriit
has passed
ad undas
to the waves
Equivalent to to hell.
ad unum
to one
Said of a work that has been expurgated of offensive or improper parts. The phrase originates
for the use of the
ad usum Delphini
from editions of Greek and Roman classics which Louis XIV had censored for his heir apparent,
Dauphin
the Dauphin. Also rarely in usum Delphini (into the use of the Dauphin).
ad usum
proprium (ad us. for ones own use
propr.)

ad utrumque
paratus

prepared for either

[alternative]

ad valorem

according to value

ad victoriam
ad vitam

to victory
to eternal life

The motto of Lund University, with the implied alternatives being the book (study) and the sword
(defending the country in war).
Used in commerce to refer to ad valorem taxes, taxes based on the assessed value of real estate or
personal property.
More commonly translated into for victory this is a battlecry of the Romans.
Also to life everlasting. A common Biblical phrase.

aeternam
ad vitam aut
culpam
addendum
adaequatio
intellectus et rei
adaequatio
intellectus nostri
cum re
adsum
adversus solem ne
loquitor

for life or until fault Usually used of a term of office.

thing to be added
An item to be added, especially a supplement to a book. The plural is addenda.
correspondence of One of the definitions of the truth. When the mind has the same form as reality, we think truth.
the mind and reality Also found as adaequatio rei et intellectus.
conformity of our
minds to the fact
I am here
dont speak against
the sun

A phrase used in Epistemology regarding the nature of understanding.

Equivalent to Present! or Here! The opposite of absum I am absent.
Or dont argue whats obviously wrong.

Someone who, given a certain argument, takes a position he or she does not necessarily agree
with, for the sake of argument.
a sick mans dreams From Horace, Ars Poetica, 7. Loosely, troubled dreams.
of age / aged (in
Abbreviation of aetatis; further abbreviated (and more common): aet. e.g.: aetat or aet.
the sense of: age:
36 = 36 years old.
)
Thus, at the age of. Appeared on portraits, gravestones, etc. Sometimes extended to anno
of ones own age
aetatis suae (AAS), in the year of his age. Sometimes shortened to just aetatis or aetat (aet.).

advocatus diaboli devils advocate

aegri somnia
aetat.
aetatis suae

The tomb reads Anno 1629 Aetatis Suae 46 because she died in 1629 at age 46.

affidavit

age quod agis

agenda
agere sequitur

he asserted

A legal term from Medieval Latin referring to a sworn statement. From fides, faith.
More often translated as Do well whatever you do, this phrase is used as the motto of several
Catholic schools. Literally translated, it means Do what you do; figuratively it means keep
going, because you are inspired or dedicated to do so. Used as a maxim by Pope John XXIII in
Do what you are
the sense dont be concerned with any other matter than the task in hand. He is fighting worry
doing.
about what will become of him in the future. His sense of age quod agis is joy regarding what is
going on now and detachment regarding concerns about the future. (Journal of a Soul, p. 154155)
Originally comparable to a to-do list, an ordered list of things to be done. Now generalized to
things to be done
include any planned course of action. The singular, agendum (thing that must be done), is rarely
used.
action follows belief We act according to what we believe (ourselves to be).[2]

credere
agere sequitur
(esse)
Agnus Dei

alea iacta est

alenda lux ubi

orta libertas
alias
alibi

Metaphysical and moral principle that indicates the connection among ontology, obligation and
ethics.[2]
Latin translation from John 1:36, where John the Baptist exclaims Ecce Agnus Dei! Behold the
Lamb of God
Lamb of God! upon seeing Jesus, referring both to a lambs connotations of innocence and to a
sacrificial lamb.
Or in Greek, anerrhphth kbos; said by Julius Caesar upon crossing the
Rubicon in 49 BC, according to Suetonius. The original meaning was similar to the game is
the die has been cast afoot, but its modern meaning, like that of the phrase crossing the Rubicon, denotes passing
the point of no return on a momentous decision and entering into a risky endeavor where the
outcome is left to chance.
Light [is] to be
nourished where
Or let learning be cherished The motto of Davidson College.
liberty [has] arisen.
at another time,
An assumed name or pseudonym. Similar to alter ego, but more specifically referring to a name,
otherwise
not to a second self.
A legal defense where a defendant attempts to show that he was elsewhere at the time a crime was
elsewhere
committed.
action follows being

His alibi is sound; he gave evidence that he was in another city on the night of the murder.

aliquid stat pro

aliquo

something stands for

A foundational definition for semiotics.
something else
taken from the Book of Isaiah, Chapter 40. But those who wait for the Lord shall find their
alis aquilae
on an eagles wings strength renewed, they shall mount up on wings like eagles, they shall run and not grow weary,
they shall walk and not grow faint.
nothing [is] heavy
Or nothing is heavy to those who have wings. Motto of the Pontifcia Universidade Catlica do
alis grave nil
with wings
Rio de Janeiro.
she flies with her
State motto of Oregon; adopted in 1987, it replaced The Union, which was the previous state
alis volat propriis
own wings
motto adopted in 1957.
Term used for the university one attends or has attended. Another university term, matriculation,
alma mater
nourishing mother is also derived from mater. The term suggests that the students are fed knowledge and taken
care of by the university. The term is also used for a universitys traditional school anthem.
alter ego
another I
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

alterius non sit

qui suus esse
potest
alterum non
laedere
alumnus or
alumna
amicus certus in
re incerta

used of a fictional characters secret identity.

Let no man be
Final sentence from Aesop ascribed fable (see also Aesops Fables) The Frogs Who Desired a
anothers who can be King as appears in the collection commonly known as the Anonymus Neveleti (fable XXIb.
his own
De ranis a Iove querentibus regem). Motto of Paracelsus. Usually attributed to Cicero.
to not wound another One of Justinian Is three basic legal precepts.
pupil

Graduate or former student of a school, college or university. Plural of alumnus is alumni (male).
Plural of alumna is alumnae (female).

A sure friend in an
unsure matter

by Ennius as cited by Cicero in Laelius de Amicitia s. 64

amicus curiae

friend of the court

An adviser, or a person who can obtain or grant access to the favour of powerful group, like a
Roman Curia. In current U.S. legal usage, an amicus curiae is a third party allowed to submit a
legal opinion (in the form of an amicus brief) to the court.

Amicus Plato, sed

magis amica
veritas.
amittere legem
terrae
amat victoria
curam
amor Dei
intellectualis
amor et melle et
felle est
fecundissimus

Plato is my friend,
but truth is a better
friend.
to lose the law of the
land

amor fati

love of fate

amor omnibus
idem
amor patriae

Victory favors care

intellectual love of
god

to value truth higher than friendship; attributed to Aristotle (Ethics, 1096a15) and Roger Bacon
(Opus Majus, P. I, ch. v)
An obsolete legal term signifying the forfeiture of the right of swearing in any court or cause, or
to become infamous.
Motto of Baylor School, Chattanooga, Tennessee; Wellesley College Primary School, Eastbourne,
New Zealand; Victoria College- St. Helier Parish, Jersey, the Channel Islands.
Philosophy of Baruch Spinoza

love is rich with both

honey and venom
Nietzscheian alternative world view to memento mori (remember you must die). Nietzsche
believed amor fati to be more life affirming.

love is the same for

from Virgils Georgics III
all
love of ones country Patriotism
written on bracelet worn by the Prioress in Chaucers The Canterbury Tales; originally from
amor vincit omnia love conquers all
Virgils Eclogues X, 69: omnia vincit amor: et nos cedamus amori (love conquers all: let us too
surrender to love)

Used before the anglicized version of a word or name. For example, Terra Mariae, anglice,
Maryland.

anglice

in English

animus in
consulendo liber

a mind unfettered in
Official motto of NATO.
deliberation
Also used in such phrases as anno urbis conditae (see ab urbe condita), Anno Domini, and anno
in the year
regni.
Short for Anno Domini Nostri Iesu Christi (in the Year of Our Lord Jesus Christ), the
predominantly used system for dating years across the world, used with the Gregorian calendar,
in the Year of the
and based on the perceived year of the birth of Jesus Christ. The years before Jesus birth were
Lord
once marked with a.C.n (Ante Christum Natum, Before Christ was Born), but now use the English
abbreviation BC (Before Christ). Example: Augustus Caesar was born in the year 63 BC, and died AD 14.
In the year of the
Precedes of and the current ruler.
reign
He nods at things
Or he approves our undertakings. Motto on the reverse of the Great Seal of the United States
now begun
and on the back of the United States one-dollar bill.
A recent pun on annus mirabilis, first used by Queen Elizabeth II to describe what a bad year
1992 had been for her, and subsequently occasionally used to refer to many other years perceived
horrible year
as horrible. In Classical Latin, this phrase could actually mean terrifying year. See also annus
terribilis.
Used particularly to refer to the years 16651666, during which Isaac Newton made revolutionary
inventions and discoveries in calculus, motion, optics and gravitation. Annus Mirabilis is also the
title of a poem by John Dryden written in the same year. It has since been used to refer to other
wonderful year
years, especially to 1905, when Albert Einstein made equally revolutionary discoveries
concerning the photoelectric effect, Brownian motion and the special theory of relativity. (See
Annus Mirabilis papers)
dreadful year
Used to describe 1348, the year the Black Death began to afflict Europe.
As in status quo ante bellum, as it was before the war. Commonly used in the Southern United
before the war
States as antebellum to refer to the period preceding the American Civil War.
before food
Medical shorthand for before meals.
Said of an expression or term that describes something which existed before the phrase itself was
before the letter
introduced or became common. Example: Alan Turing was a computer scientist ante litteram, since the field of

anno (an.)

Anno Domini
(A.D.)

anno regni
annuit cptis

annus horribilis

annus mirabilis

annus terribilis
ante bellum
ante cibum (a.c.)
ante litteram

computer science was not yet recognized in Turings day.

ante meridiem

before midday

From midnight to noon (cf. post meridiem).

(a.m.)

ante mortem
ante omnia
armari
ante prandium
(a.p.)

before death
before all else, be
armed
before lunch

apparatus criticus tools of a critic

apud
aqua (aq.)
aqua fortis
aqua pura

in the writings of
water
strong water
pure water

aqua regia

royal water

aqua vitae

water of life

aquila non capit

muscas

an eagle doesnt
catch flies
to plough the
seashore

arare litus
arbiter
elegantiarum
Arcana imperii
Arcanum boni
tenoris animae
arcus senilis
arduus ad solem
argentum album
arguendo

See post mortem (after death).

Used on pharmaceutical prescriptions to denote before a meal. Less common is post prandium,
after lunch.
Textual notes. A list of other readings relating to a document, especially in a scholarly edition of a
text.
Used in scholarly works to cite a reference at second hand
Refers to nitric acid.
Or clear water, clean water.
refers to a mixture of hydrochloric acid and nitric acid, thus called because of its ability to
dissolve gold.
Spirit of Wine in many English texts. Used to refer to various native distilled beverages, such as
whisky (uisge beatha) in Scotland and Ireland, gin in Holland, brandy (eau de vie) in France, and
akvavit in Scandinavia.
A noble or important person doesnt deal with insignificant issues.

From Gerhard Gerhards (14661536) [better known as Erasmus] collection of annotated Adagia
(1508). Wasted labour.
One who prescribes, rules on, or is a recognized authority on matters of social behavior and taste.
judge of tastes
Said of Petronius. Sometimes found in the singular, arbiter elegantiae (judge of taste).
Originally used by Tacitus to refer to the state secrets and unaccountable ways used by the Roman
the secrets of power
imperial government,
The secret behind a
Motto of the Starobrno Brewery in Brno.
good mood
bow of an old person An opaque circle around the cornea of the eye, often seen in elderly people.
Striving towards the
Motto of the Victoria University of Manchester.
sun
white silver
Also silver coin. Mentioned in the Domesday Book, signifies bullion, or silver uncoined.
for arguing
For the sake of argument. Said when something is done purely in order to discuss a matter or

argumentum

ars [est] celare

artem
ars gratia artis
ars longa, vita
brevis
arte et labore
arte et marte
Artis Bohemiae
Amicis
asinus ad lyram
asinus asinum
fricat
assecuratus non
quaerit lucrum
sed agit ne in
damno sit
Astra inclinant,
sed non obligant
Auctores Varii

illustrate a point. Example: Let us assume, arguendo, that your claim is correct.
Or reasoning, inference, appeal, proof. The plural is argumenta. Commonly used in the
names of logical arguments and fallacies, preceding phrases such as a silentio (by silence), ad
antiquitatem (to antiquity), ad baculum (to the stick), ad captandum (to capturing), ad
consequentiam (to the consequence), ad crumenam (to the purse), ad feminam (to the woman), ad
hominem (to the person), ad ignorantiam (to ignorance), ad judicium (to judgment), ad lazarum
argument
(to poverty), ad logicam (to logic), ad metum (to fear), ad misericordiam (to pity), ad nauseam (to
nausea), ad novitatem (to novelty), ad personam (to the character), ad numerum (to the number),
ad odium (to spite), ad populum (to the people), ad temperantiam (to moderation), ad
verecundiam (to reverence), ex silentio (from silence), in terrorem (into terror), and e contrario
(from/to the opposite).
An aesthetic ideal that good art should appear natural rather than contrived. Of medieval origin,
art [is] to conceal art
but often incorrectly attributed to Ovid.[3]
Translated into Latin from Baudelaires Lart pour lart. Motto of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. This
art for arts sake
phrasing is a direct translation of art for the sake of art. While very symmetrical for the MGM
logo, the better Latin word order is Ars artis gratia.
The Latin translation by Seneca (De Brevitate Vitae, 1.1) of a phrase from Hippocrates, often used
art is long, life is
out of context. The art referred to in the original aphorism was the craft of medicine, which
short
took a lifetime to acquire.
by art and by labour motto of Blackburn Rovers F.C.
by skill and valour motto of the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (EME) Branch of the Canadian Forces.
Friends of Czech
Award of the Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic for the promotion of the positive
Arts
reputation of Czech culture abroad.
an ass to the lyre
From Erasmuss collection of Adages. An awkward or incompetent individual.
the jackass rubs the
Used to describe two people lavishing excessive praise on one another.
jackass
the assured does not
seek profit but
Refers to the insurance principle that the indemnity cannot be larger than the loss.
makes [it his profit]
that he not be in loss
The stars incline us,
Refers to the Free will over the astrological determinism.
they do not bind us
Various Authors
Used in bibliography for books, texts, publications or articles that contain more than three

auctoritas
Auctoritas non
veritas facit legem
audacter
calumniare,
semper aliquid
haeret
audax at fidelis

authority
authority, not truth,
makes law

audeamus

let us dare

audemus jura
nostra defendere

we dare to defend
our rights

slander boldly,
something always
sticks
bold but faithful

audentes fortuna fortune favors the

iuvat
bold
audere est facere
audi alteram
partem
audio hostem
audi, vide, tace

to dare is to do
hear the other side
I hear the enemy
hear, see, be silent

auribus teneo
lupum

This formula appears in the 1670 Latin translation of the Hobbes Leviathan, II, 26[4]

from Francis Bacon, De Augmentis Scientiarum (1623)

Motto of Queensland.
Motto of the Canadian Special Operations Regiment [CSOR] included on their regimental crest.
Motto of Otago University Students Association, a direct response to the universitys motto of
sapere aude dare to be wise. Motto of Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont.
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.
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. Also the motto of the
Portuguese Army Commandos, and the USS Montpelier (SSN-765) in the latter form.
motto of Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
A legal principle of fairness. Also worded as audiatur et altera pars (let the other side be heard
too).
Motto of 845 NAS Royal Navy

From Horaces 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.
accursed hunger for From Virgil, Aeneid 3,57. Later quoted by Seneca as quod non mortalia pectora coges, auri
gold
sacra fames What dont you force mortal hearts [to do], accursed hunger for gold!
A common ancient proverb, this version from Terence. Indicates that one is in a dangerous
I hold a wolf by the
situation where both holding on and letting go could be deadly. A modern version is To have a
ears
tiger by the tail.

aurea mediocritas golden mean

auri sacra fames

collaborators.
The level of prestige a person had in Roman society.

aurora australis

southern dawn

aurora borealis

northern lights

aurora musis
amica

Dawn is a friend to
the Muses

aurum potestas
est
auspicium
melioris aevi
aut Caesar aut
nihil
aut consiliis aut
ense

The Southern Lights, an aurora that appears in the Southern Hemisphere. It is less well-known
than the Northern Lights, or aurorea borealis. The Aurora Australis is also the name of an
Antarctic icebreaker ship.
The Northern Lights, an aurora that appears in the Northern Hemisphere.
Title of a distich by Iohannes Christenius (15991672): Conveniens studiis non est nox,
commoda lux est; / Luce labor bonus est et bona nocte quies. (Night is not suitable for studying,
daylight is; / working by light is good, as is rest at night.) in Nihus, Barthold (1642).
Epigrammata disticha. Johannes Kinckius.

gold is power

Motto of the fictional Fowl family in the Artemis Fowl series, written by Eoin Colfer

hope/token of a
better age
either Caesar or
nothing
either by meeting or
the sword

Motto of the Order of St Michael and St George and motto of Raffles Institution, a secondary
school in Singapore.
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.
Thus, either through reasoned discussion or through war. The first motto of Chile.

Do or die, no retreat. A Greek expression said by Spartan mothers to their sons as they
aut cum scuto aut either with shield or
departed for battle. A hoplite would drop his cumbersome shield in order to flee the battlefield; a
in scuto
on shield
slain warrior would be borne home atop his shield.
aut imiteris aut
Seneca the Younger, Epistulae morales ad Lucilium, 7:7. Full form: necesse est aut imiteris aut
imitate or loathe it
oderis
oderis (you must either imitate or loathe the world)
aut neca aut
either kill or be
or neca ne neceris (kill lest you be killed)
necare
killed
aut pax aut
either peace or war The motto of the Gunn Clan.
bellum
aut viam inveniam I will either find a
Hannibal.
aut faciam
way or make one
A general pledge of victoria aut mors victory or death. Motto of the Higgenbotham, and
aut vincere aut
either to conquer or
Higginbottom families of Cheshire England; participants in the War of the Roses. Also the motto
mori
to die
for the 1st Fighter Wing, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia.
ave atque vale
Hail and farewell!
From Catullus, carmen 101, addressed to his deceased brother.
ave Europa nostra Hail, Europe, our
Anthem of Imperium Europa
vera patria
true Fatherland!

From Suetonius The Twelve Caesars, Claudius 21. A salute and plea for mercy recorded on one
Hail, Emperor!
occasion by naumachiariicaptives and criminals fated to die fighting during mock naval
Those who are about
encounters. Later versions included a variant of We who are about to die, and this translation is
to die salute you!
sometimes aided by changing the Latin to nos morituri te salutamus.
Ave Maria
Hail, Mary
Catholic prayer of intercession asking Mary, the mother of Jesus to pray for the petitioner.
Hail, Mother of
ave mater Angliae
Motto of Canterbury.
England
Ave Imperator,
morituri te
salutant

B
Latin
barba crescit caput
nescit
barba non facit
philosophum
barba tenus
sapientes

Translation
beard grows, head
doesnt grow wiser
a beard doesnt make
one a philosopher

Beata Virgo Maria

Blessed Virgin Mary

(BVM)

beatae memoriae
beati pauperes
spiritu
beati possidentes
beatus homo qui
invenit sapientiam
bella gerant alii
Protesilaus amet!

bellum omnium

Notes

wise as far as the beard Or wise only in appearance. From Erasmuss collection of Adages.
A common name in the Roman Catholic Church for Mary, the mother of Jesus. The genitive,
Beatae Mariae Virginis (BMV), occurs often as well, appearing with such words as horae
(hours), litaniae (litanies) and officium (office).
See in memoriam.
A Beatitude from Matthew 5:3 in the Vulgate: beati pauperes spiritu, quoniam ipsorum est
regnum caelorum Blessed in spirit [are] the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.

of blessed memory
Blessed in spirit [are]
the poor.
blessed [are] those
Translated from Euripides.
who possess
blessed is the man who
from Proverbs 3:13; set to music in a 1577 motet of the same name by Orlando di Lasso.
finds wisdom
Originally from Ovid, Heroides 13.84,[5] where Laodamia is writing to her husband
Protesilaus who is at the Trojan War. She begs him to stay out of danger, but he was in fact
Others wage war
the first Greek to die at Troy. Also used of the Habsburg marriages of 1477 and 1496, written
Protesilaus should love!
as bella gerant alii, tu felix Austria nube (let others wage war; you, happy Austria, marry).
Said by King Matthias.
war of all against all A phrase used by Thomas Hobbes to describe the state of nature.

contra omnes
bellum se ipsum alet war feeds itself
Biblia pauperum
Paupers Bible
bibo ergo sum
I drink, therefore I am
he gives twice, who
bis dat qui cito dat
gives promptly
bis in die (bid)
twice in a day
bona fide

in good faith

bona notabilia

note-worthy goods

bona officia
bona patria
bona vacantia
boni pastoris est
tondere pecus non
deglubere
bono malum
superate

Tradition of biblical pictures displaying the essential facts of Christian salvation.

A play on cogito ergo sum, I think therefore I am.
A gift given without hesitation is as good as two gifts.
Medical shorthand for twice a day.
In other words, well-intentioned, fairly. In modern contexts, often has connotations of
genuinely or sincerely. Bona fides is not the plural (which would be bonis fidebus), but
the nominative, and means simply good faith. Opposite of mala fide.
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.
A nations offer to mediate in disputes between two other nations.
A jury or assize of countrymen, or good neighbors.
United Kingdom legal term for ownerless property that passes to The Crown.

good services
goods of a country
vacant goods
it is a good shepherds
Tiberius reportedly said this to his regional commanders, as a warning against taxing the
[job] to shear his flock,
populace excessively.
not to flay them
Overcome evil with
Motto of Westonbirt School.
good
Or general welfare. Refers to what benefits a society, as opposed to bonum commune
bonum commune
common good of the hominis, which refers to what is good for an individual. In the film Hot Fuzz, this phrase is
communitatis
community
chanted by an assembled group of people, in which context it is deliberately similar to
another phrase that is repeated throughout the film, which is The Greater Good.
bonum commune
common good of a
Refers to an individuals happiness, which is not common in that it serves everyone, but in
hominis
man
that individuals tend to be able to find happiness in similar things.
boreas domus, mare the North is our home,
Motto of Orkney.
amicus
the sea is our friend
harmless (or inert)
brutum fulmen
Used to indicate either an empty threat, or a judgement at law which has no practical effect.
thunderbolt

busillis

Pseudo-Latin meaning baffling puzzle or difficult point. John of Cornwall (ca. 1170) was
once asked by a scribe what the word meant. It turns out that the original text said in diebus
illis magnis plenae (in those days there were plenty of great things), which the scribe misread
as indie busillis magnis plenae (in India there were plenty of large busillis).

C
Latin
cacoethes
scribendi
cadavera vero
innumera
Caedite eos. Novit
enim Dominus qui
sunt eius.
Caelum non
animum mutant
qui trans mare
currunt
Caesar non supra
grammaticos
caetera desunt
calix meus
inebrians

Translation

insatiable desire to write

truly countless bodies

Kill them all. For the Lord knows those who are his.

Those who hurry across the sea change the sky [upon
them], not their souls or state of mind

Notes
Cacothes[6] bad habit, or medically, malignant disease
is a borrowing of Greek kakthes.[7] The phrase is derived
from a line in the Satires of Juvenal: Tenet insanabile multos
scribendi cacoethes, or the incurable desire (or itch) for
writing affects many. See hypergraphia.
Used by the Romans to describe the aftermath of the Battle
of the Catalaunian Plains.
Supposed statement by Abbot Arnaud Amalric before the
massacre of Bziers during the Albigensian Crusade,
recorded 30 years later, according to Caesar of Heisterbach.
Hexameter by Horace (Epistula XI).[8] Seneca shortens it to
Animum debes mutare, non caelum (You must change
[your] disposition, not [your] sky) in his Letter to Lucilium
XXVIII, 1.

Caesar has no authority over the grammarians

the rest is missing

Caetera is Medieval Latin spelling for ctera.

my cup making me drunk

camera obscura

dark chamber

canes pugnaces

war dogs or fighting dogs

canis canem edit

dog eats dog

capax Dei

capable of receiving God

An optical device used in drawing, and an ancestor of

modern photography. The source of the word camera.
Refers to a situation where nobody is safe from anybody,
each man for himself.
From Augustine, De Trinitate XIV, 8.11: Mens eo ipso

capax infiniti

holding the infinite

caput inter nubila

(she plunges) [her] head in the clouds
(condit)
caput mortuum

dead head

Caritas Christi

The love of Christ

Caritas in Veritate Charity in Truth

carpe diem

seize the day

carpe noctem

seize the night

carpe vinum

seize the wine

Carthago delenda
Carthage must be destroyed
est

imago Dei est quo eius capax est,[9] The mind is the image
of God, in that it is capable of Him and can be partaker of
Him.
A term referring (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.
So aggrandized as to be beyond practical (earthly) reach or
understanding (from Virgils Aeneid and the shorter form
appears in John Lockes Two Treatises of Government)
Originally an alchemical reference to the dead head or
worthless residue left over from a reaction. Also used to refer
to a freeloader or worthless element.
It implies a command to love as Christ loved. Motto of St.
Francis Xavier High School located in West Meadowlark
Park, Edmonton.
Pope Benedict XVIs third encyclical.
An exhortation to live for today. From Horace, Odes I, 11.8.
Carpere refers to plucking of flowers or fruit. The phrase
collige virgo rosas has a similar sense.
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 or engaging in social activities after sunset.
The Roman senator Cato the Elder ended every speech after
the Second Punic War with ceterum censeo Carthaginem
esse delendam, literally For the rest, I am of the opinion that
Carthage is to be destroyed. Before the ratification of the
Treaty of Lisbon in the European Parliament, Daniel Hannan
ended all his speeches in a similar way with Pactio
Olisipiensis censenda est The Treaty of Lisbon must be put
to a referendum.

castigat ridendo
mores

One corrects customs by laughing at them

casus belli
event of war
causa latet, vis est
The cause is hidden, but the result is well known.
notissima
causa mortis
cause of death

cave

beware!

cave canem

Beware of the dog

caveat emptor

let the buyer beware

caveat venditor

let the seller beware

cedant arma togae let arms yield to the gown

cedere nescio

I Know Not How To Yield

celerius quam
more swiftly than asparagus [stem]s are cooked
asparagi cocuntur

cepi corpus

I have taken the body

Or, [Comedy/Satire] criticises customs through humour, is

a phrase coined by French New Latin poet Jean-Baptiste de
Santeul (16301697), but sometimes wrongly attributed to
his contemporary Molire or to Roman lyric poet Horace.
Refers to an incident that is the justification or case for war.
Ovid: Metamorphoses IV, 287; motto of Alpha Sigma Phi.
especially used by Doctors of Medicine, when they want to
warn each other (e.g.: cave nephrolithiases in order to warn
about side effects of an uricosuric). Spoken aloud in some
British public schools by pupils to warn each other of
impending authority.
The purchaser is responsible for checking whether the goods
suit his need. Phrases modeled on this one replace emptor
with lector, subscriptor, venditor, utilitor: reader, signer,
seller, user.
It is a counter to caveat emptor and suggests that sellers can
also be deceived in a market transaction. This forces the
seller to take responsibility for the product and discourages
sellers from selling products of unreasonable quality.
Let military power yield to civilian power, Cicero, De
Officiis I:77. Former motto of the Territory of Wyoming. See
also Toga
Motto of the HMAS Norman
Or simply faster than cooking asparagus. A variant of the
Roman phrase velocius quam asparagi coquantur, using a
different adverb and an alternative mood and spelling of
coquere.
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. See also habeas corpus.

Or if it can be rendered certain. Often used in law when

something is not known, but can be ascertained (e.g. the
it is certain, whatever can be rendered certain
purchase price on a sale which is to be determined by a thirdparty valuer)
A rule of law becomes ineffective when the reason for its
cessante ratione
when the reason for the law ceases, the law itself ceases application has ceased to exist or does not correspond to the
legis cessat ipsa lex
reality anymore. By Gratian.
cetera desunt
the rest are missing
Also spelled caetera desunt.
That is, disregarding or eliminating extraneous factors in a
ceteris paribus
all other things being equal
situation.
charta
The form of a pardon for killing another man in self-defence
pardonationis se a paper of pardon to defend oneself
(see manslaughter).
defendendo
charta
The form of a pardon of a man who is outlawed. Also called
pardonationis
a paper of pardon to the outlaw
perdonatio utlagariae.
utlagariae
Christianos ad
[Throw the] Christians to the lions!
leones
Christo et
For Christ and Learning
The motto of Furman University.
Doctrinae
Christus nos
title of volume I, book 5, chapter XI of Les Misrables by
Christ has freed us
liberavit
Victor Hugo.
Christus Rex
Christ the King
A Christian title for Jesus.
In the sense of approximately or about. Usually used of a
circa (c.) or (ca.)
around
date.
circulus in
circle made in testing [a premise]
Circular reasoning. Similar term to circulus vitiosus.
probando
In logic, begging the question, a fallacy involving the
presupposition of a proposition in one of the premises (see
circulus vitiosus
vicious circle
petitio principii). In science, a positive feedback loop. In
economics, a counterpart to the virtuous circle.
citius altius fortius faster, higher, stronger
Motto of the modern Olympics.
clamea admittenda
A writ whereby the king of England could command the
certum est quod
certum reddi
potest

in itinere per
atturnatum
clarere audere
gaudere

justice to admit ones claim by an attorney, who being

employed in the kings service, cannot come in person.
[be] bright, daring, joyful

clausum fregit
claves Sancti Petri the keys of Saint Peter
clavis aurea

golden key

clerico admittendo for being made a clerk

clerico capto per
statutum
mercatorum
clerico convicto
commisso gaolae
in defectu
ordinarii
deliberando
clerico intra sacros
ordines constituto
non eligendo in
officium
Codex Iuris
Book of Canon Law
Canonici
Cogitationis
poenam nemo
No one suffers punishment for mere intent.
patitur
cogito ergo sum

I think, therefore I am.

Motto of the Geal family.

A legal action for trespass to land; so called, because the writ
demands the person summoned to answer wherefore he
broke the close (quare clausum fregit), i.e., why he entered
the plaintiffs land.
A symbol of the Papacy.
The means of discovering hidden or mysterious meanings in
texts, particularly applied in theology and alchemy.
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.
In law, a writ for the delivery of a clerk out of prison, who is
imprisoned upon the breach of statute merchant.
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.
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.
The official code of canon law in the Roman Catholic
Church (cf. Corpus Iuris Canonici).
A Latin legal phrase. See, State v Taylor, 47 Or 455, 84 P 82.
A rationalistic argument used by French philosopher Ren
Descartes to attempt to prove his own existence.

coitus interruptus interrupted congress

Aborting sexual intercourse prior to ejaculationthe only

permitted form of birth control in some religions.

coitus more
ferarum

A medical euphemism for the doggy-style sexual position.

congress in the way of beasts

pick, girl, the roses

Exhortation to enjoy
fully the youth, similar
to Carpe diem, from
collige virgo rosas De rosis nascentibus
(also titled Idyllium
de rosis), attributed to
Ausonius or Virgil.
[10]

Gather ye
rosebuds while
ye may, 1909,
by John William
Waterhouse

communis opinio

common opinion

compos mentis

in control of the mind

concilio et labore
concordia cum
veritate
concordia salus

by wisdom and effort

It is frequently abbreviated comb. nov.. It is used in the life

sciences literature when a new name is introduced, e.g.
Klebsiella granulomatis comb. nov..
One year with another; on an average. Common here does
not mean ordinary, but common to every situation
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
prevailing doctrine, generally accepted view (in an academic
field), scientific consensus; originally communis opinio
doctorum, common opinion of the doctors
Describes someone of sound mind. Sometimes used
ironically. Also a legal principle, non compos mentis (not in
control of ones faculties), used to describe an insane person.
Motto of the city of Manchester.

in harmony with truth

Motto of the University of Waterloo

well-being through harmony

Motto of Montreal. It is also the Bank of Montreal coat of

combinatio nova

new combination

communibus annis in common years

communibus locis in common places

arms and motto.

concordia parvae
small things grow in harmony
res crescunt
condemnant quod They condemn what they do not understand or
non intellegunt
They condemn because they do not understand
condicio sine qua
non

condition without which not

confer (cf.)[11][12]

compare

Confoederatio
Helvetica (C.H.)

Helvetian Confederation

Motto of Merchant Taylors School, Northwood

The quod here is ambiguous: it may be the relative pronoun
or a conjunction.
A required, indispensable condition. Commonly mistakenly
rendered with conditio (seasoning or preserving) in place
of condicio (arrangement or condition).
The abbreviation cf. is used in text to suggest a comparison
with something else (cf. citation signal).
The official name of Switzerland, hence 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.

Congregatio
Sanctissimi
Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer
Redemptoris C.Ss.R

Redemptorists

coniunctis viribus with connected strength

Or with united powers. Sometimes rendered conjunctis

viribus. Motto of Queen Mary, University of London.

consensu

consuetudo pro
lege servatur

with consent

Custom is held as law.

consummatum est It is completed.

contemptus
mundi/saeculi
contra bonos
mores
contra legem

scorn for the world/times

Where there are no specific laws, the matter should be

decided by custom;[13] established customs have the force
of laws.[14] Also consuetudo est altera lex (custom is
another law) and consuetudo vincit communem legem
(custom overrules the common law); see also:
Consuetudinary.
The last words of Jesus on the cross in the Latin translation
of John 19:30.
Despising the secular world. The monk or philosophers
rejection of a mundane life and worldly values.

against good morals

Offensive to the conscience and to a sense of justice.

against the law

Especially in civil law jurisdictions, said of an understanding

contra
proferentem

against the proferror

contra spem spero I hope against hope

of a statute that directly contradicts its wording and thus is

neither valid by interpretation nor by analogy.
In contract law, the doctrine of contractual interpretation
which provides that an ambiguous term will be construed
against the party that imposed its inclusion in the contract
or, more accurately, against the interests of the party who
imposed it.
Title of a poem by Lesya Ukrainka; also used in the
Pentateuch with reference to Abraham the Patriarch.

contra vim mortis

No herb (or sage) grows in the gardens against the power there is no medicine against death; from various medieval
non crescit herba
of death
medicinal texts
(or salvia) in hortis
A thing or idea that would embody a contradiction, for
contradictio in
contradiction in terms
example, payment for a gift, or a circle with corners. The
terminis
fallacy of proposing such a thing.
contra principia
there can be no debate with those who deny the
Debate is fruitless when you dont agree on common rules,
negantem non est
foundations
facts, presuppositions.
disputandum
First formulated by Hippocrates to suggest that the diseases
contraria
are cured with contrary remedies. Antonym of similia
contrariis
the opposite is cured with the opposite
similibus curantur (the diseases are recovered with similar
curantur
remedies.)
From Augustines Confessions, referring to a prescribed
method of prayer: having a heart to heart with God.
cor ad cor loquitur heart speaks to heart
Commonly used in reference to a later quote by Cardinal
John Henry Newman. A motto of Newman Clubs.
(Your choice is between) The Heart (Moral Values, Duty,
cor aut mors
Heart or Death
Loyalty) or Death (to no longer matter, to no longer be
respected as person of integrity.)
cor meum tibi
John Calvins personal motto, also adopted by Calvin
offero domine
my heart I offer to you Lord promptly and sincerely
College
prompte et sincere
cor unum
one heart
A popular school motto. Often used as names for religious

coram Deo
coram nobis,
coram vobis
coram populo
coram publico

in the Presence of God

in our presence, in your presence

Two kinds of writs of error.

in the presence of the people

in view of the public

Thus, openly.

Corpus Christi

Body of Christ

corpus delicti

body of the offence

Corpus Iuris
Canonici
Corpus Iuris
Civilis

and other organisations such as the Pontifical Council Cor

Unum.
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.

Body of Canon Law

The name of a feast in the Roman Catholic Church

commemorating the Eucharist. It is also the name of a city in
Texas, Corpus Christi, Texas, the name of Colleges at Oxford
and Cambridge universities, and a controversial play.
The fact 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.
The official compilation of canon law in the Roman Catholic
Church (cf. Codex Iuris Canonici).

Body of Civil Law

The body of Roman or civil law.

corpus vile

worthless body

A person or thing fit only to be the object of an experiment,

as in the phrase Fiat experimentum in corpore vili.

corrigenda
corruptio optimi
pessima
corruptissima re
publica plurimae
leges
corvus oculum
corvi non eruit
corruptus in
extremis

things to be corrected
the corruption of the best is the worst
When the republic is at its most corrupt the laws are
most numerous

Tacitus

a raven will not pick out an eye of another raven

corrupt to the extreme

Motto of the fictional Springfield Mayor Office in The

Simpsons TV-Show

cras amet qui

nunquam amavit; May he love tomorrow who has never loved before; And
quique amavit,
may he who has loved, love tomorrow as well
cras amet

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.
Motto of San Jacinto College.
A concept about creation, often used in a theological or
philosophical context. Also known as the First Cause
argument in Philosophy of Religion. Contrasted with creatio
ex materia.

Cras es Noster

The Future is Ours

creatio ex nihilo

creation out of nothing

Credo in Unum
Deum

I Believe in One God

The first words of the Nicene Creed and the Apostles Creed.

I believe it because it is absurd

A very common misquote of Tertullians 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 Gods 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.

May we grow in Him through all things

Motto of Cheverus High School.

let knowledge grow, let life be enriched

Motto of the University of Chicago.

Light ever increasing

Motto of James Cook University.

Civilization prospers with commerce

Motto of Claremont McKenna College.

it grows as it goes

State motto of New Mexico, adopted in 1887 as the

territorys motto, and kept in 1912 when New Mexico
received statehood. Originally from Lucretius De rerum

credo quia
absurdum est

crescamus in Illo
per omnia
crescat scientia
vita excolatur
crescente luce
crescit cum
commercio civitas
crescit eundo

natura book VI, where it refers in context to the motion of a

thunderbolt across the sky, which acquires power and
momentum as it goes.
while I live, I trust in the cross, Whilst I trust in the Cross Motto of the Sisters of Loreto (IBVM) and its associated
I have life
schools.

cruci dum spiro

fido
cucullus non facit
The hood does not make the monk
monachum

cui bono

Good for whom?

cui prodest

for whom it advances

cuique suum

to each his own

cuius est solum

eius est usque ad
coelum et ad
inferos

Whose the land is, all the way to the sky and to the
underworld is his.

cuius regio, eius

religio

whose region, his religion

William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Scene I, Act V 4850

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). Also the motto of the Crime
Syndicate of America, a fictional supervillain group. The
opposite is cui malo (Bad for whom?).
Short for cui prodest scelus is fecit (for whom the crime
advances, he has done it) in Senecas Medea. Thus, the
murderer is often the one who gains by the murder (cf. cui
bono).
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 princes ability to choose his peoples religion was
established at the Peace of Augsburg in 1555.

cuiusvis hominis
est errare, nullius
nisi insipientis in Anyone can err, but only the fool persists in his fault
errore
perseverare.

Cicero, Philippica XII, 5.

culpa

Also blame or guilt. In law, an act of neglect. In general,

guilt, sin, or a fault. See also mea culpa.

fault

cum gladiis et
fustibus
cum gladio et sale
cum grano salis
cum hoc ergo
propter hoc
cum laude

with swords and clubs

From the Bible. Occurs in Matthew 26:47 and Luke 22:52.

with sword and salt

with a grain of salt

Motto of a well-paid soldier. See salary.

Not to be taken too seriously or as the literal truth.

with this, therefore on account of this

Fallacy of assuming that correlation implies causation.

with praise

cum mortuis in
with the dead in a dead language
lingua mortua
cum privilegio ad
imprimendum
with the exclusive right to print
solum
cuncti adsint
meritaeque
let all come who by merit deserve the most reward
expectent praemia
palmae
cupio dissolvi

desire to be dissolved

cur Deus Homo

Why the God-Man

cura personalis

care for the whole person

cura te ipsum

take care of your own self

curriculum vitae

course of life

custodi civitatem,
guard the city, O Lord
Domine
custos morum
keeper of morals

The standard formula for academic Latin honors in the

United States. Greater honors include magna cum laude and
summa cum laude.
Movement from Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest
Mussorgsky
Copyright notice used in 16th-century England, used for
comic effect in The Taming of the Shrew by William
Shakespeare
Motto of University College London.
From the Bible, locution indicating a will to death (I want to
die).
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?
Motto of Georgetown University School of Medicine and
University of Scranton.
An exhortation to physicians, or experts in general, to deal
with their own problems before addressing those of others.
An overview of a persons life and qualifications, similar to a
rsum.
Motto of the City of Westminster.
A censor.

cygnis insignis
cygnus inter
anates

distinguished by its swans

Motto of Western Australia.

swan among ducks

D
Latin
Da Deus fortunae
Da mihi factum,
dabo tibi ius

damnant quod non

intellegunt

Translation
Notes
God give happiness
Traditional Czech brewers greeting.
or God give luck
also: Da mihi facta, dabo tibi ius; legal principle based on Roman law; parties should present
Give me the fact(s),
the facts of a case while the judge rules on the law. Related to iura novit curia (the court knows
Ill give you the law
the law).
Paraphrase of Quintilianus, from De Institutione Oratoria, Book X, chapter I, 26:
They condemn what
they do not
understand

condemnation to
[the] beasts
damnation of
damnatio memoriae
memory
damnatio ad bestias

damnum absque
injuria
dat deus
incrementum or
deus dat
incrementum
data venia

damage without
injury

Modesto tamen et circumspecto iudicio de tantis viris pronuntiandum est, ne, quod
plerisque accidit, damnent quae non intellegunt.
Yet students must pronounce with diffidence and circumspection on the merits of
such illustrious characters, lest, as is the case with many, they condemn what
they do not understand. (Translation by Rev. John Selby Watson)
Colloquially thrown to the lions.
A Roman custom in which disgraced Romans (particularly former Emperors) were pretended to
have never existed.
A loss that results from no ones 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.

God gives growth

Motto of several schools

with due respect

or given the

Used before disagreeing with someone.

datum perficiemus
munus
de bene esse
de bonis asportatis
decessit sine prole
decessit sine prole
legitima
decessit sine prole
mascula superstite
decessit sine prole
superstite
decessit vita matris
decessit vita patris
decus et tutamen
de dato
de facto
defendit numerus
de fideli
de fideli
administratione
defunctus vivente

excuse
We shall accomplish
Motto of Batalho de Operaes Policiais Especiais (BOPE), Rio de Janeiro.
the mission assigned
A de bene esse deposition is used to preserve the testimony of a witness who is expected not to
as well done
be available to appear at trial and be cross-examined.
carrying goods away Trespass de bonis asportatis was the traditional name for larceny (wrongful taking of chattels).
Used in genealogical records, often in the abbreviated form dsp, to indicate a person who died
died without issue
without having had any children
died without
Used in genealogical records, often in the abbreviated form dspl, to indicate a person who died
legitimate issue
without having had any children by a spouse.
died without
Used in genealogical records, often in the abbreviated form dspm, to indicate a person who died
surviving male issue without having had any male children who lived or outlived them.
died without
Used in genealogical records, often in the abbreviated form dsps, to indicate a person who died
surviving issue
without having had any children who lived or outlived them.
died in the lifetime Used in genealogical records, often in the abbreviated form dvm, to indicate a person who
of the mother
predeceased their mother.
died in the lifetime Used in genealogical records, often in the abbreviated form dvp, to indicate a person who
of the father
predeceased their father
Inscription on British one-pound coins. Originally on 17th-century coins, it refers to the
An ornament and a
inscribed edge as a protection against the clipping of precious metal. The phrase originally
safeguard
comes from Virgils Aeneid.
of the date
Used in the context of As we agreed in the meeting d.d. 26th Mai 2006.
Said of something that is the actual state of affairs, in contrast to somethings legal or official
by deed
standing, which is described as de jure. De facto refers to the way things really are rather than
what is officially presented as the fact.
There is safety in
numbers
A clerk makes the declaration De fideli when appointed, promising to do his or her tasks
with faithfulness
faithfully as a servant of the court.
of faithful
Describing an oath taken to faithfully administer the duties of a job or office, like that taken by
administration
a court reporter.[15]
(dvp) died with
Used by genealogists to denote a son who has pre-deceased his father and not lived long

his father (still)

living. See also
enough to inherit his fathers title or estate. See also sine prole.
vivente rege[16]
de futuro
regarding the future Usually used in the context of at a future time
Less literally theres no accounting for taste. The complete phrase is de gustibus et coloribus
of tastes there is
de gustibus non est
non est disputandum meaning when we talk about tastes and colours there is nothing to be
nothing to be
disputandum
disputed because theyre up to a subjective point of view: everyone has his own and no one
disputed
deserve any preminence. Likely of Scholastic origin (see Wiktionary).
By the Grace of
Also Dei Gratia Rex (By the Grace of God, King). Abbreviated as D G REG preceding Fidei
Dei Gratia Regina
God, Queen
Defensor (F D) on British pounds, and as D G Regina on Canadian coins.
de integro
again, a second time
Official, in contrast with de facto. Analogous to in principle, whereas de facto is to in
de jure
by law
practice. In other contexts, can mean according to law, by right or legally. Also
commonly written de iure, the classical form.
from law to be
de lege ferenda
passed
from law passed
de lege lata
or by law in force
The law does not
de minimis non
The court does not want to bother with small, trivial things. A case must have importance for
bother with the
curat lex
the court to hear it. See de minimis non curat praetor.
smallest things.
Also The chief magistrate does not concern himself with trifles. Trivial matters are no
The commander
de minimis non
concern of a high official (cf. aquila non capit muscas, the eagle does not catch flies).
does not bother with
curat praetor
Sometimes rex (the king) or lex (the law) is used in place of praetor, and de minimis is a legal
the smallest things.
term referring to things unworthy of the laws attention.
about the dead,
de mortuis aut bene
either well or
Less literally, speak well of the dead or not at all (cf. de mortuis nil nisi bonum).
aut nihil
nothing
From de mortuis nil nisi bonum dicendum est, nothing must be said about the dead except the
about the dead,
de mortuis nil nisi
good, attributed by Diogenes Lartius to Chilon. In legal contexts, this quotation is used with
nothing unless a
bonum
the opposite meaning, as defaming a deceased person is not a crime. In other contexts, it refers
good thing
to taboos against criticizing the recently deceased.
de nobis fabula
about us is the story Thus, their story is our story. Originally referred to the end of Romes dominance. Now often
patre

narratur

told

de novo

from the new

about every
de omni re scibili et knowable thing, and
quibusdam aliis
even certain other
things
be suspicious of
de omnibus
everything, doubt
dubitandum
everything
Free From Having
de oppresso liber
Been Oppressed
de profundis
from the depths

used when comparing any current situation to a past story or historical event.
Anew or afresh. In law, a trial de novo is a retrial. In biology, de novo means newly
synthesized, and a de novo mutation is a mutation that neither parent possessed or transmitted.
In economics, de novo refers to newly founded companies, and de novo banks are state banks
that have been in operation for five years or less.
The 15th-century Italian scholar Giovanni Pico della Mirandola wrote the De omni re scibili
portion (about every knowable thing), and a wag added et quibusdam aliis (and even certain
other things).
Attributed to Ren Descartes. Karl Marxs favorite motto and a title of one of Sren
Kierkegaards works De Omnibus Dubitandum Est
Loosely translated as To Liberate the Oppressed. The motto of the United States Army
Special Forces.[17]
Out of the depths of misery or dejection. From the Latin translation of Psalm 130.
In logic, de dicto statements (about the truth of a proposition) are distinguished from de re
statements (about the properties of a thing itself).

de re

about the matter

Dei sub numine viget

under Gods Spirit

she flourishes

Motto of Princeton University.

delectatio morosa

peevish delight

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.

no delegated powers
can be further
.
delegated
They are mad, those A translation into Latin from Ren Goscinnys French ils sont fous, ces romains! or Italian
delirant isti Romani
Romans!
Sono pazzi questi Romani (compare SPQR), frequently issued by Obelix in the Asterix comics.
For God and for
Deo ac veritati
Motto of Colgate University.
truth
Deo Confidimus
In God we trust
Motto of Somerset College.
for God and for
Deo domuique
Motto of Methodist Ladies College, Melbourne.
home
Deo et patriae
for God and Country Motto of Regis High School (New York City).
delegata potestas
non potest delegari

Deo gratias
Deo juvante
Deo non Fortuna
Deo Optimo
Maximo (DOM)

thanks [be] to God

with Gods help
by God, not by luck
To the Best and
Greatest God
For God, Country,
Deo Patriae Litteris
and Learning

Deo volente

descensus in cuniculi
cavum
desiderantes
meliorem patriam

God willing

The semi-Hispanicized form Deogracias is a Philippine first name.

The motto of Monaco and its monarch which appears on the royal arms.
Motto of the Epsom College in Surrey
Derived from the Pagan Iupiter Optimo Maximo (To the best and greatest Jupiter). Printed on
bottles of Bndictine liqueur.
Motto of Scotch College (Melbourne)
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. As an abbreviation (simply D.V.) it is often found in personal letters (in
English) of the early 1900s, employed to generally and piously qualify a given statement about
a future planned action, that it will be carried out, so long as God wills (see James 4:13-15,
which encourages this way of speaking). The motto of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.
See also: InshaAllah.

The descent into the

Down the Rabbit Hole (see: Alices Adventures in Wonderland#Famous lines and expressions).
cave of the rabbit
they desired a better
From Hebrews 11:16; the phrase was adopted as the motto of the Order of Canada.
land
The first encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI; for other meanings, see Deus caritas est
Deus caritas est
God is Love
(disambiguation)
From the Greek (ap mchans thes). A contrived or artificial solution,
a god from a
usually to a literary plot. Refers to the practice in Greek drama of lowering by crane (the
deus ex machina
machine
mechan) an actor playing a god or goddess onto the stage to resolve an insuperable conflict in
the plot. The device is most commonly associated with Euripides.
Deus Lux Mea Est God is my Light
The motto of The Catholic University of America.
Deus meumque jus God and my right
The principal motto of Scottish Rite Freemasonry; see also Dieu et mon droit.
Deus nobis haec otia God has given us
Motto of the city of Liverpool.
fecit
these days of leisure
deus otiosus
God at leisure
Deus spes nostra
God is our hope
The motto of Sir Thomas de Boteler, founder of Boteler Grammar School Warrington in 1526
Deus vult
God wills it!
The principal slogan of the Crusades. Motto of Bergen Catholic High School, NJ
dictatum erat (dict) as previously stated Recent academic substitution for the spacious and inconvenient As previously stated, .

Literally, has been stated; also translated as dicta prius (literally, said previously).
I.e. From a rule without exception. Short for a dicto simpliciter, the a often being dropped by
confusion with the English indefinite article. A dicto simpliciter occurs when an acceptable
[From] a maxim,
exception is ignored or eliminated. For instance, the appropriateness of using opiates is
dicto simpliciter
simply
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 factum
what is said is done Motto of U.S. Navy Fighter Squadron VF-194
dictum meum
my word [is] my
Motto of the London Stock Exchange
pactum
bond
From the Roman Emperor Titus. Passed down in Suetoniuss biography of him in Lives of the
diem perdidi
I have lost the day
Twelve Caesars
Refers to the Judgment Day in Christian eschatology. The name of a famous 13th-century
Dies Irae
Day of Wrath
Medieval Latin hymn by Tommaso da Celano, used in the Mass for the dead.
Days under common law (traditionally Sunday) in which no legal process can be served and
Day without
dies non juridicum
any judgment is void. This concept was first codified by the English Parliament in the reign of
judiciary
Charles II.
In Classical Latin, I arrange. State motto of Maine. Based on a comparison of the state of
dirigo
I direct
Maine to the star Polaris.
it seemed otherwise In other words, the gods have different plans than mortals, and so events do not always play out
dis aliter visum
to the gods
as people wish them to. Virgil, Aeneid, 2:428.
Refers to the Manes, Roman spirits of the dead. Loosely To the memory of. A conventional
dis manibus sacrum Sacred to the ghost- inscription preceding the name of the deceased on pagan grave markings, often shortened to dis
(D.M.S.)
gods
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
Learn as if always
disce quasi semper
going to live; live as
victurus vive quasi
Attributed to St Edmund of Abingdon.
if tomorrow going to
cras moriturus
die.
while teaching we
discendo discimus
learn
disiecta membra
scattered limbs
That is, scattered remains. Paraphrased from Horace, Satires, I, 4, 62, where it was written

ditat Deus
divide et impera
dixi
["...", ...] dixit
do ut des
docendo discitur
docendo disco,
scribendo cogito

dolus specialis

Domine dirige nos

Dominica in albis
[depositis]

disiecti membra poetae (limbs of a scattered poet). Also written as disjecta membra.
State motto of Arizona, adopted in 1911. Probably derived from the Vulgates translation of
God enriches
Genesis 14:23.
A Roman maxim adopted by Julius Caesar, Louis XI and Machiavelli. Commonly rendered
divide and rule
divide and conquer.
A popular eloquent expression, usually used in the end of a speech. The implied meaning is: I
I have spoken
have said all that I had to say and thus the argument is settled.
["...", ...] said
Used to attribute a statement or opinion to its author, rather than the speaker.
I give that you may Often said or written for sacrifices, when one gives and expects something back from the
give
gods.
It is learned by
Also translated One learns by teaching. Attributed to Seneca the Younger.
teaching
I learn by teaching,
think by writing.
The concept is particular to a few civil law systems and cannot sweepingly be equated with
the notions of special or specific intent in common law systems. Of course, the same might
special intent
equally be said of the concept of specific intent, a notion used in the common law almost
exclusively within the context of the defense of voluntary intoxication.Genocide scholar
William Schabas[18]
Lord guide us
Motto of the City of London
Sunday in [Setting
Aside the] White
Latin name of the Octave of Easter.
Garments

Dominus Illuminatio
the Lord is my light Motto of the University of Oxford.
Mea
Dominus fortitudo The Lord is our
Motto of the Southland College, Philippines
nostra
Strength
Phrase used during and at the end of Catholic sermons, and a general greeting form among and
Dominus vobiscum Lord be with you
towards members of Catholic organizations, such as priests and nuns. See also pax vobiscum.
Often set to music, either by itself or as part of the Agnus Dei prayer of the Mass. Also an
dona nobis pacem
give us peace
ending in the video game Haunting Ground.
donatio mortis causa giving in
A legal concept where a person in imminent mortal danger need not meet the requisite

expectation of death consideration to create or modify a will.

draco dormiens
a sleeping dragon is Motto of the fictional Hogwarts school in the Harry Potter series; translated more loosely in the
nunquam titillandus never to be tickled books as never tickle a sleeping dragon.
More literally, the masks of the drama; more figuratively, cast of characters. The characters
dramatis person
the parts of the play
represented in a dramatic work.
duae tabulae rasae Two blank slates
in quibus nihil
with nothing written Stan Laurel, inscription for the fanclub logo of The Sons of the Desert.
scriptum est
upon them
ducimus
We lead
Motto of the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
Love of country
Ducit amor patriae
Motto of the 51st Battalion, Far North Queensland Regiment
leads me
ducunt volentem
The fates lead the
fata, nolentem
willing and drag the Attributed to Lucius Annaeus Seneca.
trahunt
unwilling
leadership by
Motto for the United States Marine Corps Officer Candidates School located at Marine Corps
ductus exemplo
example
Base Quantico; Quantico, Virginia.
dulce bellum
war is sweet to the War may seem pleasant to those who have never been involved in it, though the more
inexpertis
inexperienced
experienced know better. A phrase from Erasmus in the 16th century.
It is sweet on
Dulce est desipere in
It is pleasant to relax once in a while. From Horace, Odes IV, 12, 28. Used by George Knapton
occasion to play the
loco
for Sir Bourchier Wrey, 6th Baronet 1744 portrait.
fool.
It is sweet and
dulce et decorum est
From Horace, Odes III, 2, 13. Used by Wilfred Owen for the title of a poem about World War I,
honorable to die for
pro patria mori
Dulce et Decorum est.
the fatherland.
a sweet and useful Horace wrote in his Ars Poetica that poetry must be dulce et utile (pleasant and profitable), both
dulce et utile
thing
enjoyable and instructive.
dulce periculum
danger is sweet
Horace, Odes III, 25, 16. Motto of the Scottish clan MacAulay.
sweeter after
dulcius ex asperis
Motto of the Scottish clan Fergusson.[19]
difficulties
dum cresco spero
I hope when I grow Motto of The Ravensbourne School.
dum Roma deliberat while Rome debates, Used when someone has been asked for urgent help, but responds with no immediate action.
Saguntum perit
Saguntum is in
Similar to Hannibal ante portas, but referring to a less personal danger.

danger
while I breathe, I
dum spiro spero
hope
while there is life,
dum vita est, spes est
there is hope
dum vivimus
While we live, we
servimus
serve
dum vivimus,
While we live, let us
vivamus
live!
[the] law [is] harsh,
dura lex sed lex
but [it is the] law
dura mater
tough mother
During good
durante bene placito
pleasure

motto of Presbyterian College.

An encouragement to embrace life. Motto inscribed on the sword of the main character in the
novel Glory Road.

outer covering of the brain

At the pleasure [of the monarch or other appointing authority]. Mediaeval legal Latin phrase.
For example, the Governor General of Canada is durante munere the Chancellor and Principal
Companion of the Order of Canada.

durante munere

while in office

dux bellorum

war leader
The fear of the Lord
is the beginning of
wisdom

Initium Sapientiae
Timor Domini

State motto of South Carolina. From Cicero.

E
Latin

Translation

e pluribus unum

out of many, one

Ecce homo

Behold the man

ecce panis
angelorum
editio princeps

behold the bread

of angels
first edition

Notes
Literally, out of more (than one), one. Used on many U.S. coins and inscribed on the Capitol. Also
used as the motto of S.L. Benfica. Less commonly written as ex pluribus unum.
From the Latin Vulgate Gospel of John 19:5 (Douay-Rheims), where Pontius Pilate speaks these
words as he presents Christ, crowned with thorns, to the crowd. It is also the title of Nietzsches
autobiography and of the theme music by Howard Goodall for the ITV comedy Mr. Bean, in which
the full sung lyric is Ecce homo qui est faba (Behold the man who is a bean).
A phrase occasionally inscribed near the altar in Catholic churches; it makes reference to the Host;
the Eucharist; the bread of Heaven; the Body of Christ. See also: Panis Angelicus.
The first printed edition of a work.

ego te absolvo
ego te provoco
eheu fugaces
labuntur anni
eluceat omnibus
lux
emeritus

I absolve you
I challenge you
Alas, the fleeting
years slip by
let the light shine
out from all
veteran

existing because
of oneself
by the sword she
ense petit placidam
seeks a serene
sub libertate
repose under
quietem
liberty
entia non sunt
entities must not
multiplicanda
be multiplied
praeter
beyond necessity
necessitatem
entitas ipsa involvit
reality involves a
aptitudinem ad
power to compel
extorquendum
sure assent
certum assensum
ens causa sui

eo ipso
eo nomine
equo ne credite
erga omnes
ergo
errare humanum

Part of the absolution-formula spoken by a priest as part of the sacrament of Penance (cf. absolvo).
Used as a challenge, I dare you. Can also be written as te provoco
From Horaces Odes II, 14.
The motto of Sidwell Friends School
Retired from office. Often used to denote a position held at the point of retirement, as an honor,
such as professor emeritus or provost emeritus. This does not necessarily mean that the honorand is
no longer active. Also worn-out.
Or being ones own cause. Traditionally, a being that owes its existence to no other being, hence
God or a Supreme Being (cf. Primum Mobile).
State motto of Massachusetts, adopted in 1775.

Occams Razor or Law of Parsimony; that is, that arguments which do not introduce extraneous
variables are to be preferred in logical argumentation.

A phrase used in modern Western philosophy on the nature of truth.

Technical term used in philosophy and the law. Similar to ipso facto. Example: The fact that I am
by that very (act) does not eo ipso mean that I think. From Latin eo ipso, ablative form of id ipsum, that (thing)
itself.
by that name
do not trust the
Virgil, Aeneid, II. 4849 (Latin)
horse
in relation to
everyone
therefore
Denotes a logical conclusion (cf. cogito ergo sum).
to err is human
Sometimes attributed to Seneca the Younger, but not attested: Errare humanum est, perseverare

est

erratum
errantis voluntas
nulla est
eruditio et religio

error
the will of a
mistaken party is
void
scholarship and
religion
to be is to be
perceived

autem diabolicum, et tertia non datur (To err is human; to persist [in committing such errors] is of
the devil, and the third possibility is not given.) Several authors contemplated the idea before
Seneca: Livy Venia dignus error is humanus (Storie, VIII, 35) and Cicero: is Cuiusvis errare:
insipientis nullius nisi, in errore perseverare (Anyone can err, but only the fool persists in his fault)
(Philippicae XII, ii, 5). Cicero well-versed in ancient Greek may well have been alluding to
Euripides play Hippolytus some four centuries earlier.[20] 300 years later Augustine of Hippo
recycled the idea in his Sermones (164, 14): Humanum fuit errare, diabolicum est per
animositatem in errore manere.[21] The phrase gained currency in English language after
Alexander Popes An Essay on Criticism (1711): To err is human, to forgive divine. (line 325).
Or mistake. Lists of errors in a previous edition of a work are often marked with the plural,
errata (errors).
Roman legal principle formulated by Pomponius in the Digest of the Corpus Juris Civilis, stating
that legal actions undertaken by man under the influence of error are ineffective.
Motto of Duke University

George Berkeleys motto for his idealist philosophical position that nothing exists independently of
its perception by a mind except minds themselves.
Truly being something, rather than merely seeming to be something. Motto of many institutions.
From chapter 26 of Ciceros De amicitia (On Friendship). Earlier than Cicero, the phrase had
to be, rather than been used by Sallust in his Bellum Catilinae (54.6), where he wrote that Cato esse quam videri
esse quam videri
to seem
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 (he wishes
not to seem the best, but to be the best); also motto of North Carolina.
there is a middle ground in things, there is a middle way; from Horaces Satires 1.1.106; see also:
Golden mean (philosophy). According to Potempski & Galmarini (Atmos. Chem. Phys., 9, 9471
there is measure in 9489, 2009) the sentence should be translated as: There is an optimal condition in all things
est modus in rebus
things
which in the original text is followed by the sentence: There are therefore precise boundaries
beyond which one cannot find the right thing (sunt certi denique fines quos ultra citraque nequit
consistere rectum).
Said of Venice by the Venetian historian Fra Paolo Sarpi shortly before his death. Also the state
may it be
esto perpetua
motto of Idaho, adopted in 1867, and of S. Thomas College, Mount Lavinia, Sri Lanka. It is also
perpetual
used as the open motto of Sigma Phi Society, a collegiate Greek Letter Fraternity.
esto quod es
be what you are Motto of Wells Cathedral School.
esse est percipi

et adhuc sub iudice it is still before the

Horace, Ars Poetica (The Art of Poetry) 1.78.
lis est
court
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.
Used similarly to et cetera (and the rest), to stand for a list of names. Alii is masculine, so it can
be used for men, or groups of men and women; the feminine, et aliae, is appropriate when the
others are all female; but as with many loanwords, interlingual use (such as in reference lists) is
often invariable. Et alia is neuter plural and thus in Latin text is properly used only for inanimate,
genderless objects, but some use it as a gender-neutral alternative.[22] APA style uses et al.
et alii (et al.)
and others
(normal font)[23] if the work cited was written by more than six authors; MLA style uses et al. for
more than three authors; AMA style lists all authors if 6, and 3 + et al if >6. AMA style forgoes
the period (because it forgoes the period on abbreviations generally) and it forgoes the italic (as it
does with other loanwords naturalized into scientific English); many journals that follow AMA
style do likewise.
et cetera (etc.) or
And the rest
In modern usage, used to mean and so on or and more.
(&c.)

And light came to

From Genesis 1:3 and there was light. Motto of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.
be or was made
And all that sort of
et hoc genus omne
Abbreviated to e.h.g.o. or ehgo
thing
and in Arcadia
et in Arcadia ego
In other words, I, too, am in Arcadia. See memento mori.
[am] I
et lux in tenebris
And light shines in
See also Lux in Tenebris; motto for the Pontificia Universidad Catlica del Per.
lucet
the darkness
And now, O ye
et nunc reges
kings, understand:
intelligite
receive
From the Book of Psalms, II.x. (Vulgate), 2.10 (Douay-Rheims).
erudimini qui
instruction, you
judicatis terram
that judge the
earth.
and the following
et sequentes (et seq.) (masc./fem.
Also et sequentia (and the following things: neut.), abbreviations: et seqq., et seq., or sqq.
plural)
And with your
et cum spiritu tuo
spirit
et facta est lux

and a supposition
puts nothing in
More typically translated as Sayin it dont make it so.
being
Also Even you, Brutus? or You too, Brutus? Used to indicate a betrayal by someone close.
From Shakespeares Julius Caesar, based on the traditional dying words of Julius Caesar.
et tu, Brute?
And you, Brutus? However, these were almost certainly not Caesars true last words; Plutarch quotes Caesar as
saying, in Greek, the language of Romes elite at the time, ; (Ka s tknon?), in
English You too, (my) child?, quoting from Menander.
et uxor (et ux.)
and wife
A legal term.
et vir
and husband
A legal term.
Even if all
Etiamsi omnes, ego
others I will
Peter to Jesus Christ (from Vulgate Matthew 26:33; New King James Version: Matthew 26:33).
non
never
etsi deus non
even if God were
Sentence synthesizing a famous concept of Grotius (1625).
daretur
not a given
In law, describes someone taking precautions against a very remote contingency. One might wear
out of an
a belt in addition to braces ex abundanti cautela.[24] In banking, a loan in which the collateral is
ex abundanti
abundance of
more than the loan itself. Also the basis for the term an abundance of caution employed by
cautela
caution
United States President Barack Obama to explain why his oath of office had to be re-administered
by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts and again in reference to terrorist threats.
For out of the
ex abundantia
From the Gospel according to St. Matthew, XII.xxxiv (Vulgate), 12.34 (Douay-Rheims) and the
abundance of the
enim cordis os
Gospel according to St. Luke, VI.xlv (Vulgate), 6.45 (Douay-Rheims). Sometimes rendered
heart the mouth
loquitur
without enim (for).
speaketh.
On equal footing, i.e., in a tie. Used for those two (seldom more) participants of a competition,
ex aequo
from the equal
that showed exactly the same performance.
(Theres) always
ex Africa semper something new
Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia 8.42 (unde etiam vulgare Graeciae dictum semper aliquid novi
aliquid novi
(coming) out of
Africam adferre[25]), a translation of the Greek .
Africa
ex animo
from the heart
Thus, sincerely.
ex ante
from before
Beforehand, before the event. Based on prior assumptions. A forecast.
ex astris scientia
From the Stars,
The motto of the fictional Starfleet Academy on Star Trek. Adapted from ex luna scientia, which in
et suppositio nil
ponit in esse

Knowledge

ex cathedra

ex cultu robur
ex Deo

from the chair

from culture
[comes] strength
from God

ex dolo malo

from fraud

ex facie

from the face

ex fide fiducia
ex fide fortis
ex glande quercus
ex gratia
ex hypothesi
ex infra (e.i.) cf. ex
supra

ex juvantibus
ex lege

turn was modeled after ex scientia tridens.

A phrase applied to the declarations or promulgations of the Pope when, in communion with the
college of cardinals, preserved from the possibility of error by the action of the Holy Spirit (see
Papal infallibility), he solemnly declares or promulgates (from the chair that was the ancient
symbol of the teacher and of the governor, in this case of 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.
The motto of Cranleigh School, Surrey.
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 documents
explicit terms are defective without further investigation.

from faith [comes]

A motto of St Georges College, Harare.
confidence
from faith [comes]
A motto of Loyola School (New York City).
strength
from the acorn the
The motto of the Municipal Borough of Southgate, London.
oak
More literally from grace. Refers to someone voluntarily performing an act purely out of
from kindness
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 the
Thus, by hypothesis.
hypothesis
from below
from that which
helps
from the law

Recent academic notation for from below in this writing

The medical pitfall in which response to a therapeutic regimen substitutes proper diagnosis.

ex libris
ex luna scientia

from the books

from the moon,
knowledge

ex malo bonum

good out of evil

ex mea sententia

in my opinion
out of mere
impulse, or of
ones own accord.

ex mero motu

Precedes a persons name, with the meaning of from the library of; also a bookplate.
The motto of the Apollo 13 moon mission, derived from ex scientia tridens, the motto of Jim
Lovells Alma Mater, the United States Naval Academy.
From St. Augustines Sermon LXI where he contradicts Senecas dictum in Epistulae 87:22:
bonum ex malo non fit (good does not come from evil). Also the alias of the Anberlin song,
Miserabile Visu from their album New Surrender.

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
nothing comes
ex nihilo nihil fit
nihilo often used in conjunction with the term creation, as in creatio ex nihilo, meaning creation
from nothing
out of nothing. It is often used in philosophy or theology in connection with the proposition that
God created the universe from nothing. It is also mentioned in the final ad-lib of the Monty Python
song Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.
ex novo
from new
Said of something that has been built from scratch.
Ex Oblivione
from oblivion
The title of a short story by H. P. Lovecraft.
By virtue of office or position; by right of office. Often used when someone holds one position
by virtue of holding another: for example, the President of France is an ex officio Co-Prince of
Andorra. A common misconception is that all ex officio members of a committee or congress may
ex officio
from the office
not vote this may be the case, but it is not guaranteed by that title. In legal terms, ex officio refers
to an administrative or judicial office taking action of its own accord, for example to invalidate a
patent or prosecute copyright infringers.
from the work of A theological phrase contrasted with ex opere operato, referring to the notion that the validity or
ex opere operantis
the one working 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
from the work
benefit, such as a baptism actually and literally cleansing ones sins. The Catholic Church affirms
ex opere operato
worked
that the source of grace is God, not just the actions or disposition of the minister or the recipient of
the sacrament.
Originally refers to the sun rising in the east, but alludes to culture coming from the Eastern world.
ex oriente lux
light from the east
Motto of several institutions.

ex parte
ex pede Herculem
ex post
ex post facto
ex professo
ex scientia tridens
ex scientia vera

from a part
from his foot, so
Hercules
from after
from a thing done
afterward
from one
declaring [an art
or science]
from knowledge,
sea power.
from knowledge,
truth

A legal term that means by one party or for one party. Thus, on behalf of one side or party
only.
From the measure of Hercules foot you shall know his size; from a part, the whole.
Afterward, after the event. Based on knowledge of the past. Measure of past performance.
Said of a law with retroactive effect.
Or with due competence. Said of the person who perfectly knows his art or science.
The United States Naval Academy motto. Refers to knowledge bringing men power over the sea
comparable to that of the trident-bearing Greek god Poseidon.
The motto of the College of Graduate Studies at Middle Tennessee State University.

ex silentio

from silence

ex situ
ex supra (e.s.) cf. ex

out of position

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
someones silence on a matter suggests (proves when a logical fallacy) that persons ignorance of
the matter or their inability to counterargue validly.
opposite of in situ

from above

Recent academic notation for from above in this writing.

infra

from [this moment

This instant, right away or immediately. Also written extempore.
of] time
From a
Ex turpi causa non dishonorable
A legal doctrine which states that a claimant will be unable to pursue a cause of action, if it arises
oritur actio
cause an action
in connection with his own illegal act. Particularly relevant in the law of contract, tort and trusts.
does not arise
from the shadow
ex umbra in solem
Motto of Federico Santa Mara Technical University.
into the light
from the waves [of
ex undis
motto in the coat of arms of Eemsmond
the sea]
union is strength,
ex unitate vires
motto of South Africa.
or unity is strength
ex tempore

ex vi termini

from the force of

the term

ex vita discedo,
tanquam ex
hospitio, non
tanquam ex domo

I depart from life

as from an inn, not Cicero, Cato Maior de Senectute (On Old Age) 23
as from home

ex vivo

out of or from life

ex voto

from the vow

from crowd,
knowledge

ex vulgus scientia
excelsior

higher

exceptio firmat (or

probat) regulam in
casibus non
exceptis

The exception
confirms the rule
in cases which are
not excepted
an excuse that has
excusatio non
not been sought
petita accusatio
[is] an obvious
manifesta
accusation
exeat
may he/she leave
I have reared a
exegi monumentum monument more
aere perennius
enduring than
bronze
for the sake of
exempli gratia (e.g.) example, for
example

Thus, by definition.

Used in reference to the study or assay of living tissue in an artificial environment outside the
living organism.
Thus, in accordance with a promise. An ex voto is also an offering made in fulfillment of a vow.
used to describe social computing, The Wisdom of Crowds
Ever upward! The state motto of New York. Also a catchphrase used by Marvel Comics head
Stan Lee.
A juridical principle which means that the statement of a rules exception (e.g., no parking on
Sundays) implicitly confirms the rule (i.e., that parking is allowed Monday through Saturday).
Often mistranslated as the exception that proves the rule.
More loosely, he who excuses himself, accuses himselfan unprovoked excuse is a sign of
guilt. In French, qui sexcuse, saccuse.
A formal leave of absence.
Horace, Carmina III:XXX:I
Usually read out in English as for example (see citation signal and compare how the ampersand
is read out as and). Often confused with id est (i.e.).[26] Exempli grati, for example, is usually
abbreviated e.g. (less commonly, ex. gr.); in this usage it is sometimes followed by a comma,
depending on style.[27]

exercitus sine duce an army without a

corpus est sine
leader is a body
On a plaque at the former military staff building of the Swedish Armed Forces.
spiritu
without a spirit

Third-person plural present active indicative of the Latin verb exire; also extended to exeunt
omnes, all leave; singular: exit.
This term has been used in dermatopathology to express that there is no substitute for experience in
experientia docet experience teaches dealing with all the numerous variations that may occur with skin conditions.[28] The term has
also been used in gastroenterology.[29]
experimentum
experiment of the
Or crucial experiment. A decisive test of a scientific theory.
crucis
cross
experto crede
trust the expert
Literally believe one who has had experience. An authors aside to the reader.
Mentioning one thing may exclude another thing. A principle of legal statutory interpretation: the
the expression of
explicit presence of a thing implies intention to exclude others; e.g., a reference in the Poor Relief
expressio unius est the one is the
Act 1601 to lands, houses, tithes and coal mines was held to exclude mines other than coal
exclusio alterius
exclusion of the
mines. Sometimes expressed as expressum facit cessare tacitum (broadly, the expression of one
other
thing excludes the implication of something else).
[placed] outside of Refers to a possible result of Catholic ecclesiastical legal proceedings when the culprit is removed
extra domum
the house
from being part of a group like a monastery.
outside the Church This expression comes from the writings of Saint Cyprian of Carthage, a bishop of the third
extra Ecclesiam
[there is] no
century. It is often used to summarise the doctrine that the Catholic Church is absolutely necessary
nulla salus
salvation
for salvation.
It is issued by the Master of the Papal Liturgical Celebrations before a session of the Papal
outside, all [of
extra omnes
conclave which will elect a new Pope. When spoken, all those who are not Cardinals, or those
you]
otherwise mandated to be present at the Conclave, must leave the Sistine Chapel.
he who
administers justice
extra territorium
outside of his
jus dicenti impune
Refers to extraterritorial jurisdiction. Often cited in law of the sea cases on the high seas.
territory is
non paretur
disobeyed with
impunity
exeunt

they leave

F
Latin
Translation
faber est suae quisque every man is the artisan of
fortunae
his own fortune

Notes
Appius Claudius Caecus. Motto of Fort Street High School in Petersham, Sydney,
Australia.

fac et spera
fac fortia et patere
fac simile
faciam eos in gentem
unum
faciam quodlibet quod
necesse est
faciam ut mei
memineris
facile princeps

do and hope
do brave deeds and endure
make a similar thing
I will make them into one
nation

Appeared on British coinage following the Union of the Crowns.

Ill do whatever it takes

Ill make you remember me from Plautus, Persa IV.324; used by Russian hooligans as tattoo inscription.

easily the first

It is easier to do many
facilius est multa facere
things, than one thing
quam diu
consecutively
I make free adults out of
facio liberos ex liberis
children by means of books
libris libraque
and a balance.
facta, non verba
deeds, not words
factum fieri infectum It is impossible for a deed to
non potest
be undone
falsus in uno, falsus in
false in one, false in all
omnibus
familia supra omnia
fas est et ab hoste
doceri

Motto of Clan Matheson.

Motto of Prince Alfred College in Adelaide, Australia.
Origin of the word facsimile, and, through it, of fax.

Said of the acknowledged leader in some field, especially in the arts and humanities.
Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria 1/12:7

Motto of St. Johns College in Annapolis, Maryland, and Santa Fe, New Mexico
Frequently used as motto.
Terence, Phormio 5/8:45
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.
Frequently used as a family motto.

family over everything

It is lawful to be taught even
Ovid, Metamorphoses 4:428
by an enemy
Slight variant (quod potui feci) found in James Boswells An Account of Corsica,
there described as a simple beautiful inscription on the front of Palazzo Tolomei at
feci quod potui, faciant I have done what I could; let Siena.[30] Later, found in Henry Baerleins introduction to his translation of The
meliora potentes
those who can do better.
Diwan of Abul Ala by Abul Ala Al-Maarri (9731057);[31] also in Anton
Chekhovs Three Sisters, act I. Also in Alfonso Moreno Espinosa, Compendio de
Historia Universal, 5. ed. (Cdiz 1888).

a formula used traditionally in the authors signature by painters, sculptors, artisans,

scribes etc. Compare pinxit.
fecisti patriam diversis From differing peoples you Verse 63 from the poem De reditu suo by Rutilius Claudius Namatianus praising
de gentibus unam
have made one native land emperor Augustus.[32]
be more fortunate than
felicior Augusto, melior
Augustus and better than
A ritual acclamation delivered to late Roman emperors.
Traiano
Trajan
felix culpa
fortunate fault
from Exsultet of the Catholic liturgy
felix qui potuit rerum happy is he who can
Virgil. Rerum cognoscere causas is the motto of the London School of Economics,
cognoscere causas
ascertain the causes of things University of Sheffield, and the University of Guelph.
An archaic legal term for one who commits suicide, referring to early English
felo de se
felon from himself
common law punishments, such as land seizure, inflicted on those who killed
themselves.
fere libenter homines men generally believe what Peoples beliefs are shaped largely by their desires. Julius Caesar, The Gallic War
id quod volunt credunt they want to
3.18
An oxymoronic motto of Augustus. It encourages proceeding quickly, but with calm
festina lente
hurry slowly
and caution. Equivalent to More haste, less speed. Motto of the Madeira School,
McLean, Virginia, Berkhamsted School, Berkhamsted, England
festinare nocet, nocet et it is bad to hurry, and delay
cunctatio saepe;
is often as bad; the wise
Ovid[33]
tempore quaeque suo person is the one who does
qui facit, ille sapit.
everything in its proper time.
fiat iustitia et pereat
let justice be done, though
Motto of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor.
mundus
the world shall perish
fiat justitia ruat
let justice be done should the
Attributed to Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus.
caelum
sky fall
From the Latin translation of Genesis, dixitque Deus fiat lux et facta est lux (and
fiat lux
let there be light
God said, Let light be made, and light was made.); frequently used as motto for
educational institutions.
fiat panis
let there be bread
Motto of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
fiat voluntas Dei
May Gods will be done
The motto of Robert Mays School
The motto of Archbishop Richard Smith of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of
fiat voluntas tua
Thy will be done
Edmonton.
NN fecit

NN made (this)

ficta voluptatis causa

sint proxima veris

fictions meant to please

Horace Ars Poetica (338), advice presumably discounted by the magical realists
should approximate the truth
A title given to Henry VIII of England by Pope Leo X on 17 October 1521 before
Fidei Defensor (Fid Def)
Defender of the Faith
Henry became a heresiarch. Still used by the British monarchs, it appears on all
or (fd)
British coins, usually abbreviated.
Sometimes mistranslated to Keep the faith, when used in contemporary Englishfidem scit
He knows the faith
language writings of all kinds to convey a light-hearted wish for the readers wellbeing.
the faith by which it is
fides qua creditur
the personal faith which apprehends, contrasted with fides quae creditur
believed
fides quae creditur
the faith which is believed the content of the faith, contrasted with fides qua creditur
fides quaerens
faith seeking understanding the motto of Saint Anselm, found in his Proslogion
intellectum
fidus Achates
faithful Achates
A faithful friend. From the name of Aeneass faithful companion in Virgils Aeneid.
filiae nostrae sicvt
may our daughters be as
angvli incisi
polished as the corners of Motto of Francis Holland School
similitvdine templi
the temple
The end justifies the means. The motto of St. Marys Catholic High School in Dubai,
finis coronat opus
the end crowns the work
United Arab Emirates, the Coat of arms of Seychelles, and of the Amin Investment
Bank
finis vitae sed non
the end of life, but not of
amoris
love
referred to Attila the Hun, when he led his armies to invade the Western Roman
flagellum dei
scourge of god
Empire.
flectere si nequeo
if I cannot reach heaven I
superos, Acheronta
Virgils Aeneid, book VII.312
will raise hell
movebo
floreat etona
may Eton flourish
Motto of Eton College
floreat nostra schola
may our school flourish
Common school motto
Indicates the period when a historical figure whose birth and death dates are
floruit (fl.)
one flourished
unknown was most active.
fluctuat nec mergitur she wavers and is not
Motto of Paris

immersed
fons et origo
the spring and source
fons sapientiae,
the fount of knowledge is
verbum Dei
the word of God.
formosam resonare
teach the woods to re-echo
doces Amaryllida silvas fair Amaryllis
perhaps even these things
forsan et haec olim
will be good to remember
meminisse iuvabit
one day
fortes fortuna adiuvat Fortune favours the bold
fortes in fide
strong in faith
fortis cadere, cedere
The brave may fall, but
non potest
cannot yield
fortis est veritas
truth is strong
fortis et liber
strong and free
fortis in arduis
strong in difficulties
fortiter et fideliter
bravely and faithfully
fortiter in re, suaviter resolute in execution, gentle
in modo
in manner
fortunae meae,
artisan of my fate and that of
multorum faber
several others
fraus omnia vitiat

fraud vitiates everything

fui quod es, eris quod

sum

I once was what you are,

you will be what I am

presumption of sufficient
legal basis
fundamenta inconcussa unshakable foundation
fumus boni iuris

The fountainhead and beginning. The source and origin.

The motto of Bishop Blanchet High School.
From Virgils Eclogues 1:5
From Virgils Aeneid, book I, line 203.
The motto of the 3rd Marine Regiment
Frequently used as motto.
Motto of Fahnestock Family Arms and the Palmetto Guard of Charleston, South
Carolina.
Motto on the coat of arms of Oxford, England.
Motto of Alberta
Motto of Municipal Borough of Middleton from the Earl of Middleton.
Frequently used as motto.
Frequently used as motto.
Motto of Gatineau.
Legal maxim: the occurrence or taint of fraud in a (legal) transaction invalidates it
entirely
An epitaph, made to remind the reader of the inevitability of death, saying Once I
was alive like you are, and you will be dead as I am now. As believed, it was carved
on a gravestone of some Roman military officers.

G
Latin
gaudeamus hodie

Translation
let us rejoice today

Notes

First words of a famous academic anthem used, among other places, in The
Student Prince.
gaudete in domino
rejoice in the Lord
Motto of Bishop Allen Academy
gaudium in veritate joy in truth
Motto of Campion School
A principle of statutory interpretation: If a matter falls under a specific provision in
general provisions enacted in later
generalia
a statute enacted before a general provision enacted in a later statute, it is to be
legislation do not detract from
specialibus non
presumed that the legislature did not intend that the earlier specific provision be
specific provisions enacted in
derogant
repealed, and the matter is governed by the earlier specific provision, not the more
earlier legislation
recent general one.
The unique, distinctive aspects or atmosphere of a place, such as those celebrated
genius loci
spirit of place
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.
Learn each field of study
generatim discite
according to its kind. (Virgil,
Motto of the University of Bath.
cultus
Georgics II.)
gens una sumus
we are one people
Motto of FIDE. Can be traced back to Claudians poem De consulatu Stilichonis.
gesta non verba
deeds, not words
Motto of James Ruse Agricultural High School.
Often translated Glory to God on High. The title and beginning of an ancient
Gloria in excelsis
Glory to God in the Highest
Roman Catholic doxology, the Greater Doxology. See also ad maiorem Dei
Deo
gloriam.
Gloria invidiam
By your fame you have
Sallust, Bellum Jugurthum (Jugurthine War) 10:2.
vicisti
conquered envy
gloria filiorum
The glory of sons is their fathers
Motto of Eltham College
patres
(Proverbs17:6)
Gloria Patri
Glory to the Father
The beginning of the Lesser Doxology.
gloriosus et liber
glorious and free
Motto of Manitoba
gradatim ferociter by degrees, ferociously
Motto of private spaceflight company Blue Origin
gradibus
ascending by degrees
Motto of Grey College, Durham
gaudeamus igitur

therefore let us rejoice

ascendimus
Graecia capta
ferum victorem
cepit

Conquered Greece in turn

defeated its savage conqueror

Horace Epistles 2.1

Graecum est; non

legitur

It is Greek (and therefore) it

cannot be read.

Most commonly from William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar where
Casca couldnt explain to Cassius what Cicero was saying because he was
speaking Greek. The more common collloquilism would be: Its all Greek to me.

Grandescunt Aucta
Labore
gratiae veritas
naturae
graviora manent
Gravis Dulcis
Immutabilis
gutta cavat lapidem
[non vi sed saepe
cadendo]

By hard work, all things increase

Motto of McGill University
and grow
Truth through mercy and nature

Motto of Uppsala University

heavier things remain

Virgil Aeneid 6:84; more severe things await, the worst is yet to come

serious sweet immutable

Title of a poem by James Elroy Flecker [34]

a water drop hollows a stone [not main phrase is from Ovid, Epistulae ex Ponto IV, 10, 5.;[35] expanded in the
by force, but by falling often]
Middle Ages

H
Latin

Translation

Notes
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 prisoners legal right to
challenge the legality of their detention. (Corpus here is used in a similar sense to corpus
delicti, referring to the substance of the reason for detention rather than a physical human
body.)
Used after a Catholic Church papal election to announce publicly a successful ballot to elect a
new pope.

habeas corpus

You should have the

body

habemus papam

we have a pope

Habent sua fata

libelli

Books have their

destiny [according to
Terentianus Maurus, De Litteris, De Syllabis, De Metris, 1:1286.
the capabilities of the
reader]

hac lege
haec olim
meminisse iuvabit

with this law

one day, this will be Commonly rendered in English as One day, well look back on this and smile. From Virgils
pleasing to remember Aeneid 1.203. Also, motto of the Jefferson Society.
Found in Ciceros first Philippic and in Livys Ab urbe condita
Hannibal was a fierce enemy of Rome who almost brought them to defeat.
Hannibal ad portas Hannibal at the gates
Sometimes rendered Hannibal ante portas, with verisimilar meaning: Hannibal before the
gates
I speak not of
haud ignota loquor
Thus, I say no things that are unknown. From Virgils Aeneid, 2.91.
unknown things
hic abundant leones here lions abound
Written on uncharted territories of old maps; see also: here be dragons.
The imperative motto for the satisfaction of desire. I need it, Here and Now
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 locus est ubi

mors gaudet
succurrere vitae

This is the place

where death delights
in helping life

A motto of many morgues or wards of anatomical pathology.

hic manebimus
optime

here well stay

excellently

hic sunt dracones

hic sunt leones
hinc et inde
hinc illae lacrimae
hinc itur ad astra
hinc robur et
securitas
historia vitae

According to Titus Livius the phrase was pronounced by Marcus Furius Camillus, addressing
the senators who intended to abandon the city, invaded by Gauls, circa 390 BC. It is used
today to express the intent to keep ones position even if the circumstances appear adverse.
here there are dragons Written on a globe engraved on two conjoined halves of ostrich eggs, dated to 1504.
here there are lions
Written on uncharted territories of old maps.
from both sides
From Terence, Andria, line 125. Originally literal, referring to the tears shed by Pamphilus at
hence those tears
the funeral of Chrysis, it came to be used proverbially in the works of later authors, such as
Horace (Epistula XIX, 41).
from here the way
Written on the wall of the old astronomical observatory of Vilnius University, Lithuania, and
leads to the stars
the universitys motto.
herefore strength and
Motto of the Central Bank of Sweden.
safety
history, the teacher of From Ciceros De Oratore, II, 9. Also history is the mistress of life.

magistra
hoc age
hoc est bellum
hoc est Christum
cognoscere,
beneficia eius
cognoscere
hoc est enim corpus
meum

life
do this
This is war

Motto of Bradford Grammar School

To know Christ is to
know his benefits

Famous dictum by the Reformer Melanchthon in his Loci Communes of 1521

The words of Jesus reiterated in Latin during the Roman Catholic Eucharist. Sometimes
simply written as Hoc est corpus meum or This is my body.
From Horaces Satires, 1/2:2. Refers to the crowd at Tigellios funeral (c. 4039 BC). Not to
hoc genus omne
All that crowd/people
be confused with et hoc genus omne (English: and all that sort of thing).
Today its me,
hodie mihi, cras tibi tomorrow it will be
you
hominem pagina
It is of man that my
From Martials Epigrams, Book 10, No. 4, Line 10; stating his purpose in writing.
nostra sapit
page smells
hominem non
Treat the Man, not the
Motto of the Far Eastern University Institute of Nursing
morbum cura
Disease
Varro (116 BC 27 BC), in the opening line of the first book of Rerum Rusticarum Libri Tres,
wrote quod, ut dicitur, si est homo bulla, eo magis senex (for if, as they say, man is a bubble,
homo bulla
man is a bubble
all the more so is an old man)[36] later reintroduced by Erasmus in his Adagia, a collection of
sayings published in 1572.
man [is a] wolf to
First attested in Plautus Asinaria (lupus est homo homini). The sentence was drawn on by
homo homini lupus
man
Hobbes in Leviathan as a concise expression of his human nature view.
homo praesumitur
One is innocent until
bonus donec
See also: presumption of innocence.
proven guilty
probetur malus
From Terences Heauton Timorumenos (The Self-Tormentor) (163 BC). Originally strange
homo sum humani a I am a human being; or foreign (alienum) was used in the sense of irrelevant, as this line was a response to the
me nihil alienum
nothing human is
speaker being told to mind his own business, but it is now commonly used to advocate
puto
strange to me
respecting different cultures and being humane in general. Puto (I consider) is not translated
because it is meaningless outside of the lines context within the play.
homo unius libri
(I fear) a man of one Attributed to Thomas Aquinas
For this is my Body

(timeo)
honestas ante
honores
honor virtutis
praemium
honoris causa
hora fugit
hora somni (h.s.)
horas non numero
nisi serenas

book
honesty before glory
esteem is the reward
of virtue
for the sake of honor
the hour flees
at the hour of sleep
I do not count the
hours unless they are
sunny

horresco referens

I shudder as I tell

horribile dictu
hortus in urbe
hortus siccus
hostis humani
generis
humilitas occidit
superbiam
hypotheses non
fingo

horrible to say
A garden in the city
A dry garden
enemy of the human
race
humility conquers
pride
I do not fabricate
hypotheses

Motto of King George V School (Hong Kong)

Motto of Arnold School, Blackpool, England
Said of an honorary title, such as Doctor of Science honoris causa.
See tempus fugit.
Medical shorthand for at bedtime.
A common inscription on sundials.
From Virgils Aeneid, 2.204, on the appearance of the sea-serpents who kill the Trojan priest
Laocon and his sons.
That is, a horrible thing to relate. Cf. mirabile dictu.
Motto of the Chicago Park District, a playful allusion to the citys motto, urbs in horto, q.v.
A collection of dry, preserved plants.
Cicero defined pirates in Roman law as being enemies of humanity in general.

From Newton, Principia. Less literally, I do not assert that any hypotheses are true.

I
Latin

Translation

ibidem (ibid.)

in the same place

id est (i.e.)

that is

Notes
Usually used in bibliographic citations to refer to the last source
previously referenced.
That is (to say) in the sense of that means and which means, or
in other words, or sometimes in this case, depending on the
context; may be followed by a comma, or not, depending on style
(American English and British English respectively).[37] It is often

id quod plerumque
accidit

that which generally happens

idem (dito) (id.)

the same

idem quod (i.q.)

the same as

Idus Martiae

the Ides of March

Jesu juva J.J.

Jesus, help!

erroneously used as an abbreviation for for example (for which the

correct abbreviation is e.g.).
A phrase used in legal language to indicate the most probable
outcome from an act, fact, event or cause.
Used to refer to something that has already been cited. See also
ibidem.
Not to be confused with an intelligence quotient.
In the Roman calendar, the Ides of March refers to the 15th day of
March. In modern times, the term is best known as the date on which
Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC; the term has come to be
used as a metaphor for impending doom.
Used by Johann Sebastian Bach at the beginning of his compositions,
which he ended with S.D.G. (Soli Deo gloria). Compare Besiyata
Dishmaya.

Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews

From Vulgate; John 19:19.
John 19:20 states that this
Iesus Nazarenus Rex inscription was written in
Iudaeorum (INRI)
three languagesAramaic,
Latin and Greekat the top
of the cross during the
crucifixion of Jesus.
igitur qui desiderat
pacem, praeparet
bellum
igne natura
renovatur integra

Therefore whoever desires peace, let him

prepare for war

Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus, De Re Militari; similar to si vis

pacem, para bellum and in pace ut sapiens aptarit idonea bello.

An alchemical aphorism invented as an alternate meaning for the

acronym INRI.
A phrase describing scorched earth tactics. Also rendered as igne
igni ferroque
with fire and iron
atque ferro, ferro ignique, and other variations.
A phrase referring to the refining of character through difficult
ignis aurum probat fire tests gold
circumstances, it is also the motto of the Prometheus Society.
ignis fatuus
foolish fire
Will-o-the-wisp.
ignorantia juris non (or ignorantia legis non excusat or ignorantia A legal principle whereby ignorance of a law does not allow one to
through fire, nature is reborn whole

excusat

ignoratio elenchi

legis neminem excusat) ignorance of the law

is no excuse

ignorance of the issue

ignotum per ignotius unknown by means of the more unknown

ignotus (ign.)
imago Dei

unknown
image of God

imitatio dei

imitation of a god

imperium in imperio an order within an order

imperium sine fine

an empire without an end

impossibilium nulla
there is no obligation to do the impossible
obligatio est
imprimatur

let it be printed

in absentia

in the absence

in absentia luci,
tenebrae vincunt
in actu
[Dominica] in albis
[depositis]

escape liability.
The logical fallacy of irrelevant conclusion: making an argument that,
while possibly valid, doesnt 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.
An explanation that is less clear than the thing to be explained.
Synonymous with obscurum per obscurius.
From the religious concept that man was created in Gods image.
A principle, held by several religions, that believers should strive to
resemble their god(s).
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 groups leader(s).
2. A fifth column organization operating against the organization
within which they seemingly reside.
3. State within a state
In Virgils Aeneid, Jupiter ordered Aeneas to found a city (Rome)
from which would come an everlasting, never-ending empire, the
endless (sine fine) empire.
Publius Iuventius Celsus, Digesta L 17, 185.
An authorization to publish, granted by some censoring authority
(originally a Catholic Bishop).
Used in a number of situations, such as in a trial carried out in the
absence of the accused.

in the absence of light, darkness prevails

in act

In the very act; in reality.

[Sunday in Setting Aside the] White Garments Latin name of the Octave of Easter.

in articulo mortis
in camera
in casu (i.c.)

at the point of death

in the chamber
in the event

in cauda venenum

the poison is in the tail

in com. Ebor.

In the county of Yorkshire

In secret. See also camera obscura.

In this case.
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 listeners ears.
Eboracum was the Roman name for York and this phrase is used in
some Georgian and Victorian books on the genealogy of prominent
Yorkshire families.

in Christi lumine pro

in the light of Christ for the life on the world Motto of Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.
mundi vita
in Deo speramus
in God we hope
Motto of Brown University.
Expresses the judicial principle that in case of doubt the decision must
in dubio pro reo
in doubt, on behalf of the [alleged] culprit
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 (the form of) an image; in effigy (as opposed to in the flesh or
in effigie
in the likeness
in person).
in esse
in existence
In actual existence; as opposed to in posse.
in extenso
in the extended
In full; at full length; complete or unabridged
In extremity; in dire straits; also at the point of death (cf. in articulo
in extremis
in the furthest reaches
mortis).
in fide scientiam
To our faith add knowledge
Motto of Newington College.
in fidem
into faith
To the verification of faith.
in fieri
in becoming
In progress; pending.
At the end. The footnote says "p. 157 in fine": "the end
in fine (i.f.)
in the end
of page 157".

in flagrante delicto

in a blazing wrong, while the crime is blazing

in flore
in foro

in blossom
in forum

Caught in the act (esp. a crime or in a compromising position);

equivalent to caught red-handed in English idiom.
Blooming.
In court (legal term).

in girum imus nocte

et consumimur igni
in harmonia
progressio
in hoc sensu or in
sensu hoc (s.h.)

We enter the circle at night and are consumed A palindrome said to describe the behavior of moths. Also the title of
by fire
a film by Guy Debord.

in hoc signo vinces

by this sign you will conquer

in hunc effectum
in ictu oculi

for this purpose

in the blink of an eye

in illo ordine (i.o.)

in that order

in illo tempore

in that time

progress in harmony

Motto of Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia.

in this sense

Recent academic abbreviation for in this sense.

in inceptum finis est lit.: in the beginning is the end

in limine

at the outset/threshold

in loco

in the place, on the spot

in loco parentis

in the place of a parent

in luce Tua videmus

in Thy light we see light
lucem
in lumine tuo
videbimus lumen

in your light we will see the light

in manus tuas
commendo spiritum into your hands I entrust my spirit
meum
in medias res
into the middle of things

Words Constantine the Great claimed to have seen in a vision before

the Battle of the Milvian Bridge.
Describes a meeting called for a particular stated purpose only.
Recent academic substitution for the spacious and inconvenient ,
respectively.
At that time, found often in Gospel lectures during Masses, used to
mark an undetermined time in the past.
or: the beginning foreshadows the end
Preliminary, in law, a motion in limine is a motion that is made to the
judge before or during trial, often about the admissibility of evidence
believed prejudicial.
That is, on site. The nearby labs were closed for the weekend,
so the water samples were analyzed in loco.
Assuming parental or custodial responsibility and authority (e.g.,
schoolteachers over students); a legal term.
Motto of Valparaiso University. The phrase comes from the book of
Psalms 36:9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see
light.
Motto of Columbia University, Presbyterian Boys Secondary School
and Ohio Wesleyan University. Also, it is the motto of the South
African University of Fort Hare.
According to Luke 23:46, the last words of Jesus on the cross.
From Horace. Refers to the literary technique of beginning a narrative

in memoriam

into the memory

in necessariis unitas,
in necessary things unity, in doubtful things
in dubiis libertas, in
liberty, in all things charity
omnibus caritas

in the middle of, or at a late point in, the story, after much action has
already taken place. Examples include the Iliad, the Odyssey, Os
Lusadas, Othello, and Paradise Lost. Compare ab initio.
Equivalent to in the memory of. Refers to remembering or honoring
a deceased person.
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.
I.e., Tomorrow is a new day. Motto of Birkbeck College, University
of London.

in nocte consilium

advice comes over night

in nomine diaboli

in the name of the devil

in nomine Domini

in the name of the Lord

in nomine patris, et
filii, et spiritus sancti
in nuce
in omnia paratus
in omnibus amare et
servire Domino
in omnibus requiem
quaesivi, et nusquam
inveni nisi in angulo
cum libro

in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and

invocation of the Holy Trinity
of the Holy Spirit
in a nut
in a nutshell; briefly stated; potential; in the embryonic phase
Ready for anything.
Motto of the United States Armys 18th Infantry Regiment

in ovo

in the egg or in the embryo

Motto of Trinity College, Perth, Australia; the name of a 1050 papal

bull

In everything, love and serve the Lord.

The motto of Ateneo de Iloilo, a university in the Philippines

Everywhere I have searched for peace and

nowhere found it, except in a corner with a
book

Quote by Thomas Kempis

in pace ut sapiens
in peace, like the wise man, make
aptarit idonea bello preparations for war
in pace requiescat

in peace may he rest

in partibus
infidelium

in the parts of the infidels

An experiment or process performed in an egg or embryo (e.g. in ovo

electroporation of chicken embryo).
Horace, Satires 2/2:111; similar to si vis pacem, para bellum and
igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.
Alternate form of requiescat in pace (let him rest in peace). Found
in this form at the end of The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan
Poe.
In the land of the infidels; used to refer to bishoprics that remains as
titular sees even after the corresponding territory was conquered by

in pectore
in personam
in posse

in the heart
into a person
in potential

in propria persona

in ones own person

in principio erat
Verbum

in the beginning was the Word (Logos)

in re

in the matter [of]

in rebus

in the thing [itself]

in regione caecorum In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is

rex est luscus
king.
in rem

to the thing

in rerum natura

in the nature of things

in retentis

among things held back

in saecula
(saeculorum), in
saeculum saeculi
in saeculo
in salvo

Muslim empires.
A cardinal named in secret by the pope. See also ab imo pectore.
Directed towards a particular person
In the state of being possible; as opposed to in esse.
Abbreviated pro per; For ones self, For the sake of ones
Personhood; acting on ones own behalf, especially a person
representing himself in a legal proceeding; see also litigant in person,
pro se legal representation in the United States.
Beginning of the Gospel of John
A legal term used to indicate that a judicial proceeding may not have
formally designated adverse parties or is otherwise uncontested. The
term is commonly used in case citations of probate proceedings, for
example, In re Smiths Estate; it is also used in juvenile courts, as, for
instance, In re Gault.
Primarily of philosophical use to discuss properties and property
exemplification. In philosophy of mathematics, it is typically
contrasted with ante rem and, more recently, post res
structuralism. Sometimes in re is used in place of in rebus.
A quote of Desiderius Erasmus from Adagia (first published 1500,
with numerous expanded editions through 1536), III, IV, 96.
Legal term indicating a courts jurisdiction over a piece of property
rather than a legal person; contrast with personal (ad personam)
jurisdiction. See In rem jurisdiction; Quasi in rem jurisdiction
See also Lucretius De rerum natura (On the Nature of Things).
Used to describe documents kept separately from the regular records
of a court for special reasons.

roughly: down to the times of the times

forever (and ever), liturgical

in the times
in safety

In the secular world, esp. outside a monastery, or before death.

in scientia
opportunitas

In Knowledge, there is Opportunity

Motto of Edge Hill University.

in se magna ruunt

great things collapse of their own weight

in silico

in silicon

Lucan, Pharsalia 1:81.

Coined in the late 1980s for scientific papers. Refers to an experiment
or process performed virtually, as a computer simulation. The term is
Dog Latin modeled after terms such as in vitro and in vivo. The Latin
word for silicon is silicium, so the correct Latinization of in silicon
would be in silicio, but this form has little usage.
In the original place, appropriate position, or natural arrangement.

(Dog Latin)

(Dog Latin)

in situ
in somnis veritas

in the place
In dreams there is truth

in spe

in hope

in specialibus
generalia quaerimus
in statu nascendi
in toto
in triplo
in umbra, igitur,
pugnabimus
in utero
in utrumque paratus
in vacuo
in varietate
concordia

To seek the general in the specifics

in the state of being born
in all
in triple

future (My mother-in-law in spe, i.e., My future mother-in-law),

or in embryonic form, as in Lockes theory of government
resembles, in spe, Montesquieus theory of the separation of powers.
That is, to understand the most general rules through the most
detailed analysis.
Just as something is about to begin.
Totally; entirely; completely.
In triplicate.

Then we will fight in the shade

in the womb
Prepared for either (event)
in a void

In a vacuum; isolated from other things.

united in diversity

The motto of the European Union and the Council of Europe

in vino veritas

in wine [there is] truth

In Verbis Virtus

Power in Words

That is, wine loosens the tongue (referring to alcohols disinhibitory

effects).
An indie game in which the player walks through ancient ruins and
find inscriptions carved into the stone inside. When read out loud
correctly (using the microphone), players gain the ability to command
a spell specific to those words..

in vitro

in glass

in vivo

in life/in a living thing

in vivo veritas

in a living thing [there is] truth

incepto ne desistam May I not shrink from my purpose!

incertae sedis

of uncertain position (seat)

incredibile dictu

incredible to say
Inwardly, under the skin [intimately, without
reservation]

intus et in cute

An experimental or process methodology performed in a nonnatural setting (e.g. in a laboratory using a glass test tube or Petri
dish), and thus outside of a living organism or cell. Alternative
experimental or process methodologies include in vitro, in silico, ex
vivo and in vivo.
An experiment or process performed on a living specimen.
An expression used by biologists to express the fact that laboratory
findings from testing an organism in vitro are not always reflected
when applied to an organism in vivo. A pun on in vino veritas.
Westville Boys High School and Westville Girls High Schools
motto is taken directly from Virgil. These words, found in Aeneid,
Book 1, are used by Juno, queen of heaven who hated the Trojans led
by Aeneas. When she saw the fleet of Aeneas on its way to Italy, after
the sack of Troy by the Greeks, she planned to scatter it by means of
strong winds. In her determination to accomplish her task she cried
out Incepto Ne Desistam!
A term used to classify a taxonomic group when its broader
relationships are unknown or undefined.
A variant on mirabile dictu.
Persius, Satire 3:30.

Index Librorum
Prohibitorum

Index of Prohibited (or, Forbidden) Books

A list of books considered heretical by the Roman Catholic Church.

indigens Deo

being-in-need-of-God, beggar before God

From Augustine, De Civitate Dei XII, 1.3: beatitudinem consequatur

nec expleat indigentiam suam, since it is not satisfied unless it be
perfectly blessed.

indignor quandoque
bonus dormitat
Homerus
indivisibiliter ac
inseparabiliter
Infinitus est
numerus stultorum.

I too am annoyed whenever good Homer nods

Horace, Ars Poetica 358
off
indivisible and inseparable
Infinite is the number of fools.

Motto of Austria-Hungary before it was divided and separated into

independent states in 1918.

infirma mundi elegit

God chooses the weak of the world
Deus
infra dignitatem
(infra dig)

iniuriae qui
addideris
contumeliam
inopiae desunt
multa, avaritiae
omnia

beneath ones dignity

You who have added insult to injury

Phaedrus, Fables 5/3:5.

To poverty many things are lacking; to

avarice, everything

Publilius Syrus.

instante mense (inst.) in the present month

Instrumentum regni instrument of government

Instrumentum
vocale
intaminatis fulget
honoribus
integer vitae
scelerisque purus
intelligenti pauca

The motto of Venerable Vital-Justin Grandin, the bishop of the St.

Albert Diocese, which is now the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of
Edmonton

instrument with voice

Used in formal correspondence to refer to the current month,

sometimes abbreviated as inst; e.g.: Thank you for your letter of the
17th inst. ult. mense = last month, prox. mense = next month.
Used to express the exploitation of religion by State or ecclesiastical
polity as a means of controlling the masses, or in particular to achieve
political and mundane ends.
So Varro in his De re rustica (on agriculture) defines the slave: an
instrument (as a simple plow, or etc.) with voice.

Untarnished, she shines with honor

From Horaces Odes (III.2.18). Motto of Wofford College.

unimpaired by life and clean of wickedness

From Horace. Used as a funeral hymn.

Few words suffice for he who understands

inter alia (i.a.)

among other things

inter alios
inter arma enim
silent leges

among others
in a time of war, the law falls silent

A term used in formal extract minutes to indicate that the minute

quoted has been taken from a fuller record of other matters, or when
alluding to the parent group after quoting a particular example.
Often used to compress lists of parties to legal documents.
Said by Cicero in Pro Milone as a protest against unchecked political
mobs that had virtually seized control of Rome in the 60s and 50s BC.
Famously quoted in the essay Civil Disobedience by Henry David
Thoreau as The clatter of arms drowns out the voice of the law.
This phrase has also been jokingly translated as In a time of arms,

inter caetera
inter mutanda
constantia
inter spem et metum
inter urinas et faeces
nascimur

among others
Steadfast in the midst of change

the legs are silent.

Title of a papal bull
Motto for Rockwell College in Ireland and Francis Libermann
Catholic High School in Ontario, Canada.

between hope and fear

we are born between urine and feces

Attributed to St Augustine.

inter vivos

between the living

intra muros

within the walls

intra vires
invenias etiam
disiecti membra
poetae

within the powers

Refers to property transfers between living persons, as opposed to a

testamentary transfer upon death such as an inheritance; often
relevant to tax laws.
Not public; source of the word intramural. See also Intramuros,
Manila.
Within ones authority

You would still recognize the scattered

fragments of a poet

Horace, Satires, I, 4, 62, in reference to the earlier Roman poet

Ennius.
Attributed to Petronius[38] or Prudentius. Motto of Nature in
Cambridgeshire:[39]

inveniet quod
quisque velit

invicta
invictus maneo
Iohannes est nomen
eius
ipsa scientia potestas
est
ipse dixit

Each shall find what he desires

Inveniet quod quisque velit; non omnibus unum est, quod

placet; hic spinas colligit, ille rosas.
(Each shall find what he desires; no one thing pleases all; one
gathers thorns, another roses.)

Unconquered
I remain unvanquished

Motto of the English county of Kent and the city of Oporto.

Motto of the Armstrong Clan.

John is his name

Motto of the Seal of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

knowledge itself is power

Famous phrase written by Sir Francis Bacon in 1597.

he himself said it

Commonly said in Medieval debates and referring to Aristotle. Used

in general to emphasize that some assertion comes from some
authority, i.e., as an argument from authority, and the term ipse-

ipsissima verba

the very words themselves

ipsissima voce

in the very voice itself

ipso facto

by the fact itself

ira deorum

wrath of the gods

ira furor brevis est

Wrath (anger) is but a brief madness

ita vero

thus indeed

ite, missa est

Go, it is the dismissal

iter legis
The path of the law
iucunda memoria est
praeteritorum
Pleasant is the memory of past troubles
malorum

iugulare mortuos

to cut the throat of corpses

iuncta iuvant

together they strive

dixitism has come to mean any unsupported rhetorical assertion that

lacks a logical argument. A literal translation by Cicero (in his De
Natura Deorum 1.10) of the Greek , an invocation by
Pythagoreans when appealing to the pronouncements of the master.
Strictly word for word (cf. verbatim). Often used in Biblical Studies
to describe the record of Jesus teaching found in the New Testament
(specifically, the four Gospels).
To approximate the main thrust or message without using the exact
words.
By that very fact
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
(e.g., Are you hungry? was answered by I am hungry or I am
not hungry, not Yes or No).
Loosely: You have been dismissed. Concluding words addressed to
the people in the Mass of the Roman Rite.[40]
The path a law takes from its conception to its implementation.
Cicero, De finibus bonorum et malorum 2, 32, 105.
From Gerhard Gerhards (14661536) [better known as Erasmus]
collection of annotated Adagia (1508). It can mean attacking the work
or personality of deceased person. Alternatively, it can be used to
describe criticism of an individual already heavily criticised by
others.
also spelled juncta juvant; from the legal principle quae non valeant
singula, iuncta iuvant (What is without value on its own, helps when
joined)

iura novit curia

the court knows the law

iure matris
iure uxoris
iuris ignorantia est
cum ius nostrum
ignoramus

in right of his mother

in right of his wife

ius accrescendi

right of accrual

ius ad bellum

law towards war

ius cogens

compelling law

ius in bello

law in war

ius primae noctis

iustitia
fundamentum regni
iustitia omnibus
iuventuti nil arduum
iuventutis veho
fortunas

law of the first night

A legal principle in civil law countries of the Roman-German

tradition that says that lawyers need not to argue the law, as that is the
office of the court. Sometimes miswritten as iura novat curia (the
court renews the laws).
Indicates a right exercised by a son on behalf of his mother.
Indicates a right exercised by a husband on behalf of his wife.

it is ignorance of the law when we do not

know our own rights

justice for all

to the young nothing is difficult

Commonly referred to as right of survivorship: a rule in property

law that surviving joint tenants have rights in equal shares to a
decedents property.
Refers to the laws that regulate the reasons for going to war.
Typically, this would address issues of self-defense or preemptive
strikes.
Refers to a fundamental principle of international law considered to
have acceptance among the international community of states as a
whole. Typically, this would address issues not listed or defined by
any authoritative body, but arise out of case law and changing social
and political attitudes. Generally included are prohibitions on waging
aggressive war, crimes against humanity, war crimes, piracy,
genocide, slavery, and torture.
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.
The droit de seigneur.
Motto of the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office of the Czech
Republic.
The motto of Washington, D.C.
Motto of Canberra Girls Grammar School.

I bear the fortunes of youth

Motto of Dollar Academy.

justice is the foundation of a reign

L
Latin
labor ipse voluptas

Translation
The pleasure is in the
work itself.

Notes
Motto of Leopold von Ranke.

Popular as a motto; derived from a phrase in Virgils Eclogue (X.69: omnia vincit Amor
Love conquers all); a similar phrase also occurs in his Georgics I.145. Motto of St.
labor omnia vincit
Hard work conquers all.
Xaviers Institution, Penang. Motto of Brinkworth Area School, South Australia. Motto of
Princes Street Primary School, Tasmania, Australia.[41]
laborare pugnare
To work, (or) to fight;
Motto of the California Maritime Academy
parati sumus
we are ready
labore et honore
By labour and honour Motto of several schools
Let us work for the
laboremus pro patria
Motto of the Carlsberg breweries
fatherland
Games are the glory of
laboris gloria Ludi
Motto of the Camborne School of Mines, Cornwall, UK
work,
The poignancy of
lacrimae rerum
Virgil, Aeneid 1:462.
things.
lapse, slip, error;
involuntary mistake
lapsus
made while writing or
speaking
inadvertent
lapsus calami
typographical error, slip
of the pen
inadvertent speech error,
lapsus linguae
slip of the tongue
lapsus memoriae
slip of memory
source of the term memory lapse
latius est impunitum It is better to let the
relinqui facinus
crime of the guilty go
Ulpian, Digest 5:6.
nocentis (quam
unpunished (than to
innocentem damnari) condemn the innocent)
Laudatio Ejus Manet His Praise Remains unto Motto of Galway

In Secula Seculorum Ages of Ages

laudator temporis acti praiser of time past

One who is discontent with the present and instead prefers things of the past (the good
old days). In Horaces Ars Poetica, line 173.

laudetur Jesus
Christus

Praise (Be) Jesus Christ Often used as a salutation, but also used after prayers or the reading of the gospel.

laus Deo

praise be to God

lectio brevior potior

lectori salutem
lege artis
legem terrae
leges humanae
nascuntur, vivunt, et
moriuntur
leges sine moribus
vanae
legio patria nostra
legi, intellexi, et
condemnavi
legis plenitudo
charitas
legitime
lex artis
lex dei vitae lampas
lex ferenda

This is written on the East side at the peak of the Washington Monument in Washington,
D.C. Also is the motto of the Viscount of Arbuthnott and Sydney Grammar School.
The shorter reading is A wrong maxim in text criticism. Codified, but simultaneously refuted, by Johann Jakob
the better
Griesbach.
greetings reader
Often abbreviated to L.S., used as opening words for a letter.
according to the law of Denotes that a certain intervention is performed in a correct way. Used especially in a
the art
medical context. The art referred to in the phrase is medicine.
the law of the land
laws of man are born,
live and die
laws without morals
From Horaces Odes: the official motto of the University of Pennsylvania.
[are] vain
The Legion is our
Motto of the French Foreign Legion
fatherland
I read, understood, and
condemned.
charity (love) is the
Motto of Ratcliffe College, UK and of the Rosmini College, NZ.
fulfilment of the law
In Roman and civil law, a forced share in an estate; the portion of the decedents estate
lawfully
from which the immediate family cannot be disinherited. From the French hritier
legitime (rightful heir).
law of the skill
The rules that regulate a professional duty.
the law of God is the
Motto of the Presbyterian Ladies College, Melbourne
lamp of life
the law that should be
The law as it ought to be.
borne

lex hac edictali

the law here proclaims

lex in casu

law in the event

the law that has been
borne
law of the place
law that has not been
written
the law of prayer is the
law of faith
the law shall bring
peace
law of succinctness

lex lata
lex loci
lex non scripta
lex orandi, lex
credendi
lex paciferat
lex parsimoniae
lex rex
lex scripta
lex talionis
libera te tutemet (ex
inferis)
Libertas Justitia
Veritas
Libertas Perfundet
Omnia Luce
Libertas Quae Sera
Tamen
Libera Scientia
Libertas Securitas
Justitia

The rule whereby a spouse cannot by deed inter vivos or bequeath by testament to his or
her second spouse more than the amount of the smallest portion given or bequeathed to
any child.
A law that only concerns one particular case. See law of the case.
The law as it is.

Unwritten law, or common law.

Motto of the European Gendarmerie Force

also known as Occams Razor.

A principle of government advocating a rule by law rather than by men. The phrase
the law [is] king
originated as a double entendre in the title of Samuel Rutherfords controversial book Lex,
Rex (1644), which espoused a theory of limited government and constitutionalism.
written law
Statutory law. Contrasted with lex non scripta.
the law of retaliation
Retributive justice (i.e., an eye for an eye).
Used in the movie Event Horizon (1997), where it is translated as save yourself (from
hell). It is initially misheard as liberate me (free me), but is later corrected. Libera te is
Free yourself (from hell)
often mistakenly merged into liberate, which would necessitate a plural pronoun instead
of the singular tutemet (which is an emphatic form of tu, you).
Liberty Justice Truth
Freedom will flood all
things with light
freedom which [is]
however late
Free knowledge.

Motto of the Korea University and Freie Universitt Berlin.

Motto of the Complutense University of Madrid.
Liberty even when it comes late; Motto of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Liberty Security Justice Motto of the Frontex.

libra (lb)

loco citato (lc)

balance; scales
The written word
endures
in the place cited

locum tenens

place holder

locus classicus
locus minoris
resistentiae

a classic place

locus poenitentiae

a place of repentance

locus standi
longissimus dies cito
conditur

A right to stand
even the longest day
Pliny the Younger, Epistulae 9/36:4.
soon ends
sorrow itself; pain for its A mangled fragment from Ciceros De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum (On the Limits of
own sake
Good and Evil, 45 BC), used as typographers filler to show fonts (a.k.a. greeking).
Let your light shine
May be found in Matthew Ch. 5 V. 16. Popular as a school motto.
We follow the light
Motto of the University of Exeter
I shine, not burn
Motto of the Highland Scots Clan Mackenzie
The shining stars
Horace, Carmina 1/3:2.
Motto of the Dutch province of Zeeland to denote its battle against the sea, and the Athol
I struggle and emerge
Murray College of Notre Dame.
I struggle, but am not
Motto of the Glass Family (Sauchie, Scotland)[42]
overwhelmed
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
[it is] a grove by not
grove) having a similar appearance to the verb lucere (to shine), arguing that the former
being light
word is derived from the latter word because of a lack of light in wooded groves. Often
used as an example of absurd etymology, it derives from parum luceat (it does not shine
[being darkened by shade]) by Quintilian in Institutio Oratoria.
We play well in groups Motto of the Barony of Marinus.

littera scripta manet

lorem ipsum
luceat lux vestra
lucem sequimur
luceo non uro
lucida sidera
luctor et emergo
Luctor, non mergor

lucus a non lucendo

ludemus bene in

place of less resistance

Its abbreviation lb is used as a unit of weight, the pound.

Attributed to Horace.
More fully written in loco citato. See also opere citato.
A worker who temporarily takes the place of another with similar qualifications, for
example as a doctor or a member of the clergy. Sometimes shortened to locum.
The most typical or classic case of something; quotation which most typifies its use.
A medical term to describe a location on or in a body that offers little resistance to
infection, damage, or injury. For example, a weakened place that tends to be reinjured.
A legal term, it is the opportunity of withdrawing from a projected contract, before the
parties are finally bound; or of abandoning the intention of committing a crime, before it
has been completed.
Standing in law (the right to have ones case in court).

compania
lupus est homo
homini

A man to a man is a
wolf

lupus in fabula
lupus non mordet
lupum
lupus non timet
canem latrantem
lux aeterna
lux et lex
lux et veritas
lux ex tenebris
lux hominum vita
lux in Domino

the wolf in the story

a wolf does not bite a
wolf
a wolf is not afraid of a
barking dog
eternal light
light and law
light and truth
light from darkness
light the life of man
light in the Lord
The light that shines in
lux in tenebris lucet
the darkness
lux libertas
light and liberty
Light of the mind, Light
Lux mentis Lux orbis
of the world
lux sit

let there be light

lux tua nos ducat

lux, veritas, virtus

Your Light Guides Us

light, truth, courage

Plautus adaptation of an old Roman proverb: homo homini lupus est (man is a wolf to
[his fellow] man). In Asinaria, act II, scene IV, verse 89 [495 overall]. Lupus est homo
homini, non homo, quom qualis sit non novit (a man to a man is a wolf, not a man, when
the other doesnt know of what character he is.)[43]
With the meaning speak of the wolf, and he will come; from Terences play Adelphoe.

epitaph
Motto of the Franklin & Marshall College and The University of North Dakota.
A translation of the Hebrew Urim and Thummim. Motto of several institutions.
Motto of the 67th Network Warfare Wing.
Motto of the University of New Mexico
Motto of the Ateneo de Manila University
Motto of Columbia University School of General Studies[44]
Motto of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Motto of Sonoma State University
A more literal Latinization of the phrase; the most common translation is fiat lux, from
Latin Vulgate Bible phrase chosen for the Genesis line --
- ; -
- ,-


-
(And God said: Let there be light. And there was light). Motto of the University of
Washington.
Motto of St. Julians School, Carcavelos, Portugal[45]
Motto of Northeastern University

M
Latin
Macte animo!

Translation
Young, cheer up! This is the

Notes
Motto of Academia da Fora Area (Air Force Academy) of the Brazilian Air Force

Generose puer sic

itur ad astra
macte virtute sic
itur ad astra
magister dixit
magister meus
Christus
Magna Carta
magna cum laude
magna di curant,
parva neglegunt
magna est vis
consuetudinis
Magna Europa est
patria nostra
magno cum gaudio
magnum opus

way to the skies.

those who excel, thus reach the or excellence is the way to the stars; frequent motto; from Virgils Aeneid IX.641
stars
(English, Dryden)
the teacher has said it
Canonical medieval reference to Aristotle, precluding further discussion
common Catholic edict and motto of a Catholic private school, Andrean High School
Christ is my teacher
in Merrillville, Indiana
Set of documents from 1215 between Pope Innocent III, King John of England, and
Great Charter
English barons.
with great praise
Common Latin honor, above cum laude and below summa cum laude
The gods care about great
matters, but they neglect small Cicero, De Natura Deorum 2:167
ones
great is the power of habit
Greater Europe is Our
Fatherland
with great joy
great work

magnum vectigal est

Economy is a great revenue
parsimonia
maior e longinquo
reverentia
maiora premunt

Political motto of pan-Europeanists

Said of someones masterpiece
Cicero, Paradoxa 6/3:49. Sometimes translated into English as thrift (or frugality) is
a great revenue (or income), edited from its original subordinate clause: O di
immortales! non intellegunt homines, quam magnum vectigal sit parsimonia.
(English: O immortal gods! Men do not understand what a great revenue is thrift.)

greater reverence from afar

When viewed from a distance, everything is beautiful. Tacitus, Annales 1.47

greater things are pressing

Used to indicate that it is the moment to address more important, urgent, issues.
Said of an act done with knowledge of its illegality, or with intention to defraud or
mislead someone. Opposite of bona fide.
Motto of the inactive 495th Fighter Squadron, US Air Force
Also used ironically, e.g.: New teachers know all tricks used by pupils to copy from
classmates? Oh, mala tempora currunt!.
An illegal arrest will not prejudice the subsequent detention/trial.

mala fide

in bad faith

Mala Ipsa Nova

mala tempora
currunt
male captus bene

Bad News Itself

bad times are upon us
wrongly captured, properly

detentus
Malo mori quam
foedari
malo periculosam
libertatem quam
quietum servitium

detained
Death rather than dishonour

Motto of the inactive 34th Battalion (Australia), the Drimnagh Castle Secondary
School

I prefer liberty with danger to

peace with slavery

attributed to the Count Palatine of Posen before the Diet of Poland, cited in The
Social Contract or Principles of Political Right by Jean Jacques Rousseau

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
malum discordiae apple of discord
word for apple has a long vowel in Latin and the word for evil a short a vowel,
but they are normally written the same.
malum in se
wrong in itself
A legal term meaning that something is inherently wrong (cf. malum prohibitum).
malum prohibitum wrong due to being prohibited A legal term meaning that something is only wrong because it is against the law.
malum quo
the more common an evil is,
communius eo peius the worse it is
literally translated means with
manu forte
a strong hand, often quoted as Motto of the Clan McKay
by strength of hand
A phrase from Virgils Aeneid, VI.883, mourning the death of Marcellus, Augustus
manibus date lilia
give lilies with full hands
nephew. Quoted by Dante as he leaves Virgil in Purgatory, XXX.21, echoed by Walt
plenis
Whitman in Leaves of Grass III, 6.
manu militari
with a military hand
Using armed forces in order to achieve a goal
With the implication of signed by ones hand. Its abbreviated form is sometimes
used at the end of typewritten or printed documents or official notices, directly
manu propria (m.p.) with ones own hand
following the name of the person(s) who signed the document exactly in those
cases where there isnt an actual handwritten signature.
manus manum
famous quote from The Pumpkinification of Claudius, ascribed to Seneca the
one hand washes the other
lavat
Younger.[46] It implies that one situation helps the other.
manus multae cor
many hands, one heart
Motto of the Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity.
unum
marcet sine
valor becomes feeble without Seneca the Younger, De Providentia 2:4. Also, translated into English as [their]
adversario virtus
an opponent
strength and courage droop without an antagonist (Of Providence (1900) by
Seneca, translated by Aubrey Stewart),[47] without an adversary, prowess shrivels
(Moral Essays (1928) by Seneca, translated by John W, Basore)[48] and prowess

mare clausum
Mare Ditat, Rosa
Decorat
mare liberum

closed sea
The sea enriches, the rose
adorns
free sea

mare nostrum

our sea

Mater Dei

Mother of God

mater familias

the mother of the family

Mater semper certa

the mother is always certain
est
materia medica

medical matter

maxima debetur
puero reverentia

greatest deference is owed to

the child

me vexat pede

it annoys me at the foot

mea culpa

through my fault

mea navis
aricumbens
anguillis abundat

My hovercraft is full of eels

withers without opposition.

In law, a sea under the jurisdiction of one nation and closed to all others.
Motto of Montrose, Angus and HMS Montrose
In law, a sea open to international shipping navigation.
A nickname given to the Mediterranean Sea during the height of the Roman Empire,
as it encompassed the entire coastal basin.
A name given to describe Mary, who gave birth to Jesus, who is also called the Son
of God.
The female head of a family. See pater familias.
a Roman-law principle which has the power of praesumptio iuris et de iure, meaning
that no counter-evidence can be made against this principle (literally: Presumed there
is no counter evidence and by the law). Its meaning is that the mother of the child is
always known.
Branch of medical science concerned with the study of drugs used in the treatment of
disease. Also, the drugs themselves.
from Juvenals Satires XIV:47
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 or, such as the
commonly used expressions, a pebble in ones shoe or nipping at ones heels.
Used in Christian prayers and confession to denote the inherently flawed nature of
mankind; can also be extended to mea maxima culpa (through my greatest fault).
A relatively common recent Latinization inspired by the Dirty Hungarian Phrasebook
sketch by Monty Python.

A well-known sequence, falsely attributed to Notker during the Middle Ages. It was
media vita in morte
In the midst of our lives we die translated by Cranmer and became a part of the burial service in the funeral rites of
sumus
the Anglican Book of Common Prayer.
Mediolanum
Used erroneously as Mediolanum Capta Est by the black metal band Mayhem as an
Milan has been captured
captum est
album title. Mediolanum was an ancient city in present-day Milan, Italy.
meliora
better things
Carrying the connotation of always better. The motto of the University of

Rochester.
Meliorem lapsa
locavit

He has planted one better than

the one fallen. The motto of the
Belmont County, Ohio, motto
in the seal of the Northwest
Territory

Melita, domi adsum Honey, Im home!

memento mori
memento vivere
meminerunt omnia
amantes
memores acti
prudentes futuri

remember that [you will] die

remember to live

A relatively common recent Latinization from the joke phrasebook Latin for All
Occasions. Grammatically correct, but the phrase would be anachronistic in ancient
Rome.
remember your mortality

lovers remember all

mindful of things done, aware Thus, both remembering the past and foreseeing the future. From the North
of things to come
Hertfordshire District Council coat of arms.
Sacred to the
A common first line on 17th century English church monuments. The Latinized name
Memoriae Sacrum
of the deceased follows, in the genitive case. Alternatively it may be used as a
(M.S.)
Memory (of )
heading, the inscription following being in English, for example: Memoriae Sacrum.
Here lies the body of
From Virgil. Motto of Newcastle University, Rossall School, the University of
mens agitat molem the mind moves the mass
Oregon, the University of Warwick and the Eindhoven University of Technology.
Motto of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and also of the Philadelphia College
mens et manus
mind and hand
of Osteopathic Medicine.
mens rea
guilty mind
Also culprit mind. A term used in discussing the mindset of an accused criminal.
mens sana in
a sound mind in a sound body Or a sensible mind in a healthy body.
corpore sano
metri causa
for the sake of the metre
Excusing flaws in poetry for the sake of the metre
Or Boastful Soldier. Miles Gloriosus is the title of a play of Plautus. A stock
character in comedy, the braggart soldier. (It is said that at Salamanca, there is a wall,
Miles Gloriosus
Glorious Soldier
on which graduates inscribe their names, where Francisco Franco had a plaque
installed reading Franciscus Francus Miles Gloriosus.)
mictus cruentus
bloody urine
see hematuria

minatur
innocentibus qui
parcit nocentibus
mirabile dictu
mirabile visu

he threatens the innocent who

spares the guilty

wonderful to tell
wonderful to see
Does it seem wonderful
mirum videtur quod
[merely] because it was done a
sit factum iam diu
long time/so long ago?
miscerique probat He approves of the mingling of
populos et foedera the peoples and their bonds of
jungi
union
misera est servitus
miserable is that state of
ubi jus est aut
slavery in which the law is
incognitum aut
unknown or uncertain
vagum
miserabile visu
terrible to see
miserere nobis

have mercy upon us

Missio Dei
the Mission of God
missit me Dominus the Lord has sent me
mittimus
mobilis in mobili
modus morons
(Dog Latin)

modus operandi
(M.O.)

we send

Virgil
A Roman phrase used to describe a wonderful event/happening.
Livius Andronicus, Aiax Mastigophorus.
Latin Aeneid of Virgil, Book IV, line 112, he referring to the great Roman god, who
approved of the settlement of Romans in Africa. Old Motto of Trinidad and Tobago,
and used in the novel A Bend in the River by V. S. Naipaul.
Quoted by Samuel Johnson in his paper for James Boswell on Vicious intromission.
A terrible happening or event.
A phrase within the Gloria in Excelsis Deo and the Agnus Dei, to be used at certain
points in Christian religious ceremonies.
A theological phrase in the Christian religion.
A phrase used by Jesus.
A warrant of commitment to prison, or an instruction for a jailer to hold someone in
prison.

moving in a moving thing or,

The motto of the Nautilus from the Jules Verne novel Twenty Thousand Leagues
poetically, changing through
Under the Sea.
the changing medium
Dog Latin based on wordplay with modus ponens and modus tollens, referring to the

common logical fallacy that if P then Q and not P, then one can conclude not Q (cf.
denying the antecedent and contraposition).
method of operating

modus ponens

method of placing

modus tollens

method of removing

Usually used to describe a criminals methods.

Loosely method of affirming, a logical rule of inference stating that from
propositions if P then Q and P, then one can conclude Q.
Loosely method of denying, a logical rule of inference stating that from

modus vivendi

Monasterium sine
libris est sicut
civitas sine opibus
montani semper
liberi
Montis Insignia
Calpe
more ferarum
morior invictus
morituri nolumus
mori

propositions if P then Q and not Q, then one can conclude not P.

An accommodation between disagreeing parties to allow life to go on. A practical
method of living
compromise.
Used in the Umberto Eco novel The Name of the Rose. Part of a much larger phrase:
Monasterium sine libris, est sicut civitas sine opibus, castrum sine numeris, coquina
A monastery without books is sine suppellectili, mensa sine cibis, hortus sine herbis, pratum sine floribus, arbor sine
like a city without wealth
foliis. Translation: A monastery without books is like a city without wealth, a fortress
without soldiers, a kitchen without utensils, a table without food, a garden without
plants, a meadow without flowers, a tree without leaves.
mountaineers [are] always free State motto of West Virginia, adopted in 1872.
Badge of the Rock of Gibraltar
like beasts
I die unvanquished[49]
we who are about to die dont
want to

morituri te salutant

those who are about to die

salute you

mors certa, hora

incerta

death is certain, its hour is

uncertain

mors mihi lucrum

death to me is reward

mors omnibus

death to all

mors tua, vita mea

your death, my life

used to describe any sexual act in the manner of beasts

sometimes also translated as death before defeat[49]
From Terry Pratchetts The Last Hero
Used once in Suetonius De Vita Caesarum 5, (Divus Claudius), chapter 21,[50] 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 gladiators salute. See
also: Ave Imperator, morituri te salutant and Naumachia.

A common epitaph, from St Pauls Epistle to the Philippians, 1:21 (Mihi enim vivere
Christus est et mori lucrum, transated in the King James Bible as: For to me to live
is Christ and to die is gain)
Signifies anger and depression.
From medieval Latin, it indicates that battle for survival, where your defeat is
necessary for my victory, survival.

death conquers all or death

An axiom often found on headstones.
always wins
morte magis
old age should rather be feared
from Juvenal in his Satires
metuenda senectus than death
mors vincit omnia

mortui vivos docent The dead teach the living

mortuum flagellas

you are flogging a dead

mos maiorum

the custom of our ancestors

motu proprio

on his own initiative

mulgere hircum

to milk a male goat

mulier est hominis

confusio

woman is mans ruin

multa paucis
multis e gentibus
vires
multitudo
sapientium sanitas
orbis

Say much in few words

multum in parvo

Used to justify dissections of human cadavers in order to understand the cause of

death.
From Gerhard Gerhards (14661536) [better known as Erasmus] collection of
annotated Adagia (1508). Criticising one who will not be affected in any way by the
criticism.
an unwritten code of laws and conduct, of the Romans. It institutionalized cultural
traditions, societal mores, and general policies, as distinct from written laws.
Or by his own accord. Identifies a class of papal documents, administrative papal
bulls.
From Gerhard Gerhards (14661536) [better known as Erasmus] collection of
annotated Adagia (1508). Attempting the impossible.
Part of a comic definition of woman from the Altercatio Hadriani Augusti et
Secundi.[51] Famously quoted by Chauntecleer in Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury
Tales.

from many peoples, strength

Motto of Saskatchewan

a multitude of the wise is the

health of the world

From the Vulgate, Wisdom of Solomon 6:24. Motto of the University of Victoria.

much in little

Conciseness. The term mipmap is formed using the phrases abbreviation MIP;
motto of Rutland, a county in central England.
Latin phrases are often multum in parvo, conveying much in few words.

mundus senescit

the world grows old

Ascribed to Roman satirist Petronius. Also in Augustine of Hippos De Civitate Dei

mundus vult decipi the world wants to be deceived contra Paganos (5th century AD), Sebastian Francks Paradoxa Ducenta Octoginta
(1542), and in James Branch Cabells 1921 novel Figures of Earth.[52][53][54][55]
Ascribed to Roman satirist Petronius. Also in Augustine of Hippos De Civitate Dei
contra Paganos (5th century AD) as si mundus vult decipi, decipiatur (if the
mundus vult decipi, the world wants to be deceived, world will be gulled, let it be gulled), and only the first part, mundus vult decipi
ergo decipiatur
so let it be deceived
(the world wants to be deceived), in Sebastian Francks Paradoxa Ducenta
Octoginta (1542) and in James Branch Cabells Figures of Earth (1921).[52][53][54]
[55]

munit haec et altera this one defends and the other

vincit
one conquers
after changing what needed to
mutatis mutandis
be changed
mutato nomine de change but the name, and the
te fabula narratur story is told of yourself

Motto of Nova Scotia.

with the appropriate changes
Horace, Satires, I. 1. 69. Preceded by Quid rides? (Why do you laugh?; see Quid
rides).

N
Latin
nanos gigantum
humeris
insidentes
nascentes
morimur
finisque ab
origine pendet
nasciturus pro
iam nato
habetur,
quotiens de
commodis eius
agitur
natura abhorret
a vacuo
natura artis
magistra
natura nihil
frustra facit
natura non
contristatur
natura non facit
saltum ita nec

Translation
Dwarfs standing on the
shoulders of giants

Notes
First recorded by John of Salisbury in the twelfth century and attributed to Bernard of
Chartres. Also commonly known by the letters of Isaac Newton: If I have seen further it is
by standing on the shoulders of giants.

When we are born we die,

our end is but the pendant of
our beginning
The unborn is deemed to
have been born to the extent Refers to a situation where an unborn child is deemed to be entitled to certain inheritance
that his own inheritance is
rights.
concerned
nature abhors vacuum

Pseudo-explanation for why a liquid will climb up a tube to fill a vacuum, often given
before the discovery of atmospheric pressure.

Nature is the teacher of art

The name of the zoo in the centre of Amsterdam; short: Artis.

nature does nothing in vain

Cf. Leucippus: Everything that happens does so for a reason and of necessity.

That is, the natural world is not sentimental or compassionate. Derived by Arthur
Schopenhauer from an earlier source.
nature does not make a leap, Shortened form of sicut natura nil facit per saltum ita nec lex (just as nature does
thus neither does the law
nothing by a leap, so neither does the law), referring to both nature and the legal system
nature is not saddened

lex

moving gradually.
A famous aphorism of Carl Linnaeus stating that all organisms bear relationships on all
natura non facit
nature makes no leaps
sides, their forms changing gradually from one species to the next. From Philosophia
saltus
Botanica (1751).
natura valde
Sir Isaac Newtons famous quote, defining foundation of all modern sciences. Can be
Nature is exceedingly simple
simplex est et
found in his Unpublished Scientific Papers of Isaac Newton: A selection from the
and harmonious with itself
sibi consona
Portsmouth Collection in the University Library, Cambridge, 1978 edition[56]
naturalia non
Based on Servius commentary on Virgils Georgics (3:96): turpis non est quia per
What is natural is not dirty
sunt turpia
naturam venit.
naturam expellas You may drive out Nature
You must take the basic nature of something into account.
furca, tamen
with a pitchfork, yet she still
- Horace, Epistles, Book I, epistle X, line 24.
usque recurret. will hurry back
navigare necesse
to sail is necessary; to live is Attributed by Plutarch to Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, who, during a severe storm,
est vivere non est
not necessary
commanded sailors to bring food from Africa to Rome.
necesse
Also nec 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. Holy Roman Emperor Charles Vs heraldic
ne plus ultra
nothing more beyond
emblem reversed this idea, using a depiction of this phrase inscribed on the Pillarsas
plus ultra, without the negation. The Boston Musical Instrument Company engraved ne
plus ultra on its instruments from 1869 to 1928 to signify that none were better.
They are not afraid of difficulties. Less literally Difficulties be damned. Motto for 27th
Nec aspera
They are not terrified of the
Infantry Regiment (United States) and the Duke of Lancasters Regiment. Nec = not;
terrent
rough things
aspera = rough ones/things; terrent = they terrify / do terrify / are terrifying.
nec dextrorsum, Neither to the right nor to the Do not get distracted. Motto for Bishop Cotton Boys School and the Bishop Cotton Girls
nec sinistrorsum left
School, both located in Bangalore, India.
nec spe, nec
without hope, without fear
metu
nec tamen
Refers to the Burning Bush of Exodus 3:2. Motto of many Presbyterian churches
and yet it was not consumed
consumebatur
throughout the world.
nec temere nec
neither reckless nor timid
Motto of the Dutch 11th Air Manoeuvre Brigade and the city of Gdask, Poland.
timide
nec vi, nec clam, Without permission, without The law of adverse possession.

nec precario
neca eos omnes,
deus suos
agnoscet
necesse est aut
imiteris aut
oderis
necessitas etiam
timidos fortes
facit
nemine
contradicente

secrecy, without interruption

kill them all, God will know
alternate rendition of Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius by Arnaud Amalric.
his own
you must either imitate or
loathe the world

Seneca the Younger, Epistulae morales ad Lucilium, 7:7.

need makes even the timid

brave

Sallust, The Conspiracy of Catiline, 58:19

with no one speaking against

Less literally, without dissent. Used especially in committees, where a matter may be
passed nem. con., or unanimously, or with unanimous consent.

(nem. con., N.C.D.)

nemo dat quod

non habet
nemo est supra
legem
Nemo igitur vir
magnus sine
aliquo adflatu
divino umquam
fuit
nemo iudex in
causa sua

no one gives what he does

not have
nobody is above the law; or
nemo est supra leges,
nobody is above the laws

Thus, none can pass better title than they have.

No great man ever existed

who did not enjoy some
From Ciceros De Natura Deorum, Book 2, chapter LXVI, 167[57]
portion of divine inspiration

no man shall be a judge in

his own cause
peace visits not the guilty
nemo malus felix
mind

Legal principle that no individual can preside over a hearing in which he holds a specific
interest or bias.
Also translated to no rest for the wicked. Refers to the inherent psychological issues that
plague bad/guilty people.
No one attacks me with impunity. Motto of the Order of the Thistle, and consequently of
nemo me impune No man may touch me
Scotland, found stamped on the milled edge of certain British pound sterling coins. It is the
lacessit
with impunity
motto of the Montressors in the Edgar Allan Poe short story The Cask of Amontillado.
Motto of the San Beda College Beta Sigma Fraternity.
nemo mortalium No mortal is wise at all times The wisest may make mistakes.
omnibus horis

sapit
nemo nisi per
amicitiam
cognoscitur
nemo saltat
sobrius

No one learns except by

friendship

Used to imply that one must like a subject in order to study it.

The short and more common form of Nemo enim fere saltat sobrius, nisi forte insanit,
Nobody dances sober, unless he is completely insane.
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
nemo tenetur se no one is bound to accuse
instrumenta contra se (no one is bound to produce documents against himself, meaning
ipsum accusare himself (the right to silence)
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 se ipsum (no one is bound to betray himself), meaning
that a defendant is not obligated to testify against himself.
neque semper
nor does Apollo always keep
arcum tendit
Horace, Carmina 2/10:19-20. The same image appears in a fable of Phaedrus.
his bow drawn
Apollo
Ne quid nimis
Nothing in excess
nervos belli,
Endless money forms the
In war, it is essential to be able to purchase supplies and to pay troops (as Napoleon put it,
pecuniam
sinews of war
An army marches on its stomach).
infinitam
nihil ad rem
nothing to do with the point That is, in law, irrelevant and/or inconsequential.
nihil boni sine
nothing achieved without
Motto of Palmerston North Boys High School
labore
hard work
nihil dicit
he says nothing
In law, a declination by a defendant to answer charges or put in a plea.
nihil enim
nothing dries sooner than a
lacrima citius
Pseudo-Cicero, Ad Herrenium, 2/31:50
tear
arescit
Adapted from Terences Heauton Timorumenos (The Self-Tormentor), homo sum humani a
nihil humanum
nothing human is alien to me me nihil alienum puto (I am a human being; nothing human is strange to me).
mihi alienum
Sometimes ending in est.
nihil in intellectu nothing in the intellect unless The guiding principle of empiricism, and accepted in some form by Aristotle, Aquinas,
Nobody dances sober

nisi prius in
sensu
nihil nimis

Locke, Berkeley, and Hume. Leibniz, however, added nisi intellectus ipse (except the
intellect itself).
nothing too
Or nothing to excess. Latin translation of the inscription of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi.
Or just nothing new. The phrase exists in two versions: as nihil novi sub sole (nothing
new under the sun), from the Vulgate, and as nihil novi nisi commune consensu (nothing
nihil novi
nothing of the new
new unless by the common consensus), a 1505 law of the PolishLithuanian
Commonwealth and one of the cornerstones of its Golden Liberty.
A notation, usually on a title page, indicating that a Roman Catholic censor has reviewed
nihil obstat
nothing prevents
the book and found nothing objectionable to faith or morals in its content. See also
imprimatur.
Motto of the Kingdom of Romania, while ruled by the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen dynasty
nihil sine Deo
nothing without God
(18781947).
nihil ultra
nothing beyond
Motto of St. Xaviers College, Calcutta
Or nihil admirari. Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes (3,30), Horace, Epistulae (1,6,1),
nil admirari
be surprised at nothing
and Seneca, Epistulae morales ad Lucilium, (8,5). Motto of the Fitzgibbon family. See
John FitzGibbon, 1st Earl of Clare
nil desperandum nothing must be despaired at That is, never despair.
nil igitur fieri de nothing, therefore, we must
nilo posse
confess, can be made from From Lucretius De rerum natura (On the Nature of Things), I.205
fatendumst
nothing
Nil igitur mors Death, therefore, is nothing
From Lucretius De rerum natura (On the Nature of Things), III.831
est ad nos
to us
nil mortalibus
nothing is impossible for
From Horaces Odes. Motto of Rathkeale College, New Zealand and Brunts School,
ardui est
humankind
England.
Short for nil nisi bonum de mortuis dicere. That is, Dont speak ill of anyone who has
(about the dead say) nothing died. Also Nil magnum nisi bonum (nothing is great unless good), motto of St
nil nisi bonum
unless (it is) good
Catherines School, Toorak, Pennant Hills High School and Petit Seminaire Higher
Secondary School.
nil nisi malis
no terror, except to the bad Motto of The Kings School, Macclesfield
terrori
nil per os, rarely
Medical shorthand indicating that oral foods and fluids should be withheld from the
nothing through the mouth
non per os (n.p.o.)
patient.
nil satis nisi
nothing [is] enough unless [it Motto of Everton F.C., residents of Goodison Park, Liverpool.
first in sense

optimum

is] the best

nil sine labore

nothing without labour

nil sine numine

nothing without the divine

will

nil volentibus
arduum

nisi Dominus
frustra

nisi paria non

pugnant

nisi prius
nitimur in
vetitum
nobis bene,
nemini male

Motto of Fitzoy High School, Brisbane Grammar School, Brisbane Girls Grammar School,
Greenwich Public School, Victoria School, Victoria Junior College, Baines High School,
St Mungos Academy and Heckmondwike Grammar School
Or nothing without providence. State motto of Colorado, adopted in 1861. Probably
derived from Virgils Aeneid Book II, line 777, non haec sine numine divum eveniunt
(these things do not come to pass without the will of Heaven). See also numen.

Nothing [is] arduous for the

Nothing is impossible for the willing
willing
That is, everything is in vain without God. Summarized from Psalm 127 (126 Vulgate),
nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum in vanum laboraverunt qui aedificant eam nisi
Dominus custodierit civitatem frustra vigilavit qui custodit (unless the Lord builds the
if not the Lord, [it is] in vain
house, they work on a useless thing who build it; unless the Lord guards the community, he
keeps watch in vain who guards it). Motto of Edinburgh, St Thomas School, Kolkata,
Union Secondary School Awkunanaw, Enugu and St. Stephens Episcopal School.
Irascetur aliquis: tu contra beneficiis prouoca; cadit statim simultas ab altera parte deserta;
nisi paria non pugnant. (If any one is angry with you, meet his anger by returning benefits
it takes two to make a fight
for it: a quarrel which is only taken up on one side falls to the ground: it takes two men to
fight.) Seneca the Younger, De Ira (On Anger): Book 2, cap. 34, line 5.
In England, a direction that a case be brought up to Westminster for trial before a single
unless previously
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.
From Ovids Amores, III.4:17. It means that when we are denied of something, we will
We strive for the forbidden eagerly pursue the denied thing. Used by Friedrich Nietzsche in his Ecce Homo to indicate
that his philosophy pursues what is forbidden to other philosophers.
Good for us, Bad for no one Inscription on the old Nobistor (de) gatepost that divided Altona and St. Pauli

nolens volens

unwilling, willing

noli me tangere

do not touch me

noli turbare

Do not disturb my circles!

That is, whether unwillingly or willingly. Sometimes rendered volens nolens, aut nolens
aut volens or nolentis volentis. Similar to willy-nilly, though that word is derived from Old
English will-he nil-he ([whether] he will or [whether] 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.
That is, Dont 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,
Sicily. The soldier was executed for his act.

circulos meos

nolite te
From The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood the protagonist (Offred) finds the
Dont let the bastards grind
bastardes
phrase inscribed on the inside of her wardrobe. One of many variants of Illegitimi non
carborundorum you down
carborundum.
(Dog Latin)

nolle prosequi

to be unwilling to prosecute

nolo contendere I do not wish to contend

nomen amicitiae
sic, quatenus
expedit, haeret
nomen dubium
nomen est omen
nomen nescio
(N.N.)

nomen nudum
non auro, sed
ferro,
recuperanda est
patria
non bene pro
toto libertas
venditur auro
non bis in idem
non canimus
surdis,
respondent
omnia silvae
non causa pro

A legal motion by a prosecutor or other plaintiff to drop legal charges, usually in exchange
for a diversion program or out-of-court settlement.
That is, no contest. A plea that can be entered on behalf of a defendant in a court that
states that the accused doesnt admit guilt, but will accept punishment for a crime. Nolo
contendere pleas cannot be used as evidence in another trial.

the name of friendship lasts

Petronius, Satyricon, 80.
just so long as it is profitable
doubtful name
the name is a sign

A scientific name of unknown or doubtful application.

Thus, true to its name.

I do not know the name

Thus, the name or person in question is unknown.

naked name

A purported scientific name that does not fulfill the proper formal criteria and therefore
cannot be used unless it is subsequently proposed correctly.

Not gold, but iron redeems

the native land

According to some roman this sentence was said by Marcus Furius Camillus to Brennus,
the chief of the Gauls, after he demanded more gold from the citizens of the recently
sacked Rome in 390 BC.

liberty is not well sold for all Motto of Republic of Ragusa, inscribed over the gates of St. Lawrence Fortress. From
the gold
Gualterus Anglicuss version of Aesops fable The Dog and the Wolf.
not twice in the same thing

A legal principle forbidding double jeopardy.

we sing not to the deaf; the

trees echo every word

Virgil, Eclogues 10:8

not the cause for the cause

Also known as the questionable cause or false cause. Refers to any logical fallacy

causa
non compos
mentis

not in control of the mind

non constat

it is not certain

non ducor, duco

non est princeps
super leges, sed
leges supra
principem

I am not led; I lead

the prince is not above the

laws, but the laws above the Pliny the Younger, Panegyricus 65:1.
prince.

non extinguetur shall not be extinguished

non facias
malum ut inde
fiat bonum
non hos
quaesitum
munus in usus
non impediti
ratione
cogitationis
non in legendo
sed in
intelligendo leges
consistunt

where a cause is incorrectly identified.

See compos mentis. Also rendered non compos sui (not in control of himself). Samuel
Johnson, author of the first English dictionary, theorized that the word nincompoop may
derive from this phrase.
Used to explain scientific phenomena and religious advocations, for example in medieval
history, for rulers to issue a Non Constat decree, banning the worship of a holy figure. In
legal context, occasionally a backing for nulling information that was presented by an
attorney. Without any tangible proof, Non constat information is difficult to argue for.
Motto of So Paulo city, Brazil. See also pro Brasilia fiant eximia.

Motto of the Society of Antiquaries of London accompanying their Lamp of knowledge

emblem

you should not make evil in

More simply, dont do wrong to do right. The direct opposite of the phrase the ends
order that good may be made
justify the means.
from it
Virgil, Aeneid, 4:647, of the sword with which Dido will commit suicide. Not for so dire
an enterprise designd. (Dryden trans.; 1697)[58] A gift asked for no use like this.
A gift sought for no such
(Mackail trans.; 1885).[59] Neer given for an end so dire. (Taylor trans.; 1907)[60] A
purpose
gift not asked for use like this! (Williams trans.; 1910).[61] Quoted by Francis Bacon of
the civil law, not made for the countries it governeth.
unencumbered by the
thought process

motto of radio show Car Talk

the laws depend not on being

read, but on being
understood

non liquet

it is not proven

non loqui sed

not talk but action

Also it is not clear or it is not evident. A sometimes controversial decision handed

down by a judge when they feel that the law is not complete.
Motto of the University of Western Australias Engineering faculty student society.

facere
non mihi solum
non ministrari
sed ministrare
non multa sed
multum
Non nobis
Domine
non nobis nati

not for myself alone

not to be served, but to serve Motto of Wellesley College and Shimer College (from Matthew 20:28 in the Vulgate).
not quantity but quality

Motto of the Daniel Pearl Magnet High School.

Not to us (oh) Lord

Christian hymn based on psalm 115.

Born not for ourselves

Motto of St Albans School (Hertfordshire)

Appears in Ciceros De Officiis Book 1:22 in the form non nobis solum nati sumus (we are
not born for ourselves alone). Motto of Lower Canada College, Montreal and University
College, Durham University, and Willamette University.
Old saying. Paul Erds (19131996), in The Man Who Loved Only Numbers by Paul
Hoffman [62]
A judgment notwithstanding verdict, a legal motion asking the court to reverse the jurys
verdict on the grounds that the jury could not have reached such a verdict reasonably.
See pecunia non olet.

non nobis solum not for ourselves alone

non numerantur,
sed ponderantur
non obstante
veredicto
non olet
non omnia
possumus
omnest
non omnis
moriar
non plus ultra
non possumus
non possunt
primi esse omnes
omni in tempore
non progredi est
regredi

they are not counted, but

weighed
not standing in the way of a
verdict
it doesnt smell
not everyone can do
everything
I shall not all die
nothing further beyond
not possible

Virgil, Eclogues 8:63 (and others).

Horace, Carmina 3/30:6. Not all of me will die, a phrase expressing the belief that a part
of the speaker will survive beyond death.
the ultimate. See also ne plus ultra

not everyone can occupy the

(It is impossible always to excel) Decimus Laberius.
first rank forever
to not go forward is to go
backward

non prosequitur he does not proceed

non scholae sed

Motto of Anderson Junior College, Singapore.

[We learn]

A judgment in favor of a defendant when the plaintiff failed to take the necessary steps in
an action within the time allowed.
An inversion of non vitae sed scholae now used as a school motto

vitae
non qui parum
habet, set qui
plus cupit,
pauper est

not for school but for life

It is not he who has little, but
he who wants more, who is Seneca the Younger, Epistulae morales ad Lucilium, 2:6.
the pauper.

non quis sed

quid

not who but what

non sequitur

it does not follow

non serviam

I will not serve

non sibi
non sibi, sed
patriae

Not for self

non sibi, sed suis

non sibi, sed
omnibus
non sic dormit,
sed vigilat
non silba, sed
anthar; Deo
vindice
non sum qualis
eram
non teneas
aurum totum
quod splendet ut
aurum
non timebo mala

Not for self, but for country

Not for ones self but for
ones own

Used in the sense what matters is not who says it but what he says a warning against
ad hominem arguments; frequently used as motto, including that of Southwestern
University.
In general, a comment which is absurd due to not making sense in its context (rather than
due to being inherently nonsensical or internally inconsistent), often used in humor. As a
logical fallacy, 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 Satans statement of disobedience to God, though in the original context the
quote is attributed to Israel, not Satan.
A slogan used by many schools and universities.
Engraved on the doors of the United States Naval Academy chapel; motto of the
USS Halyburton (FFG-40).
A slogan used by many schools and universities.

Not for ones self but for all A slogan used by many schools and universities.
Sleeps not but is awake

Martin Luther on mortality of the soul.

Not for self, but for others;

God will vindicate

A slogan used by the Ku Klux Klan

I am not such as I was

Or I am not the kind of person I once was. Expresses a change in the speaker. Horace,
Odes 4/1:3.

Do not hold as gold all that

shines as gold

Also, All that glitters is not gold. Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice.

I will fear no evil

Printed on the colt in Supernatural.

non vestra sed

vos

Not yours but you

Motto of St Chads College, Durham.

From a passage of occupatio in Seneca the Youngers moral letters to Lucilius,[63]

[We learn]
wherein Lucilius is given the argument that too much literature fails to prepare students for
not for life but for schooltime
life
From Martin Luthers Invocavit Sermons preached in March, 1522, against the Zwickau
Not by force, but by the word
non vi, sed verbo
prophets unrest in Wittenberg;[64] later echoed in the Augsburg Confession as sine vi
[of God]
humana, sed Verbo: bishops should act without human force, but through the Word.[65]
From Cicero, based on the Greek (gnothi seauton), inscribed on the
pronaos of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, according to the Greek periegetic writer
nosce te ipsum know thyself
Pausanias (10.24.1). A non-traditional Latin rendering, temet nosce (thine own self know),
is translated in The Matrix as know thyself.
noster nostri
Literally Our ours
Approximately Our hearts beat as one.
nota bene (n.b.) mark well
That is, please note or note it well.
novus ordo
From Virgil. Motto on the Great Seal of the United States. Similar to Novus Ordo Mundi
new order of the ages
seclorum
(New World Order).
nulla dies sine
Not a day without a line
Pliny the Elder attributes this maxim to Apelles, an ancient Greek artist.
linea
drawn
nulla poena sine
Refers to the legal principle that one cannot be punished for doing something that is not
no penalty without a law
lege
prohibited by law, and is related to Nullum crimen, nulla poena sine praevia lege poenali.
there is no question, there is
nulla quaestio
no issue
nulla tenaci invia For the tenacious, no road is
Motto of the Dutch car builder Spyker.
est via
impassable
nullam rem
That is, nothing. It has been theorized that this expression is the origin of Italian nulla,
no thing born
natam
French rien, and Spanish and Portuguese nada, all with the same meaning.
Motto of the Coldstream Guards and Nine Squadron Royal Australian Corps of Transport
nulli secundus
second to none
and the Pretoria Regiment.
nullius in verba On the word of no man
Motto of the Royal Society.
nullum crimen,
nulla poena sine no crime, no punishment
Legal principle meaning that one cannot be penalised for doing something that is not
praevia lege
without a previous penal law prohibited by law; penal law cannot be enacted retroactively.
poenali
non vitae sed
scholae

nullum magnum
ingenium sine
mixtura
dementiae fuit
nullum funus
sine fidula
numen lumen
numerus clausus
nunc aut
nunquam
nunc dimittis
nunc est
bibendum
nunc pro tunc
nunc scio quid
sit amor
nunquam minus
solus quam cum
solus
nunquam non
paratus

There has been no great

wisdom without an element
of madness
No Funeral Without a Fiddle Motto of the Guild of Funerary Violinists.
God our light
closed number

The motto of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The motto of Elon University.

A method to limit the number of students who may study at a university.

now or never

Motto of the Korps Commandotroepen, Dutch elite special forces.

now you send

now for then

beginning of the Song of Simeon, from the Gospel of Luke.

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).
Something that has retroactive effect, is effective from an earlier date.

now I know what love is

From Virgil, Eclogues VIII.

now is the time to drink

never less alone than when

alone
never unprepared, ever ready,
frequently used as motto
always ready

O
Latin
O Deus Ego Amo Te

Translation
Notes
O God I Love You
attributed to Saint Francis Xavier
The farmers would count
O fortunatos nimium sua
themselves lucky, if only they from Virgil in The Georgics, 458
si bona norint, agricolas
knew how good they had it
attributed (in Tacitus, Annales, III, 65) to the Roman Emperor Tiberius, in
o homines ad servitutem
Men ready to be slaves!
disgust at the servile attitude of Roman senators; said of those who should be
paratos
leaders but instead slavishly follow the lead of others
O tempora, o mores!
Oh, the times! Oh, the morals! also translated What times! What customs!; from Cicero, Catilina I, 2

Obedientia civium urbis The obedience of the citizens

felicitas
makes us a happy city

Motto of Dublin

obiit (ob.)

one died

He/she died, inscription on gravestones; ob. also sometimes stands for obiter
(in passing or incidentally)

obit anus, abit onus

The old woman dies, the

burden is lifted

Arthur Schopenhauer

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
obiter dictum
a thing said in passing
precedent, but nevertheless of persuasive authority. In general, any comment,
remark or observation made in passing
obliti privatorum,
Forget private affairs, take care Roman political saying which reminds that common good should be given
publica curate
of public ones
priority over private matters for any person having a responsibility in the State
the truth being enveloped by
obscuris vera involvens
from Virgil
obscure things
the obscure by means of the
An explanation that is less clear than what it tries to explain; synonymous with
obscurum per obscurius
more obscure
ignotum per ignotius
obtorto collo
with a twisted neck
unwillingly
oculus dexter (O.D.)
right eye
Ophthalmologist shorthand
oculus sinister (O.S.)
left eye
let them hate, so long as they favorite saying of Caligula, attributed originally to Lucius Accius, Roman tragic
oderint dum metuant
fear
poet (170 BC); Motto of the Russian noble family Krasnitsky
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
odi et amo
I hate and I love
do I do this, you perhaps ask. / I do not know, but I feel it happening to me and I
am burning up.)
odi profanum vulgus et I hate the unholy rabble and
from Horace
arceo
keep them away
odium theologicum
theological hatred
name for the special hatred generated in theological disputes
oleum camino
(pour) oil on the fire
from Erasmus (14661536) collection of annotated Adagia
omne ignotum pro
every unknown thing [is taken] or everything unknown appears magnificent The source is Tacitus: Agricola,
magnifico
for great
Book 1, 30 where the sentence ends with est. The quotation is found in Conan
Doyles Sherlock Holmes story The Red-Headed League where the est is

missing.
omne initium difficile est every beginning is difficult
every living thing is from an
omne vivum ex ovo
egg
Omnes homines sunt
All men are donkeys or men
asini vel homines et asini
and donkeys are donkeys
sunt asini
omnes vulnerant,
all [the hours] wound, last one
postuma necat or omnes
kills
feriunt, ultima necat
omnia cum deo
all with God
omnia dicta fortiora si
dicta Latina

omnia extares!
omnia in mensura et
numero et pondere
disposuisti
omnia mutantur, nihil
interit
omnia omnibus
si omnia ficta
omnia vincit amor
omnia munda mundis
omnia praesumuntur
legitime facta donec
probetur in contrarium

foundational concept of modern biology, opposing the theory of spontaneous

generation
a sophismata proposed and solved by Albert of Saxony (philosopher)

usual in clocks, reminding the reader of death

motto for Mount Lilydale Mercy College, Lilydale, Victoria, Australia

or everything sounds more impressive when said in Latin; a more common
everything said [is] stronger if
phrase with the same meaning is quidquid Latine dictum sit altum videtur
said in Latin
(whatever said in Latin, seems profound)
Interpreted as Let it all hang
out!, but in fact incorrect
motto for The Evergreen State College, Olympia, Washington, USA[67]
Latin construction with no real
meaning[66]
Thou hast ordered all things in
measure, and number, and
Book of Wisdom, 11:21
weight.
everything changes, nothing
Ovid (43 BC 17 AD), Metamorphoses, book XV, line 165
perishes
all things to all men
1 Corinthians 9:22
if all (the words of poets) is
Ovid, Metamorphoses, book XIII, lines 7334: si non omnia vates ficta
fiction
love conquers all
Virgil (70 BC 19 BC), Eclogue X, line 69
everything [is] pure to the pure
from The New Testament
[men]
all things are presumed to be
lawfully done, until it is shown in other words, innocent until proven guilty
[to be] in the reverse

omnis vir enim sui

Every man for himself!

omnibus idem

the same to all

motto of Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft, usually accompanied by a sun, which

shines for (almost) everyone

There is slaughter everywhere

Julius Caesars The Gallic War, 7.67
(in every place)
every translation is a corruption of the original; the reader should take heed of
omnis traductor traditor every translator is a traitor
unavoidable imperfections
omnis vir tigris
everyone a tiger
motto of the 102d Intelligence Wing
miscellaneous collection or assortment; gatherum is English, and the term is
omnium gatherum
gathering of all
used often used facetiously
onus probandi
burden of proof
onus procedendi
burden of procedure
burden of a party to adduce evidence that a case is an exception to the rule
opera omnia
all works
collected works of an author
opera posthuma
posthumous works
works published after the authors death
act of doing something follows scholastic phrase, used to explain that there is no possible act if there is not
operari sequitur esse
the act of being
being: being is absolutely necessary for any other act
used in academic works when referring again to the last source mentioned or
opere citato (op. cit.)
in the work that was cited
used
opere et veritate
in action and truth
doing what you believe is morally right through everyday actions
opere laudato (op. laud.)
See opere citato
operibus anteire
leading the way with deeds
to speak with actions instead of words
ophidia in herba
a snake in the grass
any hidden danger or unknown risk
opinio juris sive
a belief that an action was undertaken because it was a legal necessity; source of
an opinion of law or necessity
necessitatis
customary law
opus anglicanum
English work
fine embroidery, especially used to describe church vestments
Opus Dei
The Work of God
Catholic organisation
This principle of the Benedictine monasteries reads in full: Ora et labora (et
ora et labora
pray and work
lege), Deus adest sine mora. Pray and work (and read), God is there without
delay (or to keep the rhyme: Work and pray, and God is there without delay)
ora pro nobis
pray for us
Sancta Maria, mater Dei, ora pro nobis pecatoribus
orando laborando
by praying, by working
motto of the Rugby School
omnibus locis fit caedes

oratio directa
oratio obliqua

direct speech
indirect speech

expressions from Latin grammar

the world does not suffice or

the world is not enough

orbis non sufficit

orbis unum
ordo ab chao
(oremus) pro invicem
orta recens quam pura
nites

from Satires of Juvenal (Book IV/10), referring to Alexander the Great; James
Bonds adopted family motto in the novel On Her Majestys Secret Service; it
made a brief appearance in the film adaptation of the same name and was later
used as the title of the nineteenth James Bond film, The World Is Not Enough.
seen in The Legend of Zorro
one of the oldest mottos of Craft Freemasonry.[68]
Popular salutation for Roman Catholic clergy at the beginning or ending of a
letter or note. Usually abbreviated OPI. (Oremus used alone is just let us
pray).

one world
out of chaos, comes order
(Let us pray), one for the
other; let us pray for each
other
newly risen, how brightly you
Motto of New South Wales
shine

P
Latin

Translation

pace

Ablative form of peace

pace tua
Pacem in terris
pacta sunt
servanda
palma non sine
pulvere
palmam qui meruit
ferat

with your peace

Peace on Earth

Notes
With all due respect to, with due deference to, by
leave of, or no offense to. Used to politely
acknowledge someone with whom the speaker or writer
disagrees.
Thus, with your permission.

agreements must be kept

Also contracts must be honoured. Indicates the binding

power of treaties.

no reward without effort

Also dare to try; motto of numerous schools.

He who has earned the palm, let him bear it.

Loosely, achievement should be rewarded (or, let the

symbol of victory go to him who has deserved it).
Attached to the arms of Lord Nelson in 1797. Later
attached to the arms of Upper Canada College and its
motto. Also motto of the University of Southern
California, Nelson, NZ, the Lincoln Academy of Illinois

panem et circenses bread and circuses

para bellum

prepare for war

parare Domino
plebem perfectam

to prepare for God a perfect people

parce sepulto

forgive the interred

parens patriae

parent of the nation

pari passu
with equal step
parturiunt montes,
The mountains are in labour, a ridiculous mouse will be
nascetur ridiculus
born.
mus
parum luceat

It does not shine [being darkened by shade].

parva sub ingenti

the small under the huge

parvis imbutus
tentabis grandia
tutus
passim

When you are steeped in little things, you shall safely

attempt great things.
here and there, everywhere

& Bay View High School, Milwaukee, WI.

From Juvenal, Satire X, line 81. Originally described all
that was needed for emperors to placate the Roman mob.
Today used to describe any entertainment used to distract
public attention from more important matters.
From Si vis pacem para bellum: if you want peace,
prepare for warif a country is ready for war, its
enemies are less likely to attack. Usually used to support
a policy of peace through strength (deterrence). In
antiquity, however, the Romans viewed peace as the
aftermath of successful conquest through war, so in this
sense the proverb identifies war as the means through
which peace will be achieved.
motto of the St. Jean Baptiste High School
it is ungenerous to hold resentment toward the deads.
Quote from the Aeneid, III 13-68.
A public policy requiring courts to protect the best
interests of any child involved in a lawsuit. See also
Pater Patriae.
Thus, moving together, simultaneously, etc.
said of works that promise much at the outset but yield
little in the end (Horace, Ars poetica 137) see also The
Mountain in Labour
Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, 1/6:34 see also lucus a
nonlucendo
Implies that the weak are under the protection of the
strong, rather than that they are inferior. Motto of Prince
Edward Island.
Motto of Barnard Castle School, sometimes translated as
Once you have accomplished small things, you may
attempt great ones safely.
Less literally, throughout or frequently. Said of a

pater familias

father of the family

Pater Omnipotens Father Almighty

Pater Patriae

father of the nation

pater peccavi

father, I have sinned

pauca sed bona

few, but good

pauca sed matura

few, but ripe

paulatim ergo certe slowly therefore surely

pax aeterna

eternal peace

Pax Americana

American Peace

Pax Britannica

British Peace

Pax Christi

Peace of Christ

pax Dei

peace of God

Pax Deorum

Peace of the gods

word, fact or notion that occurs several times in a cited

text. Also used in proofreading, where it refers to a
change that is to be repeated everywhere needed.
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 for the
genitive case.
A more direct translation would be omnipotent father.
Also rendered with the gender-neutral parens patriae
(parent of the nation).
The traditional beginning of a Roman Catholic
confession.
Similar to quality over quantity; though there may be
few of something, at least they are of good quality.
Said to be one of Carl Gausss favorite quotations. Used
in The King and I by Rodgers and Hammerstein.
Former motto of Latymer Upper School in London. The
text latim er is concealed in the words.
A common epitaph.
A euphemism for the United States of America and its
sphere of influence. Adapted from Pax Romana.
A euphemism for the British Empire. Adapted from Pax
Romana.
Used as a wish before the Holy Communion in the
Catholic Mass, also the name of the peace movement Pax
Christi.
Used in the Peace and Truce of God movement in 10thcentury France.
Like the vast majority of inhabitants of the ancient
world, the Romans practiced pagan rituals, believing it

Pax Domine

peace, lord

pax et bonum

peace and the good

pax et justitia

peace and justice

pax et lux

peace and light

Pax Europaea

European peace

Pax Hispanica

Spanish Peace

pax in terra

peace on earth

Pax intrantibus,
salus exeuntibus

Peace to those who enter, health to those who depart.

pax matrum, ergo

pax familiarum

peace of mothers, therefore peace of families

Pax Mongolica

Mongolian Peace

pax optima rerum

peace is the greatest good

Pax Romana

Roman Peace

Pax Sinica

Chinese Peace

important to achieve a state of Pax Deorum (The Peace

of the gods) instead of Ira Deorum (The Wrath of the
gods).
lord or master; used as a form of address when speaking
to clergy or educated professionals.
Motto of St. Francis of Assisi and, consequently, of his
monastery in Assisi; understood by Catholics to mean
Peace and Goodness be with you, as is similar in the
Mass; translated in Italian as pace e bene.
Motto of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Motto of Tufts University and various schools. Also
written as Pax et Lvx.
euphemism for Europe after World War II
Euphemism for the Spanish Empire; specifically can
mean the twenty-three years of supreme Spanish
dominance in Europe (approximately 15981621).
Adapted from Pax Romana.
Used to exemplify the desired state of peace on earth.
Used as an inscription over the entrance of buildings
(especially homes, monasteries, inns). Often benedicto
habitantibus (Blessings on those who abide here) is
added.
If the mother is peaceful, then the family is peaceful. The
inverse of the Southern United States saying, If mama
aint happy, aint nobody happy.
period of peace and prosperity in Asia during the Mongol
Empire
Silius Italicus, Punica (11,595); motto of the university
of Kiel
period of relative prosperity and lack of conflict in the
early Roman Empire
period of peace in East Asia during times of strong
Chinese hegemony

pax tecum

Pax tibi, Marce,

evangelista meus.
Hic requiescet
corpus tuum.

peace be with you (singular)

Peace to you, Mark, my Evangelist. Here will rest your
body.
Legend states that when the evangelist
went to the lagoon where Venice would
later be founded, an angel came and
said so.[69] The first part is depicted as
the note in the book shown opened by
the lion of St Marks Basilica, Venice;
registered trademark of the
Assicurazioni Generali, Trieste.[70]

pax vobiscum

peace [be] with you

peccavi

I have sinned

pecunia non olet

money doesnt smell

A common farewell. The you is plural (you all), so

the phrase must be used when speaking to more than one
person; pax tecum is the form used when speaking to
only one person.
Telegraph message and pun from Charles Napier, British
general, upon completely subjugating the Indian
province of Sindh in 1842. This is, arguably, the most
terse military despatch ever sent. The story is apocryphal.
According to Suetonius De vita Caesarum, 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 doesnt smell). From this, the phrase
was expanded to pecunia non olet, or rarely aes non olet
(copper doesnt smell).

pecunia, si uti scis,

if you know how to use money, money is your slave; if you Written on an old Latin tablet in downtown Verona
ancilla est; si nescis,
dont, money is your master
(Italy).
domina
That is, retribution comes slowly but surely. From
pede poena claudo punishment comes limping
Horace, Odes, 3, 2, 32.
pendent opera
the work hangs interrupted
From the Aeneid of Virgil, Book IV.
interrupta
per
By, through, by means of
See specific phrases below.

per capita

by heads

per capsulam
per contra
per crucem
vincemus
Per Crucem
Crescens

through the small box

through the contrary

Joining sentence of the conspirators in the drama

Hernani by Victor Hugo (1830). The motto of numerous
educational establishments.
Thus, yearlyoccurring every year.
Motto of the British RAF Regiment.
Through hardship, great heights are reached. Motto of
University of Birmingham, Methodist Ladies College,
Perth. Also the motto of Clan Hannay.
Motto of the air force of several nations (including the
Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom) and of several
schools. The phrase is used by Latin Poet Virgil in the
Aeneid; also used in H. Rider Haggards novel The
People of the Mist.
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. Ad Astra (To the Stars) is the title of
a magazine published by the National Space Society. De
Profundis Ad Astra (From the depths to the stars.) is
the motto of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society.
Per head, i.e., per person, a ratio by the number of
persons. The singular is per caput.
That is, by letter
Or on the contrary (cf. a contrario)

through the cross we shall conquer

Motto of St John Fisher Catholic High School, Dewsbury

through the cross, growth

Motto of Lambda Chi Alpha

per curiam

through the senate

per definitionem
per diem (pd.)

through the definition

by day

per angusta ad
augusta

through difficulties to greatness

per annum (pa.)

per ardua

each year
through adversity

per ardua ad alta

through difficulty to heights

per ardua ad astra through adversity to the stars

per aspera ad astra through hardships to the stars

Legal term meaning by the court, as in a per curiam

decision
Thus, by definition
Thus, per day. A specific amount of money an
organization allows an individual to spend per day,

per fas et nefas

per fidem
intrepidus

through right or wrong

typically for travel expenses.

By fair means or foul

fearless through faith

per mare per

terram

by sea and by land

per mensem (pm.)

per os (p.o.)

by month
through the mouth

per pedes

by feet

per procura (p.p.) or through the agency

(per pro)

per quod

by reason of which

per rectum (pr)

through the rectum

per rectum ad astra via rectum to the stars

per risum multum

poteris cognoscere by excessive laughter one can recognise the fool
stultum
per se
through itself

Motto of the Royal Marines and (with small difference)

of Clan Donald and the Compagnies Franches de la
Marine.
Thus, per month, or monthly.
Medical shorthand for by mouth.
Used of a certain place can be traversed or reached by
foot, or to indicate that one is travelling by foot as
opposed to by a vehicle.
Also rendered per procurationem. Used to indicate that a
person is signing a document on behalf of another
person. Correctly placed before the name of the person
signing, but often placed before the name of the person
on whose behalf the document is signed, sometimes
through incorrect translation of the alternative
abbreviation per pro. as for and on behalf of.
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 spouses claim for loss of
consortium.
Medical shorthand. See also per os.
a modern parody of per aspera ad astra, originating and
most commonly used in Russia, meaning that the path to
success took you through most undesirable and
objectionable places or environments; or that a found
solution to a complex problem is extremely convoluted.

Also by itself or in itself. Without referring to

per stirpes

through the roots

per unitatem vis

per veritatem vis

through unity, strength

through truth, strength

per volar sunata[sic] born to soar

periculum in mora danger in delay
perinde ac [si]
[well-disciplined] like a corpse
cadaver [essent]
perita manus mens
skilled hand, cultivated mind
exculta
perge sequar

advance, I follow

perpetuum mobile thing in perpetual motion

Perseverantia et
Fide in Deo

Perseverance and Faith in God

persona non grata person not pleasing

petitio principii

request of the beginning

pia desideria

pious longings

anything else, intrinsically, taken without qualifications

etc. A common example is negligence per se. See also
malum in se.
Used in wills to indicate that each branch of the
testators family should inherit equally. Contrasted with
per capita.
Motto of Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets.
Motto of Washington University in St. Louis.
Motto of St Aidans Anglican Girls School and St
Margarets Anglican Girls School. The phrase is not
from Latin but from Dantes Purgatorio, Canto XII, 95,
the Italian phrase per volar s nata.
Phrase written by St. Ignatius of Loyola in his
Constitutiones Societatis Iesu (1954)
Motto of RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia.
from Virgils Aeneid IV 114; in Vergils context:
proceed with your plan, I will do my part.
A musical term. Also used to refer to hypothetical
perpetual motion machines.
Motto of Bombay Scottish School, Mahim, India
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.
Begging the question, a logical fallacy in which a
proposition to be proved is implicitly or explicitly
assumed in one of the premises.
Or dutiful desires.

pia fraus

pious fraud

pia mater

pious mother

Pietate et doctrina
Freedom is made safe through character and learning
tuta libertas
pinxit

one painted

piscem natare
doces

[you] teach a fish to swim

placet

it pleases

pluralis majestatis plural of majesty

pluralis modestiae plural of modesty
plus minusve
more or less
(p.m.v.)

plus ultra

further beyond

pollice compresso
favor iudicabatur

goodwill decided by compressed thumb

pollice verso

with a turned thumb

Polonia Restituta

Rebirth of Poland

pons asinorum

bridge of asses

Or dutiful deceit. Expression from Ovid. Used to

describe deception which serves Church purposes.
Or tender mother. Translated into Latin from Arabic.
The delicate innermost of the three membranes that cover
the brain and spinal cord.
Motto of Dickinson College.
Thus, he painted this or she painted this. Formerly
used on works of art, next to the artists name.
Latin proverb, attributed by Erasmus in his Adagia to
Greek origin (Diogenianus, );
corollary Chinese idiom ()
expression of assent.
The first-person plural pronoun when used by an
important personage to refer to himself or herself; also
known as the royal we.
Frequently found on Roman funerary inscriptions to
denote that the age of a decedent is approximate.
The national motto of Spain and a number of other
institutions. Motto of the Colombian National Armada.
Life was spared with a thumb tucked inside a closed fist,
simulating a sheathed weapon. Conversely, a thumb up
meant to unsheath your sword.
Used by Roman crowds to pass judgment on a defeated
gladiator. The type of gesture used is uncertain. Also the
name of a famous painting depicting gladiators by JeanLon Grme.
Any obstacle that stupid people find hard to cross.
Originally used of Euclids Fifth Proposition in
geometry.

Pontifex Maximus Greatest High Priest

posse comitatus

force of the county

post aut propter

after it or by means of it

Or Supreme Pontiff. Originally an office in the Roman

Republic, later a title held by Roman Emperors, and later
a traditional epithet of the pope. The pontifices were the
most important priestly college of the religion in ancient
Rome; their name is usually thought to derive from pons
facere (to make a bridge), which in turn is usually
linked to their religious authority over the bridges of
Rome, especially the Pons Sublicius.
[71] Thus, to be able to be made into part of a retinue or
force. In common law, a sheriffs right to compel people
to assist law enforcement in unusual situations.
Causality between two phenomena is not established (cf.
post hoc, ergo propter hoc).
Medical shorthand for after meals (cf. ante cibum).
After sexual intercourse.

post cibum (p.c.)

after food
post coitum
After sex
post coitum omne
After sexual intercourse every animal is sad, except the cock Or: triste est omne animal post coitum, praeter mulierem
animal triste est
(rooster) and the woman
gallumque. Attributed to Galen of Pergamum.[72]
sive gallus et mulier
A logical fallacy where one assumes that one thing
post hoc ergo
after this, therefore because of this
happening after another thing means that the first thing
propter hoc
caused the second.
post festum
after the feast
Too late, or after the fact.
post meridiem (p.m.) after midday
The period from noon to midnight (cf. ante meridiem).
Usually rendered postmortem. Not to be confused with
post mortem (pm) after death
post meridiem.
The phrase is used in legal terminology in the context of
Post mortem
intellectual property rights, especially copyright, which
after the authors death
auctoris (p.m.a.)
commonly lasts until a certain number of years after the
authors death.
post nubila
after the clouds, the sun
Motto of the University of Zulia, Venezuela.
phoebus
Refers to the time after any meal. Usually rendered
post prandial
after late breakfast
postprandial.

post scriptum (p.s.) after what has been written

post tenebras lux,
or post tenebras
spero lucem
postera crescam
laude
potest solum unum
praemia virtutis
honores
praemonitus
praemunitus
praesis ut prosis ne
ut imperes
praeter legem
Praga Caput Regni
Praga Caput Rei
publicae
Praga mater
urbium
Praga totius
Bohemiae domina

after darkness, [I hope for] light

A postscript. Used to mark additions to a letter, after the

signature. Can be extended to post post scriptum (p.p.s.),
etc.
Motto of the Protestant Reformation inscribed on the
Reformation Wall in Geneva from Vulgata, Job 17:12.
Former motto of Chile; motto of Robert College of
Istanbul.

we grow in the esteem of future generations

Motto of the University of Melbourne.

There can be only one

Highlander.

honours are the rewards of virtue

forewarned is forearmed
Lead in order to serve, not in order to rule.

Motto of Lancaster Royal Grammar School.

after the law

Prague, Head of the Kingdom

Legal terminology, international law

Motto of Prague from Middle Ages

Prague, Head of the Republic

Motto of Prague from 1991

Prague, Mother of Cities

Motto of Prague from 1927

Prague, the mistress of the whole of Bohemia

Former motto of Prague

pretiumque et
causa laboris

The prize and the cause of our labour

prima facie

at first sight

prima luce

at dawn

Motto of Burnley Football Club; from Ovids

Metamorphoses, 4.739 (Latin)/English): The Tale of
Perseus and Andromeda: resoluta catenis incedit virgo,
pretiumque et causa laboris. (freed of her chains the
virgin approaches, cause and reward of the enterprise.)
Used to designate evidence in a trial which is suggestive,
but not conclusive, of something (e.g., a persons guilt).
Literally at first light.

primas sum:
I am a primate; nothing about primates is outside of my
primatum nil a me
bailiwick
alienum puto
primum mobile
first moving thing

primum movens

prime mover

primum non nocere first, to not harm

primus inter pares first among equals

principia probant
principles prove; they are not proved
non probantur
principiis obsta (et
resist the beginnings (and consider the end)
respice finem)
principium
Individuation
individuationis
prior tempore
potior iure

earlier in time, stronger in law

pro aris et focis

For God and country

pro bono publico

for the public good

A sentence by the American anthropologist Earnest

Hooton and the slogan of primatologists and lovers of the
primates.
Or first thing able to be moved. See primum movens.
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 originatorand violatorof causality.
A medical precept. 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.
Position of the Ecumenical Patriarch in the Eastern
Orthodox Church, and a title of the Roman Emperors (cf.
princeps).
Fundamental principles require no proof; they are
assumed a priori.
Ovid, Remedia Amoris, 91
psychological term: the self-formation of the personality
into a coherent whole
A legal principle that older laws take precedent over
newer ones. Another name for this principle is lex
posterior.
The motto of the Royal Queensland Regiment, and many
other regiments.
Often abbreviated pro bono. Work undertaken
voluntarily at no expense, such as public services. Often
used of a lawyers work that is not charged for.

pro Brasilia fiant

eximia

let exceptional things be made for Brazil

pro Deo et Patria

For God and Country

pro domo (sua)

for (ones own) home or house

pro Ecclesia, pro

Texana

For Church, For Texas

pro fide et patria

for faith and fatherland

pro forma

for form

pro gloria et patria for glory and fatherland

pro hac vice

for this occasion

pro multis

for many

pro parte

in part

pro patria

for country

pro patria vigilans watchful for the country

pro per

for self

pro rata
pro re nata (PRN,

for the rate

for a thing that has been born

Motto of So Paulo state, Brazil.

One of the mottos of Lyceum of the Philippines
University and many other institutions.
serving the interests of a given perspective or for the
benefit of a given group.
Motto of Baylor University, a private Christian Baptist
university in Waco, Texas.
Motto of the originally Irish Muldoon family and of
several schools, such as the Diocesan College (Bishops)
in Cape Town, South Africa, and All Hallows High
School in the Bronx, New York.
Or as a matter of form. Prescribing a set form or
procedure, or performed in a set manner.
Motto of Prussia
Request of a state court to allow an out-of-state lawyer to
represent a client.
It is part of the Rite of Consecration of the wine in
Western Christianity tradition, as part of the Mass.
Frequently used in taxonomy to refer to part of a group.
Pro Patria Medal: for operational service (minimum 55
days) in defence of the Republic South Africa or in the
prevention or suppression of terrorism; issued for the
Border War (counter-insurgency operations in South
West Africa 196689) and for campaigns in Angola
(197576 and 198788). Motto of The Royal Canadian
Regiment, Royal South Australia Regiment, Hurlstone
Agricultural High School.
Motto of the United States Army Signal Corps.
to defend oneself in court without counsel; abbreviation
of propria persona. See also: pro se.
i.e., proportionately.
Medical shorthand for as the occasion arises or as

pro rege et lege

pro rege, lege et
grege

for king and the law

needed. Also concerning a matter having come into

being. Used to describe a meeting of a special
Presbytery or Assembly called to discuss something new,
and which was previously unforeseen (literally:
concerning a matter having been born).
Found on the Leeds coat of arms.

for king, the law and the people

Found on the coat of arms of Perth, Scotland.

pro se

for oneself

to defend oneself in court without counsel. Some

jurisdictions prefer, pro per.

prn)

pro scientia et
for science and nation
patria
pro studio et labore for study and work
pro tanto

for so much

pro tempore

for the time (being)

probatio pennae

testing of the pen

probis pateo

I am open for honest people

prodesse quam
conspici
propria manu (p.m.)
propter vitam
vivendi perdere
causas
provehito in altum
proxime accessit
proximo mense
(prox.)

To Accomplish Rather Than To Be Conspicuous

motto of the National University of La Plata

Denotes something that has only been partially fulfilled.
A philosophical term indicating the acceptance of a
theory or idea without fully accepting the explanation.
Denotes a temporary current situation; abbreviated pro
tem.
Medieval Latin term for breaking in a new pen
Traditionally inscribed above a city gate or above the
front entrance of a dwelling or place of learning.
motto of Miami University

by ones own hand

to destroy the reasons for living for the sake of life
launch forward into the deep
he came next
in the following month

That is, to squander lifes purpose just in order to stay

alive, and live a meaningless life. From Juvenal,
Satyricon VIII, verses 8384.
motto of Memorial University of Newfoundland
the runner-up
Used in formal correspondence to refer to the next
month. Used with ult. (last month) and inst. (this
month).

pulchrum est
paucorum
hominum
pulvis et umbra
sumus

Beauty is for the few

from Friedrich Nietzsches 1889 book Twilight of the

Idols

we are dust and shadow

From Horace, Carmina book IV, 7, 16.

punctum saliens

leaping point

purificatus non
consumptus

purified, not consumed

Thus, the essential or most notable point. The salient

point.
Motto of Washburn University, last charter school in the
United States of America, located in Topeka, Kansas.

Q
Latin

Translation
Notes
by virtue of
Thus: by definition; variant of per definitionem; sometimes used in German-speaking
qua definitione
definition
countries. Occasionally misrendered as qua definitionem.
as far as the world
qua patet orbis
Motto of the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps
extends
what alone is not
quae non prosunt
useful helps when Ovid, Remedia amoris
singula multa iuvant
accumulated
quaecumque sunt
Mottos of Northwestern University and St. Francis Xavier University. Also motto of the
whatsoever is true
vera
University of Alberta as quaecumque vera. Taken from Philippians 4:8 of the Bible
quaecumque vera
teach me whatsoever
Motto of St. Josephs College, Edmonton at the University of Alberta.
doce me
is true
Or you might ask Used to suggest doubt or to ask one to consider whether something is
quaere
to seek
correct. Often introduces rhetorical or tangential questions.
quaerite primum
seek ye first the
Also quaerite primo regnum dei. Motto of Newfoundland and Labrador. Motto of Shelford
regnum Dei
kingdom of God
Girls Grammar, St Columbs College, and Philharmonic Academy of Bologna.
As what kind of
qualis artifex pereo
Or What a craftsman dies in me! Attributed to Nero in Suetonius De vita Caesarum.
artist do I perish?
Qualitas potentia
Quality is our might The motto of Finnish Air Force.
nostra
quam bene non
how well, not how Motto of Mount Royal University, Calgary, Canada

quantum
quam bene vivas
referre (or refert), non
quam diu
quamdiu (se) bene
gesserit
quantocius
quantotius
quantum libet (q.l.)

much
it is how well you
live that matters, not Seneca, Epistulae morales ad Lucilium CI (101)
how long
I.e., [while on] good behavior. So for example the Act of Settlement 1701 stipulated that
as long as he shall judges commissions are valid quamdiu se bene gesserint (during good behaviour). (Notice the
have behaved well different singular, gesserit, and plural, gesserint, forms.) It was from this phrase that Frank
(legal Latin)
Herbert extracted the name for the Bene Gesserit sisterhood in the Dune novels.
the sooner, the better or, as quickly as possible

as much as pleases
as much as is
quantum sufficit (qs)
enough

Medical shorthand for as much as you wish.

Medical shorthand for as much as needed or as much as will suffice.

Medical shorthand. Also quaque die (qd), every day, quaque mane (qm), every morning,
and quaque nocte (qn), every night.
wherefore he broke An action of trespass; thus called, by reason the writ demands the person summoned to answer
quare clausum fregit
the close
to wherefore he broke the close (quare clausum fregit), i.e. why he committed such a trespass.
quater in die (qid)
four times a day
medical shorthand
quem deus vult
Whom the gods
perdere, dementat
would destroy, they
prius
first make insane
Other translations of diligunt include prize especially or esteem. From Plautus, Bacchides,
quem di diligunt
he whom the gods
IV, 7, 18. In this comic play, a sarcastic servant says this to his aging master. The rest of the
adulescens moritur love dies young
sentence reads: dum valet sentit sapit (while he is healthy, perceptive and wise).
From the Summoners section of Chaucers General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales, line
questio quid iuris
I ask what law?
648.
From St. Augustine of Hippos commentary on Psalm 74, 1: Qui enim cantat laudem, non
qui bene cantat bis
he who sings well
solum laudat, sed etiam hilariter laudat (He who sings praises, not only praises, but praises
orat
praises twice
joyfully).
qui bono
who with good
Common nonsensical Dog Latin misrendering of the Latin phrase cui bono (who benefits?).
he that teacheth, on Motto of the University of Chester. The more literal translation is Let those who teach, teach
qui docet in doctrina
teaching
or Let the teacher teach.
quaque hora (qh)

every hour

qui habet aures

audiendi audiat
qui me tangit, vocem
meam audit
qui tacet consentire
videtur
qui tam pro domino
rege quam pro se ipso
in hac parte sequitur
qui totum vult totum
perdit
qui transtulit sustinet

quia suam uxorem

etiam suspicione
vacare vellet

quid agis
quid est veritas
quid infantes sumus
quid novi ex Africa
quid nunc
quid pro quo

he who has ears to

hear shall hear
who touches me,
hears my voice
he who is silent is
taken to agree
he who brings an
action for the king
as well as for
himself
he who wants
everything loses
everything
he who transplanted
still sustains

He that hath ears to hear, let him hear; Mark Mark 4:9
common inscription on bells
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.
Generally known as qui tam, it is the technical legal term for the unique mechanism in the
federal False Claims Act that allows persons and entities with evidence of fraud against federal
programs or contracts to sue the wrongdoer on behalf of the Government.
Attributed to Seneca

Or he who brought us across still supports us, meaning God. State motto of Connecticut.
Originally written as sustinet qui transtulit in 1639.
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
because he should only, which was being held at the Domus Publica, the home of the Pontifex Maximus, Caesar,
wish even his wife and hosted by his second wife, Pompeia, the notorious politician Clodius arrived in disguise.
to be free from
Caught by the outraged noblewomen, Clodius fled before they could kill him on the spot for
suspicion
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.
What are you doing? Whats happening? Whats going on? Whats the news? Whats up?
In the Vulgate translation of John 18:38, Pilates question to Jesus (Greek: ;).
What is truth?
A possible answer is an anagram of the phrase: est vir qui adest, it is the man who is here.
What are we, a
Commonly used by Nocera Clan. synonym to throw down ones gauntlet.
bunch of babies?
What of the new out
Less literally, Whats new from Africa? Derived from an Aristotle quotation.
of Africa?
Commonly shortened to quidnunc. As a noun, a quidnunc is a busybody or a gossip. Patrick
What now?
Campbell worked for The Irish Times under the pseudonym Quidnunc.
what for what
Commonly used in English, it is also translated as this for that or a thing for a thing.

Signifies a favor exchanged for a favor. The traditional Latin expression for this meaning was
do ut des (I give, so that you may give).
Why do you laugh?
Quid rides?
Change but the
Mutato nomine de te
name, and the story
fabula narratur.
is told of yourself.
quidquid Latine
whatever has been
dictum sit altum
said in Latin seems
videtur
deep
dont move settled
quieta non movere
things
Quis custodiet ipsos
custodes?
quis leget haec?
quis separabit?
quis ut Deus
quo errat
demonstrator
quo fata ferunt
quousque tandem?
Quo Vadimus?
quo vadis?

Horace, Satires, I. 1. 69.

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.

Commonly associated with Plato who in the Republic poses this question; and from Juvenals
On Women, referring to the practice of having eunuchs guard women and beginning with the
Who will guard the
word sed (but). Usually translated less literally, as Who watches the watchmen? This
guards themselves?
translation is a common epigraph, such as of the Tower Commission and Alan Moores
Watchmen comic book series.
Who will read this?
Who will separate
Motto of Northern Ireland and of the Order of St Patrick.
us?
Usually translated Who is like unto God? Questions who would have the audacity to
compare himself to a Supreme Being. It is a translation of the Hebrew name Michael = Mi
Who [is] as God?
cha El Who like God - //-( right to left).
where the prover
A pun on quod erat demonstrandum.
errs
where the fates bear
Motto of Bermuda.
us to
From Ciceros first speech In Catilinam to the Roman Senate regarding the conspiracy of
For how much
Catiline: Quo usque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra? (For how much longer,
longer?
Catiline, will you abuse our patience?).
Where are we
Title of the series finale of Aaron Sorkins TV dramedy Sports Night.
going?
Where are you
According to Vulgate translation of John 13:36, Saint Peter asked Jesus Domine, quo vadis
going?
(Lord, where are you going?). The King James Version has the translation Lord, whither

goest thou?
quocunque jeceris
stabit
quod abundat non
obstat
quod cito fit, cito
perit
quod erat
demonstrandum
(Q.E.D.)

quod erat faciendum

(Q.E.F)

quod est (q.e.)

quod est necessarium
est licitum
quod gratis asseritur,
gratis negatur
quod licet Iovi, non
licet bovi
quod me nutrit me
destruit
quod natura non dat
Salmantica non
praestat
quod non fecerunt
barbari, fecerunt

whithersoever you
Motto of the Isle of Man.
throw it, it will stand
what is abundant
It is no problem to have too much of something.
doesnt hinder
what is done
quickly, perishes
Things done in a hurry are more likely to fail and fail quicker than those done with care.
quickly
The abbreviation is often written at the bottom of a mathematical proof. Sometimes translated
what was to be
loosely into English as The Five Ws, W.W.W.W.W., which stands for Which Was What We
demonstrated
Wanted.
Or which was to be constructed. Used in translations of Euclids Elements when there was
which was to be
nothing to prove, but there was something being constructed, for example a triangle with the
done
same size as a given line.
which is
what is necessary is
lawful
what is asserted
without reason may
If no grounds have been given for an assertion, then there are no grounds needed to reject it.
be denied without
reason
what is permitted to If an important person does something, it does not necessarily mean that everyone can do it
Jupiter is not
(cf. double standard). Iovi (also commonly rendered Jovi) is the dative form of Iuppiter
permitted to an ox (Jupiter or Jove), the chief god of the Romans.
Thought to have originated with Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe. Generally
what nourishes me interpreted to mean that that which motivates or drives a person can consume him or her from
destroys me
within. This phrase has become a popular slogan or motto for pro-ana websites, anorexics and
bulimics.
what nature does not
Refers to the Spanish University of Salamanca, meaning that education cannot substitute the
give, Salamanca
lack of brains.
does not provide
What the barbarians A well-known satirical lampoon left attached to the ancient speaking statue of Pasquino on a
did not do, the
corner of the Piazza Navona in Rome, Italy.[73]

Barberini

Barberini did

quod periit, periit

What is gone is gone

What has happened has happened and it cannot be changed, thus we should look forward into
the future instead of being pulled by the past.

What I have written

Pilate to the chief priests (John 19:22).
I have written.
Whatever you hope
quod supplantandum, to supplant, you will i.e. You must thoroughly understand that which you hope to supplant. A caution against
prius bene sciendum first know
following a doctrine of Naive Analogy when attempting to formulate a scientific hypothesis.
thoroughly
Used after a term or phrase that should be looked up elsewhere in the current document or
quod vide (q.v.)
which see
book. For more than one term or phrase, the plural is quae vide (qq.v.).
Whatever He tells
Quodcumque dixerit
More colloquially: Do whatever He [Jesus] tells you to do. Instructions of Mary to the
you, that you shall
vobis, facite.
servants at the Wedding at Cana. (John 2:5).
do.
quomodo vales
How are you?
The number of members whose presence is required under the rules to make any given
quorum
of whom
meeting constitutional.
Those whom true
quos amor verus
love has held, it will Seneca.
tenuit tenebit
go on holding
as many heads, so
quot capita tot sensus
There are as many opinions as there are heads. Terence
many opinions
quot homines tot
every man had his
Or there are as many opinions as there are people.how many people, so many opinions
sententiae
sentence
quod scripsi, scripsi

R
Latin
Translation
radix malorum est
the root of evils is desire
cupiditas
rara avis (Rarissima
rare bird (very rare bird)
avis)
rari nantes in gurgite Rare survivors in the immense sea

Notes
Or greed is the root of all evil. Theme of The Pardoners Tale from The
Canterbury Tales.
An extraordinary or unusual thing. From Juvenals Satires: rara avis in terris
nigroque simillima cygno (a rare bird in the lands, and very like a black swan).
Virgil, Aeneid, I, 118

vasto
ratio decidendi

reasoning for the decision

ratio legis

reasoning of law

ratione personae

because of the person involved

ratione soli

by account of the ground

ratum et
consummatum

confirmed and completed

ratum tantum

confirmed only

re

[in] the matter of

rebus sic stantibus

with matters standing thus

recte et fortiter

Upright and Strong

recte et fideliter

Upright and Faithful

reductio ad
absurdum

leading back to the absurd

reductio ad infinitum leading back to the infinite

The legal, moral, political, and social principles used by a court to compose a
judgments rationale.
A laws foundation or basis.
Also Jurisdiction Ratione Personae the personal reach of the courts
jurisdiction.[74]
Or according to the soil. Assigning property rights to a thing based on its
presence on a landowners property.
in Canon law, a consummated marriage
in Canon law, a confirmed but unconsummated marriage (which can be
dissolved super rato)
More literally, by the thing. From the ablative of res (thing or
circumstance). It is a common misconception that the Re: in correspondence
is an abbreviation for regarding or reply; this is not the case for traditional
letters. However, when used in an e-mail subject, there is evidence that it
functions as an abbreviation of regarding rather than the Latin word for thing.
The use of Latin re, in the sense of about, concerning, is English usage.
The doctrine that treaty obligations hold only as long as the fundamental
conditions and expectations that existed at the time of their creation hold.
Motto of Homebush Boys High School
Also just and faithful and accurately and faithfully. Motto of Ruyton Girls
School
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 Aristotles
(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 Aristotles 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.

From Reginam occidere nolite
timere bonum est si omnes
consentiunt ego non contradico, a Written by John of Merania, bishop of Esztergom, to Hungarian nobles planning
Reginam occidere
sentence whose meaning is highly the assasination of Gertrude of Merania. The queen was assassinated as the
dependent on punctuation: either plotters saw the bishops message as an encouragement.
the speaker wishes a queen killed
or not.[75]
State motto of Arkansas, adopted in 1907. Originally rendered in 1864 in the
regnat populus
the people rule
plural, regnant populi (the peoples rule), but subsequently changed to the
singular.
Regnum Mariae
Kingdom of Mary, the Patron of
Former motto of Hungary.
Patrona Hungariae Hungary
regressus ad uterum return to the womb
Concept used in psychoanalysis by Sndor Ferenczi and the Budapest School.
You have touched the point with a
rem acu tetigisti
i.e., You have hit the nail on the head
needle
Usually said as a jocular remark to defend the speakers (or writers) choice to
repetita iuvant
repeating does good
repeat some important piece of information to ensure reception by the audience.
repetitio est mater
repetition is the mother of
studiorum
study/learning
requiem aeternam
eternal rest
Or may he rest in peace. A benediction for the dead. Often inscribed on
requiescat in pace
let him rest in peace
tombstones or other grave markers. RIP is commonly mistranslated as Rest In
(R.I.P.)
Peace, though the two mean essentially the same thing.
rerum cognoscere
Motto of the University of Sheffield, the University of Guelph, and London
to learn the causes of things
causas
School of Economics.
res firma mitescere a firm resolve does not know how Used in the 1985 film American Flyers where it is colloquially translated as
nescit
to weaken
once you got it up, keep it up.
res gestae
things done
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

res ipsa loquitur

res judicata

res, non verba

res nullius
res publica
respice adspice
prospice
respice finem

credibility.
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
the thing speaks for itself
clause sometimes (informally) added on to the end of this phrase is sed quid in
infernos dicit (but what the hell does it say?), which serves as a reminder that
one must still interpret the significance of events that speak for themselves.
A matter which has been decided by a court. Often refers to the legal concept
judged thing
that once a matter has been finally decided by the courts, it cannot be litigated
again (cf. non bis in idem and double jeopardy).
From rs (things, facts) the plural of rs (a thing, a fact) + nn (not) +
actions speak louder than words, verba (words) the plural of verbum (a word). Literally meaning things, not
or deeds, not words
words or facts instead of words but referring to that actions be used instead
of words.
Goods without an owner. Used for things or beings which belong to nobody and
nobodys property
are up for grabs, e.g., uninhabited and uncolonized lands, wandering wild
animals, etc. (cf. terra nullius, no mans land).
Pertaining to the state or public
source of the word republic
look behind, look here, look ahead i.e., examine the past, the present and future. Motto of CCNY.
look back at the end

respondeat superior let the superior respond

restitutio ad (or in)

integrum
resurgam

i.e., have regard for the end or consider the end. Generally a memento mori,
a warning to remember ones death. Motto of Homerton College, Cambridge,
Trinity College, Kandy and Turnbull High School, Glasgow
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 contractor
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.

restoration to original condition

Principle behind the awarding of damages in common law negligence claims

I shall arise

I shall rise again, expressing Christian faith in resurrection at the Last Day. It
appears, inter alia, in Charlotte Bronts Jane Eyre, as the epitaph written on
Helen Burnss grave; in a poem of Emily Dickinson: Poems (1955) I. 56
(Arcturus is his other name), I slew a worm the other day A Savant

retine vim istam,

Restrain your strength, for if you
falsa enim dicam, si
compel me I will tell lies
coges
rex regum fidelum et king even of faithful kings

rigor mortis
risum teneatis,
amici?
risus abundat in ore
stultorum
Roma invicta
Romanes eunt
domus
rorate coeli
rosa rubicundior,
lilio candidior,
omnibus formosior,
semper in te glorior
rus in urbe

stiffness of death

Can you help laughing, friends?

laughter is abundant in the mouth
of fools
Unconquerable Rome
People called Romanes they go the
house
drop down ye heavens

passing by Murmured Resurgam Centipede! Oh Lordhow frail are

we!; and in a letter of Vincent van Gogh.[76] The OED gives 1662 J. Trapp
Annotations Old & New Testament I. 142 Howbeit he had hope in his death, and
might write Resurgam on his grave as its earliest attribution in the English
corpus.
An utterance by the Delphic oracle recorded by Eusebius of Caesarea in
Praeparatio evangelica, VI-5, translated from the Greek of Porphyry (c.f. E. H.
Giffords translation)[77] and used by William Wordsworth as a subtitle for his
ballad Anecdote for Fathers.
Latin motto that appears on the crest of the Trinity Broadcasting Network of Paul
and Jan Crouch.
The rigidity of corpses when chemical reactions cause the limbs to stiffen about
34 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).
An ironic or rueful commentary, appended following a fanciful or unbelievable
tale.
excessive and inappropriate laughter signifies stupidity; see also LOL
Inspirational motto inscribed on the Statue of Rome.
An intentionally garbled Latin phrase from Monty Pythons Life of Brian. Its
intended meaning is Romans, go home!, in Latin Romani ite domum.
aka The Advent Prose

redder than the rose, whiter than

the lilies, fairer than all things, I do From Veni, veni, venias (Carmina Burana).
ever glory in thee
A countryside 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.

S
Latin

Translation

Notes

saltus in demonstrando leap in explaining

a stronghold (or
salus in arduis
refuge) in difficulties
the welfare of the
salus populi suprema
people is to be the
lex esto
highest law
salva veritate

with truth intact

Salvator Mundi

Savior of the World

salvo errore et
omissione (s.e.e.o.)
salvo honoris titulo

save for error and

omission

(SHT)

Sancta Sedes
sancta simplicitas

a leap in logic, by which a necessary part of an equation is omitted.

a Roman Silver Age maxim, also the school motto of Wellingborough School.
From Ciceros 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.
Refers to two expressions that can be interchanged without changing the truth value of the
statements in which they occur.
Christian epithet, usually referring to Jesus. The title of paintings by Albrecht Drer and
Leonardo da Vinci.
Appears on statements of account currents.

save for title of honor

Holy Chair
literally, holy seat. Refers to the Papacy or the Holy See.
holy innocence
Or sacred simplicity.
with holiness and with
sancte et sapienter
Also sancte sapienter (holiness, wisdom), motto of several institutions.
wisdom
referring to a more sacred and/or guarded place, within a lesser guarded, yet also holy
sanctum sanctorum
Holy of Holies
location.
From Horaces Epistularum liber primus, Epistle II, line 40. Made popular in Kants essay
sapere aude
dare to know
Answering the Question: What Is Enlightenment? defining the Age of Enlightenment. The
phrase is common usage as a university motto.
wise is he who looks
sapiens qui prospicit
Motto of Malvern College, England
ahead
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
sapienti sat
enough for the wise
to dictum sapienti sat est (enough has been said for the wise, commonly translated as a
word to the wise is enough).
sapientia et doctrina
wisdom and learning Motto of Fordham University, New York.
sapientia et eloquentia wisdom and eloquence One of the mottos of the Ateneo schools in the Philippines.[78]

Motto of the Minerva Society

sapientia et veritas
sapientia et virtus

wisdom and truth

wisdom and virtue
wisdom is better than
sapientia melior auro
gold
sapientia, pax,
Wisdom, Peace,
fraternitas
Fraternity
That which has been
sat celeriter fieri
done well has been
quidquid fiat satis bene
done quickly enough
By/From/With
scientia ac labore
knowledge and labour
knowledge, more
scientia, aere perennius
lasting than bronze
religion and
scientia cum religione
knowledge united
The sea yields to
scientiae cedit mare
knowledge
For science and
scientiae et patriae
fatherland
scientia et labor
knowledge and work
knowledge and
scientia et sapientia
wisdom
knowledge is the
scientia imperii decus adornment and
et tutamen
protection of the
Empire
scientia ipsa potentia
est

knowledge itself is
power

scientia vincere

conquering darkness

Motto of Christchurch Girls High School, New Zealand.

Motto of The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Motto of University of Deusto, Bilbao, San Sebastin, Spain.
Motto of Universidad de las Amricas, Puebla, Cholula, Mexico.
One of the two favorite saying of Augustus. The other is festina lente.[79]
Motto of several institutions
unknown origin, probably adapted from Horaces ode III (Exegi monumentum aere
perennius).
Motto of St Vincents College, Potts Point
Motto of the United States Coast Guard Academy.
Motto of University of Latvia
motto of Universidad Nacional de Ingeniera
motto of Illinois Wesleyan University

Motto of Imperial College London

Stated originally by Sir Francis Bacon in Meditationes Sacrae (1597), which in modern
times is often paraphrased as scientia est potestas or scientia potentia est (knowledge is
power).
Motto of several institutions, such as the Free University of Brussels (Vrije Universiteit

tenebras
scilicet (sc. or ss.)
scio
scio me nihil scire
scire quod sciendum
scribimus indocti
doctique poemata
passim
scuto amoris divini
seculo seculorum
sed ipse spiritus
postulat pro nobis,
gemitibus
inenarrabilibus
sed terrae graviora
manent
sede vacante
sedes apostolica
sedes incertae
sedet, aeternumque
sedebit
semel in anno licet
insanire
semper ad meliora
semper anticus

by science

Brussel).
that is to say; to wit; namely; in a legal caption, it provides a statement of venue or refers to
it is permitted to know
a location.
I know
I know that I know
nothing
knowledge which is
motto of now defunct publisher Small, Maynard & Company
worth having
Each desperate
as translated by Philip Francis. From Horace, Epistularum liber secundus (1, 117)[80] and
blockhead dares to
quoted in Fieldings Tom Jones; lit: Learned or not, we shall write poems without
write
distinction.
by the shield of Gods
The motto of Skidmore College
love
forever and ever
But the same Spirit
intercedes incessantly
Romans 8:26
for us, with
inexpressible groans
But on earth, worse
Virgil, Aeneid 6:84.
things await
with the seat being
The seat is the Holy See, and the vacancy refers to the interregnum between two popes.
vacant
apostolic chair
Synonymous with Sancta Sedes.
seat (i.e. location)
Used in biological classification to indicate that there is no agreement as to which higher
uncertain
order grouping a taxon should be placed into. Abbreviated sed. incert.
seat, be seated forever a Virgis verse, means when you stop trying, then you lose
once in a year one is
allowed to go crazy
always towards better
things
always forward

Concept expressed by various authors, such as Seneca, Saint Augustine and Horace. It
became proverbial during the Middle Ages.
Motto of several institutions
Motto of the 45th Infantry Division (United States) and its successor, the 45th Infantry

semper apertus
semper ardens

always open
always burning

semper eadem

ever the same

semper excelsius
semper fidelis
semper fortis
semper idem
semper in excretia
sumus solim
profundum variat
semper instans
semper invicta

semper liber
semper paratus
semper primus

always higher
always faithful
always brave
always the same
Were always in the
manure; only the
depth varies.
always threatening
always invincible
the necessity of proof
always lies with the
person who lays
charges
always free
always prepared
always first

semper progrediens

always progressing

semper reformanda

always in need of
being reformed

semper sursum

always aim high

semper necessitas
probandi incumbit ei
qui agit

Brigade Combat Team (United States)

Motto of University of Heidelberg
Motto of Carl Jacobsen and name of a line of beers by Danish brewery Carlsberg.
personal motto of Elizabeth I, appears above her royal coat of arms. Used as motto of
Elizabeth College, Guernsey, Channel Islands, which was founded by Elizabeth I, and of
Ipswich School, to whom Elizabeth granted a royal charter. Also the motto of the City of
Leicester and Prince Georges County.
Motto of the K.A.V. Lovania Leuven and the House of Wrigley-Pimley-McKerr[81]
Motto of several institutions, e.g. United States Marine Corps
Unofficial motto of the United States Navy
Motto of Underberg
Lord de Ramsey, House of Lords, 21 January 1998[82]
Motto of 846 NAS Royal Navy
Motto of Warsaw
Latin maxim often associated with the burden of proof
Motto of the city of Victoria, British Columbia
Motto of several institutions, e.g. United States Coast Guard
Motto of several US military units
Motto of the island of Sint Maarten, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands, and of King City Secondary School in King City, Ontario, Canada
A phrase deriving from the Nadere Reformatie movement in the seventeenth century Dutch
Reformed Church and widely but informally used in Reformed and Presbyterian churches
today. It refers to the conviction of certain Reformed Protestant theologians that the church
must continually re-examine itself in order to maintain its purity of doctrine and practice.
The term first appeared in print in Jodocus van Lodenstein, Beschouwinge van Zion
(Contemplation of Zion), Amsterdam, 1674.[83]
Motto of Barrow-in-Furness, England. Motto of St. Stephen School, Chandigarh, India.

semper vigilans

always vigilant

semper vigilo

always vigilant

Senatus Populusque
Romanus (SPQR)

The Senate and the

People of Rome

sensu

with the broad, or

general, meaning
with the tight
meaning

sensus plenior

in the fuller meaning

sequere pecuniam

follow the money

sensu lato
sensu stricto cf. stricto

Motto of St. Josephs College, Allahabad, India. Motto of Palmerston North Girls High
School, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Motto of several institutions (such as the US Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol). Also the
motto of the city of San Diego, California.
The motto of Scottish Police Forces, Scotland.
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.
Less literally, in the wide sense.
Less literally, in the strict sense.
In biblical exegesis, the deeper meaning intended by God, not intended by the human
author.
In an effort to understand why things may be happening contrary to expectations, or even
in alignment with them, this idiom suggests that keeping track of where money is going
may show the basis for the observed behavior. Similar in spirit to the phrase cui bono (who
gains?) or cui prodest (who advances?), but outside those phrases historically legal
context.
motto of the General Theological Seminary, Cornelius Fontem Esua

Sermo Tuus Veritas Est Thy Word Is Truth

sero venientes male
those who are late are
sedentes
poorly seated
those who are late get
sero venientibus ossa
bones
servabo fidem
Keeper of the faith
I will keep the faith.
The answer of St. Michael the Archangel to the non serviam, I will not serve of Satan,
serviam
I will serve
when the angels were tested by God on whether they will serve an inferior being, a man,
Jesus, as their Lord.
servant of the servants
servus servorum Dei
A title for the Pope.
of God
From Horaces Ars Poetica, proicit ampullas et sesquipedalia verba (he throws down
words a foot and a
sesquipedalia verba
his high-flown language and his foot-and-a-half-long words). A self-referential jab at long
half long
words and needlessly elaborate language in general.

Si monumentum
requiris circumspice
si omnes ego non
si peccasse negamus
fallimur et nulla est in
nobis veritas
si quaeris peninsulam
amoenam circumspice
si quid novisti rectius
istis, candidus imperti;
si nil, his utere mecum.

If you seek (his)

monument, look
around you
if all ones not I
if we deny having
made a mistake, we
are deceived, and
theres no truth in us
if you seek a
delightful peninsula,
look around
if you can better these
principles, tell me; if
not, join me in
following them

If you had kept your

si tacuisses,
silence, you would
philosophus mansisses have stayed a
philosopher
si vales valeo (SVV)

if you are well, I am

well (abbr)

si vis amari ama

If you want to be
loved, love

si vis pacem, para

bellum

if you want peace,

prepare for war

sic

thus

sic et non

thus and not

from the epitaph on Christopher Wrens tomb in St Pauls Cathedral.

From Christopher Marlowes The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, where the phrase is
translated if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and theres no truth in us.
(cf. 1 John 1:8 in the New Testament)
Said to have been based on the tribute to architect Christopher Wren in St Pauls Cathedral,
London: si monumentum requiris, circumspice (see above). State motto of Michigan,
adopted in 1835.
Horace, Epistles I:6, 6768
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 youd kept your mouth shut we might have thought you were clever.
A common beginning for ancient Roman letters. An abbreviation of si vales bene est ego
valeo, alternatively written as SVBEEV. The practice fell out of fashion and into obscurity
with the decline in Latin literacy.
This is often attributed to the Roman philosopher Seneca, found in the sixth of his letters to
Lucilius.
From Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus, De Re Militari. Origin of the name parabellum for
some ammunition and firearms, such as the Luger Parabellum. (Similar to igitur qui
desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum and in pace ut sapiens aptarit idonea bello.)
Or just so. States that the preceding quoted material appears exactly that way in the
source, despite any errors of spelling, grammar, usage, or fact that may be present. Used
only for previous quoted text; ita or similar must be used to mean thus when referring to
something about to be stated.
More simply, yes and no.

sic gorgiamus allos

subjectatos nunc
sic infit
sic itur ad astra
sic parvis magna
sic passim
sic semper erat, et sic
semper erit

we gladly feast on
those who would
subdue us
so it begins
thus you shall go to
the stars
greatness from small
beginnings
Thus here and there
Thus has it always
been, and thus shall it
ever be

Mock-Latin motto of The Addams Family.

From Virgil, Aeneid book IX, line 641. Possibly the source of the ad astra phrases. Motto
of several institutions.
Motto of Sir Francis Drake
Used when referencing books; see passim.

Attributed to Brutus at the time of Julius Caesars assassination, and to John Wilkes Booth
at the time of Abraham Lincolns assassination; whether it was actually said at either of
sic semper tyrannis
thus always to tyrants
these events is disputed. Shorter version from original sic semper evello mortem tyrannis
(thus always I pluck death from tyrants). State motto of Virginia, adopted in 1776.
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
thus passes the glory
sic transit gloria mundi
holding before his eyes a burning paper illustrating the passing nature of earthly glories.
of the world
This is similar to the tradition of a slave in a Roman triumphs whispering memento mori in
the ear of the celebrant.
use [what is] yours so
sic utere tuo ut
Or use your property in such a way that you do not damage others. A legal maxim
as not to harm [what
alienum non laedas
related to property ownership laws, often shortened to simply sic utere (use it thus).
is] of others
Or such is life. Indicates that a circumstance, whether good or bad, is an inherent aspect
sic vita est
thus is life
of living.
Though the
sidere mens eadem
constellations change, Latin motto of the University of Sydney.
mutato
the mind is universal
signetur (sig) or (S/)
let it be labeled
Medical shorthand
signum fidei
Sign of the Faith
Motto of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools.
Latinization of the English expression silence is golden. Also Latinized as silentium est
silentium est aureum silence is golden
aurum (silence is gold).

similia similibus
curantur

similar things take

like cures like and let like be cured by like; the first form (curantur) is indicative,
care of similar things
while the second form (curentur) is subjunctive. The indicative form is found in
Paracelsus (16th century), while the subjunctive form is said by Samuel Hahnemann,
similia similibus
let similar things take
founder of homeopathy, and is known as the law of similars.
curentur
care of similar things
similar substances will
similia similibus
Used as a general rule in chemistry; like dissolves like refers to the ability of polar or
dissolve similar
solvuntur
non polar solvents to dissolve polar or non polar solutes respectively.[84]
substances
simplicity is the sign
simplex sigillum veri
expresses a sentiment akin to Keep It Simple, Stupid
of truth
sine anno (s.a.)
without a year
Used in bibliographies to indicate that the date of publication of a document is unknown.
Originally from old common law texts, where it indicates that a final, dispositive order has
sine die
without a day
been made in the case. In modern legal context, it means there is nothing left for the court
to do, so no date for further proceedings is set, resulting in an adjournment sine die.
without anger and
sine ira et studio
Thus, impartially. From Tacitus, Annals 1.1.
fondness
without labour there
sine labore non erit
will be no bread in
panis in ore
mouth
sine loco (s.l.)
without a place
Used in bibliographies to indicate that the place of publication of a document is unknown.
sine metu
without fear
Motto of Jameson Irish Whiskey
sine nomine (s.n.)
without a name
Used in bibliographies to indicate that the publisher of a document is unknown.
Without penalty, there
sine poena nulla lex
Refers to the ineffectiveness of a law without the means of enforcement
is no law
Frequently abbreviated to s.p. or d.s.p. (decessit sine prole died without offspring)
sine prole
Without offspring
in genealogical works.
Without surviving
sine prole superstite
Without surviving offspring (even in abstract terms)
children
sine timore aut favore Without Fear or Favor St.Georges School, Vancouver, Canada motto
Used to denote something that is an essential part of the whole. See also condicio sine qua
sine qua non
without which not
non.
sine remediis medicina without remedies
Inscription on a stained glass in the conference hall of a pharmaceutical mill in Kaunas,

debilis est
sine scientia ars nihil
est
sisto activitatem

medicine is powerless
without knowledge,
skill is nothing
I cease the activity
may it be worthy of
sit nomine digna
the name
sit sine labe decus
let honour stainless be
may the earth be light
sit tibi terra levis
to you
may there be
sit venia verbo
forgiveness for the
word
sun of justice, shine
sol iustitiae illustra nos
upon us
the sun shines on
sol lucet omnibus
everyone
the sun rules over
sol omnia regit
everything

Lithuania.
Motto of The International Diving Society
Phrase, used to cease the activities of the Sejm upon the liberum veto principle
Motto of Rhodesia
Motto of the Brisbane Boys College (Brisbane, Australia).
Commonly used on gravestones, often contracted as S.T.T.L., the same way as todays
R.I.P.
Similar to the English idiom pardon my French.
Motto of Utrecht University.
Petronius, Satyricon Lybri 100.
Inscription near the entrance to Frombork Museum
The material principle of the Protestant Reformation and one of the five solas, referring to
the Protestant claim that the Bible teaches that men are saved by faith even without works.
A motto of the Protestant Reformation and one of the five solas, referring to the Protestant
claim that salvation is an unearned gift (cf. ex gratia), not a direct result of merit.

sola fide

by faith alone

sola gratia

by grace alone

sola lingua bona est

lingua mortua

the only good

language is a dead
language

Example of dog Latin humor.

sola scriptura

by scripture alone

The formal principle of the Protestant Reformation and one of the five solas, referring to
the Protestant idea that the Bible alone is the ultimate authority, not the Pope or tradition.

sola nobilitat virtus

virtue alone ennobles
soli Deo gloria (S.D.G.) glory to God alone
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). The motto of the MasterWorks Festival, an

solus Christus
solus ipse
solvitur ambulando
Spartam nactus es;
hanc exorna
specialia generalibus
derogant
speculum speculorum
spem reduxit
spero meliora
spes bona

Christ alone

annual Christian performing arts festival.

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).

I alone
it is solved by walking The problem is solved by taking a walk, or by simple experiment.
your lot is cast in
from Euripidess Telephus, Agamemnon to Menelaus.[85]
Sparta, be a credit to it
special departs from
general
mirror of mirrors
he has restored hope Motto of New Brunswick.
I hope for better things
good hope
Motto of University of Cape Town.
hope conquers
Refers to Revelation 3:21, To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my
spes vincit thronum
(overcomes) the
throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. On the
throne
John Winthrop family tombstone, Boston, Massachusetts.
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
spiritus mundi
spirit of the world
certain universal symbols to appear in individual minds. The idea is similar to Carl Jungs
concept of the collective unconscious.
Refers to The Gospel of Saint John 3:8, where he mentions how Jesus told Nicodemus
the spirit spreads
The wind blows wherever it wants, and even though you can hear its noise, you dont
spiritus ubi vult spirat
wherever it wants
know where it comes from or where it goes. The same thing happens to whomever has
been born of the Spirit. It is the motto of Cayetano Heredia University[86]
brightness without
Loosely splendour without diminishment or magnificence without ruin. Motto of
splendor sine occasu
setting
British Columbia.
The motto of the Jungle Patrol in The Phantom. The phrase actually violates Latin
we stand against by
grammar because of a mistranslation from English, as the preposition contra takes the
stamus contra malo
evil
accusative case. The correct Latin rendering of we stand against evil would be stamus
contra malum.
stante pede
with a standing foot Immediately.

stare decisis
stat sua cuique dies
statim (stat)

to stand by the
decided things
There is a day [turn]
for everybody
immediately

To uphold previous rulings, recognize precedent.

Virgil, Aeneid, X 467

Medical shorthand used following an urgent request.

The current condition or situation. Also status quo ante (the situation in which [things
status quo
the situation in which were] before), referring to the state of affairs prior to some upsetting event (cf. reset
button technique).
the state before the
status quo ante bellum
A common term in peace treaties.
war
Marginal mark in proofreading to indicate that something previously deleted or marked for
stet
let it stand
deletion should be retained.
let the fortune of the First part of the motto of Harrow School, England, and inscribed upon Ricketts House, at
stet fortuna domus
house stand
the California Institute of Technology.
From Christopher Marlowes The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. (See Rom 6:23,
stipendium peccati
the reward of sin is
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
mors est
death
Lord.)
the heights yield to
strenuis ardua cedunt
Motto of The University of Southampton.
endeavour
stricto sensu cf. sensu
with the tight meaning Less literally, in the strict sense.
stricto

stupor mundi

the wonder of the

world

sua sponte

by its own accord

sub anno

under the year

The Light Under the
Cross
under the wide open
sky
toward the end

sub cruce lumen

sub divo
sub finem

A title given to Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor. More literally translated the
bewilderment of the world, or, in its original, pre-Medieval sense, the stupidity of the
world.
Legal term when a court takes up a motion on its own initiative, not because any of the
parties to the case has made the motion. The regimental motto of the 75th Ranger
Regiment of the U.S. Army.
Commonly abbreviated sa, it is used in citing annals, which record events by year.
Motto of the University of Adelaide, Australia. Refers to the figurative light of learning
and the Southern Cross constellation, Crux.
Also, under the sky, in the open air, out in the open or outdoors. Ablative divo
does not distinguish divus, divi, a god, from divum, divi, the sky.
Used in citations to refer to the end of a book, page, etc., and abbreviated s.f. Used after

sub Iove frigido

sub judice

under cold Jupiter

under a judge

sub poena

under penalty

sub rosa

under the rose

sub nomine (sub nom.)

under the name

sub silentio

the page number or title. E.g., p. 20 s.f.

At night; from Horaces Odes 1.1:25
Said of a case that cannot be publicly discussed until it is finished. Also sub iudice.
Commonly rendered subpoena. Said of a request, usually by a court, that must be complied
with on pain of punishment. Examples include subpoena duces tecum (take with you
under penalty), a court summons to appear and produce tangible evidence, and subpoena
ad testificandum (under penalty to testify), a summons to appear and give oral testimony.
In secret, 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 mothers indiscretionsor those of the
gods in general, in other accountswere kept under wraps.
in the name of, under the title of; used in legal citations to indicate the name under
which the litigation continued.
implied but not expressly stated.

under silence
under the sight of
sub specie aeternitatis
Thus, from eternitys point of view. From Spinoza, Ethics.
eternity
sub specie Dei
under the sight of God from Gods point of view or perspective.
Beneath thy
Name of the oldest extant hymn to the Theotokos (Blessed Virgin Mary). Also under your
sub tuum praesidium
compassion
protection. A popular school motto.
Under the shade I
Sub umbra floreo
National Motto of Belize, referring to the shade of the mahogany tree.
flourish
Under the word or
heading, as in a
sub verbo; sub voce
dictionary;
abbreviated s.v.
sublimis ab unda
Raised from the waves Motto of King Edward VII and Queen Mary School, Lytham
subsiste sermonem
stop speaking
statim
immediately
One doesnt sing on
Sudetia non cantat
the Sudeten
Saying from Hanakia
Mountains

sui generis

Of its own kind

In a class of its own.

Capable of responsibility. Has both legal and ecclesiastical use. Commonly rendered sui
sui iuris
Of ones own right
juris.
A gravestone inscription to remind the reader of the inevitability of death (cf. memento
sum quod eris
I am what you will be 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 sum
I am what I am
from Augustines Sermon No. 76.[87]
summa cum laude
with highest praise
sum or totality of
It refers to the final authority of power in government. For example, power of the
summa potestas
power
Sovereign.
Literally sum of sums. When a short conclusion is rounded up at the end of some
summa summarum
all in all
elaboration.
summum bonum
the supreme good
Literally highest good. Also summum malum (the supreme evil).
From Cicero (De officiis, I, 10, 33). An acritical application of law, without understanding
and respect of lawss purposes and without considering the overall circumstances, is often
summum ius, summa supreme justice,
a means of supreme injustice. A similar sentence appears in Terence
iniuria
supreme injustice
(Heautontimorumenos, IV, 5): Ius summum saepe summa est malitia (supreme justice
is often out of supreme malice (or wickedness)).
From Virgil, Aeneid. Followed by et mentem mortalia tangunt (and mortal things touch
there are tears for
sunt lacrimae rerum
my mind). Aeneas cries as he sees Carthaginian temple murals depicting the deaths of the
things
Trojan War. See also hinc illae lacrimae.
sunt omnes unum
they are all one
Children are children,
sunt pueri pueri, pueri
and children do
anonymous proverb
puerilia tractant
childish things
Used in the context of titles of nobility, for instance where a wife may hold a title in her
suo jure
in ones own right
own right rather than through her marriage.
Also rendered suo moto. Usually used when a court of law, upon its own initiative, (i.e., no
upon ones own
suo motu
petition has been filed) proceeds against a person or authority that it deems has committed
initiative
an illegal act. It is used chiefly in South Asia.
suos cultores scientia Knowledge crowns
The motto of Syracuse University, New York.
coronat
those who seek her

super fornicam
superbia in proelia
supero omnia
surdo oppedere
surgam
sursum corda
sutor, ne ultra
crepidam

suum cuique tribuere

s.v.

on the lavatory
pride in battle
I surpass everything
to belch before the
deaf
I shall rise
Lift up your hearts

Where Thomas More accused the reformer, Martin Luther, of going to celebrate Mass.
Motto of Manchester City F.C.
A declaration that one succeeds above all others.
From Erasmus collection of annotated Adagia (1508): a useless action.
Motto of Columbia Universitys Philolexian Society.

Thus, dont 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
Cobbler, no further
of a soldier he was painting. When the cobbler started offering advice on other parts of the
than the sandal!
painting, Apelles rebuked him with this phrase in Greek, and it subsequently became a
popular Latin expression.
to render to every man One of Justinian Is three basic precepts of law. Also shortened to suum cuique (to each
his due
his own).
Abbreviation for sub
verbo or sub voce (see
above).

T
Latin
tabula gratulatoria

Translation
congratulatory tablet

tabula rasa

scraped tablet

talis qualis
taliter qualiter

just as such
somewhat

talium Dei regnum

tanquam ex ungue
leonem

Notes
A list of congratulations.
Thus, 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.
Such as it is or as such.

from St Marks gospel 10:14 talium (parvuli) est enim regnum Dei; similar in St
for of such (little children)
Matthews gospel 19:14 talium est enim regnum caelorum (for of such is the kingdom
is the kingdom of God
of heaven); motto of The Cathedral School, Townsville.
we know the lion by his Said in 1697 by Johann Bernoulli about Isaac Newtons anonymously submitted solution
claw
to Bernoullis challenge regarding the Brachistochrone curve.

tarde venientibus
ossa
Te occidere possunt
sed te edere non
possunt nefas est
technica impendi
nationi

To the late are left the

bones
They can kill you, but
they cannot eat you, it is
against the law.
Technology impulses
nations

temet nosce

know thyself

tempora heroica

Heroic Age

tempora mutantur et the times are changing,

nos mutamur in illis and we change in them
time, devourer of all
tempus edax rerum
things
Time flees.
tempus fugit
Time flies.
tempus rerum
time, commander of all
imperator
things
tempus vernum
spring time
tempus volat hora
time flies, the hour flees
fugit
teneo te Africa
I hold you, Africa!
tentanda via
The way must be tried
ter in die (t.i.d.)
thrice in a day
terminat hora diem; The hour finishes the day;
terminat auctor
the author finishes his
opus.
work.
terminus ante quem limit before which

The motto of the fictional Enfield Tennis Academy in the David Foster Wallace novel
Infinite Jest. Translated in the novel as They can kill you, but the legalities of eating you
are quite a bit dicier.
Motto of Technical University of Madrid
A reference to the Greek (gnothi seauton), inscribed on the pronaos of the
Temple of Apollo at Delphi, according to the Greek periegetic writer Pausanias (10.24.1).
Rendered also with nosce te ipsum, temet nosce (thine own self know) appears in The
Matrix translated as know thyself.
Literally Heroic Times; refers to the period between the mythological Titanomachy and
the (relatively) historical Trojan War.
16th century variant of two classical lines of Ovid: tempora labuntur (time labors,
Fasti) and omnia mutantur (everything changes, Metamorphoses). See entry for details.
Also time, that devours all things, literally: time, gluttonous of things, edax:
adjectival form of the verb edo to eat. From Ovid, Metamorphoses, 15, 234-236.
From Vergils Georgics (Book III, line 284), where it appears as fugit inreparabile
tempus. A common sundial motto. See also tempus volat, hora fugit below.
Tempus Rerum Imperator has been adopted by the Google Web Accelerator project. It
is shown in the About Google Web Accelerator page.
Name of song by popular Irish singer Enya

Suetonius attributes this to Julius Caesar, from when Caesar was on the African coast.
motto for York University
Medical shorthand for three times a day.
Phrase concluding Christopher Marlowes play Doctor Faustus.[88]
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, terminus

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
incognita
terra firma
terra incognita

unknown southern land

First name used to refer to the Australian continent.

solid land
unknown land

Often used to refer to the ground.

Latin name of Newfoundland (island portion of Canadian province of Newfoundland and
Labrador, capital- St. Johns), also root of French name of same, Terre-Neuve
That is, no mans land. A neutral or uninhabited area, or a land not under the sovereignty
of any recognized political entity.
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 future indicative thirdconjugation verb, whereas it is actually a present subjunctive first-conjugation verb.
Motto of Amherst College; the colleges original mission was to educate young men to
serve God.

terra nova

new land

terra nullius

land of none

terras irradient

let them illuminate the

lands

tertium non datur

no third (possibility) 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.

testis unus, testis

nullus
Tibi cordi
immaculato
concredimus nos ac
consecramus

one witness is not a

A law principle expressing that a single witness is not enough to corroborate a story.
witness
We consecrate to your
immaculate heart and
The inscription found on top of the central door of the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate
entrust to you (Mary) for Conception, otherwise known as the Manila Cathedral in the Philippines
safekeeping
Danaos being a term for the Greeks. In Virgils Aeneid, II, 49, the phrase is said by
Laocon when warning his fellow Trojans against accepting the Trojan Horse. The full
timeo Danaos et
I fear Greeks even if they
original quote is quidquid id est timeo Danaos et dona ferentis, quidquid id est meaning
dona ferentes
bring gifts
whatever it is and ferentis being an archaic form of ferentes. Commonly mistranslated
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.
timidi mater non flet A cowards mother does proverb; occasionally appears on loading screens in the game Rome: Total War.

not weep
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.
Offering ones life in total commitment to another. The motto was adopted by Pope John
totus tuus
totally yours
Paul II to signify his love and servitude to Mary the Mother of Jesus.
Literally beneficial passage. Mentioned in The Seamy Side of History (Lenvers de
transire
to travel along while
lhistoire contemporaine, 1848), part of La Comdie humaine, by Honor de Balzac, and
benefaciendo
doing good
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne.
Used to express the belief in the transfer of imperial authority from the Roman Empire of
translatio imperii
transfer of rule
antiquity to the Medieval Holy Roman Empire.
tres faciunt
It takes three to have a valid group; three is the minimum number of members for an
three makes company
collegium
organization or a corporation.
A decree by the medieval Church that all feuds should be cancelled during the Sabbath
treuga Dei
Truce of God
effectively from Wednesday or Thursday night until Monday. See also Peace and Truce
of God.
tria juncta in uno
Three joined in one
Motto of the Order of the Bath
tu autem Domine
But Thou, O Lord, have Phrase said at the end of biblical readings in the liturgy of the medieval church. Also used
miserere nobis
mercy upon us
in brief, tu autem, as a memento mori epitaph.
Thus, what you are, I was; what I am, you will be.. A memento mori gravestone
tu fui ego eris
I was you; you will be me
inscription to remind the reader that death is unavoidable (cf. sum quod eris).
you should not give in to
tu ne cede malis, sed
evils, but proceed ever
From Virgil, Aeneid, 6, 95.
contra audentior ito
more boldly against them
The logical fallacy of attempting to defend ones position merely by pointing out the same
tu quoque
you too
weakness in ones opponent.
tu stultus es
you are stupid
The motto for the satirical news organization, The Onion.
tuebor
I will protect
Found on the Great Seal on the flag of the state of Michigan.
tunica propior est
A tunic is closer to the
pallio
body than a cape
turris fortis mihi
God is my strong tower Motto of the Kelly Clan
Deus
timor mortis
conturbat me

the fear of death

confounds me

U
Latin
uberrima fides
ubertas et
fidelitas
ubi amor, ibi
dolor
ubi bene ibi
patria
ubi caritas et
amor Deus ibi est
ubi dubium ibi
libertas
ubi jus ibi
remedium

Translation
most abundant faith
fertility and faithfulness

Motto of Tasmania.

where [there is] love, there [is] pain

where [it is] well, there [is] the fatherland

Or Home is where its good; see also ubi panis

ibi patria.

where there is charity and love, God is there

where [there is] doubt, there [is] freedom

Anonymous proverb.

Where [there is] a right, there [is] a remedy

ubi mel ibi apes

where [there is] honey, there [are] bees

ubi libertas ibi

patria

where [there is] liberty, there [is] the fatherland

ubi nihil vales, ibi

where you are worth nothing, there you will wish for nothing
nihil velis
ubi non accusator
where [there is] no accuser, there [is] no judge
ibi non iudex
ubi panis ibi
patria
ubi pus, ibi

Notes
Or utmost good faith (cf. bona fide). A legal
maxim of insurance contracts requiring all parties
to deal in good faith.

where there is bread, there is my country

where there is pus, there evacuate it

Similar to you catch more bees with honey than

with vinegartreat people nicely and they will
treat you nicely in return.
Or where there is liberty, there is my country.
Patriotic motto.
From the writings of the Flemish philosopher
Arnold Geulincx; also quoted by Samuel Beckett
in his first published novel, Murphy.
Thus, there can be no judgment 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.

evacua
ubi re vera
ubi societas ibi
ius
ubi solitudinem
faciunt pacem
appellant
ubi sunt

when, in a true thing

Or whereas, in reality Also rendered ubi

revera (when, in fact or when, actually).

if theres a society, law will be there

By Aristotle.

They make a desert and call it peace

from a speech by Calgacus reported/constructed

by Tacitus, Agricola, ch. 30.

where are they?

ubique, quo fas et

everywhere, where right and glory leads
gloria ducunt

ultima ratio

last method
the final argument
the last resort (as force)
The last resort. Short form for the metaphor The
Last Resort of Kings and Common Men
referring to the act of declaring war; used in the
names the French sniper rifle PGM Ultima Ratio
and the fictional Reason weapon system. Louis
XIV of France had Ultima Ratio Regum (last
argument of kings) cast on the cannons of his
armies; motto of the 1st Battalion 11th Marines;
motto of the Artilleriregementet.

ultimo mense (ult.) in the last month

ultra vires

Nostalgic theme of poems yearning for days

gone by. From the line ubi sunt qui ante nos
fuerunt (Where are they, those who have gone
before us?).
Motto of the Royal Regiment of Artillery and
most other Artillery corps within the armies of
the British Commonwealth (for example, the
Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery and
Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery).

beyond powers

Used in formal correspondence to refer to the

previous month. Used with inst. (this month)
and prox. (next month).
Without authority. Used to describe an action
done without proper authority, or acting without

the rules. The term will most often be used in

connection with appeals and petitions.
ultra posse nemo
No one is obligated beyond what he is able to do.
obligatur

ululas Athenas

(to send) owls to Athens

una hirundo non

one swallow does not make summer
facit ver

una salus victis

nullam sperare
salutem

unitas, iustitia,
spes
unitas per
servitiam

the only safety for the conquered is to hope for no safety

unity, justice, hope

unity through service

uno flatu

in one breath

unus multorum
Unus papa
Romae, unus

one of many
One pope in Rome, one port in Ancona, one tower in Cremona, one
beer in Rakovnk

From Gerhard Gerhards (14661536) [better

known as Erasmus] collection of annotated
Adagia (1508). Latin translation of a classical
Greek proverb. Generally means putting large
effort in a necessarily fruitless enterprise.
Compare selling coal to Newcastle.
A single example of something positive does not
necessarily mean that all subsequent similar
instances will have the same outcome.
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
Virgils Aeneid, book 2, lines 353354. Used in
Tom Clancys novel Without Remorse, where
character John Clark translates it as the one
hope of the doomed is not to hope for safety. It
was said several times in Andromeda as the
motto of the SOF units.
Motto of Vilnius.
Motto for the St. Xaviers Institution Board of
Librarians.
Used in criticism of inconsistent pleadings, i.e.
one cannot argue uno flatu both that the
company does not exist and that it is also
responsible for the wrong.
An average person.
Motto of the Czech Brewery in Rakovnk.[89]

portus Anconae,
una turris
Cremonae, una
ceres Raconae

so that they may know You.

Meaning To Rome and the World. A standard

opening of Roman proclamations. Also a
traditional blessing by the pope.
Motto of the City of Chicago.
Often used in reference to battle, implying a
willingness to keep fighting until you die.
In other words, practice makes perfect. Also
sometimes translated use makes master.
Also rendered with quando (when) in place of
quoniam. From a book 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 theman unwelcome omen of bad luck.
Thus, the sense is, if they do not perform as
expected, they must suffer the consequences.
Motto of Boston College High School.

though the power be lacking, the will is to be praised all the same

From Ovid, Epistulae ex Ponto (III, 4, 79).

Urbi et Orbi

to the city and the circle [of the lands]

urbs in horto

city in a garden

usque ad finem

to the very end

usus est magister

practice is the best teacher.
optimus

ut biberent
quoniam esse
nollent

ut cognoscant te
ut desint vires,
tamen est
laudanda
voluntas
ut dicitur
ut incepit fidelis
sic permanet
ut infra
ut in omnibus
glorificetur Deus.

so that they might drink, since they refused to eat

as has been said; as above

as she began loyal, so she persists

Thus, the state remains as loyal as ever. Motto of

Ontario.

as below
that in all things, God may be glorified

Motto of the Order of St. Benedict.

ut mare quod ut
ventus

to sea and into wind

Motto of USNS Washington Chambers

ut prosim

that I may serve

Motto of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State

University

ut proverbium
you know what they say
loquitur vetus
ut res magis
valeat quam
that the matter may have effect rather than fail[90]
pereat
ut retro

as backwards

Lit: As the old proverb says

Or as on the back side; thus, as on the

previous page (cf. ut supra).

ut Roma cadit, sic

as Rome falls, so [falls] the whole world
omnis terra

ut sit finis litium so there might be an end of litigation

ut supra

A traditional brocard. The full form is Interest

reipublicae ut sit finis litium, it is in the
governments interest that there be an end to
litigation. Often quoted in the context of statutes
of limitation.

as above

ut tensio sic vis

as the extension, so the force

utilis in
ministerium

usefulness in service

utraque unum

both into one

utrinque paratus ready for anything

Robert Hookes expression of his discovery of

his law of linear elasticity. Also: Motto of cole
Polytechnique de Montral. Motto of the British
Watch and Clockmakers Guild.
Comes from 2 Timothy 4:11. Motto of
Camberwell Girls Grammar School.
Also translated as that the two may be one.
Motto found in 18th century Spanish dollar
coins. Motto of Georgetown University.
Motto of The British Parachute Regiment. Motto
of the Belize National Coast Guard.

V
Latin

Translation

vade ad formicam

go to the ant

vade mecum

go with me

vade retro Satana

Go back, Satan!

vae victis

Woe to the conquered!

vanitas vanitatum
omnia vanitas
vaticinium ex
eventu

vanity of vanities;
everything [is] vanity

vel non

or not

velle est posse

To be willing is to be
able. (non-literal: Where

prophecy from the event

Notes
A Biblical phrase from the Vulgate, Proverbs 6:6. The full quotation translates as Go to
the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise![Pro 6:6]
A vade-mecum or vademecum is an item one carries around, especially a handbook.
An exhortation for Satan to begone, often used in response to temptation. From a popular
Medieval Catholic exorcism formula, based on a rebuke by Jesus to Peter in the Vulgate,
Mark 8:33: vade retro me Satana (get behind Me, Satan!).[Mark 8:33] The older phrase
vade retro (go back!) can be found in Terences Formio I, 4, 203.
Attributed by Livy to Brennus, the chief of the Gauls, while he demanded more gold from
the citizens of the recently sacked Rome in 390 BC.
More simply, vanity, vanity, everything vanity. From the Vulgate, Ecclesiastes 1:2;12:8.
A prophecy made to look as though it was written before the events it describes, while in
fact being written afterwards.
Summary of alternatives, e.g. this action turns upon whether the claimant was the
deceaseds grandson vel non.
Motto of Hillfield, one of the founding schools of Hillfield Strathallan College.

theres a will, theres a way.)

Or simply faster than cooking asparagus. Ascribed to Augustus by Suetonius (The Twelve
velocius quam
faster than asparagus can
Caesars, Book 2 (Augustus), para. 87). Can refer to anything done very quickly. A very
asparagi coquantur be cooked
common variant is celerius quam asparagi cocuntur (faster than asparagus is cooked).
As a tree with the passage
velut arbor aevo
Motto of the University of Toronto
of time
The message supposedly sent by Julius Caesar to the Roman Senate to describe his battle
veni, vidi, vici
I came, I saw, I conquered
against King Pharnaces II near Zela in 47 BC.
venisti remanebis From whence you came,
The phrase that the wizard said to the Devil in the film Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny
donec denuo
you shall remain, until
which trapped him in hell as long as he was missing his tooth.
completus sis
you are complete again
venturis ventis
To the coming winds
Motto of Braslia, capital of Brazil.
vera causa
true cause

verba docent
exempla trahunt

Words instruct,
illustrations lead
words are to be
verba ita sunt
understood such that the
intelligenda ut res
subject matter may be
magis valeat quam
more effective than
pereat
wasted
verba vana aut
Not to speak words in
risui non loqui
vain or to start laughter
verba volant,
words fly away, writings
scripta manent
remain
verbatim
word for word
verbatim et
word for word and letter
literatim
by letter
verbi divini
servant of the divine
minister
Word
verbi gratia
for example
(v.gr. or VG)

Verbum Dei
Word of God
verbum Domini
The Word of the Lord
manet in aeternum Endures Forever

On the relevance to use illustrations for example when preaching.

When explaining a given subject, it is important to clarify rather than confuse.

Rule number 56 of the Rule of Saint Benedict.

From a famous speech of Caius Titus at the Roman senate.
Refers to perfect transcription or quotation.

A priest (cf. Verbum Dei).

literally: for the sake of a word
See religious text.
Motto of the Lutheran Reformation

(VDMA)

verb. sap.,
verbum sap.

A word to the wise is

sufficient

The hearer can fill in the rest; enough said. Short for Verbum sapienti sat[is] est.

veritas

truth

Motto of many educational institutions, including Harvard University and Bishop Lynch
High School.

veritas aequitas
veritas, bonitas,
pulchritudo,
sanctitas
veritas Christo et
ecclesiae
veritas curat

Truth and justice

Truth, Goodness, Beauty,
Current motto of Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan
and Holiness
Truth for Christ and
Church
truth cures

The de jure motto of Harvard University, dating to its foundation; it is often shortened to
Veritas to dispose of its original religious meaning.
Motto of Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research

Veritas Dei vincit

veritas diaboli
manet in aeternum
veritas et fortitudo
veritas et virtus
veritas, fides,
sapientia
veritas in caritate
Veritas Iustitia
Libertas
Veritas Liberabit
Vos

Gods Truth prevails.

Devils truth remain
eternally
Truth and Courage
Truth and virtue

Motto of the Hussites

Truth, Faith, Wisdom

Current motto of Dowling Catholic High School

Truth Through Caring

Motto of Bishop Wordsworths School and St Munchins College

Truth Justice Liberty

Motto of Free University of Berlin

veritas lux mea

Truth is my light.

A common non-literal translation is Truth enlightens me. Motto of Seoul National

University

Truth never expires

Seneca the Younger

Truth hates delay

Truth conquers all

Seneca the Younger

Motto of Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario; Satyameva Jayate; Triangle Fraternity

Truth, Unity, Love

Motto of Villanova University

truth conquers

Motto of the Scottish clan Keith. Used to be motto of Protektorate of Bohemia and Moravia
and in Czech translation motto of Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic

veritas numquam
perit
veritas odit moras
veritas omnia vincit
veritas unitas
caritas
veritas vincit
Veritas. Virtus.
Libertas.
veritas vit
magistra
veritas vos liberabit
veritate duce
progredi
[in] veritate et
caritate
veritate et virtute

One of the mottoes of Lyceum of the Philippines University

Motto of University of Pittsburgh, Methodist University, Mississippi College

Truth Shall Set You Free Motto of Xavier University Ateneo de Cagayan

Truth. Courage. Freedom. Motto of the University of Szeged in Hungary

Another plaussible translation is Truth is Lifes Mistress. Unofficial Motto of University
of Puerto Rico, Ro Piedras, appearing in its Tower.
the truth will set you free Motto of Johns Hopkins University
Advancing (with) Truth
Motto of University of Arkansas
Leading.
Truth is Lifes Teacher.

with truth and love

Motto of Catholic Junior College, Singapore; of St Xaviers School, Hazaribagh, India

with truth and courage

Motto of Sydney Boys High School. Also virtute et veritate, motto of Walford Anglican

School for Girls.

Under the guidance of
Virtute duce comite
valor, accompanied by
fortuna
good fortune
I loved (or, I have
veritatem dilexi
esteemed) the truth.
veritatem fratribus to bear witness to the
testari
truth in brotherhood
vero nihil verius
nothing truer than truth
vero possumus

Yes, we can

versus (vs) or (v.)

towards

veto

I forbid

vexilla regis
prodeunt inferni

Forth go the banners of

the king of hell

vi coactus
vi et animo

under constraint
With heart and soul
by the power of truth, I,
while living, have
conquered the universe
by the road
middle road
The Way, the Truth and
the Life

vi veri universum
vivus vici
via
via media
via, veritas, vita
vice
vice versa
versa vice

Motto of Institut dtudes politiques de Lyon, also motto of the Accorretti family (it)
Motto of Bryn Mawr College
Motto of Xaverian Brothers High School
Motto of Mentone Girls Grammar School
A variation of the campaign slogan used by then-Senator Barack Obama on a Great Seal
variation during the 2008 US presidential campaign.[91]
Literally in the direction. Mistakenly used in English as against (probably from
adversus), particularly to denote two opposing parties, such as in a legal dispute or a
sports match.
The right to unilaterally stop a certain piece of legislation. Derived from ancient Roman
voting practices.
Used by Dante in Canto XXXIV of the Inferno, the phrase is an allusion to and play upon
the Latin Easter hymn Vexilla Regis, and is itself repeatedly referenced in the works of
Walter M. Miller, Jr.
used to indicate an agreement signed under duress
Or Strength with Courage. Motto of Ascham School and the McCulloch clan crest.
Magickal motto of Aleister Crowley.

by way of or by means of; e.g. Ill contact you via e-mail.

Can refer to the radical center political stance.
From the words of Jesus in the Gospel of John 14:6; motto of many institutions including
Glasgow University.
one who acts in place of another; can be used as a separate word, or as a hyphenated
in place of
prefix: Vice President and Vice-Chancellor.
with position turned
Thus, the other way around, conversely, etc. Historically and in British English, vice is
For other uses, see vice versa pronounced as two syllables, but in American English the one-syllable pronunciation is

victoria aut mors

victoria concordia
crescit

extremely common. Classical Latin pronunciation dictates that the letter C can only make a
hard sound, like K, thus vee-keh vehr-sah. Moreover, it also dictates that the letter V, when
consonantal, represents /w/; i.e. in classical times, the V was pronounced like a W; hence
wee-keh wehr-sah.[92]
similar to aut vincere aut mori.

Victory or death!
Victory comes from
The official club motto of Arsenal F.C.
harmony
the victorious cause
victrix causa diis
pleased the gods, but the Lucan, Pharsalia 1, 128. Dedication on the south side of the Confederate Memorial at
placuit sed victa
conquered cause pleased Arlington National Cemetery.
Catoni
Cato
vide
see or refer to
vide infra (v.i.)
see below
vide supra (v.s.)
see above
Or see earlier in this writing. Also shortened to just supra.
namely, that is to say,
videlicet (viz.)
Contraction of videre licet: permitted to see.
as follows
video et taceo
I see and keep silent
The motto of Queen Elizabeth I of England.
video meliora
I see and approve of the
proboque deteriora better, but I follow the
From the Metamorphoses VII. 2021 of Ovid. A summary of the experience of akrasia.
sequor
worse
I see it, but I dont believe
video sed non credo
Caspar Hofmann after being shown proof of the circulatory system by William Harvey.
it
it is permitted to see,
videre licet
one may see
vim promovet
promotes ones innate
Motto of University of Bristol taken from Horace Ode 4.4.
insitam
power
Overcome Evil with
Partial quotation of Romans 12:21 also used as a motto for Old Swinford Hospital and
vince malum bono
Good
Bishop Cotton School, Shimla.
vincere est vivere to conquer is to live
Captain John Smiths personal motto
vincere scis
you know [how] to win, According to Livy, a cavalry colonel told Hannibal this after the victory at Cannae in 216
Hannibal victoria Hannibal; you do not
BC, meaning that Hannibal should have marched on Rome directly.
uti nescis
know [how] to use

victory
vincit omnia veritas Truth conquers all
Motto of Augusta State University in Augusta, GA
vincit qui patitur he conquers who endures First attributed to Roman scholar and satirst Persius; frequently used as motto.
Motto of many educational institutions. Also bis vincit qui se vincit (he/she who
he/she conquers who
prevails over himself/herself is twice victorious). Also the motto of The Beast in Disneys
vincit qui se vincit
conquers himself/herself Beauty and the Beast as seen on the castles stained glass window near the beginning of the
film. It is also the motto of North Sydney Boys High School
the chain of the law, i.e. A civil obligation is one which has a binding operation in law, vinculum juris. Bouviers
vinculum juris
legally binding
Law Dictionary, 1856, Obligation.
vinum et musica
Wine and music gladden
Asterix and Caesars Gift; a variation on vinum bonum laetificat cor hominis.
laetificant cor
the heart
vinum regum, rex The wine of kings, the
A description of Tokaji wine, attributed to Louis XIV.
vinorum
king of wines
vir prudens non
[A] wise man does not
contra ventum
urinate [up] against the
mingit
wind
vir visque vir
Every man a man
Motto of the U.S. collegiate fraternity Lambda Chi Alpha.
The manly thing is being
virile agitur
As used in the motto of Knox Grammar School
done
Act manfully or Act
viriliter age
As used in the motto of Marist College Ashgrove and others.
Courageously
viriliter agite
Act in a manly way
As used in the motto of St Muredachs College
viriliter agite estote
Act manfully, be strong As used in the motto of Culford School
fortes
virtus et labor
virtue and hard work
The motto of Don Bosco Liluah, India.
virtus et scientia
virtue and knowledge
Frequently used as a motto, preeminently as that of La Salle University of Philadelphia, PA.
Virtue stands in the
Idiomatically: Good practice lies in the middle path. There is disagreement as to whether
virtus in media stat
middle.
media or medio is correct.
virtus junxit mors that which virtue unites,
Masonic (Scottish Rite) motto
non separabit
let not death separate
virtus laudata
Greatness increases with
Berkhamsted School motto
crescit
praise

Virtus non stemma Valor, not garland

virtus sola nobilitas
virtus tentamine
gaudet
virtus unita fortior

Duke of Westminsters motto at his stately home in Eaton, motto of Grosvenor Rowing
Club and Harrow County School for Boys
Christian Brothers College, St Kildas school motto

virtue alone [is] noble

Strength rejoices in the
The motto of Hillsdale College.
challenge.
virtue united [is] stronger State motto of Andorra.
Or by manhood and weapons. State motto of Mississippi. Possibly derived from the
virtute et armis
by virtue and arms
motto of Lord Gray De Wilton, virtute non armis fido (I trust in virtue, not in arms). Also
virtute et labore, as by manhood and by work motto of Pretoria Boys High School
virtute et industria by virtue and industry
Motto of the city of Bristol.
vis legis
power of the law
visio dei
Vision of a god
vita ante acta
a life done before
Thus, a previous life, generally due to reincarnation.
[Mary our] life,
vita, dulcedo, spes
Motto of University of Notre Dame.
sweetness, hope
vita incerta, mors Life is uncertain, death is
In simpler English, The most certain thing in life is death.
certissima
most certain
vita mutatur, non Life is changed, not taken
The phrase is in the preface of the first Catholic rite of the Mass for the Dead.
tollitur
away.
During the life of the
Hence the term decessit vita patris (d.v.p) or died v.p. seen in genealogy works such as
vita patris
father
Burkes Peerage.
vita summa brevis the shortness of life
A wistful refrain, sometimes used ironically. From the first line of Horaces Ode I; later
spem nos vetat
prevents us from
used as the title of a short poem by Ernest Dowson.
incohare longam
entertaining far-off hopes
From Lucretius poem De rerum natura II.7779; the normal spelling vitae (two
vitai lampada
They hand on the torch of
syllables) had to be changed to vita (three syllables) to fit the requirements of the poems
tradunt
life
dactylic hexameters. Motto of the Sydney Church of England Grammar School and others.
vitam amplificare
hominibus
Mankind [who] extends
Motto of East Los Angeles College.
hominesque
the life of the community
societati
viva voce
living voice
An oral, as opposed to a written, examination of a candidate.

vivat crescat floreat

vivat rex
vive memor leti

may it live, grow, and

flourish!
May the King live!
live remembering death

Usually translated Long live the King! Also Vivat Regina (Long live the Queen!).
Persius. Compare with memento mori
The phrase suggests that one should live life to the fullest and without fear of possible
vive ut vivas
live so that you may live
consequences.
vivere est cogitare to live is to think
Cicero; compare with cogito ergo sum
Seneca (Epist. 96,5). Compare with the allegory of Miles Christianus based on militia est
vivere militare est to live is to fight
vita hominis in the Vulgate, Book of Job 7:1.
vocatus atque non called and not called, God or called and even not called, God approaches; attributed to the Oracle at Delphi. Used
vocatus Deus aderit will be present
by Carl Jung as a personal motto adorning his home and grave.
or to him who consents, no harm is done; used in tort law to delineate the principle that
volenti non fit
to one willing, no harm is
one cannot be held liable for injuries inflicted on an individual who has given his consent
injuria
done
to the action that gave rise to the injury.
you are the salt of the
vos estis sal terrae
A famous biblical sentence said by Jesus.
earth.
votum separatum separate vow
An independent, minority voice.
or traditionally, the voice of one crying in the wilderness; from the Vulgate, Isaiah 40:3,
vox clamantis in
the voice of one shouting
and quoted by John the Baptist in the Gospels (Mark 1:3 and John 1:23). It is the motto of
deserto
in the desert
Dartmouth College, in Hanover, New Hampshire.
vox nihili
voice of nothing
Applied to a useless or ambiguous phrase or statement.
Short non-prearranged interview with an ordinary person (e.g. on the street); sometimes
vox populi
voice of the people
shortened to vox pop.
the voice of the people is
vox populi, vox Dei
the voice of God

Notes
1. ^ William Blakestone. Book 3 Chapter 10: Of Injuries to Real Property, And First of Dispossession, or Ouster, of The Freehold
footnote 47
2. ^ a b James T. Bretzke, Consecrated phrases: a Latin theological dictionary : Latin expressions commonly found in theological
writings (Liturgical Press, 1998), p. 10. ISBN 0-8146-5880-6 [Amazon-US | Amazon-UK], ISBN 978-0-8146-5880-2 [Amazon-US |
Amazon-UK]

3. ^ Peter Jones (2006). Reading Ovid: Stories from the Metamorphoses. Cambridge University Press. p. 223. ISBN 0-521-84901-2
[Amazon-US | Amazon-UK].
4. ^ See Google books.
5. ^ Ovidi Nasonis Epistvlae Heroidvm, XIII. Laodamia Protesilao
6. ^ cacothes. Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short. A Latin Dictionary on Perseus Project.
7. ^ . Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A GreekEnglish Lexicon at the Perseus Project
8. ^ Epistula XI. Epistularum Q. Horatii Flacci Liber Primus. The Society for Ancient Languages. Retrieved 2013-05-29.
9. ^ Saint Augustine. Liber Quartusdecimus. Opera Omnia of St. Augustine. Rome: Citt Nuova. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
10.^ De rosis nascentibus, Bibliotheca Augustina
11.^ Commonly used shorthand for dictionaries. yaelf.com.
12.^ Guide to Punctuation. sussex.ac.uk.
13.^ Jon R. Stone, More Latin for the Illiterati, Routledge, 1999, p. 53.
14.^ Giles Jacob, A Law Grammar, W. Clarke & Sons, 1817, p. 3.
15.^ Glossary Help. Judiciary of Scotland. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
16.^ Ablative of present participle vivens + pater
17.^ http://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/miller/history.html
18.^ Actus non facit reum, nisi mens sit rea: An Investigation into the Treatment of Mens Rea in the Quest to Hold Individuals
Accountable for Genocide Mens Rea: The Mental Element quoting and citing William A. Schabas, The Jelisic Case and the Mens
Rea of the Crime of Genocide, Leiden Journal of International Law 14 (2001): 129.
19.^ Clan Fergus(s)on Society Retrieved on 14 December 2007
20.^ Euripides (428 BCE [2003 CE]) Medea and other plays, Penguin Group, London, p.153, l.615 (trans.Davie, J.)
21.^ Sancti Aurelii Augustini Opera, vol. IV, p. 412
22.^ University of Minnesota Style Manual: Correct Usage. .umn.edu. 2010-11-22. Retrieved 2011-01-19.
23.^ Lee, Chelsea (3 November 2011). The Proper Use of Et Al. in APA Style. APA Style. American Psychological Association.
24.^ Gray, John (2006), Lawyers Latin (a vade-mecum), Hale, London, ISBN 9780709082774 [Amazon-US | Amazon-UK].
25.^ Pliny the Elder: the Natural History, Liber VIII. Penelope.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 2011-01-19.
26.^ Exempli gratia (e.g.) and id est (i.e.) are commonly confused and misused in colloquial English. The former, exempli gratia, means
for example, and is used before giving examples of something (I have lots of favorite colors, e.g., blue, green, and hot pink). The
latter, id est, means that is, and is used before clarifying the meaning of something, when elaborating, specifying, or explaining
rather than when giving examples (I have lots of favorite colors; i.e., I cant decide on just one). In British style, the stops may be
omitted: I have lots of favourite colours, eg blue, green and hot pink. I have lots of favourite colours; ie I cant decide on just one
27.^ American style guides tend to recommend that e.g. and i.e. should generally be followed by a comma, just as for example
and that is would be; UK style tends to omit the comma. See Dictionary.com and their discussion of commas for more information.
Search comma after i.e. for other opinions.
28.^ Rapini, Ronald P. (2005). Practical dermatopathology. Elsevier Mosby. ISBN 0-323-01198-5 [Amazon-US | Amazon-UK].
29.^ Webb-Johnson AE (May 1950). Experientia docet. Rev Gastroenterol 17 (5): 33743. PMID 15424403.

30.^ Boswell, James (1768). An Account of Corsica: The Journal of a Tour to that Island; and Memoirs of Pascal Paoli (second ed.).
London: Edward and Charles Dilly. p. 10.
31.^ The Diwan of Abul-Ala at Project Gutenberg
32.^ Rutilius Namatianus: De reditu suo, Liber primus at The Latin Library
33.^ Jon R. Stone (2005). The Routledge Dictionary of Latin Quotations. Routledge NY. p. 253. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
34.^ Gravis Dulcis Immutabilis at classicpoetryaloud.com
35.^ P. Ovidius Naso: Epistulae Ex Ponto, Liber Quartus, X. Albinovano at The Latin Library
36.^ Res Rusticae De agri cultura
37.^ Does a comma go after i.e. or e.g.?, Dictionary.com Word FAQs
38.^ 74 Poet. Lat. Min. IV, ed. Baehrens.
39.^ Introduction. Nature in Cambridgeshire.
40.^ Ite Missa Est from the Catholic Encyclopedia
41.^ Pages Home. education.tas.edu.au.
42.^ Sir Bernard Burke (1884). The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales; comprising a registry of armorial
bearings from the earliest to the present time. (London: Harrison).
43.^ Titus Maccius Plautus (1912). Asinaria, or The Ass-Dealer. In Riley, Henry Thomas. The Comedies of Plautus. London: George
Bell & Sons. Act II, scene IV. OCLC 11166656.
44.^ GS at a Glance. columbia.edu.
45.^ MASSIVE Digital Interactive Agency. St. Julians School. St. Julians School.
46.^ Harbottle, Thomas Benfield (1906). Dictionary of Quotations (Classical). The Macmillan Co.
47.^ Seneca, Lucius Annaeus (1900). Minor Dialogs: Together with the Dialog On Clemency. Translated by Aubrey Stewart. London:
George Bell & Sons. OCLC 811117949.
48.^ Seneca, Lucius Annaeus (1928). Moral Essays. Translated by John W. Basore. London, New York: William Heinemann, G. P.
Putnams Sons. OCLC 685728.
49.^ a b morior invictus. eudict.com.
50.^ Divus Claudius. thelatinlibrary.com.
51.^ Larry D. Benson, ed. The Riverside Chaucer. 3rd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1987. p. 939, n. 3164.
52.^ a b Martnez, Javier (2012). Mundus vult decipi. Madrid: Ediciones Clsicas. p. 9. ISBN 84-7882-738-2 [Amazon-US | AmazonUK].
53.^ a b Harbottle, Thomas Benfield (1906). Dictionary of Quotations (Classical). The Macmillan Co.
54.^ a b Burton, Robert (1990). Kiessling, Nicolas K.; Faulkner, Thomas C.; Blair, Rhonda L., ed. The Anatomy of Melancholy, Part 3,
Sect. 4. Memb. 1. Subs. 2. Vol. 3. Oxford University Press. p. 347.
55.^ a b Wyttenbach, Daniel (translator) (1828). Plutarchus, and Theophrastus, on Superstition; with Various Appendices, and a Life of
Plutarchus. Kentish Town: Julian Hibbert. First Appendix, p. 5.
56.^ Hall, A. Rupert. Unpublished Scientific Papers of Isaac Newton: A selection from the Portsmouth Collection in the University

Library, Cambridge. ISBN 0521294363 [Amazon-US | Amazon-UK].

57.^ LXVI. De Natura Deorum. http://archive.org (Cambridge University Press). 1880.
58.^ Virgils Aeneid Translated by John Dryden (1697).
59.^ The Aeneid of Virgil Translated into English by John William Mackail (1885), Book Fourth: The Love of Dido, and Her End.
60.^ The Aeneid of Vergil Translated into English by E. Fairfax Taylor [1907] (1910), Book Four, LXXXV.
61.^ Aeneid Translated by Theodore C. Williams (1910).
62.^ Paul Hoffman (1998). The Man Who Loved Only Numbers. p. 6.
63.^ Seneca the Younger. Moral Letters to Lucilius, 106. Hosted at Wikisource.
64.^ The Cambridge Companion to Martin Luther, p. 13. Cambridge University Press (Cambridge), 2003.
65.^ Confessio Augustana, 28. 1530. Hosted at Christian Classics Ethereal Library.
66.^ Chamberlin, Yves. Omnia Extares, seriously?. Cooper Point Journal. Archived from the original on 2012-08-27. Retrieved 201207-29.
67.^ Rosenow, Ty (2009-06-01). Myths Unveiled: The Social History of The Evergreen State College (PDF) (Unpublished
manuscript). The Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-07-28.
68.^ Masonic mottoes
69.^ St Marks Square
70.^ Trademark registration
71.^ Solodow, Joseph Latin Alive: The Survival of Latin in English and the Romance Languages, Cambridge University Press, 2010
p.160 out of the phrase posse comitatus the force of the county arose our present use of posse for a group of men whom the sheriff
calls upon in a crisis.
72.^ Kinsey, Alfred Charles (1998) [1953]. Sexual Behavior in the Human Female. Indiana University Press. p. 638. ISBN 978-0-25333411-4 [Amazon-US | Amazon-UK]. (Kinsey Reports)
73.^ Hibbard, Howard (1991). Bernini. New York: Penguin. p. 78. ISBN 978-0-14-013598-5 [Amazon-US | Amazon-UK].
74.^ Blakesley, Christopher L. (2009). 18. Jurisdiction Ratione Personae or the personal reach of the courts jurisdiction. The Legal
Regime of the International Criminal Court. Martinus Nijhoff. pp. 421454. ISBN 9789004180635 [Amazon-US | Amazon-UK].
75.^ Hetyey, Gabor. Reginam occidere. University of Kansas. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
76.^ 228 (227, 193): To Theo van Gogh. The Hague, on or about Tuesday, 16 May 1882. Vincent van Gogh Letters.
Vangoghletters.org. Retrieved 2013-09-25.
77.^ E.H. Gifford. Eusebius of Caesarea: Praeparatio Evangelica (Preparation for the Gospel). Tr. E.H. Gifford (1903) Book 6.
Tertullian.org. Retrieved 2013-09-25.
78.^ John Nery. The Jesuits Fault. Philippine Daily Inquirer.
79.^ Glory In Stability And Moderation. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
80.^ Quintus Horatius Flaccus. Q. Horati Flacci Epistvlarvm Liber Secvndvs (in Latin). The Latin Library. Retrieved 10 September
2008.
81.^ Osborne Wrigley-Pimley-McKerr III, United States Heraldic Registry
82.^ Column 1532, Lords Hansard, 21 January 1998

83.^ Michael Bush, Calvin and the Reformanda Sayings, in Herman J. Selderhuis, ed., Calvinus sacrarum literarum interpres:
Papers of the International Congress on Calvin Research (Gttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2008) p. 286. ISBN 978-3-52556914-6 [Amazon-US | Amazon-UK]
84.^ Hildebrand, J. H. and Scott, R. L. (1950),The Solubility of Nonelectrolytes, 3rd ed., American Chemical Society Monograph No.
17, Reinhold Publishing Corporation.
85.^ Spartam nactus es; hanc exorna, note from Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790) by Edmund Burke
86.^ University motto. Cayetano-pae.org. 1989-10-14. Retrieved 2012-01-03.
87.^ Augustini Sermo LXXVI. Hiphi.ubbcluj.ro. Retrieved 2012-01-03.
88.^ The Tragedy of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe (at Wikisource)
89.^ Czech Brewery Rakovnk The Brewery. Rakovnikbeer.cz. 1906-04-01. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
90.^ Trans-Lex.org (in German). Trans-Lex.org. 1991-05-27. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
91.^ Image at York University, Department of Languages, Literatures & Linguistics.
92.^ Covington, Michael A. (December 31, 2005). Latin Pronunciation Demystified (PDF). Program in Linguistics. University of
Georgia.

References
Adeleye, Gabriel G. (1999). Thomas J. Sienkewicz; James T. McDonough, Jr., eds. World Dictionary of Foreign Expressions.
Wauconda, IL: Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0865164223 [Amazon-US | Amazon-UK].
Hardon, John, Fr., Modern Catholic Dictionary
Stone, Jon R. (1996). Latin for the Illiterati. London & New York: Routledge. ISBN 0415917751 [Amazon-US | Amazon-UK].