List of Latin Phrases (Full..

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org/wiki/List_of_Latin_phrases_(full)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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
References
Latin Translation Notes

Or "at will", "at one's pleasure". This phrase, and its Italian
from one well
a bene placito (beneplacito) and Spanish (beneplácito) derivatives, are
pleased
synonymous with the more common ad libitum (at pleasure).
Or "from heaven all the way to the center of the earth". In law, can
a caelo usque ad from the sky to the refer to the obsolete cuius est solum eius est usque ad coelum et ad
centrum center inferos maxim of property ownership ("for whoever owns the soil, it
is theirs up to the sky and down to the depths").
a capite ad From top to bottom; all the way through (colloquially "from head to
from head to heel
calcem toe"). Equally a pedibus usque ad caput.
Equivalent to "on the contrary" or "au contraire". An argumentum a
a contrario from the opposite contrario is an "argument from the contrary", an argument or proof
by contrast or direct opposite.
from or since
a Deucalione A long time ago. From Gaius Lucilius (Satires, 6, 284)
Deucalion
a falsis
from false
principiis Legal term from Cicero's De Finibus 4.53.
principles
proficisci
Loosely, "even more so" or "with even stronger reason". Often used
a fortiori from the stronger
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
a mari usque ad flumine usque ad terminos terrae" (KJV: "He shall have dominion
from sea to sea
mare also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth").
National motto of Canada.
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Completely. Similar to the English expressions "from tip to toe" or

a pedibus usque
from feet to head "from top to toe". Equally a capite ad calcem. See also ab ovo usque
ad caput
ad mala.
from being able to "From possibility to actuality" or "from being possible to being
a posse ad esse
being actual"
Based on observation (i.e., empirical knowledge), the reverse of a
priori. Used in mathematics and logic to denote something that is
a posteriori from the latter
known after a proof has been carried out. In philosophy, used to
denote something that can be known from empirical experience.
Presupposed, the reverse of a posteriori. Used in mathematics and
logic to denote something that is known or postulated before a proof
a priori from the former has been carried out. In philosophy, used to denote something that
can be known without empirical experience. In everyday speech, it
denotes something occurring or being known before the event.
Said of an argument that seeks to prove a statement's validity by
pointing out the absurdity of an opponent's position (cf. appeal to
ab absurdo from the absurd 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 an inference from
usum non valet an abuse to a use is Rights abused are still rights (cf. abusus non tollit usum).
consequentia not valid
Literally, "from the everlasting" or "from eternity". Thus, "from time
immemorial", "since the beginning of time" or "from an infinitely
ab aeterno from the eternal
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
ab extra from beyond
than from the self or the mind (ab intra).
ab hinc or
from here on
abhinc
from the deepest Or "from the bottom of my heart", "with deepest affection",
ab imo pectore
chest "sincerely".. Attributed to Julius Caesar.
New Latin for "based on unsuitability", "from inconvenience" or
"from hardship". An argumentum ab inconvenienti is one based on
from an
ab inconvenienti the difficulties involved in pursuing a line of reasoning, and is thus a
inconvenient thing
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 to the earliest stage or origin of
ab incunabulis from the cradle
something, and especially to copies of books that predate the spread
of the printing press around AD 1500.
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"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
ab initio from the beginning
court declared it so. A judicial declaration of the invalidity of a
marriage ab initio is a nullity. In science, refers to the first principles.
In other contexts, often refers to beginner or training courses. Ab
initio mundi means "from the beginning of the world".
ab intestato from an intestate From someone who dies with no legal will (cf. ex testamento).
ab intra from within 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
ab irato from an angry man hatred or anger, rather than on reason. The form irato is 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 commencement—i.e.,
ab origine from the source
"originally". The source of the word aboriginal.
From Horace, Satire 1.3. Means "from beginning to end", based on
ab ovo usque ad from the egg to the the Roman main meal typically beginning with an egg dish and
mala apples ending with fruit (cf. the English phrase soup to nuts). Thus, ab ovo
means "from the beginning", and can also connote thoroughness.
From Virgil's Aeneid. Refers to situations where a single example or
ab uno disce
from one, learn all observation indicates a general or universal truth. Visible in the court
omnes
of King Silas in the TV series Kings.
Or "from the founding of Rome", which occurred in 753 BC
from the city according to Livy's count. Used as a reference point in ancient Rome
ab urbe condita having been for establishing dates, before being supplanted by other systems.
(a.u.c.)
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 an absent person In law, refers to the principle that someone who is not present is
non erit will not be an heir unlikely to inherit.
[with] the
absente reo (abs. defendant being In the absence of the accused.
re.)
absent
absit iniuria
let injury be absent Expresses the wish that no insult or wrong be conveyed by the
verbis (or
from [these] words speaker's words, i.e., "no offence". See also absit invidia.
injuria)
Although similar to the English expression "no offence", absit
invidia is not a mere social gesture to avoid causing offense, but also
a way to ward off the harm that some people superstitiously believe
absit invidia let ill will be absent
animosity can cause others. Also extended to absit invidia verbo,
meaning "may ill will be absent from the word" (cf. absit iniuria
verbis).
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Or "let this not be a bad omen". Expresses the wish that something
let an omen be
absit omen seemingly ill-boding does not turn out to be an omen for future
absent
events, and calls on divine protection against evil.
absolutum
absolute dominion Total power or sovereignty.
dominium
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
absolvo I acquit
Catholic priests during the Sacrament of Confession prior to the
Second Vatican Council.
abundans
abundant caution
cautela non Frequently phrased as "one can never be too careful".
does no harm
nocet
abusus non tollit misuse does not Just because something is misused doesn't mean it can't be used
usum remove use correctly.
abyssus deep calleth unto
From Psalms 42:7; some translations have 'Sea calls to sea'.
abyssum invocat deep
accipe hoc Take this Motto of 848 Naval Air Squadron, Royal Navy.
A legal maxim denoting that any accused person is entitled to make a
no one ought to
accusare nemo plea of not guilty, and also that a witness is not obliged to give a
accuse himself
se debet nisi response or submit a document that will incriminate himself. A very
except in the
coram Deo similar phrase is nemo tenetur se ipsum accusare "no one is bound to
Presence of God
accuse himself". See right to silence.
acta deos mortal actions Ovid's Tristia 1.2.97: si tamen acta deos numquam mortalia fallunt,
numquam never deceive the / a culpa facinus scitis abesse mea. "Yet if mortal actions never
mortalia fallunt gods deceive the gods, / you know that crime was absent from my fault."
A common ending to ancient Roman comedies, also claimed by
The play has been Suetonius in The Twelve Caesars to have been Augustus' last words.
acta est fabula
performed; Applied by Sibelius to the third movement of his String Quartet no. 2
plaudite
applaud! 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
acta sanctorum Deeds of the Saints
a specific Saint's name. A 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
The act does not
actus non facit make [a person]
reum nisi mens guilty unless the A legal term outlining the presumption of mens rea in a crime.
sit rea mind should be
guilty.
The actual crime that is committed, rather than the intent or thought
actus reus guilty act process leading up to the crime. Thus, the external elements of a
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crime, as contrasted with mens rea, the internal elements.

In logic, to the point of being silly or nonsensical. See also reductio
ad absurdum to the absurd
ad absurdum. Not to be confused with ab absurdo (from the absurd).
In legal language, used when providing additional evidence to an
ad abundantiam to abundance already sufficient collection. Also used commonly, as an equivalent
of "as if this wasn't enough".
ad arbitrium at will, at pleasure
Name or motto (in full or part) of many organizations, publications,
ad astra to the stars
etc.
A favorite saying of John Steinbeck. A professor told him that he
ad astra per alia to the stars on the
would be an author when pigs flew. Every book he wrote is printed
porci wings of a pig
with this insignia.
Motto of Kansas, and other organisations. The phrase is also
ad astra per to the stars through
translated as "A rough road leads to the stars", as on the Launch
aspera difficulty
Complex 34 memorial plaque for the astronauts of Apollo 1.
ad captandum in order to capture To appeal to the masses. Often used of politicians. An argumentum
vulgus the crowd ad captandum is an argument designed to please the crowd.
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
ad eundem to the same 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
ad fontes to the sources
Reformation.
Said during a generic toast, equivalent to "bottoms up!" In other
ad fundum to the bottom
contexts, generally means "back to the basics".
Generally means "for this", in the sense of improvised on the spot or
ad hoc to this
designed for only a specific, immediate purpose.
Or "at the man". Typically used in argumentum ad hominem, a
logical fallacy consisting of criticizing a person when the subject of
ad hominem to the man debate is the person's 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
ad infinitum to infinity
cases in mathematical proof.
ad interim (ad As in the term "chargé d'affaires ad interim" for a diplomatic officer
for the meantime
int) who acts in place of an ambassador.
Attributed by Suetonius in The Twelve Caesars to Augustus. The
ad kalendas at the Greek Calends were specific days of the Roman calendar, not of the Greek,
graecas Calends and so the "Greek Kalends" would never occur. Similar to "when
pigs fly".
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Loosely, "according to what pleases" or "as you wish"; libitum

comes from the past participle of libere, "to please". It typically
ad libitum (ad toward pleasure indicates in music and theatrical scripts that the performer has the
lib)
liberty to change or omit something. Ad lib is specifically often used
when someone improvises or ignores limitations.
A legal term referring to a party appointed by a court to act in a
lawsuit on behalf of another party who is deemed incapable of
ad litem to the lawsuit
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,
ad lucem to the light Withington Girls' School and St. Bartholomew's School, Newbury,
UK
ad maiorem Dei
gloriam or ad to the greater glory Motto of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Edward Elgar dedicated his
majorem Dei of God oratorio The Dream of Gerontius "A.M.D.G."
gloriam (AMDG)
Towards better
ad meliora motto of St. Patrick's 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!"
Or "to the point of disgust". Sometimes used as a humorous
alternative to ad infinitum. An argumentum ad nauseam is a logical
ad nauseam to seasickness
fallacy involving basing one's argument on prolonged repetition, i.e.,
repeating something so much that people are "sick of it".
ad oculos to the eyes Meaning "obvious on sight" or "obvious to anyone that sees it".
ad pedem to the foot of the Thus, "exactly as it is written". Similar to the phrase "to the letter",
litterae letter meaning "to the last detail".
ad perpetuam to the perpetual Generally precedes "of" and a person's name, and is used to wish for
memoriam memory someone to be remembered long after death.
More loosely, "considering everything's weight". The abbreviation
ad pondus to the weight of all was historically used by physicians and others to signify that the last
omnium (ad pond things prescribed ingredient is to weigh as much as all of the previously
om)
mentioned ones.
Meaning "according to the harm" or "in proportion to the harm". The
ad quod to whatever phrase is used in tort law as a measure of damages inflicted, implying
damnum damage that a remedy, if one exists, ought to correspond specifically and
only to the damage suffered (cf. damnum absque iniuria).
ad referendum to be proposed Loosely "subject to reference": provisionally approved, but still
(ad ref) [before the Senate] needing official approval. Not the same as a referendum.
ad rem to the matter Thus, "to the point", without digression.
ad terminum for the term which A legal term for a writ of entry ad terminum qui praeteriit [for the
qui praeteriit has passed term which has passed].[1]
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ad undas to the waves Equivalent to "to hell".

Said of a work that has been expurgated of offensive or improper
ad usum for the use of the parts. The phrase originates from editions of Greek and Roman
Delphini Dauphin classics which Louis XIV had censored for his heir apparent, the
Dauphin. Also rarely in usum Delphini (into the use of the Dauphin).
ad usum
proprium (ad us. for one's own use
propr.)
ad utrumque prepared for either The motto of Lund University, with the implied alternatives being the
paratus [alternative] book (study) and the sword (defending the country in war).
Used in commerce to refer to ad valorem taxes, taxes based on the
ad valorem according to value
assessed value of real estate or personal property.
More commonly translated into "for victory" this is a battlecry of the
ad victoriam to victory
Romans.
ad vitam
to eternal life Also "to life everlasting". A common Biblical phrase.
aeternam
ad vitam aut for life or until
Usually used of a term of office.
culpam fault
An item to be added, especially a supplement to a book. The plural is
addendum thing to be added
addenda.
correspondence of
adaequatio One of the definitions of the truth. When the mind has the same form
the mind and
intellectus et rei as reality, we think truth. Also found as adaequatio rei et intellectus.
reality
adaequatio
conformity of our A phrase used in Epistemology regarding the nature of
intellectus
minds to the fact understanding.
nostri cum re
Equivalent to "Present!" or "Here!" The opposite of absum "I am
adsum I am here
absent".
adversus solem don't speak against
Or don't argue what's obviously wrong.
ne loquitor the sun
a sick man's
aegri somnia From Horace, Ars Poetica, 7. Loosely, "troubled dreams".
dreams
"of age" / "aged"
Abbreviation of "aetatis"; further abbreviated (and more common):
aetat. (in the sense of:
"aet." – e.g.: "aetat" or "aet. 36" = "36 years old".
"age: ...)
Thus, "at the age of". Appeared on portraits, gravestones, etc.
of one's own age Sometimes extended to anno aetatis suae (AAS), "in the year of his
aetatis suae
age". Sometimes shortened to just aetatis or aetat (aet.).
The tomb reads Anno 1629 Aetatis Suae 46 because she died in 1629 at age 46.
A legal term from Medieval Latin referring to a sworn statement.
affidavit he asserted
From fides, "faith".
Do what you are More often translated as "Do well whatever you do", this phrase is
age quod agis
doing. used as the motto of several Catholic schools.
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Originally comparable to a to-do list, an ordered list of things to be

agenda things to be done done. Now generalized to include any planned course of action. The
singular, agendum (thing that must be done), is rarely used.
agere sequitur action follows
credere belief "We act according to what we believe (ourselves to be)".[2]
agere sequitur action follows Metaphysical and moral principle that indicates the connection
(esse) being 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!" upon seeing Jesus,
Agnus Dei Lamb of God
referring both to a lamb's connotations of innocence and to a
sacrificial lamb.
Or in Greek, ἀνεῤῥίφθω κύβος anerrhíphthō kýbos; said by Julius
Caesar upon crossing the Rubicon in 49 BC, according to Suetonius.
the die has been The original meaning was similar to "the game is afoot", but its
alea iacta est
cast 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
alenda lux ubi
nourished where Or "let learning be cherished..." The motto of Davidson College.
orta libertas
liberty [has] arisen.
at another time, An assumed name or pseudonym. Similar to alter ego, but more
alias
otherwise specifically referring to a name, not to a "second self".
A legal defense where a defendant attempts to show that he was
alibi elsewhere elsewhere at the time a crime was committed.
His alibi is sound; he gave evidence that he was in another city on the night of the
murder.
aliquid stat pro something stands
A foundational definition for semiotics.
aliquo for something else
taken from the Book of Isaiah, Chapter 40. "But those who wait for
the Lord shall find their strength renewed, they shall mount up on
alis aquilae on an eagle's wings
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
alis grave nil
with wings Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro.
alis volat she flies with her State motto of Oregon; adopted in 1987, it replaced "The Union",
propriis own wings which was the previous state motto adopted in 1957.
Term used for the university one attends or has attended. Another
university term, matriculation, is also derived from mater. The term
alma mater nourishing mother suggests that the students are "fed" knowledge and taken care of by
the university. The term is also used for a university's traditional
school anthem.
Another self, a second persona or alias. Can be used to describe
alter ego another I different facets or identities of a single character, or different
characters who seem representations of the same personality. Often
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used of a fictional character's secret identity.

Final sentence from Aesop ascribed fable (see also Aesop's Fables)
alterius non sit Let no man be "The Frogs Who Desired a King" as appears in the collection
qui suus esse another's who can commonly known as the "Anonymus Neveleti" (fable XXIb. De
potest be his own ranis a Iove querentibus regem). Motto of Paracelsus. Usually
attributed to Cicero.
alterum non to not wound
One of Justinian I's three basic legal precepts.
laedere another
alumnus or
pupil graduate or former student of a school, college or university
alumna
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,
amicus curiae friend of the court
an amicus curiae is a third party allowed to submit a legal opinion (in
the form of an amicus brief) to the court.
amittere legem to lose the law of An obsolete legal term signifying the forfeiture of the right of
terrae the land swearing in any court or cause, or to become infamous.
amor et melle et love is rich with
felle est both honey and
fecundissimus venom
Nietzscheian alternative world view to memento mori [remember
amor fati love of fate
you must die]. Nietzsche believed amor fati to be more life affirming.
amor omnibus love is the same
from Virgil's Georgics III.
idem for all
love of one's
amor patriae Patriotism.
country
written on bracelet worn by the Prioress in Chaucer's The
amor vincit Canterbury Tales
love conquers all
omnia See also: Love Conquers All
Used before the anglicized version of a word or name. For example,

anglice in English
"Terra Mariae, anglice, Maryland".
Also used in such phrases as anno urbis conditae (see ab urbe
anno (an.) in the year
condita), Anno Domini, and anno 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, and based on the
Anno Domini in the Year of the perceived year of the birth of Jesus Christ. The years before Jesus'
(A.D.) Lord birth were once marked with a.C.n (Ante Christum Natum, Before
Christ was Born), but now use the English abbreviation BC (Before
Christ).
Augustus Caesar was born in the year 63 BC, and died AD 14.
In the year of the
anno regni Precedes "of" and the current ruler.
reign
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Or "he approves our undertakings". Motto on the reverse of the

He nods at things
Annuit cœptis Great Seal of the United States and on the back of the United States
being begun
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
annus horribilis horrible year occasionally used to refer to many other years perceived as
"horrible". In Classical Latin, this phrase would actually mean
"terrifying year". See also annus terribilis.
Used particularly to refer to the years 1665–1666, 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
annus mirabilis wonderful year
been used to refer to other years, especially to 1905, when Albert
Einstein made equally revolutionary discoveries concerning the
photoelectric effect, Brownian motion and the special theory of
relativity. (See Annus Mirabilis papers)
Used to describe 1348, the year the Black Death began to afflict
annus terribilis dreadful year
Europe.
As in "status quo ante bellum", "as it was before the war".
ante bellum before the war Commonly used in the Southern United States as antebellum to refer
to the period preceding the American Civil War.
ante cibum (a.c.) before food Medical shorthand for "before meals".
Said of an expression or term that describes something which existed
ante litteram before the letter before the phrase itself was introduced or became common.
Alan Turing was a computer scientist ante litteram, since the field of "computer
science" was not yet recognized in Turing's day.
ante meridiem before midday From midnight to noon (cf. post meridiem).
(a.m.)
ante mortem before death See post mortem (after death).
ante prandium Used on pharmaceutical prescriptions to denote "before a meal".
before lunch
(a.p.) Less common is post prandium, "after lunch".
apparatus Textual notes. A list of other readings relating to a document,
tools of a critic
criticus especially in a scholarly edition of a text.
aqua (aq.) water
aqua fortis strong water Refers to nitric acid.
aqua pura pure water Or "clear water", "clean water".
aqua regia royal water refers to a mixture of hydrochloric acid and nitric acid.
"Spirit of Wine" in many English texts. Used to refer to various
native distilled beverages, such as whisky (uisge beatha) in Scotland
aqua vitae water of life
and Ireland, gin in Holland, brandy (eau de vie) in France, and
akvavit in Scandinavia.
aquila non capit an eagle doesn't
A noble or important person doesn't deal with insignificant issues.
muscas catch flies
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to plough the From Gerhard Gerhards' (1466–1536) [better known as Erasmus]

arare litus
seashore collection of annotated Adagia (1508). Wasted labour.
One who prescribes, rules on, or is a recognized authority on matters
arbiter
judge of tastes of social behavior and taste. Said of Petronius. Sometimes found in
elegantiarum
the singular, arbiter elegantiae (judge of taste).
bow of an old An opaque circle around the cornea of the eye, often seen in elderly
arcus senilis
person people.
Also "silver coin". Mentioned in the Domesday Book, signifies
argentum album white silver
bullion, or silver uncoined.
For the sake of argument. Said when something is done purely in
arguendo for arguing order to discuss a matter or illustrate a point.
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
argumentum argument
judgment), ad lazarum (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
ars [est] celare art [is] to conceal contrived. Of medieval origin, but often incorrectly attributed to
artem art
Ovid.[3]
Translated into Latin from Baudelaire's "L'art pour l'art". Motto of
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. This phrasing is a direct translation of 'art
ars gratia artis art for art's sake
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
ars longa, vita art is long, life is from Hippocrates, often used out of context. The "art" referred to in
brevis short the original aphorism was the craft of medicine, which took a
lifetime to acquire.
by art and by
arte et labore motto of Blackburn Rovers F.C.
labour
Artis Bohemiae Friends of Czech Award of the Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic for the
Amicis Arts promotion of the positive reputation of Czech culture abroad.
From Erasmus's collection of Adages. An awkward or incompetent
asinus ad lyram an ass to the lyre
individual.
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asinus asinum the jackass rubs Used to describe two people lavishing excessive praise on one
fricat the jackass another.
the assured does
assecuratus non not seek profit but
quaerit lucrum Refers to the insurance principle that the indemnity cannot be larger
makes [it his
sed agit ne in than the loss.
profit] that he not
damno sit
be in loss
auctoritas authority The level of prestige a person had in Roman society.
audacter slander boldly,
calumniare,
something always from Francis Bacon, De Augmentis Scientiarum (1623)
semper aliquid
sticks
haeret
audax at fidelis bold but faithful Motto of Queensland.
Motto of Otago University Students' Association, a direct response to
audeamus let us dare
the university's motto of sapere aude "dare to be wise".
State motto of Alabama, adopted in 1923. Translated into Latin from
audemus jura
we dare to defend a paraphrase of the stanza "Men who their duties know / But know
nostra
our rights their rights, and knowing, dare maintain" from the poem "What
defendere
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
audentes fortune favors the left the docks at Pompeii to rescue people from the eruption of
fortuna iuvat bold 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.
audere est
to dare is to do motto of Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
facere
audi alteram A legal principle of fairness. Also worded as audiatur et altera pars
hear the other side
partem (let the other side be heard too).
audio hostem I hear the enemy Motto of 845 NACS Royal Navy
audi, vide, tace hear, see, be silent Motto of Security Information Service of the Czech Republic
From Horace's Odes II, 10. Refers to the ethical goal of reaching a
aurea
golden mean virtuous middle ground between two sinful extremes. The golden
mediocritas
mean concept is common to many philosophers, chiefly Aristotle.
From Virgil, Aeneid 3,57. Later quoted by Seneca as quod non
accursed hunger
auri sacra fames mortalia pectora coges, auri sacra fames "What don't you force
for gold
mortal hearts [to do], accursed hunger for gold!"
A common ancient proverb, this version from Terence. Indicates that
auribus teneo I hold a wolf by
one is in a dangerous situation where both holding on and letting go
lupum the ears
could be deadly. A modern version is "To have a tiger by the tail."
The Southern Lights, an aurora that appears in the Southern
aurora australis southern dawn Hemisphere. It is less well-known than the Northern Lights, or
aurorea borealis. The Aurora Australis is also the name of an
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Antarctic icebreaker ship.

The Northern Lights, an aurora that appears in the Northern
aurora borealis northern dawn
Hemisphere.
aurum potestas Motto of the fictional Fowl family in the Artemis Fowl series, written
gold is power
est by Eoin Colfer
auspicium hope of a better
Motto of Raffles Institution, a secondary school in Singapore.
melioris aevi age
Indicates that the only valid possibility is to be emperor, or a
aut Caesar aut either Caesar or
similarly prominent position. More generally, "all or nothing".
nihil nothing
Adopted by Cesare Borgia as a personal motto.
aut concilio aut either by meeting Thus, either through reasoned discussion or through war. A former
ense or the sword motto of Chile, replaced by post tenebras lux.
aut pax aut
either peace or war The motto of the Gunn Clan.
bellum
aut viam
I shall either find
inveniam aut Hannibal.
or make a way
faciam
A general pledge of victoria aut mors "victory or death". Motto of
aut vincere aut either to conquer
the Higgenbotham, and Higginbottom families of Cheshire England;
mori or to die
participants in the War of the Roses.
ave atque vale Hail and farewell! From Catullus, carmen 101, addressed to his deceased brother.
ave Europa
Hail, Europe, our
nostra vera Anthem of Pan-Europeanists.
true Fatherland!
Patria
From Suetonius' The Twelve Caesars, Claudius 21. A salute and plea
Hail, Emperor! for mercy recordded on one occasion by naumachiarii–captives and
Ave Imperator,
Those who are criminals fated to die fighting during mock naval encounters. Later
morituri te
about to die salute versions included a variant of "We who are about to die", and this
salutant
you! translation is sometimes aided by changing the Latin to nos morituri
te salutamus.
Catholic prayer of intercession asking Mary, the mother of Jesus to
Ave Maria Hail, Mary
pray for the petitioner.

barba tenus wise as far as the
Or wise only in appearance. From Erasmus's collection of Adages.
sapientes beard
A common name in the Roman Catholic Church for Mary, the
Beata Virgo Blessed Virgin mother of Jesus. The genitive, Beatae Mariae Virginis (BMV),
Maria (BVM) Mary occurs often as well, appearing with such words as horae "hours",
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litaniae "litanies" and officium "office".

of blessed
beatae memoriae See in memoriam.
memory
A Beatitude from Matthew 5:3 (http://bibref.hebtools.com
beati pauperes Blessed in spirit /?book=%20Matthew&verse=5:3&src=!) in the Vulgate: beati
spiritu [are] the poor. pauperes spiritu, quoniam ipsorum est regnum caelorum "Blessed in
spirit [are] the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens".
blessed [are]
beati possidentes Translated from Euripides.
those who possess
beatus homo qui
blessed is the man from Proverbs 3:13; set to music in a 1577 motet of the same name
invenit
who finds wisdom by Orlando di Lasso.
sapientiam
Originally from Ovid, Heroides 13.84,[4] where Laodamia is writing
let others wage to her husband Protesilaus who is at the Trojan War. She begs him to
bella gerant alii war stay out of danger, but he was in fact the first Greek to die at Troy.
Protesilaus amet! Protesilaus should Also used of the Habsburg marriages of 1477 and 1496, written as
love! bella gerant alii, tu felix Austria nube (let others wage war; you,
fortunate Austria, marry). Said by King Matthias.
bellum omnium war of all against
A phrase used by Thomas Hobbes to describe the state of nature.
contra omnes all
bellum se ipsum
war feeds itself
alet
I drink, therefore
bibo ergo sum
I am
he gives twice,
bis dat qui cito
who gives A gift given without hesitation is as good as two gifts.
dat
promptly
bis in die (bid) twice in a day 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
bona fide in good faith
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
note-worthy
bona notabilia where he dies, amounting to a certain minimum value, he is said to
goods
have bona notabilia; in which case, the probat of his will belongs to
the archbishop of that province.
bona officia good services A nation's offer to mediate in disputes between two other nations.
goods of a
bona patria A jury or assize of countrymen, or good neighbors.
country
United Kingdom legal term for ownerless property that passes to The
bona vacantia vacant goods
Crown.
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it is a good
boni pastoris est
shepherd's [job] Tiberius reportedly said this to his regional commanders, as a warning
tondere pecus
to shear his flock, against taxing the populace excessively.
non deglubere
not to flay them
Or "general welfare". Refers to what benefits a society, as opposed to
bonum commune common good of
bonum commune hominis, which refers to what is good for an
communitatis the community
individual.
Refers to an individual's happiness, which is not "common" in that it
bonum commune common good of
serves everyone, but in that individuals tend to be able to find
hominis a man
happiness in similar things.
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
busillis —
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).

Cacoēthes[5] "bad habit", or medically, "malignant disease" is a
cacoethes insatiable desire borrowing of Greek kakóēthes.[6] The phrase is derived from a line in
scribendi to write the Satires of Juvenal: Tenet insanabile multos scribendi cacoethes,
or "the incurable desire (or itch) for writing affects many". See
hypergraphia.
cadavera vero truly countless Used by the Romans to describe the aftermath of the Battle of the
innumera bodies Catalaunian Plains.
Caedite eos. Kill them. For the
Supposed statement by Abbot Arnaud Amalric before the massacre of
Novit enim Lord knows
Béziers during the Albigensian Crusade, recorded 30 years later,
Dominus qui those who are
according to Caesar of Heisterbach.
sunt eius. his.
Those who hurry
Hexameter by Horace (Epistulae I, 11 v.27 (http://www.uah.edu
Caelum non cross the sea
/student_life/organizations/SAL/texts/latin/classical/horace
animum mutant change the sky
/epistulae111.html#27a) ). Seneca shortens it to Animum debes
qui trans mare [upon them], not
mutare, non caelum (You must change [your] disposition, not [your]
currunt their souls or
sky) in his Letter to Lucilium XXVIII, 1
state of mind
caetera desunt the rest is missing Caetera is Medieval Latin spelling for cētera.
calix meus my cup making
inebrians me drunk
An optical device used in drawing, and an ancestor of modern
camera obscura dark chamber
photography. The source of the word camera.
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war dogs or
canes pugnaces
fighting dogs
Refers to a situation where nobody is safe from anybody, each man
canis canem edit dog eats dog
for himself.
a term referring (at least) to some Christian doctrines of the
incarnation of the Son of God when it asserts that humanity is capable
holding the
capax infiniti of housing full divinity within its finite frame. Related to the Docetic
infinite
heresy and sometimes a counterpoint to the Reformed
'extracalvinisticum.'
(he plunges) [his] So aggrandized as to be beyond practical (earthly) reach or
caput inter
head in the understanding (from Virgil's Aeneid and the shorter form appears in
nubila (condit)
clouds John Locke's Two Treatises of Government)
Originally an alchemical reference to the dead head or worthless
caput mortuum dead head residue left over from a reaction. Also used to refer to a freeloader or
worthless element.
The love of It implies a command to love as Christ loved. Motto of St. Francis
Caritas Christi
Christ Xavier High School located in West Meadowlark Park, Edmonton.
Caritas in
Charity in Truth Pope Benedict XVI's third encyclical.
Veritate
An exhortation to live for today. From Horace, Odes I, 11.8. Carpere
carpe diem seize the day 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
carpe noctem seize the night diem, q.v., would seem absurd, e.g., when observing a deep sky object
or conducting a Messier marathon.
carpe vinum seize the wine
The Roman senator Cato the Elder ended every speech after second
Punic Wars with ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam,
literally "For the rest, I am of the opinion that Carthage is to be
Carthago Carthage must be
destroyed." Before the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty in the
delenda est destroyed
European Parliament, Daniel Hannan ended all his speeches in a
similar way with Pactio Olisipiensis censenda est "The Lisbon Treaty
must be put to a referendum".
casus belli event of war Refers to an incident that is the justification or case for war.
The cause is
causa latet, vis hidden, but the
Ovid: Metamorphoses IV, 287; motto of Alpha Sigma Phi.
est notissima result is well
known.
causa mortis cause of death
especially used by Doctors of Medicine, when they want to warn each
other (e.g.: "cave nephrolithiases" in order to warn about side effects
cave beware!
of an uricosuric). Spoken aloud in some British public schools by
pupils to warn each other of impending authority.
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Beware of the
cave canem
dog
cave laborem beware of work
beware of no
cave nil vino
wine
The purchaser is responsible for checking whether the goods suit his
let the buyer
caveat emptor need. Phrases modeled on this one replace emptor with lector,
beware
subscriptor, venditor, utilitor: "reader", "signer", "seller", "user".
cedant arma let arms yield to "Let military power yield to civilian power", Cicero, De Officiis I:77.
togae the gown See also Toga
celerius quam more swiftly than Or simply "faster than cooking asparagus". A variant of the Roman
asparagi asparagus [stem]s phrase velocius quam asparagi coquantur, using a different adverb
cocuntur are cooked and an alternative mood and spelling of coquere.
In law, it is a return made by the sheriff, upon a capias, or other
cepi corpus I got the body process to the like purpose; signifying, that he has taken the body of
the party. See also habeas corpus.
certum est quod it is certain, Or "... if it can be rendered certain." Often used in law when
certum reddi whatever can be something is not known, but can be ascertained (e.g. the purchase
potest rendered certain price on a sale which is to be determined by a third-party valuer)
when the reason
cessante ratione A rule of law becomes ineffective when the reason for its application
for the law
legis cessat ipsa has ceased to exist or does not correspond to the reality anymore. By
ceases, the law
lex Gratian.
itself ceases
the rest are
cetera desunt Also spelled "caetera desunt".
missing
all other things
ceteris paribus That is, disregarding or eliminating other factors in a situation.
being equal
charta
a paper of pardon The form of a pardon for killing another man in self-defence (see
pardonationis se
to defend oneself manslaughter).
defendendo
charta
a paper of pardon The form of a pardon of a man who is outlawed. Also called
pardonationis
to the outlaw perdonatio utlagariae.
utlagariae
[Throw the]
Christianos ad
Christians to the
leones
lions!
Christo et For Christ and
The motto of Furman University.
Doctrinae Learning
Christus nos Christ has freed title of volume I, book 5, chapter XI of Les Misérables by Victor
liberavit us Hugo.
Christus Rex Christ the King A Christian title for Jesus.
circa (c.) or (ca.) around In the sense of "approximately" or "about". Usually used of a date.
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circle made in
circulus in
testing [a Circular reasoning. Similar term to circulus vitiosus.
probando
premise]
In logic, begging the question, a fallacy involving the presupposition of
a proposition in one of the premises (see petitio principii). In science,
circulus vitiosus vicious circle
a positive feedback loop. In economics, a counterpart to the virtuous
circle.
citius altius faster, higher,
Motto of the modern Olympics.
fortius stronger
clamea A writ whereby the king of England could command the justice to
admittenda in
admit one's claim by an attorney, who being employed in the king's
itinere per
service, cannot come in person.
atturnatum
A legal action for trespass to land; so called, because the writ demands
clausum fregit the person summoned to answer wherefore he broke the close (quare
clausum fregit), i.e., why he entered the plaintiff's land.
claves Sancti the keys of Saint
A symbol of the Papacy.
Petri Peter
The means of discovering hidden or mysterious meanings in texts,
clavis aurea golden key
particularly applied in theology and alchemy.
In law, a writ directed to the bishop, for the admitting a clerk to a
clerico for being made a
benefice upon a ne admittas, tried, and found for the party who
admittendo clerk
procures the writ.
clerico capto
In law, a writ for the delivery of a clerk out of prison, who is
per statutum
imprisoned upon the breach of statute merchant.
mercatorum
clerico convicto
commisso gaolae In law, a writ for the delivery of a clerk to his ordinary, that was
in defectu formerly convicted of felony; by reason that his ordinary did not
ordinarii challenge him according to the privilege of clerks.
deliberando
clerico intra
sacros ordines
In law, a writ directed to the bailiffs, etc., that have thrust a bailiwick
constituto non
or beadleship upon one in holy orders; charging them to release him.
eligendo in
officium
Codex Iuris Book of Canon The official code of canon law in the Roman Catholic Church (cf.
Canonici Law Corpus Iuris Canonici).
I think, therefore A rationalistic argument used by French philosopher René Descartes
cogito ergo sum
I am. to attempt to prove his own existence.
coitus interrupted Aborting sexual intercourse prior to ejaculation—the only permitted
interruptus congress form of birth control in some religions.
coitus more congress in the
A medical euphemism for the doggy-style sexual position.
ferarum way of beasts
18 of 111 11/25/2010 11:31 AM

Exhortation to enjoy fully the

youth, similar to Carpe diem,
"Gather ye
from De rosis nascentibus
rosebuds while
collige virgo pick, girl, the (http://www.fh-augsburg.de
ye may", 1909,
rosas roses /~Harsch/Chronologia/Lsante01
by John William
/Vergilius/ver_apro.html) (also
Waterhouse
titled Idyllium de rosis) attributed
to Ausonius or Virgil.
It is frequently abbreviated comb. nov.. It is used in the life sciences
combinatio nova new combination literature when a new name is introduced, e.g. Klebsiella
granulomatis comb. nov..
communibus One year with another; on an average. "Common" here does not mean
in common years
annis "ordinary", but "common to every situation"
A term frequently used among philosophical and other writers,
communibus in common implying some medium, or mean relation between several places; one
locis places place with another; on a medium. "Common" here does not mean
"ordinary", but "common to every situation"
communis view of the
opinio common (man)
Describes someone of sound mind. Sometimes used ironically. Also a
in control of the
compos mentis legal principle, non compos mentis (not in control of one's faculties),
mind
used to describe an insane person.
concordia cum in harmony with
Motto of the University of Waterloo.
veritate truth
well-being Motto of Montreal. It is also the Bank of Montreal coat of arms and
concordia salus
through harmony motto.
They condemn
what they do not
condemnant
understand or The quod here is ambiguous): it may be the relative pronoun or a
quod non
They condemn conjunction.
intellegunt
because they do
not understand
A required, indispensable condition. Commonly mistakenly rendered
condicio sine condition without
with conditio ("seasoning" or "preserving") in place of condicio
qua non which not
("arrangement" or "condition").
"compare". Used as an abbreviation in text to recommend a
confer (cf.) confer[7][8] comparison with another thing (cf. citation signal).
The official name of Switzerland, hence the use of "CH" for its ISO
Confoederatio Helvetian
country code, ".ch" for its Internet domain, and "CHF" for the ISO
Helvetica (C.H.) Confederation
three-letter abbreviation of its currency, the Swiss franc.
coniunctis with connected
Or "with united powers". Sometimes rendered conjunctis viribus.
viribus strength
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Where there are no specific laws, the matter should be decided by

[9] [10]
consuetudo pro Custom is held as custom; established customs have the force of laws. Also
lege servatur law. consuetudo est altera lex (custom is another law) and consuetudo
vincit communem legem (custom overrules the common law); see
also: Consuetudinary.
consummatum The last words of Jesus on the cross in the Latin translation of John
It is completed.
est 19:30.
contemptus Despising the secular world. The monk or philosopher's rejection of a
scorn for the time
saeculi mundane life and worldly values.
contra bonos against good
Offensive to the conscience and to a sense of justice.
mores morals
contra legem against the law
contra spem hope against Title of a poem by Lesya Ukrainka; also used in the Pentateuch with
spero hope reference to Abraham the Patriarch.
A thing or idea that would embody a contradiction, for example,
contradictio in contradiction in
payment for a gift, or a circle with corners. The fallacy of proposing
terminis terms
such a thing.
there can be no
contra principia
debate with those Debate is fruitless when you don't agree on common rules, facts,
negantem non
who deny the presuppositions.
est disputandum
foundations
contraria the opposite is First formulated by Hippocrates to suggest that the diseases are cured
contrariis cured with the with contrary remedies. Antonym of similia similibus curantur (the
curantur opposite diseases are recovered with similar remedies.)
From Augustine's Confessions, referring to a prescribed method of
cor ad cor heart speaks to prayer: having a "heart to heart" with God. Commonly used in
loquitur heart reference to a later quote by Cardinal John Henry Newman. A motto
of Newman Clubs.
(Your choice is between) The Heart (Moral Values, Duty, Loyalty) or
cor aut mors Heart or Death Death (to no longer matter, to no longer be respected as person of
integrity.)
cor meum tibi my heart I offer
offero domine to you Lord
motto of Calvin College
prompte et promptly and
sincere sincerely
A popular school motto. Often used as names for religious and other
cor unum one heart
organisations such as the Pontifical Council Cor Unum.
A phrase from Christian theology which summarizes the idea of
in the Presence
coram Deo Christians living in the Presence of, under the authority of, and to the
of God
honor and glory of God.
coram nobis, in our presence,
Two kinds of writs of error.
coram vobis in your presence
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in the presence of
coram populo Thus, openly.
the people
in view of the
coram publico
public
The name of a feast in the Roman Catholic Church commemorating
Corpus Christi Body of Christ the Eucharist. It is also the name of a city in Texas, Corpus Christi,
Texas, and a controversial play.
The fact that a crime has been committed, a necessary factor in
body of the
corpus delicti convicting someone of having committed that crime; if there was no
offence
crime, there can not have been a criminal.
Corpus Iuris Body of Canon The official compilation of canon law in the Roman Catholic Church
Canonici Law (cf. Codex Iuris Canonici).
Corpus Iuris Body of Civil
The body of Roman or civil law.
Civilis Law
corpus vile worthless body A person or thing fit only to be the object of an experiment.
things to be
corrigenda
corrected
the corruption of
corruptio optimi
the best is the
pessima
worst
When the
corruptissima re republic is at its
publica most corrupt the Tacitus
plurimae leges laws are most
numerous
corruptus in corrupt to the Motto of the fictional Springfield Mayor Office in The Simpsons
extremis extreme TV-Show
May he love
cras amet qui tomorrow who It's the refrain from the 'Pervigilium Veneris', a poem which describes
nunquam has never loved a three day holiday in the cult of Venus, located somewhere in Sicily,
amavit; quique before; And may involving the whole town in religious festivities joined with a deep
amavit, cras he who has sense of nature and Venus as the "procreatrix", the life-giving force
amet loved, love behind the natural world.
tomorrow as well
Credo in Unum I Believe in One
The first words of the Nicene Creed and the Apostles' Creed.
Deum God
A very common misquote of Tertullian's et mortuus est Dei Filius
prorsus credibile quia ineptum est (and the Son of God is dead: in
short, it is credible because it is unfitting), meaning that it is so absurd
I believe it
credo quia to say that God's son has died that it would have to be a matter of
because it is
absurdum est belief, rather than reason. The misquoted phrase, however, is
absurd
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
21 of 111 11/25/2010 11:31 AM

because it is impossible) or, as Darwin used it in his autobiography,

credo quia incredibile.
May we grow in
crescamus in
Him through all Motto of Cheverus High School.
Illo per omnia
things
let knowledge
crescat scientia
grow, let life be Motto of the University of Chicago.
vita excolatur
enriched
State motto of New Mexico, adopted in 1887 as the territory's motto,
and kept in 1912 when New Mexico received statehood. Originally
crescit eundo it grows as it goes from Lucretius' De rerum 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,
cruci dum spiro
Whilst I trust in Motto of the Sisters of Loreto (IBVM) and its associated schools.
fido
the Cross I have
life
The hood does
cucullus non
not make the William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Scene I, Act V 48–50
facit monachum
monk
"Who benefits?" An adage in criminal investigation which suggests
that considering who would benefit from an unwelcome event is likely
cui bono Good for whom? 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
for whom it
cui prodest has done it) in Seneca's Medea. Thus, the murderer is often the one
advances
who gains by the murder (cf. cui bono).
cuius est solum Whose the land First coined by Accursius of Bologna in the 13th century. A Roman
eius est usque ad is, all the way to legal principle of property law that is no longer observed in most
coelum et ad the sky and to the situations today. Less literally, "For whosoever owns the soil, it is
inferos underworld is his. theirs up to the sky and down to the depths."
The privilege of a ruler to choose the religion of his subjects. A
cuius regio, eius whose region, his
regional prince's ability to choose his people's religion was established
religio religion
at the Peace of Augsburg in 1555.
cuiusvis hominis
est errare, Anyone can err,
nullius nisi but only the fool
Cicero, Philippica XII, 5.
insipientis in persists in his
errore fault
perseverare.
Also "blame" or "guilt". In law, an act of neglect. In general, guilt, sin,
culpa fault
or a fault. See also mea culpa.
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From the Bible. Occurs in Matthew 26:47 (http://bibref.hebtools.com

cum gladiis et with swords and
/?book=%20Matthew&verse=26:47&src=!) and Luke 22:52
fustibus clubs
(http://bibref.hebtools.com/?book=%20Luke&verse=22:52&src=!) .
cum gladio et with sword and
Motto of a well-paid soldier. See salary.
sale salt
with a grain of
cum grano salis Not to be taken too seriously or as the literal truth.
salt
with this,
cum hoc ergo
therefore on fallacy of assuming that correlation implies causation.
propter hoc
account of this
The standard formula for academic Latin honors in the United States.
cum laude with praise
Greater honors include magna cum laude and summa cum laude.
cum mortuis in with the dead in a
Movement from Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky
lingua mortua dead language
cuncti adsint let all come who
meritaeque
by merit deserve Motto of University College London.
expectent
the most reward
praemia palmae
The question attributed to Anselm in his work of by this name,
Why the wherein he reflects on why the Christ of Christianity must be both
cur Deus Homo
God-Man fully Divine and fully Human. Often translated "why did God become
Man?"
care for the Motto of Georgetown University School of Medicine and University
cura personalis
whole person of Scranton.
take care of your An exhortation to physicians, or experts in general, to deal with their
cura te ipsum
own self own problems before addressing those of others.
curriculum vitae course of life An overview of a person's life and qualifications, similar to a résumé.
custos morum keeper of morals A censor.
distinguished by
cygnis insignis Motto of Western Australia.
its swans
cygnus inter swan among
anates ducks

Give me the also: Da mihi facta, dabo tibi ius; legal principle based on Roman
Da mihi factum,
fact(s), I'll give law; parties should present the facts of a case while the judge rules
dabo tibi ius
you the law on the law. Related to iura novit curia (the court knows the law).
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damnant They condemn

quodnon what they do not
intelligunt understand
damnatio damnation of A Roman custom in which disgraced Romans (particularly former
memoriae memory Emperors) were pretended to have never existed.
A loss that results from no one's wrongdoing. In Roman law, a man
damnum absque damage without is not responsible for unintended, consequential injury to another
injuria injury resulting from a lawful act. This protection does not necessarily
apply to unintended damage by negligence or folly.
dat deus God grants the
Motto of Westminster School, a leading British independent school.
incrementum increase
"with due respect"
data venia or "given the Used before disagreeing with someone.
excuse"
datum Mission given, Motto of Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais (BOPE), the
perficiemus mission elite special forces unit of the military police of Rio de Janeiro
munus accomplished (Brazil).
de bonis carrying goods Trespass de bonis asportatis was the traditional name for larceny
asportatis away (wrongful taking of chattels).
Used in the context of "As we agreed in the meeting d.d. 26th Mai
de dato of the date
2006.
Said of something that is the actual state of affairs, in contrast to
something's legal or official standing, which is described as de jure.
de facto by deed
De facto refers to the "way things really are" rather than what is
"officially" presented as the fact.
A clerk makes the declaration De fideli on when appointed,
de fideli with faithfulness
promising to do his or her tasks faithfully as a servant of the court.
regarding the
de futuro Usually used in the context of "at a future time"
future
there is no
de gustibus non Less literally "there's no accounting for taste". Likely of Scholastic
disputing about
est disputandum origin (see Wiktionary).
tastes
again, a second
de integro
time
"Official", in contrast with de facto. Analogous to "in principle",
whereas de facto is to "in practice". In other contexts, can mean
de jure by law
"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"
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The law does not The court does not want to bother with small, trivial things. A case
de minimis non
bother with the must have importance for the court to hear it. See "de minimis not
curat lex
smallest things. curat praetor".
Also "The chief magistrate does not concern himself with trifles."
The commander
Trivial matters are no concern of a high official (cf. aquila non
de minimis non does not bother
capit muscas, the eagle does not catch flies). Sometimes rex (the
curat praetor with the smallest
king) or lex (the law) is used in place of praetor, and de minimis is
things.
a legal term referring to things unworthy of the law's attention.
about the dead,
de mortuis aut Less literally, "speak well of the dead or not at all" (cf. de mortuis
either well or
bene aut nihil nil nisi bonum).
nothing
From de mortuis nil nisi bonum dicendum est, "nothing must be
said about the dead except the good", attributed by Diogenes
about the dead,
de mortuis nil Laërtius to Chilon. In legal contexts, this quotation is used with the
nothing unless a
nisi bonum opposite meaning, as defaming a deceased person is not a crime. In
good thing
other contexts, it refers to taboos against criticizing the recently
deceased.
Thus, "their story is our story". Originally referred to the end of
de nobis fabula about us is the
Rome's dominance. Now often used when comparing any current
narratur story told
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
de novo from the new
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.
about every
de omni re scibili
knowable thing, A 15th-century Italian scholar wrote the De omni re scibili portion,
et quibusdam
and even certain and a wag added et quibusdam aliis.
aliis
other things
be suspicious of
de omnibus
everything, doubt Karl Marx's favorite motto.
dubitandum
everything
Free From Having Commonly mistranslated as "To Liberate the Oppressed". The
de oppresso liber
Been Oppressed motto of the United States Army Special Forces.
Out of the depths of misery or dejection. From the Latin translation
de profundis from the depths
of Psalm 130.
In logic, de dicto statements (about the truth of a proposition) are
de re about the matter distinguished from de re statements (about the properties of a thing
itself).
Inscription on British one-pound coins. Originally on 17th-century
An ornament and coins, it refers to the inscribed edge as a protection against the
decus et tutamen
a safeguard clipping of precious metal. The phrase originally comes from
Virgil's Aeneid.
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Also Dei Gratia Rex (By the Grace of God, King). Abbreviated as
Dei Gratia By the Grace of
D G REG preceding Fidei Defensor (F D) on British pounds, and as D
Regina God, Queen
G Regina on Canadian coins.
Dei sub numine under God's Spirit

Motto of Princeton University.
viget she flourishes
In Catholic theology, a pleasure taken in sinful thought or
delectatio imagination, such as brooding on sexual images. It is distinct from
peevish delight
morosa actual sexual desire, and involves voluntary and complacent erotic
fantasizing, without any attempt to suppress such thoughts.
deliriant isti They are mad, A translation into Latin from René Goscinny's ils sont fous, ces
Romani those Romans! romains!, frequently issued by Obelix in the Asterix comics.
For God and for
Deo ac veritati Motto of Colgate University.
truth
for God and for
Deo domuique Motto of Methodist Ladies' College, Melbourne.
home
for God and
Deo et patriae Motto of Regis High School (New York City).
Country
Deo gratias thanks [be] to God The semi-Hispanicized form Deogracias is a Philippine first name.
The motto of Monaco and its monarch which appears on the royal
Deo juvante with God's help
arms.
Deo Optimo To the Best and Derived from the Pagan Iupiter Optimo Maximo (To the best and
Maximo (DOM) Greatest God greatest Jupiter). Printed on bottles of Bénédictine liqueur.
with God as Motto of the Confederate States of America. An alternate
Deo vindice
protector translation is "With an avenging God".
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
Deo volente God willing
will get to you safely, "God willing" the contents of this letter come
true. See also: Insha'Allah.
The descent into
descensus in Down the Rabbit Hole (see: Alice's Adventures in
the cave of the
cuniculi cavum Wonderland#Famous lines and expressions.
rabbit
Deus caritas est God is Love The first encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI.
From the Greek ἀπὸ μηχανῆς θεός (apò mēchanēs theós). A
contrived or artificial solution, usually to a literary plot. Refers to
a god from a the practice in Greek drama of lowering by crane (the mechanê) an
deus ex machina
machine 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 meumque The principal motto of Scottish Rite Freemasonry; see also Dieu et
God and my right
jus mon droit.
deus otiosus God at leisure
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The motto of Sir Thomas de Boteler founder of Boteler Grammar

Deus spes nostra God is our hope
School Warrington in 1526
The principal slogan of the Crusades.Motto of Bergen Catholic
Deus vult God wills it!
High School, NJ
I.e. "From a rule without exception." Short for A dicto simpliciter,
the a often being dropped by confusion with the indefinite article.
A dicto simpliciter occurs when an acceptable exception is ignored
[From] a maxim, 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 meum my word [is] my
Motto of the London Stock Exchange
pactum bond
From the Roman Emperor Titus. Passed down in Suetonius's
diem perdidi I have lost the day
biography of him in Lives of the Twelve Caesars (8)
Refers to the Judgment Day in Christian eschatology. The name of
Dies Irae Day of Wrath a famous 13th-century Medieval Latin hymn by Tommaso da
Celano, used in the Mass for the dead.
Days under common law (traditionally Sunday) in which no legal
dies non Day without
process can be served and any judgment is void. This concept was
juridicum judiciary
first codified by the English Parliament in the reign of Charles II.
In Classical Latin, "I arrange". State motto of Maine. Based on a
dirigo I direct
comparison of the state of Maine to the star Polaris.
it seemed
In other words, the gods have different plans than mortals, and so
dis aliter visum otherwise to the
events do not always play out as people wish them to.
gods
Refers to the Manes, Roman spirits of the dead. Loosely "To the
memory of". A conventional inscription preceding the name of the
dis manibus Sacred to the
deceased on pagan grave markings, often shortened to dis manibus
sacrum (D.M.S.) ghost-gods
(D.M.), "for the ghost-gods". Preceded in some earlier monuments
by hic situs est (H. S. E.), "he lies here".
disce aut discede Learn or Depart Motto of Royal College Colombo.
disce quasi Learn as if always
semper victurus going to live; live
Attributed to St Edmund of Abingdon.
vive quasi cras as if tomorrow
moriturus going to die.
That is, "scattered remains". Paraphrased from Horace, Satires, I,
disiecta membra scattered limbs 4, 62, where it was written "disiecti membra poetae" (limbs of a
scattered poet). Also written as disjecta membra.
State motto of Arizona, adopted in 1911. Probably derived from the
ditat Deus God enriches
Vulgate's translation of Genesis 14:23.
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A Roman maxim adopted by Julius Caesar, Louis XI and

divide et impera divide and rule
Machiavelli. Commonly rendered "divide and conquer".
A popular eloquent expression, usually used in the end of a speech.
dixi I have spoken The implied meaning is: "I have said all that I had to say and thus
the argument is settled".
Used to attribute a statement or opinion to its author, rather than
["...", ...] dixit ["...", ...] said
the speaker.
I give that you Often said or written for sacrifices, when one "gives" and expects
do ut des
may give something back from the gods.
It is learned by Also translated "One learns by teaching." Attributed to Seneca the
docendo discitur
teaching Younger.
I learn by
docendo disco,
teaching, think by
scribendo cogito
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 equally
dolus specialis special intent 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[11]
Domine dirige
Lord guide us Motto of the City of London
nos
Dominus the Lord is my
Motto of the University of Oxford.
Illuminatio Mea light
Phrase used during and at the end of Catholic sermons, and a
Dominus
Lord be with you general greeting form among and towards members of Catholic
Vobiscum
organizations, such as priests and nuns. See also pax vobiscum.
Often set to music, either by itself or as part of the Agnus Dei
dona nobis
give us peace prayer of the Mass. Also an ending in the video game Haunting
pacem
Ground.
giving in
donatio mortis A legal concept where a person in imminent mortal danger need not
expectation of
causa meet the requisite consideration to create or modify a will.
death
draco dormiens a sleeping dragon Motto of the fictional Hogwarts school in the Harry Potter series;
nunquam is never to be translated more loosely in the books as "never tickle a sleeping
titillandus tickled dragon".
dramatis the parts of the More literally, "the masks of the drama"; more figuratively, "cast of
personae play characters". The characters represented in a dramatic work.
duae tabulae Two blank slates
rasae in quibus Stan Laurel, inscription for the fanclub logo of The Sons of the
with nothing
nihil scriptum Desert.
written upon them
est
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ducunt volentem The fates lead the

fata, nolentem willing and drag Attributed to Lucius Annaeus Seneca.
trahunt the unwilling
This is the motto for the United States Marine Corps' Officer
Leadership by
ductus exemplo Candidates School located at Marine Corps Base Quantico;
example
Quantico, Virginia.
War may seem pleasant to those who have never been involved in
dulce bellum war is sweet to the
it, though the more experienced know better. A phrase from
inexpertis inexperienced
Erasmus in the 16th century.
dulce et decorum It is sweet and
From Horace, Odes III, 2, 13. Used by Wilfred Owen for the title of
est pro patria honorable to die
a poem about World War I, Dulce et Decorum Est.
mori for the fatherland.
a sweet and useful Horace wrote in his Ars Poetica that poetry must be dulce et utile
dulce et utile
thing (pleasant and profitable), both enjoyable and instructive.
dulce periculum danger is sweet Horace, Odes III, 25, 16. Motto of the Scottish clan MacAulay.
dulcius ex sweeter after
asperis difficulties Motto of the Scottish clan Fergusson.[12]
dum Roma while Rome Used when someone has been asked for urgent help, but responds
deliberat debates, Saguntum with no immediate action. Similar to Hannibal ante portas, but
Saguntum perit is in danger referring to a less personal danger.
while I breathe, I
dum spiro spero State motto of South Carolina. From Cicero.
hope
dum vivimus While we live, we
motto of Presbyterian College.
servimus serve
dum vivimus, While we live, let An encouragement to embrace life. Motto inscribed on the sword
vivamus us live! of the main character in the novel Glory Road.
[the] law [is]
dura lex sed lex harsh, but [it is
the] law
dura mater tough mother Outer covering of the brain.
dum vita est, while there is life,
spes est there is hope
dux bellorum War leader

Motto of the United States of America. Used on many U.S. coins and
one (coming) out
e pluribus unum inscribed on the Capitol. Also used as the motto of S.L. Benfica.
of many
Less commonly written as 'ex pluribus unum'.
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Mock Latin. Notably heard by Giles Goat Boy in John Barth's novel
Giles Goat-Boy and the title of an essay ("E Unibus Pluram:
e unibus pluram from one, many Television and U.S. Fiction") by David Foster Wallace concerning
U.S. meta-fiction and the interrelations with U.S. television,
published in A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again
From the Latin Vulgate Gospel according to St. John (XIX.v)
(http://clib.org/x/d?b=lvb&bk=50&ch=19&l=5&f=s#x) (19.5,
Douay-Rheims) (http://drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=50&ch=19&
l=5&f=s#x) , where Pontius Pilate speaks these words as he presents
Ecce Homo Behold the Man
Christ, crowned with thorns, to the crowd. It is also the title of
Nietzsche's autobiography and of the theme music by Howard
Goodall for the BBC comedy Mr. Bean. Oscar Wilde opened his
defense with this phrase when on trial for gross indecency.
A phrase occasionally inscribed near the altar in Catholic churches;
ecce panis behold the bread
it makes reference to the Host; the Eucharist; the bread of Heaven;
angelorum of angels
the Body of Christ. See also: Panis Angelicus.
editio princeps first edition The first printed edition of a work.
O Deus Ego Amo O God I Love
attributed to Saint Francis Xavier
Te You
ego non not I short for "Even if all others... I will not."
Part of the absolution-formula spoken by a priest as part of the
ego te absolvo I absolve you
sacrament of Penance (cf. absolvo).
ego te provoco I provoke you Used as a challenge, "I dare you".
eheu fugaces Alas, the fleeting
From Horace's Odes II, 14.
labuntur anni years slip by
Also 'worn-out'. Retired from office. Often used to denote a position
held at the point of retirement, as an honor, such as professor
emeritus veteran
emeritus or provost emeritus. This does not necessarily mean that
the honoree is no longer active.
Or 'being one's own cause'. Traditionally, a being that owes its
existing because
ens causa sui existence to no other being, hence God or a Supreme Being (cf.
of oneself
Primum Mobile).
by the sword she
ense petit
seeks gentle
placidam sub State motto of Massachusetts, adopted in 1775.
peace under
libertate quietem
liberty
entitas ipsa
involvit reality involves a
aptitudinem ad power to compel A phrase used in modern Western philosophy on the nature of truth.
extorquendum sure assent
certum assensum
Technical term used in philosophy and the law. Similar to ipso facto.
eo ipso by that very (act) Example: "The fact that I am does not eo ipso mean that I think."
From Latin eo ipso, ablative form of id ipsum, "that (thing) itself".
30 of 111 11/25/2010 11:31 AM

eo nomine by that name

do not trust the
equo ne credite Virgil, Aeneid, II. 48–49 (Latin)
horse
in relation to
erga omnes
everyone
ergo therefore Denotes a logical conclusion (cf. cogito ergo sum).
From Seneca the Younger: errare humanum est, sed perseverare
diabolicum; 'to err is human, but to persist (in the mistake) is
errare humanum
to err is human diabolical.' From Hieronymus "Patrologia Latina" errare humanum
est
est et confiteri errorem prudentis; 'to err is human and admitting
the error is wise'
Or 'mistake'. Lists of errors in a previous edition of a work are often
erratum error
marked with the plural, errata ('errors').
George Berkeley's motto for his idealist philosophical position that
to be is to be
esse est percipi nothing exists independently of its perception by a mind except
perceived
minds themselves.
Truly being something, rather than merely seeming to be something.
Motto of many institutions. From chapter 26 of Cicero's De amicitia
('On Friendship'). Earlier than Cicero, the phrase had been used by
to be, rather than Sallust in his Bellum Catilinae (54.6), where he wrote that Cato esse
esse quam videri
to seem quam videri bonus malebat ('he preferred to be good, rather than
to seem so'). Earlier still, Aeschylus used a similar phrase in Seven
Against Thebes, line 592, ou gar dokein aristos, all' enai thelei; 'he
wishes not to seem the best, but to be the best'.
Said of Venice by the Venetian historian Fra Paolo Sarpi shortly
may it be
esto perpetua before his death. Also the state motto of Idaho, adopted in 1867, and
perpetual
of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia, Sri Lanka.
esto quod es be what you are Motto of Wells Cathedral School.
A less common variant on et cetera used at the end of a list of
et alibi (et al.) and elsewhere
locations to denote unlisted places.
Used similarly to et cetera ('and the rest'), to stand for a list of
names. Alii is actually masculine, so it can be used for men, or
groups of men and women; the feminine, et aliae (or et aliæ), is
appropriate when the 'others' are all female. Et alia is neuter plural
et alii (et al.) and others and thus properly used only for inanimate, genderless objects, but
some use it as a gender-neutral alternative.[13] APA style uses et al.
if the work cited was written by more than six authors; MLA style
uses et al. for more than three authors.
et cetera (etc.) or
And the rest In modern usage, used to mean 'and so on' or 'and more'.
(&c.)
And light came
et facta est lux to be or was From Genesis 1:3 "and there was light".
made
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And all that sort

et hoc genus omne Abbreviated to e.h.g.o. or ehgo
of 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 will See also Lux in Tenebris; motto for the Pontificia Universidad
lucet shine in darkness Católica del Perú.
And now, O ye
kings,
et nunc reges understand: From the Book of Psalms, II.x. (Vulgate) (http://clib.org/x/d?b=lvb&
intelligite
receive bk=21&ch=2&l=10&f=s#x) , 2.10 (Douay-Rheims) (http://drbo.org
erudimini qui
instruction, you /cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=21&ch=2&l=10&f=s#x) .
judicatis terram
that judge the
earth.
and the following
et sequentes (et Also et sequentia ('and the following things': neut.), abbreviations: et
(masc./fem.
seq.) seqq., et seq.., or sqq.
plural)
and a supposition
et suppositio nil
puts nothing in More typically translated as "Sayin' it don't make it so".
ponit in esse
being
Also 'Even you, Brutus?' or 'You too, Brutus?' Used to indicate a
betrayal by someone close. From Shakespeare's Julius Caesar,
based on the traditional dying words of Julius Caesar. However,
And you,
et tu, Brute? these were almost certainly not Caesar's true last words; Plutarch
Brutus?
quotes Caesar as saying, in Greek, the language of Rome's elite at
the time, καὶ σὺ τέκνον; (Kaì sù téknon?), 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,
others... I will Peter to Jesus Christ (Matthew 26:33)
ego non
not
ex abundanti from abundant
cautela caution
From the Gospel according to St. Matthew, XII.xxxiv (Vulgate)
(http://clib.org/x/d?b=lvb&bk=47&ch=12&l=34&f=s#x) , 12.34
For out of the
ex abundantia (Douay-Rheims) (http://drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=47&ch=12&
abundance of the
enim cordis os l=34&f=s#x) and the Gospel according to St. Luke, VI.xlv (Vulgate)
heart the mouth
loquitur (http://clib.org/x/d?b=lvb&bk=49&ch=6&l=45&f=s#x) , 6.45
speaketh.
(Douay-Rheims) (http://drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=49&
ch=6&l=45&f=s#x) . Sometimes rendered without enim ('for').
ex aequo from the equal 'On equal footing', i.e., 'in a tie'.
Always
ex Africa semper Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, VIII/42: unde etiam vulgare
something new
aliquid novi
from Africa Graeciae dictum semper aliquid novi Africam adferre.[14]
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(literally
something of
new)
ex animo from the heart Thus, 'sincerely'.
'Beforehand', 'before the event'. Based on prior assumptions. A
ex ante from before
forecast.
The motto of the fictional Starfleet Academy on Star Trek. Adapted
From the Stars,
ex astris scientia from ex luna scientia, which in turn was modeled after ex scientia
Knowledge
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"
ex cathedra 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.
ex Deo from God
'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
ex dolo malo from fraud 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
ex facie from the face to note that a document's explicit terms are defective without further
investigation.
from faith
ex fide fiducia [comes] A motto of St George's College, Harare.
confidence
More literally 'from grace'. Refers to someone voluntarily
performing an act purely out of kindness, as opposed to for personal
ex gratia from kindness
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
ex hypothesi Thus, 'by hypothesis'.
hypothesis
ex infra (e.i.) cf. ex 'from below' Recent academic notation for 'from below in this writing'
supra
from that which The medical pitfall in which response to a therapeutic regimen
ex juvantibus
helps substitutes proper diagnosis.
ex lege from the law
Precedes a person's name, with the meaning of 'from the library
ex libris from the books
of...'; also a bookplate.
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The motto of the Apollo 13 moon mission, derived from ex scientia

from the moon,
ex luna scientia tridens, the motto of Jim Lovell's Alma Mater, the United States
knowledge
Naval Academy.
From St. Augustine's "Sermon LXI" where he contradicts Seneca's
dictum in Epistulae 87:22: bonum ex malo non fit (good does not
ex malo bonum good out of evil
come from evil). Also the alias of the Anberlin song, "Miserabile
Visu" from their album New Surrender.
ex mea sententia in my opinion
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
nothing comes modern science. Ex nihilo often used in conjunction with the term
ex nihilo nihil fit
from nothing creation, as in creatio ex nihilo, meaning 'creation out of nothing'. It
is often used in philosophy or theology in connection with the
proposition that God created the universe from nothing. 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
ex officio from the office
a committee or congress may 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.
A theological phrase contrasted with ex opere operato, referring to
from the work of
ex opere operantis the notion that the validity or promised benefit of a sacrament
the one working
depends on the person administering it.
A theological phrase meaning that the act of receiving a sacrament
actually confers the promised benefit, such as a baptism actually and
from the work
ex opere operato literally cleansing one's sins. The Catholic Church affirms that the
worked
source of grace is God, not just the actions or disposition of the
minister or the recipient of the sacrament.
light from the Originally refers to the sun rising in the east, but alludes to culture
ex oriente lux
east coming from the Eastern world. Motto of several institutions.
A legal term meaning 'by one party' or 'for one party'. Thus, on
ex parte from a part
behalf of one side or party only.
from Hercules' From the measure of Hercules' foot you shall know his size; from a
ex pede Herculem
foot part, the whole.
'Afterward', 'after the event'. Based on knowledge of the past.
ex post from after
Measure of past performance.
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from a thing
ex post facto Said of a law with retroactive effect.
done afterward
from one
Or 'with due competence'. Said of the person who perfectly knows
ex professo declaring [an art
his art or science.
or science]
The United States Naval Academy motto. Refers to knowledge
from knowledge,
ex scientia tridens bringing men power over the sea comparable to that of the trident-
sea power.
bearing Greek god Poseidon.
from knowledge, The motto of the College of Graduate Studies at Middle Tennessee
ex scientia vera
truth State University.
In general, the claim that the absence of something demonstrates the
proof of a proposition. An argumentum ex silentio ('argument from
silence') is an argument based on the assumption that someone's
ex silentio from silence
silence on a matter suggests ('proves' when a logical fallacy) that
person's ignorance of the matter or their inability to counterargue
validly.
opposite of 'in
ex situ
situ
ex supra (e.s.) cf. ex 'from above' Recent academic notation for 'from above in this writing'.
infra
from [this
ex tempore 'This instant', 'right away' or 'immediately'. Also written extempore.
moment of] time
from the shadow
ex umbra in solem Motto of Federico Santa María Technical University.
into the light
from the force of
ex vi termini Thus, 'by definition'.
the term
out of or from Used in reference to the study or assay of living tissue in an artificial
ex vivo
life environment outside the living organism.
Thus, in accordance with a promise. An ex voto is also an offering
ex voto from the vow
made in fulfillment of a vow.
from crowd,
ex vulgus scientia used to describe social computing, The Wisdom of Crowds
knowledge
'Ever upward!' The state motto of New York. Also a catch phrase
excelsior higher
used by Marvel Comics head Stan Lee.
exceptio firmat (or The exception A juridical principle which means that the statement of a rule's
probat) regulam in confirms the rule exception (e.g., "no parking on Sundays") implicitly confirms the
casibus non in cases which rule (i.e., that parking is allowed Monday through Saturday). Often
exceptis are not excepted mistranslated as "the exception that proves the rule".
an excuse that
excusatio non has not been More loosely, 'he who excuses himself, accuses himself'—an
petita accusatio sought [is] an unprovoked excuse is a sign of guilt. In French, qui s'excuse,
manifesta obvious s'accuse.
accusation
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exeat may he/she leave A formal leave of absence.

Usually shortened in English to 'for example' (see citation signal).
exempli gratia for the sake of Often confused with id est (i.e.).[15]
(e.g.) example Exempli gratia, 'for example', is commonly abbreviated 'e.g.'; in this
usage it is sometimes followed by a comma, depending on style.[16]
an army without
exercitus sine
a leader is a On a plaque at the former military staff building of the Swedish
duce corpus est
body without a Armed Forces.
sine spiritu
spirit
Third-person plural present active indicative of the Latin verb exire;
exeunt they leave
also extended to exeunt omnes, 'all leave'; singular: exit.
This term has been used in dermatopathology to express that there is
experience no substitute for experience in dealing with all the numerous
experientia docet
teaches variations that may occur with skin conditions.[17] The term has also
been used in gastroenterology.[18]
experimentum experiment of
Or 'crucial experiment'. A decisive test of a scientific theory.
crucis the cross
Literally 'believe one who has had experience'. An author's aside to
experto crede trust the expert
the reader.
'Mentioning one thing may exclude another thing'. A principle of
legal statutory interpretation: the explicit presence of a thing implies
the expression of
intention to exclude others; e.g., a reference in the Poor Relief Act
expressio unius est the one is the
1601 to 'lands, houses, tithes and coal mines' was held to exclude
exclusio alterius exclusion of the
mines other than coal mines. Sometimes expressed as expressum
other
facit cessare tacitum (broadly, 'the expression of one thing excludes
the implication of something else').
Refers to a possible result of Catholic ecclesiastical legal
[placed] outside
extra domum proceedings when the culprit is removed from being part of a group
of the house
like a monastery.
This expression comes from the writings of Saint Cyprian of
outside the
extra Ecclesiam Carthage, a bishop of the third century. It is often used to summarise
Church [there is]
nulla salus the doctrine that the Catholic Church is absolutely necessary for
no salvation
salvation.
It is issued by the Master of the Papal Liturgical Celebrations before
a session of the Papal conclave which will elect a new Pope. When
outside, all [of
extra omnes spoken, all those who are not Cardinals, or those otherwise
you]
mandated to be present at the Conclave, must leave the Sistine
Chapel.
he who
administers
extra territorium
justice outside of Refers to extraterritorial jurisdiction. Often cited in law of the sea
jus dicenti impune
his territory is cases on the high seas.
non paretur
disobeyed with
impunity
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faber est suae Every man is the artisan Appius Claudius Caecus. Motto of Fort Street High School in
quisque fortunae of his own fortune Petersham, Sydney , Australia.
do brave deeds and
fac fortia et patere Motto of Prince Alfred College in Adelaide, Australia.
endure
fac simile make a similar thing Origin of the word facsimile, and, through it, of fax.
facio liberos ex "I make free adults out
Motto of St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland and Santa
liberis libris of children by means of
Fe, New Mexico
libraque books and a balance."
facta, non verba deeds, not words Frequently used as motto.
A Roman legal principle indicating that a witness who
willfully falsifies one matter is not credible on any matter. The
falsus in uno, false in one thing, false
underlying motive for attorneys to impeach opposing
falsus in omnibus in everything
witnesses in court: the principle discredits the rest of their
testimony if it is without corroboration.
feci quod potui, I have done what I from Henry Baerlein's introduction to his translation of The
faciant meliora could; those who can Diwan of Abu'l-Ala by Abu al-Ala al-Maarri (973–1057);[19]
potentes will do better. also in Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters, act I.
fecisti patriam "From differing peoples Verse 63 from the poem De reditu suo by Rutilius Claudius
diversis de you have made one
gentibus unam native land" Namatianus praising emperor Augustus.[20]
felix qui potuit happy is he who can

Virgil. "Rerum cognoscere causas" is the motto of the London
rerum cognoscere discover the causes of
School of Economics and the University of Sheffield.
causas things
An archaic legal term for one who commits suicide, referring
felo de se felon from himself to early English common law punishments, such as land
seizure, inflicted on those who killed themselves.
fere libenter
men generally believe People's beliefs are shaped largely by their desires. Julius
homines id quod
what they want to Caesar, The Gallic War 3.18
volunt credunt
An oxymoronic motto of Augustus. It encourages proceeding
festina lente hurry slowly quickly, but with calm and caution. Equivalent to 'More haste,
less speed'. Motto of The Madeira School, McLean, Virginia.
let justice be done,
fiat iustitia et
though the world shall Motto of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor.
pereat mundus
perish
fiat justitia ruat let justice be done
Attributed to Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus.
caelum should the sky fall
Less literally, "let light arise" or "let there be light" (cf. lux
fiat lux let light be made sit). From the Latin translation of Genesis, "dixitque Deus fiat
37 of 111 11/25/2010 11:31 AM

lux et facta est lux" ("and 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 God's will be done The motto of Robert May's School
The motto of Archbishop Richard Smith of the Roman
fiat voluntas tua Thy will be done
Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton.
ficta voluptatis fictions meant to please
Horace Ars Poetica (338) , advice presumably discounted by
causa sint should approximate the
the magical realists
proxima veris truth
A title given to Henry VIII of England by Pope Leo X on
Fidei Defensor (Fid October 17, 1521 before Henry became a heresiarch. Still
Defender of the Faith
Def) or (fd) used by the British monarchs, it appears on all British coins,
usually abbreviated.
Sometimes mistranslated to "Keep the faith", when used in
contemporary English-language writings of all kinds to
fidem scit He knows the faith convey a light-hearted wish for the reader's well-being. The
humor comes from the phrase's similarity in pronunciation to
the words "Feed 'em shit".
the faith by which it is the personal faith which apprehends, contrasted with fides
fides qua creditur
believed quae creditur
fides quae the faith which is
the content of "the faith," contrasted with fides qua creditur
creditur believed
fides quaerens faith seeking
the motto of Saint Anselm, found in his Proslogion
intellectum understanding
A faithful friend. From the name of Aeneas's faithful
fidus Achates faithful Achates
companion in Virgil's Aeneid.
filae nostrae sicvt may our daughters be as
angvli incisi polished as the corners' Motto of Francis Holland School
similitvdine templi of the temple
The end crowns the
finis coronat opus The end justifies the means.
work
finis vitae sed non The end of life, but not
amoris of love
Referred to Attila the Hun, when he led his armies to invade
flagellum dei scourge of god
the Western Roman Empire.
flectere si nequeo
superos, If I cannot move
Virgil's Aeneid, book 7
Achaeronta heaven I will raise hell
movebo
floreat etona May Eton Flourish Motto of Eton College
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floreat nostra
May our school flourish Common school motto
schola
Indicates the period when a historical figure whose birth and
floruit (fl.) one flourished
death dates are unknown was most active.
fluctuat nec she wavers and is not
Motto of Paris.
mergitur immersed
fons et origo the spring and source "The fountainhead and beginning". The source and origin.
fons sapientiae, the fount of knowledge
The motto of Bishop Blanchet High School.
verbum Dei is the word of God.
fortes fortuna Fortune favours the
The motto of the 3rd Marine Regiment
adiuvat bold
fortes in fide strong in faith Frequently used as motto.
fortis cadere, The brave may fall, but
Motto of Fahnestock Family Arms.
cedere non potest cannot yield
fortis est veritas truth is strong Motto on the coat of arms of Oxford, England.
fortis et liber strong and free Motto of Alberta.
Motto of Municipal Borough of Middleton from the Earl of
fortis in arduis strong in difficulties
Middleton.
fortiter et fideliter bravely and faithfully Frequently used as motto.
fortunae meae, artisan of my fate and
Motto of Gatineau.
multorum faber that of several others
fundamenta
Unshakable Foundation
inconcussa

gaudeamus hodie let us rejoice today
First words of a famous academic anthem used, among
gaudeamus igitur therefore let us rejoice
other places, in The Student Prince.
gaudium in veritate joy in truth
generalia universal things do not A principle of statutory interpretation: If a matter falls
specialibus non detract from specific under a specific provision and a general provision, it shall
derogant things be governed by the specific provision.
The unique, distinctive aspects or atmosphere of a place,
such as those celebrated in art, stories, folk tales, and
genius loci spirit of place festivals. Originally, the genius loci was literally the
protective spirit of a place, a creature usually depicted as a
snake.
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gesta non verba deeds, not words Motto of James Ruse Agricultural High School.
Often translated "Glory to God on High". The title and
Gloria in Excelsis Glory to God in the
beginning of an ancient Roman Catholic doxology, the
Deo Highest
Greater Doxology. See also ad maiorem Dei gloriam.
Gloria filiorum The glory of sons is their
Motto of Eltham College.
patres fathers (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
ascendimus
Graecia capta Conquered Greece in
ferum victorem turn defeated its savage Horace Epistles 2.1
cepit conqueror
Grandescunt Aucta By hard work, all things
Motto of McGill University
Labore increase and grow
gratiae veritas truth through God's
Motto of Uppsala University
naturae mercy and nature
graviora manent heavier things remain more severe things await, the worst is yet to come
Gravis Dulcis
serious sweet immutable Title of a poem by James Elroy Flecker [21]
Immutabilis
gutta cavat lapidem a water drop hollows a main phrase is from Ovid, Epistulae ex Ponto IV, 10,
[non vi sed saepe stone [not by force, but
cadendo] by falling often] 5.[22]; expanded in the Middle Ages

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
You should have
habeas corpus habeas corpus ad subjiciendum (you may have the body to bring
the body
up). Commonly used as the general term for a prisoner's legal right
to challenge the legality of their detention.
Used after a Roman Catholic Church papal election to announce
habemus papam we have a pope
publicly a successful ballot to elect a new pope.
Books have their
Habent sua fata destiny [according
libelli to the capabilities
of the reader]
hac lege with this law
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haec olim one day, this will Commonly rendered in English as "One day, we'll look back on this
meminisse be pleasing to and smile". From Virgil's Aeneid 1.203. Also, motto of the Jefferson
iuvabit remember Society.
Hannibal ad Hannibal is at the Roman parents would tell their misbehaving children this, invoking
portas gates their fear of Hannibal.
Hannibal ante Hannibal before Refers to wasting time while the enemy is already here. Attributed
portas the gates to Cicero.
haud ignota I speak not of
Thus, "I say no things that are unknown". From Virgil's Aeneid, 2.91.
loquor unknown things
hic abundant
here lions abound Written on uncharted territories of old maps.
leones
hic et nunc here and now
Also rendered hic iacet. Written on gravestones or tombs, preceding
the name of the deceased. Equivalent to hic sepultus (here is
hic jacet (HJ) here lies
buried), and sometimes combined into hic jacet sepultus (HJS), "here
lies buried".
According to Titus Livius the phrase was pronounced by Marcus
Furius Camillus, addressing the senators who intended to abandon
hic manebimus here we'll stay
the city, invaded by Gauls, circa 390 BC. It is used today to express
optime excellently
the intent to keep one's position even if the circumstances appear
adverse.
here there are
hic sunt dracones Written on uncharted territories of old maps.
dragons
here there are
hic sunt leones Written on uncharted territories of old maps.
lions
From Terence, Andria, line 125. Originally literal, referring to the
hinc illae tears shed by Pamphilus at the funeral of Chrysis, it came to be used
hence those tears
lacrimae proverbally in the works of later authors, such as Horace (Epistula
XIX, 41).
historia vitae history, the
From Cicero, Tusculanas, 2, 16. Also "history is the mistress of life".
magistra teacher of life
Motto of Bradford Grammar School, often purposefully
hoc age do this
mistranslated by pupils as "Just do it!".
hoc est bellum This is war
hoc est Christum To know Christ is
cognoscere, Famous dictum by the Reformer Melanchthon in his Loci
to know his
beneficia eius Communes of 1521
benefits
cognoscere
The words of Jesus reiterated in Latin during the Roman Catholic
hoc est enim Eucharist. "Hoc est corpus" May be the source of the expression
This is my Body
corpus meum
"hocus-pocus".[citation needed]
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hominem non Treat the Man, not

Motto of the Far Eastern University – Institute of Nursing
morbum cura the Disease
First attested in Plautus' Asinaria (lupus est homo homini). The
homo homini man [is a] wolf to
sentence was drawn on by Hobbes in Leviathan as a concise
lupus man
expression of his human nature view.
homo
praesumitur One is innocent
See also presumption of innocence.
bonus donec until proven guilty
probetur malus
From Terence, Heautontimoroumenos. Originally "strange" or
"foreign" (alienum) was used in the sense of "irrelevant", as this line
homo sum I am a human
was a response to the speaker being told to mind his own business,
humani a me being; nothing
but it is now commonly used to advocate respecting different
nihil alienum human is strange
cultures and being humane in general. Puto (I consider) is not
puto to me
translated because it is meaningless outside of the line's context
within the play.
homo unius libri (I fear) a man of
Attributed to Thomas Aquinas
(timeo) one book
honestes ante honesty before
Motto of King George V school, Hong Kong, China
honores glory
honor virtutis esteem is the
Motto of Arnold School, Blackpool, England
praemium reward of virtue
for the sake of Said of an honorary title, such as "Doctor of Science honoris
honoris causa
honor causa".
hora fugit the hour flees See tempus fugit.
at the hour of
hora somni (h.s.) Medical shorthand for "at bedtime".
sleep
horas non I do not count the
numero nisi hours unless they A common inscription on sundials.
serenas are sunny
horribile dictu horrible to say That is, "a horrible thing to relate". Cf. mirabile dictu.
A garden in the Motto of the Chicago Park District, a playful allusion to the city's
hortus in urbe
city motto, urbs in horto, q.v.
hortus siccus A dry garden A collection of dry, preserved plants.
hostis humani enemy of the Cicero defined pirates in Roman law as being enemies of humanity
generis human race in general.
hypotheses non I do not fabricate From Newton, Principia. Less literally, "I do not assert that any
fingo hypotheses hypotheses are true".
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Usually used in bibliographic citations to refer to the last
ibidem (ibid.) in the same place
source previously referenced.
Used to refer to something that has already been cited. See also
idem (id.) the same
ibidem.
"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
id est (i.e., or ie.) that is not, depending on style (American English and British English
respectively)[citation needed]. It is often misinterpreted as "for
example." In this situation, e.g. should be used instead.
id quod plerumque that which generally A phrase used in legal language to indicate the most probable
accidit happens outcome from an act, fact, event or cause.
idem quod (i.q.) the same as 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
Idus Martiae the Ides of March
date on which Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC; the
term has come to be used as a metaphor for impending doom.
Direct quote from the Vulgate, John 19:19.
Iesus Nazarenus Jesus of Nazareth, The inscription was written in Latin, Greek
Rex Iudaeorum
(INRI)
King of the Jews and Aramaic at the top of the cross on which
Jesus was crucified. (John 19:20)
igitur qui desiderat Therefore whoever

Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus, De Re Militari; similar to si
pacem, praeparet desires peace, let him
vis pacem, para bellum.
bellum prepare for war
igne natura through fire, nature is An alchemical aphorism invented as an alternate meaning for
renovatur integra reborn whole the acronym INRI.
A phrase describing scorched earth tactics. Also rendered as
igni ferroque with fire and iron
igne 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.
(or ignorantia legis
non excusat or
ignorantia iuris ignorantia legis A legal principle whereby ignorance of a law does not allow
non excusat neminem excusat) one to escape liability;
ignorance of the law
is no excuse
The logical fallacy of irrelevant conclusion: making an
argument that, while possibly valid, doesn't prove or support
ignoratio elenchi ignorance of the issue 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.
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ignotum per unknown by means An explanation that is less clear than the thing to be explained.
ignotius of the more unknown Synonymous with obscurum per obscurius.
ignotus (ign.) unknown
From the religious concept that man was created in "God's
imago Dei image of God
image".
A principle, held by several religions, that believers should
imitatio dei imitation of a god
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
imperium in an order within an of the internal group's leader(s).
imperio order 2. A "fifth column" organization operating against the
organization within which they seemingly reside.
3. "State within a state"
In Virgil's Aeneid, Jupiter ordered Aeneas to found a city
an empire without an
imperium sine fine (Rome) from which would come an everlasting, neverending
end
empire, the endless (sine fine) empire.
An authorization to publish, granted by some censoring
imprimatur let it be printed
authority (originally a Catholic Bishop).
Used in a number of situations, such as in a trial carried out in
in absentia in the absence
the absence of the accused.
in actu in act "In the very act/In reality".
in articulo mortis at the point of death
in camera in the chamber Figuratively, "in secret". See also camera obscura.
in casu (i.c.) in the event "In this case".
Using the metaphor of a scorpion, this can be said of an
the poison is in the account that proceeds gently, but turns vicious towards the end
in cauda venenum
tail — or more generally waits till the end to reveal an intention or
statement that is undesirable in the listener's eyes.
Eboracum was the Roman name for York and this phrase is
In the county of
in com. Ebor. used in some Georgian and Victorian books on the genealogy
Yorkshire
of prominent Yorkshire families.
in Deo speramus in God we hope Motto of Brown University.
Expresses the judicial principle that in case of doubt the
in doubt, on behalf of
in dubio pro reo decision must be in favor of the accused (in that anyone is
the [alleged] culprit
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
in effigie in the likeness
flesh" or "in person".
in esse in existence In actual existence; as opposed to in posse.
in extenso in the extended "In full", "at full length", "completely", "unabridged".
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in the furthest In extremity; in dire straits. Also "at the point of death" (cf. in
in extremis
reaches articulo mortis).
To our Faith Add
in fide scientiam Motto of Newington College.
Knowledge
in fidem into faith To the verification of faith.
in fieri in becoming Thus, "pending".
in fine (i.f.) in the end At the end. The footnote says "p. 157 in fine": "the
end of page 157".
in a blazing wrong, Equivalent to the English idiom "caught red-handed": caught in
in flagrante delicto while the crime is the act of committing a crime. Sometimes carries the
blazing connotation of being caught in a "compromising position".
in flore in blossom Blooming.
in foro in forum Legal term for "in court".
We enter the circle at
in girum imus nocte A palindrome said to describe the behavior of moths. Also the
night and are
et consumimur igni title of a film by Guy Debord.
consumed by fire
in hoc sensu or in Recent academic abbreviation for the spatious and
in this sense
sensu hoc (s.h.) inconvienient "in this sense".
Words Constantine claimed to have seen in a vision before the
by this sign you will Battle of the Milvian Bridge. Motto of Sigma Chi fraternity,
in hoc signo vinces
conquer the [[Norwegian Army 2nd Battalion]and the House of Di
Santis].
in hunc effectum for this purpose Describes a meeting called for a particular stated purpose only.
Recent academic substitution for the spacious and
in illo ordine (i.o.) in that order
inconvenient "..., respectively."
"at that time", found often in Gospel lectures during Masses,
in illo tempore in that time
used to mark an undetermined time in the past.
in inceptum finis lit.: in the beginning
or: the beginning foreshadows the end
est is the end
Preliminary, in law referring to a motion that is made to the
in limine at the outset judge before or during trial, often about the admissibility of
evidence believed prejudicial
That is, "on site".
in the place, on the The nearby labs were closed for the
in loco
spot weekend, so the water samples were analyzed
in loco.
A legal term meaning "assuming parental (i.e., custodial)
in the place of a
in loco parentis responsibility and authority". Primary and secondary teachers
parent
are typically bound by law to act in loco parentis.
in luce Tua videmus in Thy light we see
Motto of Valparaiso University.
lucem light
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in lumine tuo in your light we will

Motto of Columbia University and Ohio Wesleyan University.
videbimus lumen see the light
in manus tuas
into your hands I
commendo spiritum According to Luke 23:46, the last words of Jesus on the cross.
entrust my spirit
meum
From Horace. Refers to the literary technique of beginning a
narrative in the middle of, or at a late point in, the story, after
into the middle of
in medias res much action has already taken place. Examples include the
things
Iliad, the Odyssey, Os Lusíadas, Othello, and Paradise Lost.
Compare ab initio.
Equivalent to "in the memory of". Refers to remembering or
in memoriam into the memory
honoring a deceased person.
in necessariis in necessary things "Charity" (caritas) is being used in the classical sense of
unitas, in dubiis unity, in doubtful "compassion" (cf. agape). Motto of the Cartellverband der
libertas, in omnibus things liberty, in all katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen. Often
caritas things charity misattributed to Augustine of Hippo.
advise comes over I.e., "Tomorrow is a new day." Motto of Birkbeck College,
in nocte consilium
night University of London.
in the name of the Motto of Trinity College, Perth, Australia; the name of a 1050
in nomine Domini
Lord papal bull.
I.e., "in potentiality." Comparable to "potential", "to be
in nuce in a nut
developed".
in omnia paratus Ready for anything. Motto of the United States Army's 18th Infantry Regiment
Everywhere I have
in omnibus requiem searched for peace
quaesivi, et
and nowhere found Quote by Thomas à Kempis
nusquam inveni nisi
it, except in a corner
in angulo cum libro
with a book
That is, "in the land of the infidels", infidels here referring to
in partibus in the parts of the non-Christians. After Islam conquered a large part of the
infidelium infidels Roman Empire, the corresponding bishoprics didn't disappear,
but remained as titular sees.
A Cardinal named in secret by the pope. See also ab imo
in pectore in the heart
pectore.
in personam into a person Directed towards a particular person
in posse in potential In the state of being possible; as opposed to in esse.
in propria persona in one's own person "Personally", "in person".
in principio erat in the beginning was
Beginning of the Gospel of John
Verbum the Word (Logos)
A legal term used to indicate that a judicial proceeding may not
have formally designated adverse parties or is otherwise
in re in the matter [of]
uncontested. The term is commonly used in case citations of
probate proceedings, for example, In re Smith's Estate; it is
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also used in juvenile courts, as, for instance, In re Gault.

A legal term used to indicate a court's jurisdiction over a
"thing" rather than a "legal person". As opposed to "ad
personam jurisdiction". Example: in tenant landlord disputes,
in rem to the thing
the summons and complaint may be nailed to the door of a
rented property. This is because the litigant seeks jurisdiction
over "the premises" rather than "the occupant".
in the nature of See also Lucretius' De rerum natura (On the Nature of
in rerum natura
things Things).
among things held Used to describe documents kept separately from the regular
in retentis
back records of a court for special reasons.
"In the secular world", that is, outside a monastery, or before
in saeculo in the times
death.
in salvo in safety
Coined in the early 1990s for scientific papers. Refers to an
experiment or process performed virtually, as a computer
in silico simulation. The term is Dog Latin modeled after terms such as
in silicon
(Dog Latin) 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
in situ in the place
arrangement.
In dreams there is
in somnis veritas
truth
"future" (My mother-in-law in spe", i.e., "My future mother-
in-law), or "in embryonic form", as in "Locke's theory of
in spe in hope
government resembles, in spe, Montesquieu's theory of the
separation of powers."
in specialibus
To seek the general in That is, to understand the most general rules through the most
generalia
the specifics detailed analysis.
quaerimus
in the state of being
in statu nascendi Just as something is about to begin.
born
in toto in all "Totally", "entirely", "completely".
in triplo in triple "In triplicate".
in utero in the womb
in utrumque Prepared for either
Motto of the McKenzie clan.
paratus (event)
in vacuo in a void "In a vacuum". In isolation from other things.
in varietate
united in diversity The motto of the European Union and the Council of Europe
concordia
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in wine [there is] That is, wine loosens the tongue(Referring to alcohol's
in vino veritas
truth disinhibitory effects).
An experimental or process methodology performed in a
"non-natural" setting (e.g. in a laboratory using a glass test tube
in vitro in glass 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.
in life" or "in a living
in vivo An experiment or process performed on a living specimen.
thing
An expression used by biologists to express the fact that
in a living thing laboratory findings from testing an organism in vitro are not
in vivo veritas
[there is] truth always reflected when applied to an organism in vivo. A pun
on in vino veritas.
of uncertain position A term used to classify a taxonomic group when its broader
incertae sedis
(seat) relationships are unknown or undefined.
incredibile dictu incredible to say A variant on mirabile dictu.
Index of Prohibited
Index Librorum A list of books considered heretical by the Roman Catholic
(or, Forbidden)
Prohibitorum Church.
Books
indivisibiliter ac indivisible and Motto of Austria–Hungary prior to its separation into
inseparabiliter inseparable independent states in 1918.
Infinitus est Infinite is the number
numerus stultorum. of fools.
The motto of Venerable Vital-Justin Grandin, the bishop of the
infirma mundi God chooses the
St. Albert Diocese, which is now the Roman Catholic
elegit Deus weak of the world
Archdiocese of Edmonton
infra dignitatem beneath one's dignity
(infra dig)
innocens non innocent but not
Motto on Rowe family coat of arms.
timidus afraid
Formerly used in formal correspondence to refer to the current
instante mense month, sometimes abbreviated as instant; e.g.: "Thank you for
in the present month
(inst.) your letter of the 17th inst." — ult. mense = last month, prox.
mense = next month.
intaminatis fulget Untarnished, she
From Horace's Odes (III.2.18). Motto of Wofford College.
honoribus shines with honor
unimpaired by life
integer vitae
and clean of From Horace. Used as a funeral hymn.
scelerisque purus
wickedness
A term used in formal extract minutes to indicate that the
minute quoted has been taken from a fuller record of other
inter alia (i.a.) among other things
matters, or when alluding to the parent group after quoting a
particular example.
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inter alios among others 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
inter arma enim in a time of war, the 60s and 50s BC. Famously quoted in the essay Civil
silent leges law falls silent 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, the legs are silent."
inter caetera among others Title of a papal bull
inter spem et between hope and
metum fear
inter urinas et we are born between
Attributed to St. Augustine.
faeces nascimur urine and faeces
Said of property transfers between living persons, as opposed
inter vivos between the living
to inheritance; often relevant to tax laws.
Thus, "not public". Source of the word intramural. See also
intra muros within the walls
Intramuros, Manila.
intra vires within the powers That is, "within the authority".
I remain
invictus maneo Motto of the Armstrong Clan.
unvanquished
Iohannes est nomen John is his name /
Motto of the Seal of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
eius Juan es su Nombre
ipsa scientia knowledge itself is
Famous phrase written by Sir Francis Bacon in 1597.
potestas est power
Commonly said in Medieval debates referring to Aristotle.
Used in general to emphasize that some assertion comes from
some authority, i.e., as an argument from authority, and the
ipse dixit he himself said it term ipse-dixitism has come to mean any unsupported
rhetorical assertion that lacks a logical argument. Originally
coined by Cicero in his De Natura Deorum (I, 10) to describe
the behavior of the students of Pythagoras.
"Strictly word for word" (cf. verbatim). Often used in Biblical
the very words
ipsissima verba Studies to describe the record of Jesus' teaching found in the
themselves
New Testament (specifically, the four Gospels).
To approximate the main thrust or message without using the
ipsissima voce the very 'voice' itself
exact words.
ipso facto by the fact itself Or "by that very fact".
Like the vast majority of inhabitants of the ancient world, the
ancient Romans practiced pagan rituals, believing it important
ira deorum wrath of the gods to achieve a state of pax deorum (peace of the gods) instead of
ira deorum (wrath of the gods): earthquakes, floods, famine,
etc.
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Wrath (anger) is but

ira furor brevis est
a brief madness
A useful phrase, as the Romans had no word for "yes",
preferring to respond to questions with the affirmative or
ita vero thus indeed 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
ite missa est Go, it is the dismissal
addressed to the people in the Mass of the Roman Rite.[23]
iter legis The path of the law The path a law takes from its conception to its implementation.
From Gerhard Gerhards' (1466–1536) [better known as
Erasmus] collection of annotated Adagia (1508). It can mean
to cut the throat of
iugulare mortuos attacking the work or personality of deceased person.
corpses
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
iuncta iuvant together they strive valeant singula, iuncta iuvant ("What is without value on its
own, helps when joined")
A legal principle in civil law countries of the Roman-German
the court knows the tradition that says that lawyers need not to argue the law, as
iura novit curia
law that is the office of the court. Sometimes miswritten as iura
novat curia (the court renews the laws).
iure matris in right of his mother Indicates a right exercised by a son on behalf of his mother.
iure uxoris in right of his wife Indicates a right exercised by a husband on behalf of his wife.
iuris ignorantia est it is ignorance of the
cum ius nostrum law when we do not
ignoramus know our own rights
Commonly referred to as "right of survivorship": a rule in
ius accrescendi right of accrual property law that surviving joint tenants have rights in equal
shares to a decedent's property.
Refers to the laws that regulate the reasons for going to war.
ius ad bellum law towards 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
ius cogens compelling law
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
ius in bello law in war during a conflict. Typically, this would address issues of who or
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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.
ius primae noctis law of the first night The droit de seigneur.
iustitia justice - fundamental Motto of the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office of the Czech
fundamentum regni of kingdom Republic.
iustitia omnibus justice for all The motto of Washington, D.C.
iuventuti nil to the young nothing
Motto of Canberra Girls' Grammar School.
arduum is difficult
iuventutis veho I bear the fortunes of
Motto of Dollar Academy.
fortunas youth

Popular as a motto; derived from a phrase in Virgil's Eclogue
Labor omnia
Hard work conquers all (X.69: omnia vincit Amor – "Love conquers all"); a similar
vincit
phrase also occurs in his Georgics I.145.
Laborare
To work, (or) to fight;
pugnare parati Motto of the California Maritime Academy
we are ready
sumus
Labore et
By labour and honour Motto of several schools
honore
Laboremus pro Let us work for the
Motto of the Carlsberg breweries
patria fatherland
Laboris gloria
Work hard, Play hard Motto of the Camborne School of Mines, Cornwall, UK
Ludi
A "proglossis", "tip of the tongue" or "apex of the tongue".
Often used to mean "linguistic error" or "language mistake". It
and its written-word variant, lapsus calami (slip of the pen) can
lapsus linguae slip of the tongue
sometimes refers to a typographical error as well.
Ex.: "I'm sorry for mispronouncing your name. It wasn't
intentional; it was a lapsus linguae".
lapsus
slip of memory Source of the term memory lapse.
memoriae
Laudator One who is discontent with the present but instead prefers
praiser of time past
Temporis Acti things of the past. See "the Good old days".
Laudetur Jesus Often used as a salutation, but also used after prayers or the
Praise (Be) Jesus Christ
Christus reading of the gospel.
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This is written on the East side at the peak of the Washington

laus Deo praise be to God Monument in Washington, D.C. Also is the motto of the
Viscount of Arbuthnott and Sydney Grammar School.
lectori salutem greetings reader Often abbreviated to L.S., used as opening words for a letter.
Describes something genuine, true, real, tested, proven, not
according to the law of
lege artis assumed, not placebo. Used especially in a medical context.
the art
The 'art' referred to in the phrase is medicine.
legem terrae the law of the land
leges humanae
nascuntur, laws of man are born,
vivunt, et live and die
moriuntur
leges sine laws without morals From Horace's Odes: the official motto of the University of
moribus vanae [are] vain Pennsylvania.
legio patria The Legion is our
Motto of the French Foreign Legion
nostra fatherland
legi, intellexi, I read, I understood, I
condemnavi condemned.
A legal term describing a "forced share", the portion of a
deceased person's estate from which the immediate family
legitime lawfully
cannot be disinherited. From the French héritier legitime
(rightful heir).
lex artis law of the skill The rules that regulate a professional duty.
lex dei vitae the law of God is the
Motto of the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne
lampas lamp of life
the law that should be
lex ferenda The law as it ought to be.
borne
The rule whereby a spouse cannot by deed inter vivos or
bequeath by testament to his or her second spouse more than
lex hac edictali the law here proclaims
the amount of the smallest portion given or bequeathed to any
child.
lex in casu law in the event A law that only concerns one particular case.
the law that has been
lex lata The law as it is.
borne
lex loci law of the place
law that has not been
lex non scripta Unwritten law, or common law.
written
lex orandi, lex the law of prayer is the
credendi law of faith
lex parsimoniae law of succinctness also known as Occam's Razor.
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A principle of government advocating a rule by law rather than

by men. The phrase originated as a double entendre in the title
lex rex the law [is] king of Samuel Rutherford's controversial book Lex, Rex (1644),
which espoused a theory of limited government and
constitutionalism.
lex scripta written law Statute law. Contrasted with lex non scripta.
lex talionis the law of retaliation Retributive justice (cf. an eye for an eye).
Name of musical composition by popular Maltese electronic
lex tempus time is the law
music artist Ray Buttigieg
Used in the movie Event Horizon (1997), where it is translated
as "save yourself (from hell)". It is initially misheard as liberate
libera te
me (free me), but is later corrected. Libera te is often
tutemet (ex Free yourself (from hell)
mistakenly merged into liberate, which would necessitate a
inferis)
plural pronoun instead of the singular tutemet (which is an
emphatic form of tu, you).
Libertas Justitia
Liberty Justice Truth Motto of the Korea University.
Veritas
Libertas Quae freedom which [is] Thus, "liberty even when it comes late". Motto of Minas
Sera Tamen however late Gerais, Brazil.
Literally "balance". Its abbreviation, lb, is used as a unit of
libra (lb) scales
weight, the pound.
loco citato (lc) in the place cited More fully written in loco citato. See also opere citato.
The most typical or classic case of something; quotation which
locus classicus a classic place
most typifies its use.
Used in philology to indicate that subsequent mistakes in the
tradition of the text have made a passage so corrupted as to
place of (irremediable)
locus deperditus discourage any attempt of correction. The passage is marked by
loss
a crux desperationis ("†"). Somehow close in meaning to the
modern English expression lost in translation.
A medical term to describe a location on or in a body that
locus minoris
place of less resistance offers little resistance to infection, damage, or injury. For
resistentiae
example, a weakened place that tends to be reinjured.
locus standi A right to stand A right to appear before court.
A mangled fragment from Cicero's De Finibus Bonorum et
Malorum (On the Limits of Good and Evil, 45 BC), used as
typographer's filler to show fonts (a.k.a. greeking). An
sorrow itself, pain for its
lorem ipsum approximate literal translation of lorem ipsum might be "sorrow
own sake
itself", as the term is from dolorum ipsum quia, meaning
"sorrow because of itself", or less literally, "pain for its own
sake".
May be found in Matthew Ch. 5 V. 16. Popular as a school
luceat lux vestra Let your light shine
motto.
lucem sequimur We follow the light Motto of the University of Exeter, United Kingdom
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Motto of the Dutch province of Zeeland to denote its battle

luctor et emergo I struggle and emerge
against the sea, and the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame.
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
lucus a non [it is] a grove by not
grove) having a similar appearance to the verb lucere (to
lucendo being light
shine), arguing that the former word is derived from the latter
word because of a lack of light in wooded groves. Often used
as an example of absurd etymology.
With the meaning "speak of the wolf, and he will come".
lupus in fabula the wolf in the story
Occurs in Terence's play Adelphoe.
lupus non a wolf does not bite a
mordet lupum wolf
lux et lex light and law Motto of the Franklin & Marshall College
A translation of the Hebrew Urim and Thummim. Motto of
lux et veritas light and truth
several institutions.
lux ex tenebris light from darkness Motto of the 67th Network Warfare Wing.
lux hominum
life the light of men Motto of the University of New Mexico
vita
lux in Domino light in the Lord Motto of the Ateneo de Manila University
lux libertas light, liberty Motto of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
lux mentis lux Light of the mind, light
Motto of Sonoma State University
orbis of the world
A more literal Latinization of the phrase "let there be light", the
most common translation of fiat lux ("let light arise", literally
"let light be made"), which in turn is the Latin Vulgate Bible
lux sit let there be light
phrase chosen for the Genesis line "‫אוֹר‬-‫ יְהִי אוֹר; ַויְהִי‬,‫"וַיּ ֹאמֶר אֱֹלהִים‬
(And God said: 'Let there be light.' And there was light). Motto
of the University of Washington.
lux tua nos
ducat
Your Light Guides Us Motto of St. Julian's School, Carcavelos, Portugal[24]

Macte animo! Young, cheer up!
Motto of Academia da Força Aérea(Air Force Academy) of the
Generose puer This is the way to
Brazilian Air Force
sic itur ad astra the skies.
the teacher has said Canonical medieval reference to Aristotle, precluding further
magister dixit
it discussion
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Set of documents between Pope Innocent III, King John of

Magna Carta Great Charter
England, and English barons. from 1215 AD
Common Latin honor, above cum laude and below summa cum
magna cum laude with great praise
laude
magna est vis great is the power of
consuetudinis habit
Magna Europa Great Europe is Our Political motto of pan-Europeanists (cf. ave Europa nostra vera
est Patria Nostra Fatherland Patria)
magno cum
with great joy
gaudio
magnum opus great work Said of someone's masterpiece
greater things are Used to indicate that it is the moment to address more important,
maiora premunt
pressing urgent, issues.
Said of an act done with knowledge of its illegality, or with
mala fide in bad faith
intention to defraud or mislead someone. Opposite of bona fide.
mala tempora bad times are upon Also used ironically, e.g.: New teachers know all tricks used by
currunt us pupils to copy from classmates? Oh, mala tempora currunt!.
male captus bene wrongly captured,
An illegal arrest will not prejudice the subsequent detention/trial.
detentus properly detained
malo periculosam I prefer liberty with
libertatem quam
danger to peace
quietum
with slavery
servitium
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
malum discordiae apple of discord near-homonymous word malum (evil). The word for "apple" has a
long ā vowel in Latin and the word for "evil" a short a vowel, but
they are normally written the same.
A legal term meaning that something is inherently wrong (cf.
malum in se wrong in itself
malum prohibitum).
malum wrong due to being A legal term meaning that something is only wrong because it is
prohibitum prohibited against the law.
malum quo the more common
communius eo an evil is, the worse
peius it is
A phrase from Virgil's Aeneid, VI.883, mourning the death of
manibus date lilia give lilies with full Marcellus, Augustus' nephew. Quoted by Dante as he leaves Virgil
plenis hands in Purgatory, XXX.21, echoed by Walt 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 one's hand". Its abbreviated
manu propria with one's own hand form is sometimes used at the end of typewritten or printed
(m.p.)
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documents or official notices, directly following the name of the

person(s) who "signed" the document exactly in those cases where
there isn't an actual handwritten signature.
Originally used as the name of a ship in the Marathon game series,
its usage has spread. In the PlayStation game, Blood Omen:
Legacy of Kain, the phrase was written in blood on the walls of a
the swift hand of vampire's feeding room. It is assumed that one of the dying victims
manus celer Dei
God wrote it with his fingers. After the game's main character surveys
the bloody room, associative logic dictates that the phrase was to
deify both the vampire's wrath on shackled, powerless humans and
the boundless slaughter of his victims.
famous quote from The Pumpkinification of Claudius, ascribed to
manus manum one hand washes
lavat the other Seneca the Younger.[25] It implies that one situation helps the
other.
In law, a sea under the jurisdiction of one nation and closed to all
mare clausum closed sea
others.
mare liberum free sea In law, a sea open to international shipping navigation.
A nickname given to the Mediterranean Sea during the height of
mare nostrum our sea
the Roman Empire, as it encompassed the entire coastal basin.
A name given to describe Mary, who gave birth to Jesus, who is
Mater Dei Mother of God
also called the "Son of God."
Used as a joke to say Mother Fuck It, though it really means
mater facit Mother Does It
"mother does it"
the mother of the
mater familias The female head of a family. See pater familias.
family
a Roman-law principle which has the power of praesumptio iuris
et de iure, meaning that no counter-evidence can be made against
Mater semper The mother is
this principle (literally: Presumed there is no counter evidence and
certa est always certain
by the law). Its meaning is that the mother of the child is always
known.
The branch of medical science concerned with the study of drugs
materia medica medical matter
used in the treatment of disease. Also, the drugs themselves.
Less literally, "my foot itches". Refers to a trivial situation or
it annoys me at the
me vexat pede person that is being a bother, possibly in the sense of wishing to
foot
kick that thing away.
Used in Christian prayers and confession to denote the inherently
mea culpa my fault flawed nature of mankind; can also be extended to mea maxima
culpa (my greatest fault).
mea navis
My hovercraft is A relatively common recent Latinization inspired by the Dirty
aëricumbens
full of eels Hungarian Phrasebook sketch by Monty Python.
anguillis abundat
media vita in In the midst of our A well-known sequence, falsely attributed to Notker during the
morte sumus lives we die Middle Ages. It was translated by Cranmer and became a part of
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the burial service in the funeral rites of the Anglican Book of

Common Prayer.
Used erroneously as Mediolanum Capta Est by the black metal
Mediolanum Milan has been
band Mayhem as an album title. Mediolanum was an ancient city
captum est captured
in present-day Milan, Italy.
Carrying the connotation of "always better". The motto of the
meliora better things
University of Rochester.
A relatively common recent Latinization from the joke phrasebook
Melita, domi
Honey, I'm home! Latin for All Occasions. Grammatically correct, but the phrase
adsum
would be anachronistic in ancient Rome.
Figuratively "be mindful of dying" or "remember your mortality",
and also more literally rendered as "remember to die", though in
remember that [you English this ironically misses the original intent. An object (such as
memento mori
will] die a skull) or phrase intended to remind people of the inevitability of
death. A more common theme in Christian than in Classical art.
The motto of the Trappist order.
Also, "remember that you have to live." Literally rendered as
memento vivere a reminder of life
"remember to live."
meminerunt
lovers remember all
omnia amantes
mindful of what has
memores acti Thus, both remembering the past and foreseeing the future. From
been done, aware of
prudentes futuri the North Hertfordshire District Council coat of arms.
what will be
From Virgil. Motto of Rossall School, the University of Oregon,
mens agitat the mind moves the
the University of Warwick and the Eindhoven University of
molem mass
Technology.
mens et manus mind and hand Motto of Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Also "culprit mind". A term used in discussing the mindset of an
mens rea guilty mind
accused criminal.
mens sana in a sound mind in a
Or "a sensible mind in a healthy body".
corpore sano sound body
for the sake of the
metri causa Excusing flaws in poetry "for the sake of the meter"
meter
Or "Boastful Soldier". Miles Gloriosus is the title of a play of
Plautus. A stock character in comedy, the braggart soldier. (It is
Miles Gloriosus Glorious Soldier said that at Salamanca, there is a wall, on which graduates inscribe
their names, where Francisco Franco had a plaque installed
reading FRANCISCUS FRANCUS MILES GLORIOSUS.)
minatur he threatens the
innocentibus qui innocent who spares
parcit nocentibus the guilty
mirabile dictu wonderful to tell
mirabile visu wonderful to see A Roman phrase used to describe a wonderful event/happening.
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He approves of the Latin Aeneid of Virgil, Book IV, line 112, "he" referring to the
miscerique
mingling of the great Roman god, who approved of the settlement of Romans in
probat populos et
peoples and their Africa. Old Motto of Trinidad and Tobago, and used in the novel A
foedera jungi
bonds of union Bend in the River by V. S. Naipaul.
misera est miserable is that
servitus ubi jus state of slavery in
Quoted by Samuel Johnson in his paper for James Boswell on
est aut which the law is
Vicious intromission.
incognitum aut unknown or
vagum uncertain
miserabile visu terrible by the sight A terrible happening or event.
A phrase within the Gloria in Excelsis Deo and the Agnus Dei, to
miserere nobis have mercy upon us
be used at certain points in Christian religious ceremonies.
missit me the Lord has sent
A phrase used by Jesus.
Dominus me
A warrant of commitment to prison, or an instruction for a jailer to
mittimus we send
hold someone in prison.
"moving in a
moving thing" or,
poetically, The motto of the Nautilus from the Jules Verne novel Twenty
mobilis in mobili
"changing through Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.
the changing
medium"
Dog Latin based on wordplay with modus ponens and modus
modus morons tollens, referring to the common logical fallacy that if P then Q
—
(Dog Latin) and not P, then one can conclude not Q (cf. denying the
antecedent and contraposition).
modus operandi method of operating Usually used to describe a criminal's methods.
(M.O.)
Loosely "method of affirming", a logical rule of inference stating
modus ponens method of placing that from propositions if P then Q and P, then one can conclude
Q.
Loosely "method of denying", a logical rule of inference stating
modus tollens method of removing that from propositions if P then Q and not Q, then one can
conclude not P.
An accommodation between disagreeing parties to allow life to go
modus vivendi method of living
on. A practical compromise.
montaini semper mountaineers [are]
State motto of West Virginia, adopted in 1872.
liberi always free
Montis Insignia Badge of the Rock
Calpe of Gibraltar
more ferarum like beasts used to describe any sexual act in the manner of beasts
morior invictus death before defeat
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morituri nolumus we who are about to

From Terry Pratchett's The Last Hero
mori die don't want to
Used once in Suetonius' De Vita Caesarum 5, (Divus Claudius),
[26]
morituri te those who are about chapter 21 , by the condemned prisoners manning galleys about
salutant to die salute you to take part in a mock naval battle on Lake Fucinus in AD 52.
Popular misconception ascribes it as a gladiator's salute. See also:
Ave Imperator, morituri te salutant and Naumachia.
mors certa, hora death is certain, its
incerta hour is uncertain
mors omnibus death to all Signifies anger and depression.
From medieval Latin, it indicates that battle for survival, where
mors tua vita mea your death, my life
your defeat is necessary for my victory, survival.
death conquers all"
mors vincit
or "death always An axiom often found on headstones.
omnia
wins
morte magis old age should
metuenda rather be feared from Juvenal in his 'Satires'
senectus than death
mortui vivos The dead teach the Used to justify dissections of human cadavers in order to
docent living understand the cause of death.
From Gerhard Gerhards' (1466-1536) [better known as Erasmus]
mortuum you are flogging a
collection of annotated Adagia (1508). Criticising one who will not
flagellas dead
be affected in any way by the criticism.
an unwritten code of laws and conduct, of the Romans. It
the custom of our
mos maiorum institutionalized cultural traditions, societal mores, and general
ancestors
policies, as distinct from specific laws.
Or "by his own accord." Identifies a class of papal documents,
motu proprio on his own initiative
administrative papal bulls.
From Gerhard Gerhards' (1466-1536) [better known as Erasmus]
mulgere hircum to milk a male goat
collection of annotated Adagia (1508). Attempting the impossible.
"Part of a comic definition of woman" from the Altercatio
Mulier est Woman is man's
hominis confusio. ruin. Hadriani Augusti et Secundi.[27] Famously quoted by
Chauntecleer in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
Say much in few
multa paucis
words
multis e gentibus from many peoples,
Motto of Saskatchewan.
vires strength
Conciseness. The motto of Rutland, a county in central England.
multum in parvo much in little Latin phrases are often multum in parvo, conveying much in few words.
mundus vult the world wants to
From James Branch Cabell.
decipi be deceived
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this one defends and

munit haec et
the other one Motto of Nova Scotia.
altera vincit
conquers
after changing what
mutatis mutandis needed to be Thus, "with the appropriate changes".
changed

The unborn is
nasciturus pro deemed to have
iam nato habetur,
been born to the Refers to a situation where an unborn child is deemed to be
quotiens de
extent that his own entitled to certain inheritance rights.
commodis eius
inheritance is
agitur
concerned
natura abhorret a nature abhors a Pseudo-explanation for why a liquid will climb up a tube to fill a
vacuo vacuum vacuum, often given before the discovery of atmospheric pressure.
natura nihil nature does nothing Cf. Leucippus: "Everything that happens does so for a reason and
frustra facit in vain of necessity."
natura non nature is not
That is, the natural world is not sentimental or compassionate.
contristatur saddened
nature does not
Shortened form of "sicut natura nil facit per saltum ita nec lex"
natura non facit make a leap, thus
(just as nature does nothing by a leap, so neither does the law),
saltum ita nec lex neither does the
referring to both nature and the legal system moving gradually.
law
A famous aphorism of Carl Linnaeus stating that all organisms
natura non facit nature makes no
bear relationships on all sides, their forms changing gradually from
saltus leaps
one species to the next. From Philosophia Botanica (1751).
naturalia non sunt What is natural is Based on Servius' commentary on Virgil's Georgics (3:96): "turpis
turpia not dirty. non est quia per naturam venit."
You may drive out
naturam expellas Nature with a
You must take the basic nature of something into account.
furca, tamen pitchfork, yet she
- Horace, Epistles, Book I, epistle iv, line 24.
usque recurret. still will hurry
back.
navigare necesse to sail is necessary;
Attributed by Plutarch to Gnaeus Pompeius, who, during a severe
est vivere non est to live is not
storm, commanded sailors to bring food from Africa to Rome.
necesse necessary
Also nec plus ultra or non plus ultra. A descriptive phrase
nothing more meaning the best or most extreme example of something. The
ne plus ultra
beyond Pillars of Hercules, for example, were literally the nec plus ultra
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of the ancient Mediterranean world. Holy Roman Emperor Charles

V's heraldic emblem reversed this idea, using a depiction of this
phrase inscribed on the Pillars—as plus ultra, without the
negation. This represented Spain's expansion into the New
World.The Boston Musical Instrument Company engraved ne plus
ultra on its instruments from 1869 to 1828 to signify that none
were better.
nec dextrorsum, Neither to the right Do not get distracted. Motto for Bishop Cotton Boys' School and
nec sinistrorsum nor to the left the Bishop Cotton Girls' School, both located in Bangalore, India.
without hope,
nec spe, nec metu
without fear
nec tamen and yet it was not Refers to the Burning Bush of Exodus 3:2. Motto of many
consumebatur consumed Presbyterian churches throughout the world, including Australia.
nec temere nec neither reckless nor
The motto of the Dutch 11th Air Manoeuvre Brigade
timide timid
neca eos omnes,
kill them all, God alternate rendition of Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt
deus suos
will know his own. eius. by Arnaud Amalric.
agnoscet
nemine with no one Less literally, "without dissent". Used especially in committees,
contradicente
speaking against where a matter may be passed nem. con., or unanimously.
(nem. con.)
nemo dat quod no one gives what
Thus, "none can pass better title than they have".
non habet he does not have
nemo est supra nobody is above
legis the law
Nemo igitur vir No great man ever
magnus sine existed who did not
aliquo adflatu enjoy some portion From Cicero's De Natura Deorum, Book 2, 167
divino umquam of divine
fuit inspiration
no man shall be a
nemo iudex in Legal principle that no individual can preside over a hearing in
judge in his own
causa sua which he holds a specific interest or bias.
cause
peace visits not the Also translated to "no peace for the wicked." Refers to the
nemo malus felix
guilty mind inherent psychological issues that plague bad/guilty people.
Motto of the Order of the Thistle, and consequently of Scotland,
found stamped on the milled edge of certain British pound sterling
nemo me impune no one provokes
coins. It is also the motto of the Montressors in the Edgar Allan
lacessit me with impunity
Poe short story "The Cask of Amontillado". Motto of the San Beda
College Beta Sigma Fraternity.
nemo mortalium
No mortal is wise
omnibus horis The wisest may make mistakes.
at all times
sapit
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nemo nisi per No one learns

amicitiam except by Used to imply that one must like a subject in order to study it.
cognoscitur friendship
The short and more common form of "Nemo enim fere saltat
nemo saltat Nobody dances
sobrius, nisi forte insanit", "Nobody dances sober, unless he is
sobrius sober
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
nemo tenetur no one is bound to own detriment; nemo tenetur edere instrumenta contra se (no one
seipsum accusare accuse himself is bound to produce documents against himself, meaning that a
defendant is not obligated to provide materials to be used against
himself (this is true in Roman law and has survived in modern
criminal law, but no longer applies in modern civil law); and nemo
tenere prodere seipsum (no one is bound to betray himself),
meaning that a defendant is not obligated to testify against himself.
nervos belli, Endless money
In war, it is essential to be able to purchase supplies and to pay
pecuniam forms the sinews of
troops (as Napoleon put it, "An army marches on its stomach").
infinitam war
nothing to do with
nihil ad rem That is, in law, irrelevant and/or inconsequential.
the point
In law, a declination by a defendant to answer charges or put in a
nihil dicit he says nothing
plea.
Or just "nothing new". The phrase exists in two versions: as nihil
novi sub sole (nothing new under the sun), from the Vulgate, and
nihil novi nothing of the new as nihil novi nisi commune consensu (nothing new unless by the
common consensus), a 1505 law of the Polish–Lithuanian
Commonwealth and one of the cornerstones of its Golden Liberty.
A notation, usually on a title page, indicating that a Roman
nihil obstat nothing prevents Catholic censor has reviewed the book and found nothing
objectionable to faith or morals in its content. See also imprimatur.
Nothing without The motto of the Kingdom of Romania, while ruled by the
Nihil sine Deo
God Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen dynasty (1878–1947).
be surprised at Motto of the Fitzgibbon family. See John FitzGibbon, 1st Earl of
nil admirari
nothing Clare
nothing must be
nil desperandum That is, "never despair".
despaired at
nothing is
nil mortalibus
impossible for From Horace's Odes. Motto of Rathkeale College, New Zealand.
ardui est
humankind
(about the dead Short for nil nisi bonum de mortuis dicere. That is, "Don't speak
nil nisi bonum say) nothing unless ill of anyone who has died". Also "Nil magnum nisi bonum"
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(nothing is great unless good), motto of St Catherine's School,

(it is) good
Toorak as well as Pennant Hills High School.
nil nisi malis no terror, except to
The motto of The King's School, Macclesfield.
terrori the bad
nil per os, rarely nothing through the Medical shorthand indicating that oral foods and fluids should be
non per os (n.p.o.) mouth withheld from the patient.
nothing [is] enough
nil satis nisi
unless [it is] the Motto of Everton F.C., residents of Goodison Park, Liverpool.
optimum
best
nothing without Motto of Brisbane Grammar School, Brisbane Girls Grammar
nil sine labore
labour School, Greenwich Public School, and Victoria School
Or "nothing without providence". State motto of Colorado,
nothing without the adopted in 1861. Probably derived from Virgil's Aeneid Book II,
nil sine numine
divine will 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]
nil volentibus
arduous for the Nothing is impossible for the willing
arduum
willing
That is, "everything is in vain without God". Summarized from
Psalm 127, "nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum in vanum
laboraverunt qui aedificant eam nisi Dominus custodierit
nisi Dominus if not the Lord, [it
civitatem frustra vigilavit qui custodit" (unless the Lord builds the
frustra 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). The
motto of Edinburgh.
In England, a direction that a case be brought up to Westminster
for trial before a single judge and jury. In the United States, a court
nisi prius unless previously
where civil actions are tried by a single judge sitting with a jury, as
distinguished from an appellate court.
That is, "whether unwillingly or willingly". Sometimes rendered
volens nolens, aut nolens aut volens or nolentis volentis. Similar to
nolens volens unwilling, willing
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
noli me tangere do not touch me John, this was said by Jesus to Mary Magdalene after his
resurrection.
That is, "Don't upset my calculations!" Said by Archimedes to a
noli turbare Do not disturb my Roman soldier who, despite having been given orders not to, killed
circulos meos circles! Archimedes at the conquest of Syracuse, Sicily. The soldier was
executed for his act.
n" olite te bastardes "Don't let the From The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood — the
carborundorum" bastards grind you protagonist (Offred) finds the phrase inscribed on the inside of her
(Dog Latin) down wardrobe. One of many variants of Illegitimi non carborundum.
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A legal motion by a prosecutor or other plaintiff to drop legal

to be unwilling to
nolle prosequi charges, usually in exchange for a diversion program or
prosecute
out-of-court settlement.
That is, "no contest". A plea that can be entered on behalf of a
I do not wish to defendant in a court that states that the accused doesn't admit
nolo contendere
contend guilt, but will accept punishment for a crime. Nolo contendere
pleas cannot be used as evidence in another trial.
nomen dubium doubtful name A scientific name of unknown or doubtful application.
nomen est omen the name is a sign Thus, "true to its name".
nomen nescio I do not know the
Thus, the name or person in question is unknown.
(N.N.) name
A purported scientific name that does not fulfill the proper formal
nomen nudum naked name criteria and therefore cannot be used unless it is subsequently
proposed correctly.
not twice in the
non bis in idem A legal principle forbidding double jeopardy.
same thing
non causa pro not the cause for Also known as the "questionable cause" or "false cause". Refers to
causa the cause any logical fallacy where a cause is incorrectly identified.
See compos mentis. Also rendered non compos sui (not in control
non compos not in control of
of himself). Samuel Johnson, author of the first English dictionary,
mentis the mind
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,
non constat it is not certain
occasionally a backing for nulling information that was presented
by an attorney. Without any tangible proof, Non constat
information is difficult to argue for.
non ducor, duco I am not led; I lead Motto of São Paulo city, Brazil. See also pro Brasilia fiant eximia.
you should not
non facias malum make evil in order More simply, "don't do wrong to do right". The direct opposite of
ut inde fiat bonum that good may be the phrase "the ends justify the means".
made from it
non impediti
unencumbered by
ratione motto of radio show Car Talk
the thought process
cogitationis
the laws depend
non in legendo sed
not on being read,
in intelligendo
but on being
legis consistunt
understood
Also "it is not clear" or "it is not evident". A sometimes
non liquet it is not proven controversial decision handed down by a judge when they feel that
the law is not complete.
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non loqui sed Motto of the University of Western Australia's Engineering faculty
not talk but action
facere student society.
not for myself
non mihi solum Motto of Anderson Junior College, Singapore.
alone
The title of a Christian hymn and theme-song of the Charismatic
Episcopal Church, C.E.C. - Protestant denomination, not related to
'Not to us (oh) the high Episcopal Church of the ordinary Anglican Communion
Non nobis Domine
Lord' of Christianity. The main theme of the hymn is: 'Non nobis
Domine, tuo da glorium.' This is translated as: 'Not to us, (oh)
Lord... unto thy name (be) glory.'
Appears in Cicero's De Officiis Book 1:22 in the form non nobis
not for ourselves
non nobis solum solum nati sumus (we are not born for ourselves alone). Motto of
alone
Lower Canada College, Montreal.
A judgment notwithstanding verdict, a legal motion asking the
non obstante not standing in the
court to reverse the jury's verdict on the grounds that the jury
veredicto way of a verdict
could not have reached such a verdict reasonably.
non olet it doesn't smell See pecunia non olet.
"Not all of me will die", a phrase expressing the belief that a part
non omnis moriar I shall not all die
of the speaker will survive beyond death.
nothing further
non plus ultra the ultimate
beyond
non possumus not possible
non progredi est to not go forward is
regredi to go backward
he does not A judgment in favor of a defendant when the plaintiff failed to
non prosequitur
proceed take the necessary steps in an action within the time allowed.
non scholae, sed We learn not for
from Seneca. Also, motto of the Istanbul Bilgi University.
vitae discimus school, but for life.
Used in the sense "what matters is not who says it but what he
non quis sed quid not who but what says" – a warning against ad hominem arguments. Also, motto 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
non sequitur it does not follow
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 Satan's statement of
non serviam I will not serve
disobedience to God, though in the original context the quote is
attributed to Israel, not Satan.
non sibi Not for self. A slogan used by many schools and universities.
non sibi, sed Not for self, but for Engraved on the doors of the United States Naval Academy
patriae Country. chapel. Also the motto of the USS Halyburton (FFG-40)
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Not for one's self A slogan used by many schools and universities. Including Tulane
non sibi, sed suis
but for one's own. University.
non silba, sed Not for self, but for
anthar; Deo others; God will A slogan used by the Ku Klux Klan.
vindice vindicate.
non sum qualis I am not such as I Or "I am not the kind of person I once was". Expresses a change in
eram was the speaker.
non teneas aurum Do not hold as gold
Also, "All that glitters is not gold." Parabolae. Also used by
totum quod all that shines as
Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice.
splendet ut aurum gold.
non timebo mala I will fear no evil This is the phrase printed on the Colt, in Supernatural.
Not through
violence, but Martin Luther on Catholic church reform. (see Protestant
non vi, sed verbo
through the word Reformation)
alone
From Cicero, based on the Greek γνῶθι σεαυτόν (gnothi seauton),
inscribed on the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. A non-traditional
nosce te ipsum know thyself
Latin rendering, temet nosce (thine own self know), is translated in
The Matrix as "know thyself".
Literally "Our
noster nostri Approximately "Our hearts beat as one."
ours"
As translated in Amazing Grace (2006 film), "we cheat." From
nosus decipio we cheat
verb decipere: to ensnare, trap, beguile, deceive, cheat.
nota bene (n.b.) mark well That is, "please note" or "note it well".
novus ordo new order of the From Virgil. Motto on the Great Seal of the United States. Similar
seclorum ages to Novus Ordo Mundi (New World Order).
nulla dies sine Not a day without Pliny the Elder attributes this maxim to Apelles, an ancient Greek
linea a line drawn. artist.
Refers to the legal principle that one cannot be punished for doing
nulla poena sine no penalty without
something that is not prohibited by law, and is related to Nullum
lege a law
crimen, nulla poena sine praevia lege poenali.
For the tenacious,
nulla tenaci invia
no road is Motto of the Dutch car builder Spyker.
est via
impassable.
That is, "nothing". It has been theorized that this expression is the
nullam rem natam no thing born origin of Italian nulla, French rien, and Spanish and Portuguese
nada, all with the same meaning.
Motto of the Coldstream Guardsand Nine Squadron Royal
nulli secundus second to none
Australian Corps of Transport and the Pretoria Regiment.
On the word of no
nullius in verba Motto of the Royal Society.
man
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nullum crimen, no crime, no

Legal principle meaning that one cannot be penalised for doing
nulla poena sine punishment
something that is not prohibited by law. It also means that penal
praevia lege without a previous
law cannot be enacted retroactively.
poenali penal law
nullum magnum There has been no
ingenium sine great wisdom
mixtura without an element
dementiae fuit of madness
The motto of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The motto of
numen lumen God our light
Elon University.
A method to limit the number of students who may study at a
numerus clausus closed number
university.
nunc dimittis now you send beginning of the Song of Simeon, from the Gospel of Luke.
Carpe-Diem-type phrase from the Odes of Horace, Nunc est
nunc est now is the time to
bibendum, nunc pede libero pulsanda tellus (Now is the time to
bibendum drink
drink, now the time to dance footloose upon the earth).
Something that has retroactive effect, is effective from an earlier
nunc pro tunc now for then
date.
nunc scio quid sit now I know what
From Virgil, Eclogues VIII.
amor love is
nunquam minus
never less alone
solus quam cum
than when alone.
solus
nunquam non
never unprepared frequently used as motto
paratus

attributed (in Tacitus, Annales, III, 65) to the Roman
o homines ad Emperor Tiberius, in disgust at the servile attitude of Roman
men fit to be slaves!
servitutem paratos senators; said of those who should be leaders but instead
slavishly follow the lead of others
Oh, the times! Oh, the also translated "What times! What customs!"; from Cicero,
o tempora, o mores
morals! Catilina I, 1, 2
"He/she died", inscription on gravestones; ob. also
obiit (ob.) one died
sometimes stands for obiter (in passing or incidentally)
The old woman dies,
obit anus, abit onus Arthur Schopenhauer
the burden is lifted
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in law, an observation by a judge on some point of law not

directly relevant to the case before him, and thus neither
obiter dictum a thing said in passing requiring his decision nor serving as a precedent, but
nevertheless of persuasive authority. In general, any
comment, remark or observation made in passing
Forget private affairs, Roman political saying which reminds that common good
obliti privatorum,
take care of public should be given priority over private matters for any person
publica curate
ones having a responsibility in the State
the truth being
obscuris vera
enveloped by obscure from Virgil
involvens
things
obscurum per the obscure by means An explanation that is less clear than what it tries to explain;
obscurius of the more obscure synonymous with ignotum per ignotius
oculus dexter (O.D.) right eye Ophthalmologist shorthand
oculus sinister (O.S.) left eye
favorite saying of Caligula, attributed originally to Lucius
let them hate, so long
oderint dum metuant Accius, Roman tragic poet (170 BC); Motto of the Russian
as they fear
Noble Family Krasnitsky
opening of Catullus 85; the entire poem reads, "odi et amo
quare id faciam fortasse requiris / nescio sed fieri sentio et
odi et amo I hate and I love excrucior" (I hate and I love. Why do I do this, you perhaps
ask. / I do not know, but I feel it happening and am
tormented)
I hate the unholy
odi profanum vulgus
rabble and keep them from Horace
et arceo
away
odium theologicum theological hatred name for the special hatred generated in theological disputes
oleum camino (pour) oil on the fire from Erasmus' (1466–1536) collection of annotated Adagia
omne ignotum pro every unknown thing
or "everything unknown appears magnificent"
magnifico [is taken] for great
omnes vulnerant,
postuma necat or all [the hours] wound,
usual in clocks, reminding the reader of death
omnes feriunt, ultima last one kills
necat
motto for Mount Lilydale Mercy College, Lilydale, Victoria,
omnia cum deo all with God
Australia
or "everything sounds more impressive when said in Latin";
everything said [is]
omnia dicta fortiora a more common phrase with the same meaning is quidquid
stronger if said in
si dicta Latina Latine dictum sit altum videtur (whatever said in Latin,
Latin
seems profound)
motto for The Evergreen State College, Olympia,
omnia extares! Let it all hang out!
Washington, USA[28]
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omnia mutantur, everything changes,

Ovid (43 BC – 17 AD), Metamorphoses, book XV, line 165
nihil interit nothing perishes
omnia omnibus all things to all men 1 Corinthians 9:22
omnia vincit amor love conquers all Virgil (70 BC – 19 BC), Eclogue X, line 69
every living thing is foundational concept of modern biology, opposing the
omne vivum ex ovo
from an egg theory of spontaneous generation
everything [is] pure to
omnia munda mundis from The New Testament
the pure [men]
all things are
omnia praesumuntur presumed to be
legitime facta donec
lawfully done, until it in other words, "innocent until proven guilty"
probetur in
is shown [to be] in the
contrarium
reverse
motto of Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft, usually accompanied by
omnibus idem the same to all
a sun, which shines for (almost) everyone
omnibus locis fit Let there be slaughter
Julius Caesar's The Gallic War, 7.67
caedes everywhere
omnis traductor every translator is a every translation is a corruption of the original; the reader
traditor traitor should take heed of unavoidable imperfections
omnis vir tigris everyone a tiger motto of the 102nd Intelligence Wing
miscellaneous collection or assortment; often used
omnium gatherum gathering of all
facetiously
onus probandi burden of proof
burden of a party to adduce evidence that a case is an
onus procedendi burden of procedure
exception to the rule
opera omnia all works collected works of an author
opera posthuma posthumous works works published after the author's death
act of doing scholastic phrase, used to explain that there is no possible
operari sequitur esse something follows the act if there is not being: being is absolutely necessary for
act of being any other act
in the work that was used in academic works when referring again to the last
opere citato (op. cit.)
cited source mentioned or used
doing what you believe is morally right through everyday
opere et viritate in action and truth
actions
opere laudato (op. See opere citato
laud.)
leading the way with
operibus anteire to speak with actions instead of words
deeds
ophidia in herba a snake in the grass any hidden danger or unknown risk
fine embroidery, especially used to describe church
opus anglicanum English work
vestments
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Opus Dei The Work of God Catholic organisation

Completely this principle of the benedictian monasteries
reads: „Ora et labora (et put), Deus adest sine mora. “ There
ora et labora pray and work
„pray and work (and reads), God is (or: God helps) without
delay. “
ora pro nobis pray for us
oratio directa direct speech
expressions from Latin grammar
oratio obliqua indirect speech
from Satires of Juvenal (Book IV/10), referring to
Alexander the Great; James Bond's adopted family motto in
the world does not
the novel On Her Majesty's Secret Service; it made a brief
orbis non sufficit suffice or the world is
appearance in the film adaptation of the same name and was
not enough
later used as the title of the nineteenth James Bond film, The
World Is Not Enough.
orbis unum one world seen in The Legend of Zorro
out of chaos, comes
ordo ab chao
order one of the oldest mottos of Craft Freemasonry.[29]
orta recens quam newly risen, how

Motto of New South Wales.
pura nites brightly you shine

"With all due respect to", "with due deference to", "by leave of",
pace in peace or "no offense to". Used to politely acknowledge someone who
disagrees with the speaker or writer.
pace tua your peace Thus, "with your permission".
pacta sunt agreements must be Also "contracts must be honoured". Indicates the binding power
servanda kept of treaties.
palma non sine no reward without
Also "dare to try"; motto of numerous schools.
pulvere effort
palmam qui let whoever wins the Achievement should be rewarded – motto of the University of
meruit ferat palm bear it Southern California.
From Juvenal, Satire X, line 81. Originally described all that was
panem et needed for emperors to placate the Roman mob. Today used to
bread and circuses
circenses describe any entertainment used to distract public attention from
more important matters.
From "Si vis pacem para bellum" if you want peace prepare for
para bellum prepare for war war since if a country is ready for war its enemies will not attack.
Can be used to denote support or approval for a war or conflict.
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A public policy requiring courts to protect the best interests of any

parens patriae parent of the nation
child involved in a lawsuit. See also Pater Patriae.
Pari passu with equal step Thus, "moving together", "simultaneously", etc.
the small under the Implies that the weak are under the protection of the strong,
parva sub ingenti
huge rather than that they are inferior. Motto of Prince Edward Island.
When you are
parvis imbutus steeped in little Motto of Barnard Castle School, sometimes translated as "Once
tentabis grandia things, you shall you have accomplished small things, you may attempt great ones
tutus safely attempt great safely"
things.
Less literally, "throughout" or "frequently". Said of a word that
occurs several times in a cited text. Also used in proofreading,
passim here and there
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
pater familias father of the family
rights dwindled over time. Derived from the phrase pater
familias, an Old Latin expression preserving the archaic -as
ending for the genitive case.
Pater
Father Almighty A more direct translation would be "omnipotent father".
Omnipotens
Also rendered with the gender-neutral parens patriae ("parent of
Pater Patriae father of the nation
the nation").
pater peccavi father, I have sinned The traditional beginning of a Roman Catholic confession.
Similar to "quality over quantity"; though there may be few of
pauca sed bona few, but good
something, at least they are of good quality.
pauca sed Said to be one of Carl Gauss's favorite quotations. Used in The
few, but ripe
matura King and I by Rodgers and Hammerstein.
pax aeterna eternal peace A common epitaph.
A euphemism for the United States of America and its sphere of
Pax Americana American Peace
influence. Adapted from Pax Romana.
Pax Britannica British Peace A euphemism for the British Empire. Adapted from Pax Romana.
Used as a wish before the Holy Communion in the Catholic Mass,
Pax Christi Peace of Christ
also the name of the peace movement Pax Christi
Used in the Peace and Truce of God movement in 10th-century
pax Dei peace of God
France.
Like the vast majority of inhabitants of the ancient world, the
Romans practiced pagan rituals, believing it important to achieve
Pax Deorum Peace of the Gods
a state of Pax Deorum (The Peace of the Gods) instead of Ira
Deorum (The Wrath of the Gods).
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lord or master; used as a form of address when speaking to clergy

Pax Domine peace, lord
or educated professionals.
Motto of St. Francis of Assisi and, consequently, of his monastery
pax et bonum peace and the good
in Assisi; translated in Italian as pace e bene.
pax et justitia peace and justice Motto of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Motto of Tufts University and various schools. Also written as
pax et lux peace and light
"Pax et Lvx".
Pax Europaea European peace A euphemism for Europe after World War II
A euphemism for the Spanish Empire. Specifically can mean the
Pax Hispanica Spanish Peace twenty-three years of supreme Spanish dominance in Europe
(approximately 1598–1621). Adapted from Pax Romana.
pax in terra peace on earth Used to exemplify the desired state of peace on earth.
pax maternum, peace of mothers, If the mother is peaceful, then the family is peaceful. The opposite
ergo pax therefore peace of of the Southern American saying, "If mama ain't happy, ain't
familiarum families nobody happy."
A period of peace and prosperity in Asia during the Mongol
Pax Mongolica Mongolian Peace
Empire.
A period of relative prosperity and lack of conflict in the early
Pax Romana Roman Peace
Roman Empire.
A period of peace in East Asia during times of strong Chinese
Pax Sinica Chinese Peace
hegemony.
pax tecum peace be with you (singular)
A common farewell. The "you" is plural ("you all"), so the phrase
pax vobiscum peace [be] with you 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
peccavi I have sinned
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
pecunia non olet money doesn't smell
whether it smelled or simply said non olet ("it doesn't smell"). From
this, the phrase was expanded to pecunia non olet, or rarely aes
non olet ("copper doesn't smell").
if you know how to
pecunia, si uti use money, money is
scis, ancilla est; your slave; if you Written on an old Latin tablet in downtown Verona (Italy).
si nescis, domina don't, money is your
master
pede poena punishment comes That is, retribution comes slowly but surely. From Horace, Odes,
claudo limping 3, 2, 32.
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pendent opera the work hangs

From the Aeneid of Virgil, Book IV.
interrupta interrupted
By, through, by
per See specific phrases below.
means of
per angusta ad through difficulties
The motto of numerous educational establishments.
augusta to greatness
per annum (pa.) per year Thus, "yearly"—occurring every year.
per ardua through adversity Motto of the British RAF Regiment
through hard work,
Motto of University of Birmingham, Methodist Ladies' College,
per ardua ad alta great heights are
Perth
achieved
Motto of the air force of several nations (including the Royal Air
per ardua ad through adversity to Force of the United Kingdom) and of several schools. The phrase
astra the stars is used by Latin Poet Virgil in the Aeneid; also used in Henry
Rider Haggard's 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
per aspera ad through hardships to through hardships"), is the state motto of Kansas. Ad Astra ("To
astra the stars 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.
per capita by heads
The singular is per caput.
through the small
per capsulam That is, "by letter".
box
per contra through the contrary Or "on the contrary" (cf. a contrario).
per crucem through the cross we
Motto of St John Fisher Catholic High School, Dewsbury.
vincemus shall conquer
per curiam through the senate Legal term meaning "by the court", as in a per curiam decision.
through the
per definitionem Thus, "by definition".
definition
Thus, "per day". A specific amount of money an organization
per diem (pd.) by day allows an individual to spend per day, typically for travel
expenses.
per mare per Motto of the Royal Marines and (with small difference) of Clan
By Sea and by Land
terram Donald and the Compagnies Franches de la Marine.
per mensem (pm.) by month Thus, "per month", or "monthly".
per os (p.o.) through the mouth Medical shorthand for "by mouth".
Used of a certain place can be traversed or reached by foot, or to
per pedes by feet
indicate that one is travelling by foot as opposed to by a vehicle.
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Also rendered per procurationem. Used to indicate that a person

is signing a document on behalf of another person. Correctly
per procura (p.p.) placed before the name of the person signing, but often placed
through the agency
or (per pro) 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
per quod by reason of which which requires no reasoning). In American jurisprudence often
refers to a spouse's claim for loss of consortium.
per rectum (pr) through the rectum Medical shorthand. See also per os.
Also "by itself" or "in itself". Without referring to anything else,
per se through itself 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 testator's family
per stirpes through the roots
should inherit equally. Contrasted with per capita.
through unity,
per unitatem vis Motto of Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets.
strength
through truth,
per veritatem vis Motto of Washington University in St. Louis.
strength
Motto of St Aidan's Anglican Girls' School and St Margaret's
per volar Anglican Girls' School The phrase is not from Latin but from
"born to soar"
sunata[sic] Dante's Purgatorio, Canto XII, 95, the Italian phrase "per volar sù
nata".
from Virgil's Aeneid IV 114; in Vergil's context: p" roceed with your
perge sequar advance, I follow
plan, I will do my part."
perpetuum thing in perpetual A musical term. Also used to refer to hypothetical perpetual
mobile motion motion machines.
An unwelcome, unwanted or undesirable person. In diplomatic
contexts, a person rejected by the host government. The reverse,
persona non
person not pleasing persona grata ("pleasing person"), is less common, and refers to a
grata
diplomat acceptable to the government of the country to which he
is sent.
request of the Begging the question, a logical fallacy in which a proposition to be
petitio principii
beginning proved is implicitly or explicitly assumed in one of the premises.
pia desideria pious longings Or "dutiful desires".
Or "dutiful deceit". Expression from Ovid. Used to describe
pia fraus pious fraud
deception which serves Church purposes.
Or "tender mother". Translated into Latin from Arabic. The
pia mater pious mother delicate innermost of the three membranes that cover the brain
and spinal cord.
Thus, "he painted this" or "she painted this". Formerly used on
pinxit one painted
works of art, next to the artist's name.
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placet it pleases expression of assent

The first-person plural pronoun when used by an important
pluralis
plural of majesty personage to refer to himself or herself; also known as the "royal
majestatis
we".
plus minusve Frequently found on Roman funerary inscriptions to denote that
more or less
(p.m.v.) the age of a decedent is approximate.
The national motto of Spain and a number of other institutions.
plus ultra further beyond
Motto of the Colombian National Armada.
pollice Life was spared with a thumb tucked inside a closed fist,
goodwill decided by
compresso favor simulating a sheathed weapon. Conversely, a thumb up meant to
compressed thumb
iudicabatur unsheath your sword.
Used by Roman crowds to pass judgment on a defeated gladiator.
pollice verso with a turned thumb The type of gesture used is uncertain. Also the name of a famous
painting depicting gladiators by Jean-Léon Gérôme.
Any obstacle that stupid people find hard to cross. Originally used
pons asinorum bridge of asses
of Euclid's Fifth Proposition in geometry.
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
Pontifex
Greatest High Priest important priestly college of the religion in ancient Rome; their
Maximus
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.
Thus, to be able to be made into part of a retinue or force. In
posse comitatus force of the county common law, a sheriff's right to compel people to assist law
enforcement in unusual situations.
after it or by means Causality between two phenomena is not established (cf. post
post aut propter
of it hoc, ergo propter hoc).
post cibum (p.c.) after food Medical shorthand for "after meals" (cf. ante cibum).
post coitum After sex After sexual intercourse.
After sexual
post coitum omne intercourse every
animal triste est Or: triste est omne animal post coitum, praeter mulierem
animal is sad, except
sive gallus et
the cock and the gallumque. Attributed to Galen of Pergamum.[30]
mulier
woman
A logical fallacy where one assumes that one thing happening
post hoc ergo after this, therefore
after another thing means that the first thing caused the second.
propter hoc because of this
The title of a West Wing episode.
post festum after the feast Too late, or after the fact.
post meridiem after midday The period from noon to midnight (cf. ante meridiem).
(p.m.)
Usually rendered postmortem. Not to be confused with post
post mortem (pm) after death
meridiem.
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The phrase is used in legal terminology in the context of

Post mortem after the author's
intellectual property rights, especially copyright, which commonly
auctoris (p.m.a.) death
lasts until a certain number of years after the author's death.
post nubila after the clouds, the
Motto of the University of Zulia, Venezuela.
phoebus sun
after the time before
post prandial Refers to the time after any meal. Usually rendered postprandial.
midday
post scriptum after what has been A postscript. Used to mark additions to a letter, after the
(p.s.) written signature. Can be extended to post post scriptum (p.p.s.), etc.
post tenebras lux, Motto of the Protestant Reformation inscribed on the
after darkness, [I
or post tenebras Reformation Wall in Geneva from Vulgata, Job 17:12. Former
hope for] light
spero lucem motto of Chile; motto of Robert College of Istanbul.
we grow in the
postera crescam
esteem of future Motto of the University of Melbourne.
laude
generations
praemonitus forewarned is
praemunitus forearmed
Lead in order to
praesis ut prosis
serve, not in order to Motto of Lancaster Royal Grammar School.
ne ut imperes
rule.
praeter legem after the law Legal terminology, international law.
Praga Caput Prague, Head of the
Motto of Praha from Middle Ages
Regni Kingdom
Praga Caput Rei Prague, Head of the
Motto of Praha from 1991
publicae Republic
Praga mater Prague, Mother of
Motto of Praha from 1927
urbium Cities
Motto of Burnley Football Club; from Ovid's Metamorphoses,
4.739 (Latin/English): "The Tale of Perseus and Andromeda":
pretiumque et The prize and the
resoluta catenis incedit virgo, pretiumque et causa laboris.
causa laboris cause of our labour
("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
prima facie at first sight
conclusive, of something (e.g., a person's guilt).
prima luce at dawn Literally "at first light"
I am a primate;
primas sum:
nothing about A sentence by the American anthropologist Earnest Hooton and
primatum nil a
primates is outside the slogan of primatologists and lovers of the primates.
me alienum puto
of my bailiwick
primum mobile first moving thing Or "first thing able to be moved". See primum movens.
Or "first moving one". A common theological term, such as in the
primum movens prime mover cosmological argument, based on the assumption that God was the
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first entity to "move" or "cause" anything. Aristotle was one of the

first philosophers to discuss the "uncaused cause", a hypothetical
originator—and violator—of causality.
A medical precept. Often falsely attributed to the Hippocratic
Oath, though its true source is probably a paraphrase from
primum non Hippocrates' Epidemics, where he wrote, "Declare the past,
first, to not harm
nocere 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."
primus inter
first among equals A title of the Roman Emperors (cf. princeps).
pares
principia
principles prove; Fundamental principles require no proof; they are assumed a
probant non
they are not proved priori.
probantur
prior tempore earlier in time, A legal principle that older laws take precedent over newer ones.
potior iure stronger in law Another name for this principle is lex posterior.
Often abbreviated pro bono. Work undertaken voluntarily at no
pro bono publico for the public good expense, such as public services. Often used of a lawyer's work
that is not charged for.
let exceptional
pro Brasilia fiant
things be made for Motto of São Paulo state, Brazil.
eximia
Brazil
For God and
pro deo et patria Motto of many institutions.
Country
for (one’s own) serving the interests of a given perspective or for the benefit of a
pro domo
home or house given group.
for faith and
pro fide et patria Motto of the Diocesan College (Bishops).
fatherland
Or "as a matter of form". Prescribing a set form or procedure, or
pro forma for form
performed in a set manner.
pro gloria et for glory and
Motto of Prussia
patria fatherland
Request of a state court to allow an out-of-state lawyer to
pro hac vice for this occasion
represent a client.
It is part of the Rite of Consecration of the wine in Western
pro multis for many
Christianity tradition, as part of the Mass.
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-
pro patria for country
insurgency operations in South West Africa 1966–89) and for
campaigns in Angola (1975–76 and 1987–88). Motto of The
Royal Canadian Regiment and Royal South Australia Regiment.
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pro patria watchful for the

Motto of the United States Army Signal Corps.
vigilans country
[propria persona for
pro per to defend oneself in court without counsel. (see also: pro se)
self
pro rata for the rate i.e., proportionately.
Medical shorthand for "as the occasion arises" or "as needed".
Also "concerning a matter having come into being". Used to
pro re nata (PRN, for a thing that has describe a meeting of a special Presbytery or Assembly called to
prn) been born
discuss something new, and which was previously unforeseen
(literally: "concerning a matter having been born").
pro rege et lege for king and the law Found on the Leeds coat of arms
to defend oneself in court without counsel. Some jurisdictions
pro se for oneself
prefer, "pro per".
pro studio et
for study and work
labore
Denotes something that has only been partially fulfilled. A
pro tanto for so much philosophical term indicating the acceptance of a theory or idea
without fully accepting the explanation
Equivalent to English phrase "for the time being". Denotes a
pro tempore for the time
temporary current situation.
probatio pennae testing of the pen A Medieval Latin term for breaking in a new pen.
propria manu "by one's own hand"
(p.m.)
propter vitam to destroy the That is, to squander life's purpose just in order to stay alive, and
vivendi perdere reasons for living for live a meaningless life. From Juvenal, Satyricon VIII, verses
causas the sake of life 83–84.
provehito in launch forward into Motto of Memorial University of Newfoundland, as well as of the
altum the deep band 30 Seconds to Mars..
proxime accessit he came next The runner-up.
proximo mense in the following Formerly used in formal correspondence to refer to the next
(prox.) month month. Used with ult. ("last month") and inst. ("this month").
pulchrum est
From Friedrich Nietzsche's 1895 book The Antichrist, translated
paucorum Beauty is for the few
by H. L. Mencken as "Few men are noble".
hominum
pulvis et umbra we are dust and
From Horace, Carmina book IV, 7, 16.
sumus shadow
punctum saliens leaping point Thus, the essential or most notable point. The salient point.
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Thus: "by definition"; variant of per definitionem; sometimes used
by virtue of
qua definitione in German-speaking countries. Occasionally misrendered as "qua
definition
definitionem".
as far as the
qua patet orbis Motto of the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps
world extends
what alone is not
quae non prosunt
useful helps
singula multa Ovid, Remedia amoris
when
iuvant
accumulated
Mottos of Northwestern University and St. Francis Xavier
quaecumque sunt whatsoever is
University. Also motto of the University of Alberta as "quaecumque
vera true
vera". Taken from Phillipians 4:8 of the Bible
Teach me
quaecumque vera Motto of St. Joseph's College, Edmonton at the University of
whatsoever is
doce me Alberta.
true
Or "you might ask..." Used to suggest doubt or to ask one to
quaere to seek consider whether something is correct. Often introduces rhetorical
or tangential questions.
Also quaerite primo regnum dei. Motto of Newfoundland and
quaerite primum seek ye first the
Labrador. Motto of Shelford Girls' Grammar, St Columb's College,
regnum Dei kingdom of God
and Philharmonic Academy of Bologna.
As what kind of
Or "What a craftsman dies in me!" Attributed to Nero in Suetonius'
qualis artifex pereo artist do I
De vita Caesarum.
perish?
quam bene non how well, not
Motto of Mount Royal University, Calgary, Canada
quantum how much.
it is how well
quam bene vivas
you live that
referre (or refert), Seneca, Epistulae morales ad Lucilium CI (101)
matters, not how
non quam diu
long
I.e., "[while on] good behavior." So for example the Act of
as long as he Settlement 1701 stipulated that judges' commissions are valid
quamdiu (se) bene shall have quamdiu se bene gesserint (during good behaviour). It was from this
gesserit behaved well phrase that Frank Herbert extracted the name for the Bene Gesserit
(legal Latin)
sisterhood in the Dune novels.
as much as
quantum libet (q.l.) Medical shorthand for "as much as you wish".
pleases
quantum sufficit as much as is Medical shorthand for "as much as needed" or "as much as will
(qs) enough suffice".
Medical shorthand. Also quaque die (qd), "every day", quaque mane
quaque hora (qh) every hour
(qm), "every morning", and quaque nocte (qn), "every night".
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An action of trespass; thus called, by reason the writ demands the

quare clausum wherefore he
person summoned to answer to wherefore he broke the close (quare
fregit broke the close
clausum fregit), i.e. why he committed such a trespass.
quater in die (qid) four times a day Medical shorthand.
Whom the gods
quem deus vult
would destroy,
perdere, dementat
they first make
prius
insane
Other translations of diligunt include "prize especially" or "esteem".
he whom the
quem di diligunt From Plautus, Bacchides, IV, 7, 18. In this comic play, a sarcastic
gods love dies
adulescens moritur servant says this to his aging master. The rest of the sentence reads:
young
dum valet sentit sapit ("while he is healthy, perceptive and wise").
From the Summoner's section of Chaucer's General Prologue to The
questio quid iuris I ask what law?
Canterbury Tales, line 648.
he who sings From St. Augustine of Hippo's commentary on Psalm 74, 1: Qui
qui bene cantat bis
well praises enim cantat laudem, non solum laudat, sed etiam hilariter laudat
orat
twice ("He who sings praises, not only praises, but praises joyfully").
Common nonsensical Dog Latin misrendering of the Latin phrase
qui bono who with good
cui bono ("who benefits?").
literally qui Unused in English, but common in other modern languages (for
qui pro quo instead of quo instance Italian, Polish and French). Used as a noun, indicates a
(medieval Latin) misunderstanding.
Thus, silence gives consent. Sometimes accompanied by the proviso
qui tacet he who is silent
"ubi loqui debuit ac potuit", that is, "when he ought to have spoken
consentire videtur is taken to agree
and was able to".
qui tam pro he who brings an Generally known as 'qui tam,' it is the technical legal term for the
domino rege quam action for the unique mechanism in the federal False Claims Act that allows
pro se ipso in hac king as well as persons and entities with evidence of fraud against federal programs
parte sequitur for himself or contracts to sue the wrongdoer on behalf of the Government.
he who wants
qui totum vult
everything loses Attributed to Seneca.
totum perdit
everything
he who Or "he who brought us across still supports us", meaning God. State
qui transtulit
transplanted still motto of Connecticut. Originally written as sustinet qui transtulit in
sustinet
sustains 1639.
Attributed to Julius Caesar by Plutarch, Caesar 10. Translated
loosely as "because even the wife of Caesar may not be suspected".
because he At the feast of Bona Dea, a sacred festival for females only, which
quia suam uxorem should wish was being held at the Domus Publica, the home of the Pontifex
etiam suspiciore even his wife to Maximus, Caesar, and hosted by his second wife, Pompeia, the
vacare vellet be free from notorious politician Clodius arrived in disguise. Caught by the
suspicion outraged noblewomen, Clodius fled before they could kill him on
the spot for sacrilege. In the ensuing trial, allegations arose that
Pompeia and Clodius were having an affair, and while Caesar
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asserted that this was not the case and no substantial evidence arose
suggesting otherwise, he nevertheless divorced, with this quotation
as explanation.
What's going
quid agis What's happening? What's going on? What's the news? What's up?
on?
In the Vulgate translation of John 18:38, Pilate's question to Jesus. A
quid est veritas What is truth? possible answer is an anagram of the phrase: est vir qui adest, "it is
the man who is here."
What of the new Less literally, "What's new from Africa?" Derived from an Aristotle
quid novi ex Africa
out of Africa? quotation.
Commonly shortened to quidnunc. As a noun, a quidnunc is a
quid nunc What now? busybody or a gossip. Patrick Campbell worked for The Irish Times
under the pseudonym "Quidnunc".
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
quid pro quo what for what
traditional Latin expression for this meaning was do ut des ("I give,
so that you may give").
Or "anything said in Latin sounds profound". A recent ironic Latin
whatever has
quidquid Latine phrase to poke fun at people who seem to use Latin phrases and
been said in
dictum sit altum quotations only to make themselves sound more important or
Latin seems
videtur "educated". Similar to the less common omnia dicta fortiora si
deep
dicta Latina.
don't move
Quieta non movere
settled things
Commonly associated with Plato who in the Republic poses this
question; and from Juvenal's On Women, referring to the practice of
Who will guard
quis custodiet ipsos having eunuchs guard women and beginning with the word sed
the guards
custodes? ("but"). Usually translated less literally, as "Who watches the
themselves?
watchmen?" This translation is a common epigraph, such as of the
Tower Commission and Alan Moore's Watchmen comic book series.
Who will read
quis leget haec?
this?
who will
quis separabit? Motto of the Order of St. Patrick.
separate us?
Who [is] as Usually translated "Who is like unto God?" Questions who would
quis ut Deus
God? have the audacity to compare himself to a Supreme Being.
quo amplius eo Something more Apocryphally credited to Borges, House on Nob Hill (unauthorized
amplius beyond plenty Morgenstern translation, c. 1962)
quo errat where the
A pun on ''quod erat demonstrandum''.
demonstrator prover errs
where the fates
quo fata ferunt Motto of Bermuda.
bear us to
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From Cicero's first speech In Catilinam to the Roman Senate

For how much regarding the conspiracy of Catiline: Quo usque tandem abutere,
quousque tandem?
longer? Catilina, patientia nostra? ("For how much longer, Catiline, will
you abuse our patience?").
According to Vulgate translation of John 13:36, Saint Peter asked
Where are you
quo vadis? Jesus Domine, quo vadis ("Lord, where are you going?"). The King
going?
James Version has the translation "Lord, whither goest thou?"
quod erat The abbreviation is often written at the bottom of a mathematical
what was to be
demonstrandum proof. Sometimes translated loosely into English as "The Five Ws",
demonstrated
(Q.E.D.) W.W.W.W.W., which stands for "Which Was What We Wanted".
Or "which was to be constructed". Used in translations of Euclid's
quod erat which was to be Elements when there was nothing to prove, but there was something
faciendum (Q.E.F) done being constructed, for example a triangle with the same size as a
given line.
quod est (q.e.) which is
quod est what is
necessarium est necessary is
licitum lawful
what is asserted
quod gratis
without reason If no grounds have been given for an assertion, then there are no
asseritur, gratis
may be denied grounds needed to reject it.
negatur
without reason
what is
If an important person does something, it does not necessarily mean
permitted to
quod licet Iovi, non that everyone can do it (cf. double standard). Iovi (also commonly
Jupiter is not
licet bovi rendered Jovi) is the dative form of Iuppiter ("Jupiter" or "Jove"),
permitted to an
the chief god of the Romans.
ox
Thought to have originated with Elizabethan playwright Christopher
Marlowe. Generally interpreted to mean that that which motivates
quod me nutrit me what nourishes
or drives a person can consume him or her from within. This phrase
destruit me destroys me
has become a popular slogan or motto for pro-ana websites,
anorexics and bulimics.
what nature
quod natura non
does not give, Refers to the Spanish University of Salamanca, meaning that
dat Salmantica non
Salamanca does education cannot substitute the lack of brains.
praestat
not provide
What I have
Quod scripsi,
written I have Pilate to the chief priests (John 19:22).
scripsi.
written.
Used after a term or phrase that should be looked up elsewhere in
quod vide (q.v.) which see the current document or book. For more than one term or phrase,
the plural is quae vide (qq.v.).
Quodcumque Whatever He More colloquially: "Do whatever He [God] tells you to do."
dixerit vobis, facite tells you, that Instructions of Mary to the servants at the Wedding at Cana. Motto
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you shall do. of East Catholic High School. (John 2:5).

quomodo vales how are you?
The number of members whose presence is required under the rules
quorum of whom
to make any given meeting constitutional.
Those whom
quos amor verus true love has
Seneca.
tenuit tenebit held, it will go
on holding
As many heads,
Quot capita tot
so many "There are as many opinions as there are heads." – Terence
sensus
opinions
how many
quot homines tot
people, so many Or "there are as many opinions as there are people".
sententiae
opinions

radix malorum the root of evils is Or "greed is the root of all evil". Theme of the Pardoner's Tale from
est cupiditas desire The Canterbury Tales.
An extraordinary or unusual thing. From Juvenal's Satires: rara avis
rara avis rare bird (very
in terris nigroque simillima cygno ("a rare bird in the lands, and very
(Rarissima avis) rare bird)
like a black swan").
rari nantes in Rare survivors in
Virgil, Aeneid, I, 118
gurgite vasto the immense sea
reasoning for the The legal, moral, political, and social principles used by a court to
ratio decidendi
decision compose a judgment's rationale.
ratio legis reasoning of law A law's foundation or basis.
ratione because of the Also "Jurisdiction Ratione Personae" the personal reach of the courts
personae person involved jurisdiction.[31]
by account of the Or "according to the soil". Assigning property rights to a thing based
ratione soli
ground on its presence on a landowner's property.
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
re [in] the matter of 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.
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The doctrine that treaty obligations hold only as long as the

rebus sic with matters
fundamental conditions and expectations that existed at the time of
stantibus standing thus
their creation hold.
recte et Upright and Also "just and faithful" and "accurately and faithfully". Motto of
fideliter Faithful 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
reductio ad leading back to the
and philosophy, a reductio ad absurdum is a tactic in which the logic
absurdum absurd
of an argument is challenged by reducing the concept to its most
absurd extreme. Translated from Aristotle's "ἡ εις άτοπον απαγωγη"
(hi eis atopon apagogi, "reduction to the impossible").
An argument that creates an infinite series of causes that does not
seem to have a beginning. As a fallacy, it rests upon Aristotle's notion
reductio ad leading back to the that all things must have a cause, but that all series of causes must
infinitum infinite have a sufficient cause, that is, an unmoved mover. An argument
which does not seem to have such a beginning becomes difficult to
imagine.
State motto of Arkansas, adopted in 1907. Originally rendered in 1864
regnat populus the people rule in the plural, regnant populi ("the peoples rule"), but subsequently
changed to the singular.
Regnum Kingdom of Mary,
Mariae
the Patron of Former motto of Hungary.
Patrona
Hungary
Hungariae
You have touched
rem acu
the point with a i.e., "You have hit the nail on the head"
tetigisti
needle
Usually said as a jocular remark to defend the speaker's (or writer's)
repeating does
repetita juvant choice to repeat some important piece of information to ensure
good
reception by the audience.
repetitio est
repetition is the
mater
mother of study
studiorum
Or "may he rest in peace". A benediction for the dead. Often
requiescat in let him rest in inscribed on tombstones or other grave markers. "RIP" is commonly
pace (R.I.P.) peace mistranslated as "Rest In Peace", though the two mean essentially the
same thing.
rerum
to learn the causes Motto of the University of Sheffield, the University of Guelph, and
cognoscere
of things London School of Economics.
causas
A phrase used in law representing the belief that certain statements
are made naturally, spontaneously and without deliberation during the
res gestae things done course of an event, they leave little room for
misunderstanding/misinterpretation upon hearing by someone else (
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i.e. by the witness who will later repeat the statement to the court) and
thus the courts believe that such statements carry a high degree of
credibility.
A phrase from the common law of torts meaning that negligence can
be inferred from the fact that such an accident happened, without
res ipsa the thing speaks proof of exactly how. A clause sometimes (informally) added on to
loquitur for itself 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
res judicata judged thing concept that once a matter has been finally decided by the courts, it
cannot be litigated again (cf. non bis in idem and double jeopardy).
From rēs ("things, facts") the plural of rēs ("a thing, a fact") + nōn
actions speak ("not") + verba ("words") the plural of verbum ("a word"). Literally
res, non verba
louder than words meaning "things, not 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
res nullius nobody's property nobody and are up for grabs, e.g., uninhabited and uncolonized lands,
wandering wild animals, etc. (cf. terra nullius, "no man's land").
respice adspice look behind, look
i.e., "examine the past, the present and future". Motto of CCNY.
prospice here, look ahead
look back at the i.e., "have regard for the end" or "consider the end". Generally a
respice finem
end memento mori, a warning to remember one's death.
Regarded as a legal maxim in agency law, referring to the legal
liability of the principal with respect to an employee. Whereas a hired
respondeat let the superior independent contract acting tortiously may not cause the principal to
superior respond 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.
restitutio in restoration to Principle behind the awarding of damages in common law negligence
integrum original condition claims
rex regum king even of Latin motto that appears on the crest of the Trinity Broadcasting
fidelum et faithful kings Network of Paul and Jan Crouch.
The rigidity of corpses when chemical reactions cause the limbs to
stiffen about 3–4 hours after death. Other signs of death include drop
rigor mortis stiffness of death
in body temperature (algor mortis, "cold of death") and discoloration
(livor mortis, "bluish color of death").
risum teneatis, Can you help An ironic or rueful commentary, appended following a fanciful or
amici? laughing, friends? unbelievable tale.
Unconquerable
Roma invicta Inspirational motto inscribed on the Statue of Rome.
Rome
An intentionally garbled Latin phrase from Monty Python's Life of
Romanes eunt Romanes go the Brian. Its intended meaning is "Romans, go home!", but is actually
domus house closer to "'People called Romanes they go the house'", according to a
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centurion in the movie. When Brian is caught vandalizing the palace

walls with this phrase, rather than punish him, the centurion corrects
his Latin grammar, explaining that Romanus is a second declension
noun and has its plural in -i rather than -es; that ire or eo ("to go")
must be in the imperative mood to denote a command; and that domus
takes the accusative case without a preposition as the object. The final
result of this lesson is the correct Latin phrase Romani ite domum.
rosa redder than the
rubicundior, rose, whiter than
lilio candidior,
the lilies, fairer
omnibus From the Carmina Burana's song "Si puer cum puellula".
than all things, I
formosior,
do ever glory in
semper in te
glorior thee
A countryside in Generally used to refer to a haven of peace and quiet within an urban
rus in urbe
the city setting, often a garden, but can refer to interior decoration.

saltus in a leap in logic, by which a necessary part of an equation is
leap in explaining
demonstrando omitted.
a stronghold (or a Roman Silver Age maxim, also the school motto of
salus in arduis
refuge) in difficulties Wellingborough School.
From Cicero's De Legibus, book III, part III, sub. VIII.
the welfare of the
salus populi Quoted by John Locke in his Second Treatise, On Civil
people is to be the
suprema lex esto Government, to describe the proper organization of
highest law
government. Also the state motto of Missouri.
Refers to two expressions that can be interchanged without
salva veritate with truth intact changing the truth value of the statements in which they
occur.
Christian epithet, usually referring to Jesus. The title of
Salvator Mundi Savior of the World
paintings by Albrecht Dürer and Leonardo da Vinci.
salvo errore et save for error and
Appears on statements of "account currents".
omissione (s.e.e.o.) omission
salvo honoris titulo save for title of honor
(SHT)
More literally, "sacred seat". Refers to the Papacy or the Holy
Sancta Sedes Holy Chair
See.
sancta simplicitas holy innocence Or "sacred simplicity".
with holiness and with Also sancte sapienter (holiness, wisdom), motto of several
sancte et sapienter
wisdom institutions.
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referring to a more sacred and/or guarded place, within a

sanctum sanctorum Holy of Holies
lesser guarded, yet also holy location.
From Horace's Epistularum liber primus, Epistle II, line 40.
Popularized by its use in Kant's What is Enlightenment? to
sapere aude dare to be wise
define the Enlightenment. Frequently used in mottos; also the
name of an Australian Heavy Metal band.
From Plautus. Indicates that something can be understood
without any need for explanation, as long as the listener has
sapienti sat enough for the wise enough wisdom or common sense. Often extended to dictum
sapienti sat est ("enough has been said for the wise",
commonly translated as "a word to the wise is enough").
sapientia et
wisdom and learning Motto of Fordham University, New York.
doctrina
sapientia et knowledge and
Motto of the Minerva Society
eloquentia eloquence
sapientia et veritas wisdom and truth Motto of Christchurch Girls' High School, New Zealand.
sapientia et virtus wisdom and virtue Motto of University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
sapientia, pax, Wisdom, Peace, Motto of Universidad de las Américas, Puebla, Cholula,
fraternitas Fraternity México.
scientiae cedit The sea yields to
Motto of the United States Coast Guard Academy.
mare knowledge
knowledge through
[hard] work, or: by
means of knowledge
scientia ac labore Motto of several institutions
and hard work, or:
through knowledge
and [hard] work
scientia, aere knowledge, more unknown origin, probably adapted from Horace's ode III
perennius lasting than bronze (Exegi monumentum aere perennius).
scientia cum religion and
Motto of St. Vincent's College, Potts Point
religione knowledge united
knowledge and
scientia et sapientia motto of Illinois Wesleyan University
wisdom
knowledge is the
scientia imperii adornment and
Motto of Imperial College London
decus et tutamen safeguard of the
Empire
Stated originally by Sir Francis Bacon in Meditationes Sacrae
scientia ipsa knowledge itself is
(1597), which in modern times is often paraphrased as
potentia est power
scientia potentia est or "knowledge is power."
scientia vincere conquering darkness
motto of several institutions
tenebras by science
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scio I know
scire quod knowledge which is
motto of now defunct publisher Small, Maynard & Company
sciendum worth having
as translated by Philip Francis. From Horace, Epistularum
scribimus indocti Each desperate
doctique poemata blockhead dares to liber secundus (1, 117)[32] and quoted in Fielding's Tom
passim write Jones; lit: "Learned or not, we shall write poems without
distinction"
by the shield of God's
scuto amoris divini The motto of Skidmore College
love
seculo seculorum forever and ever
sed ipse spiritus But the same Spirit
postulat pro nobis, intercedes incessantly
Romans 8:26
gemitibus for us, with
inenarrabilibus inexpressible groans
with the seat being The "seat" is the Holy See, and the vacancy refers to the
sede vacante
vacant interregnum between two popes.
sedes apostolica apostolic chair Synonymous with Sancta Sedes.
Used in biological classification to indicate that there is no
seat (i.e. location)
sedes incertae agreement as to which higher order grouping a taxon should
uncertain
be placed into. Abbreviated sed. incert.
Concept expressed by various authors, such as Seneca, Saint
semel in anno licet once in a year one is
Augustine and Horace. It became proverbial during the
insanire allowed to go crazy
Middle ages.
always towards better
semper ad meliora Motto of several institutions.
things
Motto of Carl Jacobsen and name of a line of beers by Danish
semper ardens always burning
brewery Carlsberg.
personal motto of Elizabeth I, appears above her royal coat of
arms. Used as motto of Elizabeth College, Guernsey, Channel
semper eadem always the same
Islands, which was founded by Elizabeth I, and of Ipswich
School, to whom Elizabeth granted a royal charter.
semper excelsius always higher Motto of the K.A.V. Lovania Leuven.
Motto of several institutions. One of the most well known
semper fidelis always faithful institutions that uses this as a motto is the United States
Marine Corps.
semper fortis always brave Motto of the United States Navys' Submarine Service.
semper in excretia We're always in the
sumus solim manure; only the Lord de Ramsey, House of Lords, 21 January 1998[33]
profundum variat depth varies.
semper instans always threatening Motto of 846 NACS Royal Navy.
semper invicta always invincible Motto of Warsaw.
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semper liber always free Motto of the city of Victoria, British Columbia.
Motto of several institutions. One of the most well known
semper paratus always prepared institutions that uses this as a motto is the United States Coast
Guard.
semper primus always first
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
always in need of Protestant theologians that the church must continually
semper reformanda
being reformed 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.[34]
A common English-New Latin translation joke. The phrase is
always where under
semper ubi sub ubi nonsensical in Latin, but the English translation is a pun on
where
"always wear underwear".
Motto of several institutions. Also the motto of the city of San
semper vigilans always vigilant
Diego, California.
semper vigilo always vigilant The motto of Scottish Police Forces, Scotland.
The official name of the Roman Republic. "SPQR" was carried
Senatus
The Senate and the on battle standards by the Roman legions. In addition to being
Populusque
People of Rome an ancient Roman motto, it remains the motto of the modern
Romanus (SPQR)
city of Rome.
with the broad, or
sensu lato Less literally, "in the wide sense".
general, meaning
sensu stricto cf. "with the tight
Less literally, "in the strict sense".
stricto sensu meaning"
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
sequere pecuniam follow the money 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.
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, when the angels were tested by
serviam I will serve
God on whether they will serve an inferior being, a man,
Jesus, as their Lord.
servus servorum servant of the servants
A title for the pope.
Dei of God
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From Horace's Ars Poetica, "proicit ampullas et

sesquipedalia verba" ("he throws down his high-flown
words a foot and a
sesquipedalia verba language and his foot-and-a-half-long words"). A
half long
self-referential jab at long words and needlessly elaborate
language in general.
Si hoc legere scis If you can read this,
nimium eruditionis you have too much
habes education.
si omnes... ego non if all ones... not I
si peccasse if we refuse to make a From Christopher Marlowe's The Tragical History of Doctor
negamus fallimur et mistake, we are Faustus, where the phrase is translated "if we say that we
nulla est in nobis deceived, and there's have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and there's no truth in us".
veritas no truth in us (cf. 1 John 1:8 in the New Testament)
Said to have been based on the tribute to architect
si quaeris if you seek a Christopher Wren in St Paul's Cathedral, London, which reads
peninsulam
delightful peninsula, si monumentum requiris circumspice ("if you seek a
amoenam
look around memorial, look around"). State motto of Michigan, adopted in
circumspice
1835.
si quid novisti if you can better these
rectius istis,
principles, tell me; if
candidus imperti; si Horace, Epistles I:6, 67–68
not, join me in
nil, his utere
following them
mecum.
This quote is often attributed to the Latin philosopher
Boethius of the late fifth and early sixth centuries. It
If you had kept your translates literally as, "If you had been silent, you would have
si tacuisses,
silence, you would remained a philosopher." The phrase illustrates a common use
philosophus
have stayed a of the subjunctive verb mood. Among other functions it
mansisses
philosopher expresses actions contrary to fact. Sir Humphrey Appleby
translated it to the PM as: "If you'd kept your mouth shut we
might have thought you were clever".
A common beginning for ancient Roman letters. Also
extended to si vales bene est ego valeo ("if you are well, that
if you are well, I am
si vales valeo (SVV) is good; I am well"), abbreviated to SVBEEV. The practice fell
well
out of fashion and into obscurity with the decline in Latin
literacy.
If you want to be This quote is often attributed to the Roman philosopher
si vis amari ama
loved, love Seneca.
From Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus, De Re Militari.
si vis pacem, para if you want peace, Origin of the name parabellum for some ammunition and
bellum prepare for war firearms, such as the Luger Parabellum. (Similar to igitur qui
desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum)
Or "just so". States that the preceding quoted material appears
sic thus exactly that way in the source, despite any errors of spelling,
grammar, usage, or fact that may be present. Used only for
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previous quoted text; ita or similar must be used to mean

"thus" when referring to something about to be stated.
sic et non thus and not More simply, "yes and no".
we gladly feast on
sic gorgiamus allos
those who would Mock-Latin motto of The Addams Family.
subjectatos nunc
subdue us
sic infit so it begins
thus you shall go to From Virgil, Aeneid book IX, line 641. Possibly the source of
sic itur ad astra
the stars the ad astra phrases. Motto of several institutions.
sic passim Thus here and there Used when referencing books; see passim.
Thus has it always
sic semper erat, et
been, and thus shall it
sic semper erit
ever be
Attributed to Brutus at the time of Julius Caesar's
assassination, and to John Wilkes Booth at the time of
Abraham Lincoln's assassination; whether it was actually said
sic semper tyrannis thus always to tyrants at either of these events is disputed. Shorter version from
original sic semper evello mortem tyrannis ("thus always
death will come to 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
sic transit gloria thus passes the glory saying this phrase, preceded by pater sancte ("holy father")
mundi of the world while holding before his eyes a burning paper illustrating the
passing nature of earthly glories. This is similar to the tradition
of a slave in Roman triumphs whispering memento mori.
use [what is] yours so Or "use your property in such a way that you do not damage
sic utere tuo ut
as not to harm [what others'". A legal maxim related to property ownership laws,
alienum non laedas
is] of others often shortened to simply sic utere ("use it thus").
Or "such is life". Indicates that a circumstance, whether good
sic vita est thus is life
or bad, is an inherent aspect 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.
silentium est Latinization of the English expression "silence is golden".
silence is golden
aureum Also Latinized as silentium est aurum ("silence is gold").
similia similibus similar things take "like cures like" and "let like be cured by like"; the first form
curantur care of similar things" ("curantor") is indicative, while the second form ("curentor")
is subjunctive. The indicative form is found in Paracelsus
similia similibus let similar things take (16th century), while the subjunctive form is said by Samuel
curentur care of similar things Hahnemann, founder of homeopathy, and is known as the law
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of similars.
similar substances will Used as a general rule in chemistry; "like dissolves like" refers
similia similibus to the ability of polar or non polar solvents to dissolve polar or
dissolve similar
solvuntur
substances non polar solutes respectively.[35]
simplex sigillum simplicity is the sign
expresses a sentiment akin to Keep It Simple, Stupid
veri of truth
Used in bibliographies to indicate that the date of publication
sine anno (s.a.) without a year
of a document is unknown.
Originally from old common law texts, where it indicates that
a final, dispositive order has been made in the case. In modern
sine die without a day
legal context, it means there is nothing left for the court to do,
so no date for further proceedings is set.
without anger and
sine ira et studio Thus, impartially. From Tacitus, Annals 1.1.
fondness
Used in bibliographies to indicate that the place of publication
sine loco (s.l.) without a place
of a document is unknown.
Used in bibliographies to indicate that the publisher of a
sine nomine (s.n.) "without a name"
document is unknown.
Without penalty, there Refers to the ineffectiveness of a law without the means of
sine poena nulla lex
is no law enforcement
Used to denote something that is an essential part of the
sine qua non without which not
whole. See also condicio sine qua non.
sine remediis without remedies Inscription on the stained-glass in the conference hall of
medicina debilis est medicine is powerless pharmaceutical mill in Kaunas
sine scientia ars without knowledge,
Motto of The International Diving Society
nihil est skill is nothing
Phrase, used to cease the activities of the Sejm upon the
sisto activitatem I cease the activity
liberum veto principle
may it be worthy of
sit nomine digna Motto of Rhodesia
the name
sit sine labe decus let honour stainless be Motto of the Brisbane Boys' College (Brisbane, Australia).
may the earth be light Commonly used on gravestones, often contracted as S.T.T.L.,
sit tibi terra levis
to you the same way as today's R.I.P.
may there be
sit venia verbo forgiveness for the Similar to the English idiom "pardon my French".
word
sol iustitiae illustra Sun of Justice, shine
Motto of Utrecht University
nos upon us
the sun shines on
sol lucet omnibus Petronius, Satyricon Lybri 100
everyone
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the sun rules over

sol omnia regit Inscription near the entrance to Frombork Museum
everything
The material principle of the Protestant Reformation and one
sola fide by faith alone 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
sola gratia by grace alone solas, referring to the Protestant claim that salvation is an
unearned gift (cf. ex gratia), not a direct result of merit.
the only good
sola lingua bona est
language is a dead Example of dog Latin humor.
lingua mortua
language
The formal principle of the Protestant Reformation and one of
sola scriptura by scripture alone 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
solas, referring to the idea that God is the creator of all good
soli Deo gloria things and deserves all the praise for them. Johann Sebastian
glory to God alone
(S.D.G.) Bach often signed his manuscripts with the abbreviation S.D.G.
to invoke this phrase, as well as with AMDG (ad maiorem Dei
gloriam).
solas, referring to the Protestant claim that the Bible teaches
solus Christus Christ alone
that Jesus is the only mediator between God and mankind.
Also rendered solo Christo ("by Christ alone").
solus ipse I alone
The problem is solved by taking a walk, or by simple
solvitur ambulando It is solved by walking
experiment.
Spartam nactus es; your lot is cast in [36]
hanc exorna Sparta, be a credit to it from Euripides's Telephus, Agamemnon to Menelaus.
specialia
special departs from
generalibus
general
derogant
speculum
mirror of mirrors
speculorum
spem reduxit he has restored hope Motto of New Brunswick.
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 Jung's concept of the collective
unconscious.
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Refers to The Gospel of Saint John 3:8, where he mentions

how Jesus told Nicodemus "The wind blows wherever it
spiritus ubi vult the spirit spreads wants, and even though you can hear its noise, you don't
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[37]
splendor sine brightness without Loosely "splendour without diminishment" or "magnificence
occasu setting without ruin". Motto of British Columbia.
The motto of the Jungle Patrol in The Phantom. The phrase
actually violates Latin grammar because of a mistranslation
we stand against by
stamus contra malo from English, as the preposition contra takes the accusative
evil
case. The correct Latin rendering of "we stand against evil"
would be "stamus contra malum".
stante pede with a standing foot "Immediately".
to stand by the
stare decisis To uphold previous rulings, recognize precedent.
decided things
There is a day [turn]
stat sua cuique dies Virgil, Aeneid, X 467
for everybody
statim (stat) "immediately" Medical shorthand used following an urgent request.
The current condition or situation. Also status quo ante ("the
situation in which [things were] before"), referring to the state
status quo the situation in which
of affairs prior to some upsetting event (cf. reset button
technique).
status quo ante the state before the
A common term in peace treaties.
bellum war
stercus accidit shit happens Attributed to David Hume.
Marginal mark in proofreading to indicate that something
stet let it stand
previously deleted or marked for deletion should be retained.
let the fortune of the
stet fortuna domus First part of the motto of Harrow School, England.
house stand
From Christopher Marlowe's The Tragical History of Doctor
stipendium peccati the reward of sin is
Faustus. (See Rom 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but
mors est death
the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.")
strenuis ardus the heights yield to Motto on the coat of arms of the University of Southampton,
cedunt endeavour England.
stricto sensucf. sensu with the tight meaning Less literally, "in the strict sense".
stricto
The title by which Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, was
the wonder of the known. More literally translated "the bewilderment of the
stupor mundi
world world", or, in its original, pre-Medieval sense, "the stupidity
of the world".
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Legal term when a court takes up a motion on its own

sua sponte by its own accord initiative, not because any of the parties to the case has made
the motion.
Commonly abbreviated sa, it is used in citing annals, which
sub anno under the year
record events by year.
Motto of the University of Adelaide, Australia. Refers to the
The Light Under the
sub cruce lumen figurative "light of learning" and the Southern Cross
Cross
constellation, Crux.
Also, "under the sky", "in the open air", "out in the open" or
under the wide open
sub divo "outdoors". Ablative "divo" does not distinguish divus, divi, a
sky
god, from divum, divi, the sky.
Used in citations to refer to the end of a book, page, etc., and
sub finem toward the end abbreviated 's.f.' Used after the page number or title. E.g.,
'p. 20 s.f. '
sub Iove frigido under cold Jupiter At night; from Horace's Odes 1.1:25
Said of a case that cannot be publicly discussed until it is
sub judice under a judge
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
sub poena under penalty 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
sub rosa under the rose originates in Greek mythology, where Aphrodite gave a rose
to her son Eros, and he, in turn, gave it to Harpocrates, the
god of silence, to ensure that his mother's indiscretions—or
those of the gods in general, in other accounts—were kept
under wraps.
sub silentio under silence implied but not expressly stated.
sub specie under the sight of
Thus, "from eternity's point of view". From Spinoza, Ethics.
aeternitatis eternity
sub specie Dei under the sight of God "from God's point of view or perspective".
Name of the oldest extant hymn to the Theotokos (Blessed
sub tuum Beneath thy
Virgin Mary). Also "under your protection". A popular school
praesidium compassion
motto.
Under the shade I National Motto of Belize, referring to the shade of the
Sub umbra floreo
flourish mahogany tree.
sub verbo; sub voce Under the word or heading, as in a dictionary; abbreviated s.v.
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Raised from the

sublimis ab unda Motto of King Edward VII and Queen Mary School, Lytham
waves
subsiste sermonem stop speaking
statim immediately
One doesn't sing on
Sudetia non cantat the Sudeten Saying from Haná region
Mountains
sui generis Of its own kind In a class of its own.
Capable of responsibility. Has both legal and ecclesiastical
sui iuris Of one's own right
use. Commonly rendered sui juris.
A gravestone inscription to remind the reader of the
inevitability of death (cf. memento mori). Also rendered fui
sum quod eris I am what you will be
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 Augustine's Sermon No. 76;[38] also a 2-part episode in
the webcomic Heroes.
summa cum laude with highest praise
Literally "sum of sums". When a short conclusion is rounded
summa summarum all in all
up at the end of some elaboration.
Literally "highest good". Also summum malum ("the supreme
summum bonum the supreme good
evil").
From Cicero (De officiis, I, 10, 33). An acritical application of
law, without understanding and respect of laws's purposes and
without considering the overall circumstances, is often a
summum ius, supreme justice,
means of supreme injustice. A similar sentence appears in
summa iniuria supreme injustice
Terence (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
sunt lacrimae there are tears for ("and mortal things touch my mind"). Aeneas cries as he sees
rerum things Carthaginian temple murals depicting the deaths of the Trojan
War. See also hinc illae lacrimae.
sunt omnes unum they are all one
sunt pueri pueri, Children are children,
pueri puerilia and children do anonymous proverb
tractant childish things
Used in the context of titles of nobility, for instance where a
suo jure in one's own right wife may hold a title in her own right rather than through her
marriage.
Also rendered suo moto. Usually used when a court of law,
upon one's own upon its own initiative, (i.e., no petition has been filed)
suo motu proceeds against a person or authority that it deems has
initiative
committed an illegal act. It is used chiefly in South
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Asia.[citation needed]
suos cultores Knowledge crowns
The motto of Syracuse University, New York.
scientia coronat those who seek Her
Where Thomas More accused the reformer, Martin Luther, of
super fornicam on the lavatory
going to celebrate Mass.
superbia in proelia pride in battle Motto of Manchester City F.C.
supero omnia I surpass everything A declaration that one succeeds above all others.
to belch before the From Erasmus' collection of annotated Adagia (1508): a
surdo oppedere
deaf useless action.
surgam I shall rise Motto of Columbia University's Philolexian Society.
sursum corda Lift up your hearts
Thus, don't offer your opinion on things that are outside your
competence. It is said that the Greek painter Apelles once
asked the advice of a cobbler on how to render the sandals of
sutor, ne ultra Cobbler, no further
a soldier he was painting. When the cobbler started offering
crepidam than the sandal!
advice on other parts of the painting, Apelles rebuked him
with this phrase in Greek, and it subsequently became a
popular Latin expression.
suum cuique to render to every One of Justinian I's three basic precepts of law. Also
tribuere man his due shortened to suum cuique ("to each his own").
s.v. Abbreviation for sub verbo or sub voce (see above).

tabula
congratulatory tablet A list of congratulations.
gratulatoria
Thus, "blank slate". Romans used to write on wax-covered
wooden tablets, which were erased by scraping with the flat end
tabula rasa scraped tablet
of the stylus. John Locke used the term to describe the human
mind at birth, before it had acquired any knowledge.
talis qualis just as such "Such as it is" or "as such".
taliter qualiter somewhat
from St Mark's gospel 10:14 "talium (parvuli) est enim regnum
for of such (little
talium Dei Dei"; similar in St Matthew's gospel 19:14 "talium est enim
children) is the
regnum regnum caelorum" ("for of such is the kingdom of heaven");
kingdom of God
motto of The Cathedral School.
tarde To the late are left
venientibus ossa the bones
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Te occidere They can kill you, The motto of the fictional Enfield Tennis Academy in the David
possunt sed te but the legalities of Foster Wallace novel Infinite Jest. Translated in the novel as
edere non eating you are quite a "They can kill you, but the legalities of eating you are quite a bit
possunt nefas est bit dicier dicier".
technica impendi Technology impulses
Motto of Technical University of Madrid
nationi nations
A reference to γνῶθι σεαυτόν, which was inscribed in the pronaos
temet nosce know thyself of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, according to the Greek
periegetic writer Pausanias (10.24.1).
Literally "Heroic Times"; refers to the period between the
tempora heroica Heroic Age mythological Titanomachy and the (relatively) historical Trojan
War.
tempora the times are
Variant of omnia mutantur et nos mutamur in illis, attributed to
mutantur et nos changing, and we
Lothair I. See entry for details.
mutamur in illis change in them
tempus edax time, devourer of all Also "time, that devours all things", or more literally, "time,
rerum things devouring of things". From Ovid.
Commonly mistranslated as "time flies" due to the similar phrase
tempus fugit time flees
tempus volat hora fugit ("time flies, the hour flees").
tempus rerum time, commander of
imperator all things
tempus vernum spring time Name of song by popular Irish singer Enya
tempus volat time flies, the hour
Or "time speeds while the hour escapes".
hora fugit flees
Suetonius attributes this to Julius Caesar, from when Caesar was
teneo te Africa I hold you, Africa!
on the African coast.
The way must be
tentanda via motto for York University
tried
ter in die (t.i.d.) thrice in a day Medical shorthand for "three times a day".
terminat hora The hour finishes the Phrase concluding Christopher Marlowe's play Doctor
diem; terminat day; the author
auctor opus. finishes his work. Faustus.[39]
In archaeology or history, refers to the date before which an

artifact or feature must have been deposited. Used with terminus
terminus ante post quem ("limit after which"). Similarly, terminus ad quem
limit before which
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 unknown southern
First name used to refer to the Australian continent.
incognita land
terra firma solid land Often used to refer to the ground.
terra incognita unknown land
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Latin name of Newfoundland (island portion of Canadian

terra nova new land province of Newfoundland and Labrador, capital- St. John's), also
root of French name of same, Terre-Neuve
That is, no man's land. A neutral or uninhabited area, or a land not
terra nullius land of none
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
let them illuminate
terras irradient lands" based on mistaking irradiare for a future indicative third-
the lands
conjugation verb, whereas it is actually a present subjunctive first-
conjugation verb. Motto of Amherst College; the college's original
mission was to educate young men to serve God.
tertium non A logical axiom that a claim is either true or false, with no third
a third is not given
datur option.
1. Something that cannot be classified into either of two groups
tertium quid a third something considered exhaustive; an intermediate thing or factor. 2. A third
person or thing of indeterminate character.
testis unus, testis one witness is not a A law principle expressing that a single witness is not enough to
nullus witness corroborate a story.
Danaos being a term for the Greeks. In Virgil's Aeneid, II, 49, the
phrase is said by Laocoön when warning his fellow Trojans
against accepting the Trojan Horse. The full original quote is
timeo Danaos et I fear Greeks even if
quidquid id est timeo Danaos et dona ferentis, quidquid id est
dona ferentes they bring gifts
meaning "whatever it is" and ferentis being an archaic form of
ferentes. Commonly mistranslated "Beware of Greeks bearing
gifts".
timidi mater non A coward's mother proverb; occasionally appears on loading screens in the game
flet does not weep Rome: Total War.
Refrain originating in the response to the seventh lesson in the
timor mortis the fear of death Office of the Dead. In the Middle Ages, this service was read
conturbat me confounds me each day by clerics. As a refrain, it appears also in other poems
and can frequently be found inscribed on tombs.
Offering one's life in total commitment to another. The motto was
totus tuus totally yours adopted by Pope John Paul II to signify his love and servitude to
Mary the Mother of Jesus.
tres faciunt three makes It takes three to have a valid group; three is the minimum number
collegium company of members for an organization or a corporation.
Used to express the belief in the transfer of imperial authority
translatio
transfer of rule from the Roman Empire of antiquity to the Medieval Holy Roman
imperii
Empire.
A decree by the medieval Church that all feuds should be
treuga Dei Truce of God cancelled during the Sabbath—effectively from Wednesday or
Thursday night until Monday. See also Peace and Truce of God.
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Also "even you" or "yes, you", in response to a person's belief

tu autem you indeed
that he will never die. A memento mori epitaph.
tu autem Domine But Thou, O Lord, Phrase said at the end of biblical readings in the liturgy of the
miserere nobis have mercy upon us medieval church.
Thus, "what you are, I was; what I am, you will be.". A memento
I was you; you will
tu fui ego eris mori gravestone inscription to remind the reader that death is
be me
unavoidable (cf. sum quod eris).
you should not give
tu ne cede malis,
in to evils, but
sed contra From Virgil, Aeneid, 6, 95.
proceed ever more
audentior ito
boldly against them
The logical fallacy of attempting to defend one's position merely
tu quoque you too
by pointing out the same weakness in one's opponent.
tuebor I will protect Found on the Great Seal on the flag of the state of Michigan.
turris fortis mihi God is my strong
Motto of the Kelly Clan
Deus tower

Or "utmost good faith" (cf. bona fide). A
uberrima fides most abundant faith legal maxim of insurance contracts requiring
all parties to deal in good faith.
ubertas et fidelitas fertility and faithfulness Motto of Tasmania.
where [there is] love,
ubi amor, ibi dolor
there [is] pain
where [it is] well, there Or "Home is where it's good". Patriotic
ubi bene ibi patria
[is] the fatherland motto.
where there is charity
ubi caritas et amor Deus ibi est
and love, God is there
where [there is] doubt,
ubi dubium ibi libertas Anonymous proverb.
there [is] freedom
Where [there is] a right,
ubi jus ibi remedium
there [is] a remedy
similar to " you catch more bees with honey
where [there is] honey,
ubi mel ibi apes than with vinegar" .. treat people nicely and
there [are] bees
they will treat you nice back
where [there is] liberty, Or "where there is liberty, there is my
ubi libertas ibi patria
there [is] the fatherland country". Patriotic motto.
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Where you are worth From the writings of the Flemish philosopher
ubi nihil vales, ibi nihil velis nothing, there you will Arnold Geulincx; also quoted by Samuel
wish for nothing Beckett in his first published novel, Murphy.
Thus, there can be no judgment or case if no
where [there is] no
one charges a defendant with a crime. The
ubi non accusator ibi non iudex accuser, there [is] no
phrase is sometimes parodied as "where there
judge
are no police, there is no speed limit".
where there is pus, there
ubi pus, ibi evacua
evacuate it
Motto of the Royal Regiment of Artillery and
most other Artillery corps within the armies
everywhere, where right of the British Commonwealth (for example,
Ubique, quo fas et gloria ducunt
and glory leads the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery
and Royal Regiment of New Zealand
Artillery).
Or "whereas, in reality..." Also rendered ubi
ubi re vera when, in a true thing
revera ("when, in fact" or "when, actually").
if there's a society, law
ubi societas ibi ius By Cicero.
will be there
from a speech by Calgacus
ubi solitudinem faciunt pacem They make a desert and
reported/constructed by Tacitus, Agricola,
appellant call it peace
ch. 30.
Nostalgic theme of poems yearning for days
gone by. From the line ubi sunt qui ante nos
ubi sunt where are they?
fuerunt ("Where are they, those who have
gone before us?").
The last resort. Short
form for the metaphor
"The Last Resort of
Kings and Common
Men" referring to the
act of declaring war.
Louis XIV of France
had Ultima Ratio
last method Regum ("last argument
ultima ratio the final argument of kings") cast on the
the last resort (as force) cannons of his armies.
From here it names the
French sniper rifle
PGM Ultima Ratio, the
fictional Reason
weapon system and is
the motto of the 1st
Battalion 11th Marines
(with the incorrect
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Regnum).
Formerly used in formal correspondence to
ultimo mense (ult.) in the last month 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
ultra vires beyond powers acting without the rules. The term will most
often be used in connection with appeals and
petitions.
From Gerhard Gerhards' (1466–1536) [better
known as Erasmus] collection of annotated
Adagia (1508). Latin translation of a classical
ululas Athenas (to send) owls to Athens Greek proverb. Generally means putting
large effort in a necessarily fruitless
enterprise. Compare "selling coal to
Newcastle".
A single example of something positive does
one swallow does not
una hirundo non facit ver not necessarily mean that all subsequent
make summer
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
the only safety for the us die even as we rush into the midst of
una salus victis nullam sperare
conquered is to hope for battle") in Virgil's Aeneid, book 2, lines
salutem
no safety 353–354. Used in Tom Clancy's novel
Without Remorse, where character John
Clark translates it as "the one hope of the
doomed is not to hope for safety".
Motto for the St. Xavier's Institution Board
unitas per servitiam unity through service
of Librarians.
Used in criticism of inconsistent pleadings,
i.e. "one cannot argue uno flatu both that the
uno flatu in one breath
company does not exist and that it is also
responsible for the wrong."
unus multorum one of many An average person.
one pope in Rome, one
Unus papa Romae, unus portus Motto of the Czech Brewery in
port in Ancona, one
Anconae, una turris Cremonae,
una ceres Raconae
tower in Cremona, one Rakovník.[40]
beer in Rakovník
Meaning "To Rome and the World". A
to the city and the circle
Urbi et Orbi standard opening of Roman proclamations.
[of the lands]
Also a traditional blessing by the pope.
urbs in horto city in a garden Motto of the City of Chicago.
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practice is the best

usus est magister optimus In other words, practice makes perfect.
teacher.
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
so that they might drink,
ut biberent quoniam esse nollent battle of Drepana, as he threw overboard the
since they refused to eat
sacred chickens which had refused to eat the
grain offered them—an unwelcome omen of
bad luck. Thus, the sense is, "if they do not
perform as expected, they must suffer the
consequences".
though the power be
ut desint vires, tamen est
lacking, the will is to be From Ovid, Epistulae ex Ponto (III, 4, 79).
laudanda voluntas
praised all the same
as she began loyal, so she Thus, the state remains as loyal as ever.
ut incepit fidelis sic permanet
persists Motto of Ontario.
ut infra as below
Motto of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and
ut prosim that I may serve
State University
you know what they
ut proverbium loguitur vetus... Lit: As the old proverb says...
say...
that the matter may have
ut res magis valeat quam pereat
effect rather than fail[41]
Or "as on the back side"; thus, "as on the
ut retro as backwards
previous page" (cf. ut supra).
as Rome falls, so [falls]
ut Roma cadit, sic omnis terra
the whole world
A traditional brocard. The full form is
Interest reipublicae ut sit finis litium, "it is in
so there might be an end
ut sit finis litium the government's interest that there be an end
of litigation
to litigation." Often quoted in the context of
statutes of limitation.
ut supra as above
as the extension, so the Robert Hooke's expression of his discovery
ut tensio sic vis
force of his law of linear elasticity.
Comes from 2 Timothy 4:11. Motto of
utilis in ministerium usefulness in service
Camberwell Girls Grammar School.
Also translated as "that the two may be one."
utraque unum both into one Motto found in 18th century Spanish dollar
coins. Motto of Georgetown University.
utrinque parato ready for anything Motto of The British Parachute Regiment
103 of 111 11/25/2010 11:31 AM


A Biblical phrase from the Book of Proverbs. The full quotation
vade ad
go to the ant translates as "go to the ant, O sluggard, and consider her ways,
formicam
and learn wisdom".
A vade-mecum or vademecum is an item one carries around,
vade mecum go with me
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
Go back, Satan! vade retro me Satana ("step back from me, Satan!"). The older
Satana
phrase vade retro ("go back!") can be found in Terence's Formio
I, 4, 203. The phrase has been mocked by a Portuguese slogan,
"Vai de metro, Satanás" ("Go by the subway, Satan").
Attributed by Livy to Brennus, the chief of the Gauls, while he
Woe to the
vae victis demanded more gold from the citizens of the recently sacked
conquered!
Rome in 390 BC.
vanitas
vanity of vanities; More simply, "vanity, vanity, everything vanity". From the
vanitatum
everything [is] vanity Vulgate, Ecclesiastes, 1:2.
omnia vanitas
vaticinium ex prophecy from the A prophecy made to look as though it was written before the
eventu event events it describes, while in fact being written afterwards.
Summary of alternatives, i.e. "this action turns upon whether the
vel non or not
claimant was the deceased's grandson vel non."
"To be willing is to be
able." (non-literal: Motto of Hillfield, one of the founding schools of Hillfield
velle est posse
"Where there's a will, Strathallan College.
there's a way.")
Or simply "faster than cooking asparagus". Ascribed to Augustus
velocius quam more rapidly than by Suetonius (The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, Book 2
asparagi asparagus will be (Augustus), para. 87). Can refer to anything done very quickly. A
coquantur cooked very common variant is celerius quam asparagi cocuntur ("more
swiftly than asparagus is cooked").
As a tree with the
velut arbor aevo Motto of the University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
passage of time.
The message supposedly sent by Julius Cæsar to the Roman
I came, I saw, I
veni, vidi, vici Senate to describe his battle against King Pharnaces II near Zela in
conquered
47 BC.
venisti From whence you
remanebis came, you shall The phrase that the wizard said to the Devil in the film Tenacious
donec denuo remain, until you are D in The Pick of Destiny
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completus sis complete again

vera causa true cause
verba docent Words instruct,
On the relevance to use illustrations for example when preaching.
exempla trahunt illustrations lead
words are to be
verba ita sunt understood such that
intelligenda ut When explaining a given subject, it is important to clarify rather
the subject matter
res magis valeat than confuse.
may be more
quam pereat
effective than wasted
verba volant, words fly away,
From a famous speech of Caio Titus at the Roman senate.
scripta manent writings remain
verbatim word for word Refers to perfect transcription or quotation.
verbatim et word for word and
litteratim letter by letter
verbi divini servant of the divine
A priest (cf. Verbum Dei).
minister Word
verbi gratia for example literally: "for the sake of a word"
(v.gr. or VG)
Verbum Dei Word of God See religious text.
verbum Domini The Word of the
manet in Lord Endures Motto of the Lutheran Reformation.
aeternum
(VDMA)
Forever
A word to the wise is The hearer can fill in the rest; enough said. Short for Verbum
verbum sap
sufficient sapienti sat[is] est.
veritas truth Motto of many educational institutions.
veritas, bonitas,
Truth, Goodness,
pulchritudo, Current motto of Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan.
Beauty, and Holiness
sanctitas
The de jure motto of Harvard University, dating to its foundation;
veritas Christo Truth for Christ and
it is often shortened to Veritas to dispose of its original religious
et ecclesiae Church
meaning.
Motto of Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education
veritas curat The Truth Cures.
& Research.
veritas, fides,
Truth, Faith, Wisdom Current motto of Dowling Catholic High School.
sapientia
veritas diaboli
Devil's truth remain
manet in
eternally
aeternum
veritas et virtus Truth and virtue Motto of University of Pittsburgh, Methodist University.
veritas in
Truth Through Caring Motto of Bishop Wordsworth's School.
caritate
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Motto of Xavier University, Ateneo de Cagayan, The first

Veritas Truth Shall Set You
Catholic Philippine Jesuit University located in Cagayan de Oro
Liberabit Vos Free
City, Mindanao, Philippines.
A common non-literal translation is "Truth enlightens me." Motto
veritas lux mea Truth is my light.
of Seoul National University.
veritas odit
Truth hates delay Seneca the Younger.
moras
veritas omnia Motto of Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario. See also national
Truth conquers all
vincit motto Satyameva Jayate of India and motto of Triangle Fraternity.
veritas unitas
Truth, Unity, Love Motto of Villanova University.
caritas
veritas vincit truth conquers Motto of the Scottish clan Keith.
veritas vos the truth will set you
Motto of Johns Hopkins University.
liberabit free
veritate duce Advancing (with)
Motto of University of Arkansas.
progredi Truth Leading.
[in] veritate et
with truth and love Motto of Catholic Junior College, Singapore.
caritate
veritate et with truth and Motto of Sydney Boys High School. Also "virtute et veritate",
virtute courage motto of Walford Anglican School for Girls.
I delight in (or, I have
veritatem dilexi Motto of Bryn Mawr College.
chosen) the truth.
veritatem to bear witness to the
Motto of Xaverian Brothers High School.
fratribus testari truth in brotherhood
nothing truer than
vero nihil verius Motto of Mentone Girls' Grammar School
truth
A variation of the campaign slogan used by then-Senator Barack
vero possumus Yes, we can Obama on a Great Seal variation during the 2008 US presidential
campaign.[42]
Literally "in the direction". Mistakenly used in English as
versus (vs) or (v.) towards "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
veto I forbid
from ancient Roman voting practices.
Or "Strength with Courage". Motto of Ascham School and the
vi et animo With heart and soul
McCulloch clan crest.
From Christopher Marlowe's The Tragical History of Doctor
by the power of Faustus. Note that v was originally the consonantal u, and was
vi veri written the same before the two forms became distinct, and also
truth, I, while living,
universum vivus after in many cases, when u and v were both capitalized as V:
have conquered the
vici thus, Vniversum. Also, universum is sometimes quoted with the
universe
form ueniversum (or Veniversum), which is presumably a
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combination of universum and oeniversum, two classically

attested spellings). Recently quoted in the Alan Moore graphic
novel and film adaptation, V For Vendetta, by the main character,
V.
via by the road "by way of" or "by means of"; e.g. "I'll contact you via e-mail."
via media middle road Can refer to the radical center political stance.
The Way, the Truth Motto of The University of Glasgow and Eastern Nazarene
via, veritas, vita
and the Life College
"one who acts in place of another"; can be used as a separate
vice in place of word, or as a hyphenated prefix: "Vice President" and "Vice-
Chancellor".
Thus, "the other way around", "conversely", etc. Historically, vice
is properly pronounced as two syllables, but the one-syllable
vice versa pronunciation is extremely common. Classical Latin pronunciation
with position turned
versa vice dictates that the letter C can only make a hard sound, like K and a
v is pronounced like a w; thus wee-keh wehr-sah.[43]
victoria aut
Victory or death! similar to aut vincere aut mori.
mors
victoria
Victory comes from
concordia The official club motto of Arsenal F.C.
harmony
crescit
the victorious cause
victrix causa
pleased the gods, but Lucan, Pharsalia 1, 128. Dedication on the south side of the
diis placuit sed
the conquered cause Confederate Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.
victa Catoni
pleased Cato
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
videlicet (viz.) Contraction of videre licet: "permitted to see".
say", "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
proboque From the Metamorphoses VII. 20–21 of Ovid. A summary of the
the better, but I
deteriora experience of akrasia.
follow the worse
sequor
video sed non I see it, but I don't Caspar Hofmann after being shown proof of the circulatory
credo believe it system by William Harvey.
"it is permitted to
videre licet
see", "one may see"
vim promovet promotes one's innate
Motto of University of Bristol taken from Horace Ode 4.4.
insitam power
vince malum Overcome Evil with Partial quotation of Romans 12:21 also used as a motto for Old
bono Good Swinford Hospital and Bishop Cotton School, Shimla.
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vincere scis you know [how] to

According to Livy, a cavalry colonel told Hannibal this after the
Hannibal win, Hannibal; you
victory at Cannae in 216 BC, meaning that Hannibal should have
victoria uti do not know [how] to
marched on Rome directly.
nescis use victory
vincit omnia
Truth conquers all
veritas
vincit qui he conquers who First attributed to Roman scholar and satirst Persius; frequently
patitur endures used as motto.
he/she conquers who Motto of many educational institutions. Also "bis vincit qui se
vincit qui se
conquers vincit" ("he/she who prevails over himself/herself is twice
vincit
himself/herself victorious").
"the chain of the
"A civil obligation is one which has a binding operation in law,
vinculum juris law", i.e. legally
vinculum juris." Bouvier's Law Dictionary, 1856, "Obligation."
binding
vir prudens non "[A] wise man does
contra ventum not urinate [up]
mingit against the wind"
"The manly thing is
virile agitur As used in the motto of Knox Grammar School
being done"
viriliter agite "Quit ye like men, be
As used in the motto of Culford School
estote fortes strong"
Frequently used as a motto, preeminently as that of La Salle
virtus et scientia virtue and knowledge
University of Philadelphia, PA.
virtus in media Virtue stands in the Idiomatically: Good practice lies in the middle path. There is
stat middle. disagreement as to whether "media" or "medio" is correct.
virtus sola virtue alone [is]
Christian Brothers College, St Kilda's school motto
nobilitas noble
virtus tentamine Strength rejoices in
The motto of Hillsdale College.
gaudet the challenge.
virtus unita virtue united [is]
State motto of Andorra.
fortior stronger
Or "by manhood and weapons". State motto of Mississippi.
Possibly derived from the motto of Lord Gray De Wilton, virtute
virtute et armis by virtue and arms 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
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.
vita, dulcedo, [Mary our] life,
Motto of University of Notre Dame.
spes sweetness, hope
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vita incerta, Life is uncertain,

In simpler English, "The most certain thing in life is death".
mors certissima death is most certain
During the life of the Hence the term "decessit vita patris" (d.v.p) or "died v.p." seen in
vita patris
father genealogy works such as Burke's Peerage.
vita summa the shortness of life
A wistful refrain, sometimes used ironically. From the first line of
brevis spem nos prevents us from
Horace's Ode I; later used as the title of a short poem by Ernest
vetat incohare entertaining far-off
Dowson.
longam hopes
viva voce living voice An oral, as opposed to a written, examination of a candidate.
vivat crescat may it live, grow, and
floreat flourish!
Usually translated "Long live the King!" Also Vivat Regina ("Long
vivat rex May the King live!
live the Queen!").
live remembering
vive memor leti Persius. Compare with "memento mori"
death
live so that you may The phrase suggests that one should live life to the fullest and
vive ut vivas
live without fear of possible consequences.
vivere est
To live is to think Cicero. Compare with "cogito ergo sum".
cogitare
vivere est
To live is to conquer Captain John Smith's personal Motto.
vincere
vivere militare Seneca (Epist. 96,5). Compare with "militia est vita hominis"
To live is to fight
est Book of Job 7:1
vocatus atque or "called and even not called, God approaches"; attributed to the
called and not called,
non vocatus Oracle at Delphi. Used by Carl Jung as a personal motto adorning
God will be present
Deus aderit his home and grave.
or "to him who consents, no harm is done"; used in tort law to
volenti non fit to one willing, no delineate the principle that one cannot be held liable for injuries
injuria harm is done inflicted on an individual who has given his consent to the action
that gave rise to the injury.
votum
separate vow An independent, minority voice.
separatum
or traditionally, "the voice of one crying in the wilderness"; from
Isaiah 40, and quoted by John the Baptist in the Gospels. Usually
vox clamantis in the voice of one the "voice" is assumed to be shouting in vain, unheeded by the
deserto shouting in the desert surrounding wilderness. However, in this phrase's use as the motto
of Dartmouth College, it is taken to denote an isolated beacon of
education and culture in the "wilderness" of New Hampshire.
vox nihili voice of nothing Applied to a useless or ambiguous phrase or statement.
vox populi voice of the people
109 of 111 11/25/2010 11:31 AM

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 0814658806, ISBN 9780814658802
3. ^ Peter Jones (2006). Reading Ovid: Stories from the Metamorphoses (http://books.google.com
/books?id=XQ7SYYc_5RsC&client=firefox-a) . Cambridge University Press. p. 223. ISBN 0521849012.
http://books.google.com/books?id=XQ7SYYc_5RsC&client=firefox-a.
4. ^ Ovidi Nasonis Epistvlae Heroidvm, XIII. Laodamia Protesilao (http://www.thelatinlibrary.com
/ovid/ovid.her13.shtml)
5. ^ cacoēthes (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0059:entry=cacoethes) . Charlton
T. Lewis and Charles Short. A Latin Dictionary on Perseus Project.
6. ^ κακοήθης (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0057:entry=kakoh/qhs) . Henry
George Liddell, Robert Scott. A Greek-English Lexicon at Perseus Project
7. ^ "Abbreviations" (http://www.yaelf.com/abbreviations.shtml)
8. ^ "Abbreviations" (http://www.informatics.sussex.ac.uk/department/docs/punctuation/node28.html) , University of
Sussex
9. ^ Jon R. Stone, More Latin for the Illiterati, Routledge, 1999, p. 53 (http://books.google.com
/books?id=AsX61NoE9vUC&lpg=PA53&dq=consuetudo%20pro%20lege%20servatur&pg=PA53#v=onepage&
q=%22consuetudo%20pro%20lege%20servatur%22&f=false) .
10. ^ Giles Jacob, A Law Grammar, W. Clarke & Sons, 1817, p. 3 (http://books.google.com
/books?id=gY4DAAAAQAAJ&ots=rEFgKZYtFt&dq=%22consuetudo%20pro%20lege%20servatur%22&
lr&pg=PA3#v=onepage&q=%22consuetudo%20pro%20lege%20servatur%22&f=false) .
11. ^ 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 (http://www.unt.edu/honors/eaglefeather
/2006_Issue/jung4.shtml) 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.
12. ^ Clan Fergus(s)on Society (http://www.clanfergusonsociety.co.uk/index.html) Retrieved on 14 December 2007
13. ^ University of Minnesota Style Manual: Correct Usage (http://www1.umn.edu/urelate/style/language-usage.html)
14. ^ Pliny the Elder: the Natural History, Liber VIII (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/L/Roman/Texts
/Pliny_the_Elder/8*.html)
15. ^ 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 can't 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 can't decide on just one"
16. ^ 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
(http://dictionary.reference.com/help/faq/language/) and their discussion of commas (http://dictionary.reference.com
/help/faq/language/g58.html) for more information. Search "comma after i.e." (http://www.google.com
/search?q=comma%20after%20i%2ee%2e) for other opinions.
17. ^ Rapini, Ronald P. (2005). Practical dermatopathology. Elsevier Mosby. ISBN 0-323-01198-5.
18. ^ Webb-Johnson AE (May 1950). "Experientia docet". Rev Gastroenterol 17 (5): 337–43. PMID 15424403
(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15424403) .
19. ^ The Diwan of Abu'l-Ala (http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/13086) at Project Gutenberg
20. ^ Rutilius Namatianus: De reditu suo, Liber primus (http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/rutilius.html) at The Latin
Library
21. ^ Gravis Dulcis Immutabilis (http://classicpoetryaloud.podomatic.com/entry/2009-06-15T14_34_03-07_00) at
classicpoetryaloud.com
22. ^ P. Ovidius Naso: Epistulae Ex Ponto, Liber Quartus, X. Albinovano (http://www.thelatinlibrary.com
/ovid/ovid.ponto4.shtml) at The Latin Library
23. ^ "Ite Missa Est" (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08253a.htm) from the Catholic Encyclopedia
24. ^ Home page of St. Julian's School (http://www.stjulians.com)
25. ^ Harbottle, Thomas Benfield (1906). Dictionary of Quotations (Classical). The Macmillan Co..
26. ^ The Latin Library: SVETONI TRANQVILII VITA DIVI CLAVDI (http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/suetonius
110 of 111 11/25/2010 11:31 AM

/suet.claudius.html)
27. ^ Larry D. Benson, ed. The Riverside Chaucer. 3rd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1987. p. 939, n. 3164.
28. ^ "Myths Unveiled: The Social History of The Evergreen State College" (http://academic.evergreen.edu/r/rosty30
/Myths%20UnveiledII.pdf) by Ty Rosenow (2009). Unpublished manuscript, The Evergreen State College, Olympia,
WA.
29. ^ "Masonic mottoes" (http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/history/masonic_mottoes.html)
30. ^ Kinsey, Alfred Charles (1998) [1953]. (http://books.google.com.au/books?id=9GpBB61LV14C&pg=PA638)
Sexual Behavior in the Human Female. Indiana University Press. p. 638. ISBN 9780253334114.
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=9GpBB61LV14C&pg=PA638.
31. ^ Chapter 18 - Jurisdiction Ratione Personae or the personal reach of the courts jurisdiction (http://nijhoffonline.nl
/extract?id=nij9789004163089_nij9789004163089_i-1122-121) , From: The Legal Regime of the International
Criminal Court: Essays in Honour of Professor Igor Blishchenko. Retrieved 26 March 2010
32. ^ Quintus Horatius Flaccus (14 BC). "Q. Horati Flacci Epistvlarvm Liber Secvndvs"
(http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/horace/epist2.shtml) (in Latin). The Latin Library. http://www.thelatinlibrary.com
/horace/epist2.shtml. Retrieved 10 September 2008.
33. ^ Column 1532 (http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199798/ldhansrd/vo980121/text/80121-06.htm) , Lords
Hansard, 21 January 1998
34. ^ Michael Bush, "Calvin and the Reformanda Sayings," in Herman J. Selderhuis, ed., Calvinus sacrarum literarum
interpres: Papers of the International Congress on Calvin Research (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2008)
p. 286. ISBN 978-3-525-56914-6
35. ^ Hildebrand, J. H. and Scott, R. L. (1950),The Solubility of Nonelectrolytes, 3rd ed., American Chemical Society
Monograph No. 17, Reinhold Publishing Corporation.
36. ^ "Spartam nactus es; hanc exorna" (http://www.ourcivilisation.com/burke/note/317.htm) , note from Reflections on
the Revolution in France (1790) by Edmund Burke
37. ^ University motto (http://www.cayetano-pae.org/Spiritus.htm)
38. ^ Augustini Sermo LXXVI (http://hiphi.ubbcluj.ro/fam/texte/augustin/augustin-serm76.htm)
39. ^ The Tragedy of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe (at Wikisource)
40. ^ Czech Brewery Rakovník — The Brewery (http://www.rakovnikbeer.cz/en/factory.php)
41. ^ Trans-Lex.org (http://www.trans-lex.org/925000)
42. ^ Image (http://www.arts.yorku.ca/dlll/amlewis/courses/latin1000/images/VeroPossumus.jpg) at York University,
Department of Languages, Literatures & Linguistics.
43. ^ "Latin Pronunciation Demystified" (http://www.ai.uga.edu/mc/latinpro.pdf) by Michael A. Covington. Program in
Linguistics, University of Georgia. December 31, 2005]
Adeleye, Gabriel G. (1999). World Dictionary of Foreign Expressions. Ed. Thomas J. Sienkewicz and James T.
McDonough, Jr. Wauconda, IL: Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0865164223.
Hardon, John, Fr. Modern Catholic Dictionary (http://www.catholicreference.net/) .
Stone, Jon R. (1996). Latin for the Illiterati. London & New York: Routledge. ISBN 0415917751.
Hildebrand J.H. and Scott R.L. (1950),The Solubility of Nonelectrolytes - NEW 3rd EDITION, American
Chemical Society Monograph No. 17, Reinhold Publishing Corporation.
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Latin Translation Notes

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Completely. Similar to the English expressions "from tip to toe" or

2 of 111 11/25/2010 11:31 AM

"At the outset", referring to an inquiry or investigation. In literature,

3 of 111 11/25/2010 11:31 AM

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crime, as contrasted with mens rea, the internal elements.

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Loosely, "according to what pleases" or "as you wish"; libitum

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ad undas to the waves Equivalent to "to hell".

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Originally comparable to a to-do list, an ordered list of things to be

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used of a fictional character's secret identity.

Used before the anglicized version of a word or name. For example,

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Or "he approves our undertakings". Motto on the reverse of the

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to plough the From Gerhard Gerhards' (1466–1536) [better known as Erasmus]

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Antarctic icebreaker ship.

Latin Translation Notes

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litaniae "litanies" and officium "office".

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Latin Translation Notes

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Exhortation to enjoy fully the

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Where there are no specific laws, the matter should be decided by

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because it is impossible) or, as Darwin used it in his autobiography,

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From the Bible. Occurs in Matthew 26:47 (http://bibref.hebtools.com

Latin Translation Notes

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damnant They condemn

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Dei sub numine under God's Spirit

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The motto of Sir Thomas de Boteler founder of Boteler Grammar

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A Roman maxim adopted by Julius Caesar, Louis XI and

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ducunt volentem The fates lead the

Latin Translation Notes

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eo nomine by that name

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And all that sort

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