Recently in my Latin Class at school my teacher had us pick and memorize a famous latin phrase. Do you want to do the same? Here is a complete list :) The highlighted ones are my favorites!
ab ovo usque ad mala: from eggs to apples
ab urbe condita: from the foundation of the city
ad astra per aspera: to the stars through difficulties
ad maiorem dei gloriam
(AMDG): to the greater glory
of
God
acta non verba: deeds not words
alea iacta est (Caesar): the die is cast
amor caecus est: love is blind
annuit coeptis (dollar): he approves of our beginnings
ante bellum: before the war
ars longa, vita brevis: art is long, life is short
ave atque vale
(Catullus): hail and farewell
bis in die (bid)
(pharmaceutical): twice a day
bona fide: in good faith
bona fortuna: good luck
canis meus id comedit: my dog ate it
carpe diem (Horace): seize the day
caveat emptor: let the buyer
beware
cedant arma togae: let weapons yeild to the toga
cogito ergo sum
(Descartes): I think therefore I
am
corrigenda: things to be corrected
cui bono: who benefits?
cum tacent, clamant
(Cicero): their silence speaks
louder
than words
cum laude: with honors
cura ut valeas: take care that you may be well
de facto/de jure: by custom/by law
de gustibus non est
disputandum: there is no arguing
about
taste
deo volente: with god willing
deus ex machina (a contrived
or artificial solution)
dies irae: day of wrath (judgement day)
di immortales!: immortal gods!
discimus docendo: we learn by teaching
divide et impera: divide and conquer
dona nobis pacem: give us peace
do ut des (Roman
sacrifice): I give that you might
give
dum spiro, spero: while I breathe, I hope
dum vivimus, vivamus: while we live, let us live
dux femina facti
(Vergil): a woman was the leader
of
the deed
eheu fugaces labuntur anni
(Horace): alas, the fleeing
years
slip away
e pluribus unum (American
money): one out of many
errata: mistakes
esse quam videri (Motto of
North Carolina): to be rather than
to seem
et tu, Brute? (Caesar): you too, Brutus?
excelsior (Motto of NY): higher
festina lente: hurry slowly
fiat lux (Bible): let there be light
gaudeamus igitur: therefore, let us rejoice
gloria in excelsis deo: glory in the highest to God
ibidem: in the same place
id est (i.e.): that is (used before a restatement)
ignosce mihi: forgive me
in flagrante delicto (legal):
in blazing crime
in hoc signo vinces
(Eusebius, sign on Constantine’s
soldiers,
the cross): in this sign you will
conquer
in vino veritas: (there is)
truth in wine
Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum
(INRI): Jesus of
Nazareth,
King of the Jews
labor omnia vincit
(Virgil): work conquers everything
lapsus linguae: a slip of the tongue
mea culpa: my fault
mens sana in corpore sano
(Juvenal): a healthy mind
in a
healthy body
nolens volens: not wanting/wanting; whether a person
wants
something or not
nolo contendere (legal): I do not wish to contend
non compos mentis
(legal): not of sane mind
non sequitur: it does not follow (doesn’t make sense)
non sibi sed suis: not for one’s self, but for one’s
people
nota bene (NB): note well
novus ordo saeclorum
(dollar): a new order of ages
nunc aut numquam: now or never
obesa cantavit: the fat lady has sung
oderint dum metuant (Seneca): as long as they fear,
they
hate
odi et amo (Catullus): I love and I hate
onus probandi (legal): the burden of proof
ora pro nobis: pray for us
o tempora, o mores!
(Cicero): o the times, o the
customs! (bemoaning immorality)
panem et circenses: bread and circuses (food and
entertainment)
pater familias: the father of the family
per aspera ad astra: through difficulties to the stars
per se: in itself
pro re nata (prn)
(prescriptions): for the occasion as it
arises,
as needed
qui custodiet ipsos custodes?
(Juvenal): who will
guard
the guards themselves?
quid novi?: what’s new?
quid pro quo: something for something
qui multum habet, plus cupit
(Seneca): he who has
much,
wants more
quot homines, tot sententiae: how many men, so many
opinions
rara avis (Juvenal): a rare bird
rigor mortis: the rigidity of death
salus populi suprema lex
(Cicero): the safety of the
people
is the highest law
sapere aude! (Horace): dare to be wise!
semper fidelis (semper fi) (Marines): always faithful
sic semper Tyrannis
(Virginia): thus always to tyrants
sic transit gloria
mundi: thus passes the glory of
the
world
sine qua non : without which nothing (something
necessary)
si vis amari, ama
(Seneca): if you want to be loved,
love
si vis pacem, para bellum
(Vegetius): if you want
peace,
prepare for war
sui generis: of its own kind (unique)
suum cuique pulchrum est
(Cicero): to each man his
own
is beautiful
sunt lacrimae rerum, et
mentem mortalia tangunt
(Vergil): There are tears for these things, and
human
suffering touches the mind
tabula rasa: a blank slate
terra incognita: unknown land
timeo Danaos, et dona
ferentes (Virgil): I fear Greeks,
even
bearing gifts
trahimur omnes laudis studio
(Cicero): we are all
drawn
by desire for praise
ubi fumus, ibi ignis: where there’s smoke, there’s fire
veni, vidi, vici
(Caesar): I came, I saw, I
conquered
veritas vos liberabit: the truth will set you free
volens et potens: willing and able
vox populi: the voice of the people
