Useful Latin Phrases

Useful Latin Phrases

Book review on and excerpts from

Amo, Amas, Amat and More*

by Don Hooser

Finally, I have come to agree with what my mother told me. She said she took Latin in high school and that it was very helpful in understanding English, as many English words come from Latin. She also said it was a huge benefit as a foundation for learning a Romance language, like Spanish, French, and Italian.

Well, all that sounded Greek to me and I didn’t want to strain my brain. I sort of thought Latin was part of an evil plot on the part of Catholic priests, lawyers, and medical doctors to keep common folk from understanding what they were saying and writing. Well, with me, it’s too soon old, too late smart.

The longer I live, the more I have come to appreciate language(s). I now enjoy reading and referring to this book, Amo, Amas, Amat and More—How to Use Latin to Your Own Advantage and to the Astonishment of Others. By the way, amo is “I love,” amas is “you love”, and amat is “he, she, or it loves.”

Learning a language—or even a smattering of a language—expands one’s perspective. Even if you only skim this book, I think you’ll be surprised at how many Latin words, phrases, and abbreviations you commonly see in your reading, but may not have always known exactly what they mean. And there are hundreds of meaningful expressions that would be practical to use at appropriate times if you have the time to learn them.

Probably a lot of our smart ministers and wives will have the book memorized in no time. Like Julius Caesar, they’ll be saying, “Veni, vidi, vici”(pronounced WAY-nee WEE-dee WEE-kee)—freely rendered as “a piece of cake,” literally “I came, I saw, I conquered.” Incidentally, this is the best-known Latin sentence of them all, reported by Plutarch to have been uttered by Julius Caesar in reporting his victory in 47 B.C. over Pharnaces, king of Pontus.

Here are excerpts from the preface by the author, Eugene Ehrlich. “Utility [usefulness] was the principal criterion [for his choice of expressions]… Word-for-word translations provided in some English dictionaries do not always suffice, so the attempt is made in many entries of this book to supply more enlightening free translations as well as literal translations…

“Among a vast number of available maxims and proverbs, [I chose] those that would be most interesting and useful for the modern reader. One principle of selection was the inherent wisdom reflected in the thought. Another was the insight into a civilization implicit in a thought. As I worked through the entry list again and again, I was struck by the universality of people’s problems throughout the ages and the satisfying solutions afforded…”

The Introduction is by William F. Buckley Jr. He writes: “I suppose I am asked [to write this introduction] because the few Latin phrases I am comfortable with I tend to use without apology… So there are those Latin phrases… that cling to life because they seem to perform useful duties without any challenger rising up to take their place in English.”

Ehrlich writes, “No one knows just how Latin was pronounced by the Romans.” But he does supply a guide for what today is considered proper pronunciation. Stressed syllables are shown in capital letters. “UU” is pronounced like the u in put. Most Latin consonants are pronounced in the same way as their English equivalents, but the following are a few of the exceptions:

The Latin c is pronounced as though it were a k. Thus Caesar is pronounced KI-sahr.
The Latin g is always pronounced like the g in the English word give.
The Latin v is always pronounced as though it were a w.

Some good news is that many popular Latin words and phrases have come to have approved English pronunciations.

Following are some words and phrases that I picked out either because they are commonly seen or because they are especially interesting. They are in alphabetical order.

abyssus abyssum invocat / ah-BIHS-suus ah-BIHS-suum IHN-waw-kaht

one sin leads to another

Literally, “hell calls hell.”

ad infinitum / ahd ihn-fee-NEE-tuum (In English: ad in-fә-NĪT-әm)

without limit (Abbreviated ad inf. and ad infin.)

The Latin equivalent of “forever, to infinity, endlessly.”

ad libitum / ahd LIH-bih-tuum

extemporaneously (Abbreviated ad lib.)

Literally “at pleasure.” In English, this expression is popularly used as a noun phrase or modifier in the form of “ad lib” to express absence of planning.

ad nauseam / ahd NOW-she-ahm (In English: ad NAW-zee-әm)

to the point of (causing) nausea

Anything unpleasurable that appears to go on endlessly may be said to be proceeding ad nauseam, literally “to seasickness.”

alma mater / AHL-mah MAH-tehr

nourishing mother

Today, the expression is used to refer to one’s college or university, and more narrowly, to the official song, statue, or other symbol of the institution.

alter ego / AHL-tehr EH-goh (In English: awl-ter EE-goh)

bosom pal

Literally translated as “another I” or “another self,” an alter ego is an inseparable friend. The intention is that an alter ego may be considered as speaking or acting for the other person.

alumnus / ah-LUU-mnuus (In English: ә-LUM-nus)

nursling, foster child

A graduate or former student of an academic institution. The plural of alumnus is alumni (ah-LUU-mnee; or English: ә-LUM-nī). The feminine of alumnus is alumna (ah-LUU-mnah; in English, ә-LUM-nә). The feminine plural is alumnae (ah-LUU-mnī; in English, ә-LUM-nee or ә-LUM-nī). Clear?

amor vincit omnia / AH-mawr WIHN-kiht AWM-nee-ah

love conquers all

A famous line of Virgil’s.

anno Domini / AHN-noh DAW-mih-nee

in the year of our Lord (Abbreviated A.D.)

anno mundi / AHN-noh MUUN-dee

in the year of the world (Abbreviated A.M.)

It marks the number of years since the world began. In the Hebrew tradition, the year of creation corresponds to 3761 B.C. The Irish theologian Ussher in the mid-seventeenth century computed the date of creation as 4004 B.C.

anno regni / AHN-noh REHG-nee

in the year of the reign (Abbreviated A.R.)

It is used to mark the passage of years in the reign of a monarch.

ante bellum / AHN-the BEL-luum (In English: ant-i-BEL- әm)

before the war

In the United States, the phrase generally is applied to the period before the Civil War.

ante meridiem / AHN-teh meh-REE-dee-em

before noon (Abbreviated A.M.)

a posteriori / ah PAW-steh-ree-OH-ree

from effect to cause

Literally “from what comes after,” this is inductive reasoning, a logical process in which propositions are derived from the observation of facts, or in which principles are established from generalizations based on facts. It is based initially on experience.

a priori / ah pree-OH-ree

from what is already known

Literally “from what comes before,” this is deductive reasoning, a logical process in which consequences are deduced from principles that are assumed. It is based initially on assumptions that derive from prior knowledge

bone fide / BAW-nah FID-deh (In English: BOH-nә-fīd)

in good faith

It means honestly, sincerely, or without deception. No fraud or deceit is intended or shown.

carpe diem / KAHR-peh DEE-em

enjoy, enjoy

This famous advice, literally “seize the day,” is from Horace’s Odes. The same basic thought is expressed in “make hay while the sun shines” and “enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think.”

caveat emptor / KAH-way-aht EMP-tawr

let the buyer beware

The rule of law warning potential purchasers of good or services that they are not protected during a transaction against failure of the sellers to live up to the bargain except to the extent that the sales contract stipulates. The opposite, caveat venditor (WEN-dih-tawr), is just now coming into prominence as a result of the consumer rights movement. Under caveat venditor, the seller is assumed to be more sophisticated than the purchaser and so must bear responsibility for protecting the unwary purchaser.

circa / KIHR-kah (In English: SUR-kә)

about (Abbreviated c or ca.)

This scholar’s term indicates uncertainty about a date. “It is generally assumed that Chaucer was born c A.D. 1340.”

codex / KOH-deks

a manuscript parchment; (or) a code of laws

Plural is codices (KOH-dih-kays; in English: KOHD-ә-seez).

cogito ergo sum / KOH-gih-toh EHR-goh SUUM

I think, therefore I exist

This is one of the most famous of all philosophic axioms.

cum laude / kuum LOW-deh

with praise

A university degree awarded cum laude is the third rank of honors, magna (MAHG-nah) cum laude, “with great praise,” is second in rank, while summa (SUUM-mah) cum laude, “with greatest praise,” is the top rank. A student who has staggered through to a degree with barely passing grades is said jocularly to be graduated summa cum difficultate (dih-fih-kuul-TAH-teh), “with greatest difficulty.”

e contrario / ay kawn-TRAH-ree-oh

on the contrary

e pluribus unum / ay PLOO-rih-buus OO-nuum

out of many, one

Motto of the USA, indicating a single nation was made by uniting many states.

ergo / EHR-goh

therefore

et cetera / et KAY-teh-rah (In English: et SET-әr-ә)

and so on (Abbreviated etc.)

Used only when speaking of things, not people, it literally means “and the rest.” In speech, its abbreviation, etc., is given the pronunciation of the full phrase.

et tu, Brute / et too BROO-teh

so you’re mixed up in this too

A famous line from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, the final words of Caesar, falling before conspirators’ knives, was “Et tu Brute?!” (literally, “You also, Brutus?!).This phrase has become the classic recognition of betrayal by a trusted friend.

ex cathedra / eks KAH-teh-drah (In English: eks kә-THEE-drә)

with authority

When a pope speaks ex cathedra, literally “from the chair” (papal throne), he is considered to speak infallibly.

exempli gratia / eks-EHM-plee GRAH-tee-ah

for instance, for example (Always abbreviated e.g. in English)

In speech, use the English equivalent.

id est / id est

that is (Always abbreviated i.e. in English.)

It is used to clarify a statement just made. In speech, use the English equivalent.

in perpetuum / in pehr-PEH-too-uum

forever

Also given as in perpetuo (pehr-PEH-too-oh).

interregnum / in-tehr-REH-gnuum

a period between rulers

in toto / in TOH-toh

entirely

margaritas ante porcos / mahr-gah-REE-tahs AHN-teh PAWR-kohs

pearls before swine

mea culpa / MAY-ah KUUL-pah

I am to blame; literally, through my fault

non sequitur / nohn SHE-kwih-tuur (In English: non SEK-wә-tәr)

it does not follow

A familiar way of indicating a logical fallacy: A conclusion offered cannot justly be inferred from the premises.

per diem / pehr DEE-em (In English: pәr DEE-әm)

daily; literally by the day

per se / pehr say (In English: pәr say)

intrinsically; literally by or in itself

post meridiem / pawst meh-REE-dee-em

after noon (Abbreviated P.M.)

re / ray

concerning or regarding

simper fidelis / SEM-pehr fih-DAY-lihs

always faithful

Motto of the United States Marine Corps.

sic / seek

thus

This common word is used by writers and editors to indicate an apparent misspelling or a doubtful word or phrase in a source being quoted. “This desiccant [sic] is useless.” Insertion of sic absolves the quoter of misspelling the word “desiccant” and lays the blame on the source quoted.

status quo / STAH-tuus kwoh (In English: STAY-tәs kwoh)

as the state or condition was before

tempus fugit / TEM-puus FUU-git (In English: TEM-pәs FYOO-jәt)

time flies

veritas vos liberabit / WAY-rih-tahs wohs lee-beh-RAH-biht

the truth shall make you free

versus / WEHR-suus (In English: VUR-sәs)

against

vice versa / WIH-keh WEHR-sah (In English: vī-sә vûr-sә)

conversely

vincit veritas / WIHN-kiht WAY-rih-tahs

truth wins out