NEW BOOKS!

{No contents bar at left? Go Here}

Latin

The use of Latin, the language of the ancient Romans, was very common among 18th-century gentlemen. Many journals and diaries contain Latin phrases and quips, and every 18th-century schoolboy was required to convert various English phrases into Latin as part of his studies. Latin is the root of many modern words, and it is used by the scientific community to describe our flora and fauna.

Many common Latin phrases are in common usage today. For example; caveat emptor translates as “buyer beware”, the common phrase ad hoc means “for this (purpose)”, ergo means “therefore”, et cetera of course means “and so on”, and the short little word per is Latin for by or through. Status quo means “the state in which a thing is”, and a very common Latin word that we see numerous times every day is exit. It is the singular form of exeunt—which means ”they go out”.

Many Latin words and phrases survive in the literary world as well. For example, e.g. is short for exempli gratia—which means “for example”! Ibid is short for ibidem, or “in the same place”, and erratum of course means “error”. When reading transcribed texts, the word sic is often encountered enclosed in brackets. It means “thus” and indicates that a misspelling or improperly constructed sentence was originally written that way and is not the fault of the transcriber! Circa (properly pronounced KIHR-kah) means “about”. Though not as common today the abbreviation Viz. is commonly encountered in period texts. It it short for videlicet, or “namely”, and usually precedes a list of some sort. Op. Cit. is the abbreviation of opere citato, or “in the work cited”. P.S. is Latin for post scriptum and R.I.P. means requiescat in pace, which conveniently translates as “rest in peace”.

Some of these were know doubt familiar to you, while others may have been less obvious. I confess that I have occasionally used some of the Latin phrases above without even knowing they were Latin!

I recently acquired a small volume that breaks down and translates various words and phrases into English. Perhaps more importantly, it offers a guide to pronunciation. I humbly offer some examples here. Some are serious, others silly, but all are highly useful to both the 18th- and 20th-century gentleman. Memorize a few to impress your friends or liven up your next board meeting!

ab irato
(ahb ih-RAH-toh)
unfair, unprovoked
cum grano salis
(kuum GRAH-noh SAH-lis)
with a grain of salt
fabas indulcet fames
(FAH-bahs in-DUUL-ket FAH-mays)
hunger makes everything taste good
(literal: hunger sweetens beans)
invita Minerva
(in-WEE-tah mih-NEHR-wah)
uninspired
mundus vult decipi
(MUUN-duus wuult DAY-kih-pee
the world wants to be deceived, i.e.
“there’s a sucker born every minute.”
omnia vincit amor
(AWM-nee-ah WIHN-kiht AH-mawr)
love conquers all
tenosce
(tay NAWS-keh)
know thyself
acheruntis pabulum
(Ah-keh-RUUN-this PAH-boo-luum)
food for the gallows
delenda est Catrhago
(day-LEN-dah est kahf-TAH-goh)
Carthage must be destroyed
festina lente
(feh-STEE-nah LEN-tay)
make haste slowly
lapsus linguae
(LAH-psuus LIHN-gwi)
a slip of the tongue
Ne cede malis
(nay KAY-deh MAH-lees)
do not yield to misfortunes
otium cum dignitate
(OH-tee-uum kuum dih-gnih-TAH-the)
leisure with dignity
Ubi mel ibi apes
(UU-bee mel IH-bee AH-pays)
honey attracts bees
ad astra per apera
(ahd AH-strah per AH-speh-rah)
to the stars through difficulties
diem perdidi
(DEE-em PEHR-dih-dee)
another day wasted
fugit hora
(FUU-git HOH-rah)
time flies
licentia vatum
(lih-KEN-tee-ah WAH-tuum)
poetic license
nemo malus felix
(NAY-moh MAH-luus FAY-liks
no peace unto the wicked
pecunia non olet
(preh-KOO-nee-ah nohn AW-leht)
“money doesn’t smell”
(don’t look a gift horse in the mouth)
Vita brevis, ars longa
(Wee-tah Breh-wihs ahrs LAWN-gah)
life is short, art is long
a verbis ad verbera
(ah WEHR-bees ahd WEHR-beh-rah)
From words to blows
dum tacent clamant
(duum TAH-kent KLAH-mahnt)
Their silence speaks volumes
hodi mihi, cras tibi
(HAW-dee-ay MIH-hee krahs TIH-bee)
today to me, tomorrow to you
macte virtute
(MAH-kteh wihr-TUU-the)
“be increased in merit” or well done!
ne quid nimis
(nay kwid NIH-mihs)
nothing in excess
quaere verum
KW˜I-reh WAY-ruum)
Seek the truth
volo, non valeo
(WAW-loh nohn WAH-lay-oh)
I am willing, but unable
bis repita placent
(bihs reh-peh-TEE-tah PLAH-kent)
a little originality, please
Ecce signum
(EK-keh SIH-gnuum)
look at the proof
in flagrante delicto
(in flah-GRAHN-the day-LIH-ktoh)
red-handed
mea culpa
(MAY-ah KUUL-pah)
I am to blame
nil desperandum
(neel deh-spay-RAHN-duum)
never say die
Scientia est potentia
(skee-EN-tee-ah est paw-TEN-tee-ah)
knowledge is power
Vulneratus non victus
(wuul-neh-RAH-tuus nohn WIH-ktuss)
“wounded but not conquered”
cacoëthes carpendi
(kah-koh-AY-thehs khar-PEN-dee)
A mania for finding fault
experto credite
(eks-PEHR-toh KRAY-dih-the)
trust me
in medias res
(in MEH-dee-ahs rays)
into the thick of it
Mortui non mordent
(MAWR-too-ee nohn MAWR-dent)
dead men don’t bite
non est tanti
(nohn est THAN-tee)
“not of great importance” or it’s no big deal
tenosce
(tay NAWS-keh)
know thyself

Latin phrases from: Ehrlich, Eugene, Amp, Amas, Amat and More, How to Use Latin to Your Own Advantage… (New York: Harper and Rowe, 1985)

©Bananaboat Advertising Graphics