LATIN
I’ve long been encountering pieces of latin in all sorts of works, but the dosage has been so small that I feel not much the better for it. This is a list of latin words and phrases that I’ve encountered (or that I’ve learned while compiling this list).
Definitions
Prepositions
A preposition is a word used before a (pro)noun to mark its relation to the rest of the sentence
abfromadto thedeabout/fromefrometandexfrom
Other
ab initiofrom the beginningab ovofrom the egg, from the beginningad hocto this, for this purposead hominemto the manad inifitumto the infinitead libitum (ad lib.)at pleasure, without preparationad nauseumto seasicknesss, to the point of disgustalibielsewhere, defense of being elsewhere when a crime was coimmittedalma maternourishing mother, school or college attendedalter egoanother selfalumnus, alumnafoster child, graduate of a schoo lor collegeanno Domini (A.D.)in the year of the Lordante bellumbefore the war (often referring to American civil war)ante meridiem (A.M)before noon, in the morningars gratia artisart for the sake of artars longa, vita brevisart (is) long, life (is) shortave atque valehail and farewell, hello and goodbyeave Mariahail Marybona fidein good faith, genuinecalvo turpius est nihil comatonothing is uglier than a bald man with haircarpe diemseize the day, enjoy todaycasus bellicause of warcave canembeware of the dogcaveat emptorlet the buyer bewarecirca (ca., c.)around, approximately (often used to specify approximate dates)cogito ergo sumI think, therefore I amconfer (cf.)compare (often see this in citations)confirmatioconfirmation. “Proof” in a rhetorical contextconfutatiorefutation.cornucopiahorn of plentycorpus delictithe body of an offsense, the basic element of a crimecredoI believe, a set of firm beliefscui bonoto whom for a good, to whose advantage, for whose benefitcum grano saliswith a grain of salt, with a little diseblief, not too seriouslycum laudewith praise, with honorcurriculum vitaelap of life, resume, summary of one’s careerde factofrom the fact, in fact, in realityde jurefrom law, by lawde gustibus non est disputandumconcering taste there is to be no dispute, there is no accounting for tastesde minimis non curat lexthe law does not care about the smallest things, the law is not concerned with trifles`de mortuis nil nisi bonumabout the dead (say) nothing except goodde novofrom the new, anew (type of filing for the FDA)deus ex machinagod from the machine, any artificial or improbable device used to resolve the difficulties of a plotdivisiodivision.docendo disciturone learns by teachingdramatis personaethe masks of a drama, (cast of) characters in a playdulce et decorum est pro patria moriit is sweet and fitting to die for one’s countrye pluribus unumout of many, one (ingredients>stew, states>nation)emeritus/emeritawith merit, retirederrare humanum estto err is human, everybody makes mistakeset alia (et al)and the otherset ceteraand the restet tu, BruteAlso you Brutus? Even you, Brutus?ex cathedrafrom (the bishop’s) chari, with authorityex librisfrom the books, from the library (of)ex nihilo nihil fitNothing is made from nothingex officiofrom the office, by virtue of one’s positionex post factofrom what is done afterward, retroactively, subsequentlyex temporeout of the time, at the moment, on the spur of the momentexempli gratia (e.g.)for the sake of an example, for exampleexeatlet him/her leave, a permission to leaveexithe/she leaves, way outexeunt omnesthey all leaveexordiumthe beginning, used often in the context of rhetoricfestina lentemake haste slowlyfiat luxlet there be light, let light be madefinisthe endgenius lociguardian spirit of a placehabeas corpusmay you have the body (of evidence)homo sapienswise humanibidemin the same place (often use in footnotes in it’s shortened formIbid)id estthat is, in other wordsignis fatuusfoolish fire, something misleadingignoramusan ignorant personignorantia legis neminem excusatignorance of the law excuses no onein absentiain one’s absencein extremisamong the last things, in extremex circumastances, at the point of deathliterarum fructus dulcessweet are the fruits of letters (Boston Athenaeum motto)narrationarration. In rhetoric it’s the statement of the case; sets the contextperoratioconclusion. Especially in rhetorictormentum belliwar cannon (from Victor Hugo’s Ninety-three)Senātus Populusque RōmānusThe Roman Senate and People