From Eugene Ehrlich: Nil Desperandum A Dictionary of Latin Tags and Phrases
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
F |
G |
H |
I |
J |
K |
L |
M |
N |
O |
P |
Q |
R |...
R is as far as I've gotten. I'll be working on the rest of the alphabet as soon as possible...
N |
|
| Nil habet infelix paupertas durius in se, /Quam quod ridiculos homines facit. | Nothing in poverty so ill is borne/ As its exposing men to grinning scorn. The translation of two lines from Juvenal's Satires is by John Oldham, 1653-83, sometimes called the English Juvenal. The thought is as apt today - uncaring politicians take note - as it was in ancient Rome. |
O |
|
| obiit | he or she died |
| occasionem cognosce | strike while the iron is hot (literally: 'Recognize opportunity') |
| odi et amo | I hate and I love. Catullus, verbalizing the love hate relationship. His thoughts continue: 'I don't know why, and I am in agony.' |
| omnem movere lapidem | keep trying (literally: 'to move every stone' or 'to leave no stone unturned') |
| omnia mutantur nos et mutamur in illis | all things change, and we change with them (Unless we want to be left behind.) |
| omnia vincit amor | love conquers all |
| opere citato | in the work cited (used in footnotes to indicate reference to a work previously cited. Abbreviated op. cit.) |
| opus magnum (or 'magnum opus') | a masterpiece (literally: ' a great work) |
| O si sic omnia | oh, if everything were thus |
| otium cum dignitate | leisure with dignity (Eugene Erlich remarks: 'The best kind') |
P |
|
| pax | peace |
| peccavi | I have sinned |
| per angusta ad augusta | to honours through difficulties |
| per ardua ad astra | through difficulties to the stars (motto of the Royal Air Force) |
| periculum in mora | danger in delay |
| placet | it pleases (used as an affirmative vote or an expression of assent. The reverse: non placet) |
| post meridiem | after noon (abbreviated PM. 'Meridies' means 'noon' or 'midday') |
| prosit | cheers! ( A Latin toast, literally 'May it benefit you' but freely translatable as 'To you', 'Your good fortune', 'To life', etc.) |
Q |
|
| quae nocent docent | things that hurt teach (The rhyming way to indicate the educational validity of the curriculum offered by the College of Hard Knocks.) |
| quaere verum | seek the truth |
| qualis pater talis filius | like father, like son |
| quantum libet | as much as one pleases |
| quantum meruit | as much as one has deserved |
| quantum valeat | as much as it may be worth |
| quantum vis | as much as you wish |
| quid faciendum? | what's to be done? |
| quid novi? | what's new? |
| quid nunc? | what now? (In English it has become a word with the meaning 'a busybody'.) |
| qui docet discit | the best way to learn a subject is to teach it (literally: 'He who teaches learns'.) |
| quid pro quo | something given in return for something (literally: 'something for something'.) |
| quis custodiet ipsos custodes? | who will guard the guards themselves? (Juvenal's Satires) |
| qui timide rogat docet negare | don't be afraid to ask (literally: 'He who asks timidly teaches to refuse'. In better translation, 'He who asks timidly invites refusal'. |
| quod erat demostrandum | which was to be proved (abbreviated: QED) |
| quod erat faciendum | which was to be done (abbreviated: QEF) |
| quo iure/jure? | by what right? |
| quomodo vales? | how are you? (A Roman greeting.) |
| quondam | former (Used in English: 'My quondam friend'.) |
| quorum | of whom (In Latin text, used in sentences designating the person (persons) so adressed as member (members) of an official body, without whose presense work could not go on.) |
| quo vadis? | whither goest thou? (John's Gospel) |
R |
|
| radix omnium malorum est cupiditas | the love of money is the root of all evil |
| rara avis | a rarity, literally: 'a rare bird' |
| re | concerning or regarding |
| rebus sic standibus | as matters stand, literally: 'things staying as they are' |
I’ll be working as soon as possible with the rest of the alphabet!
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| Maintained by: Carin Lundberg | zefyr@swipnet.se | Last modified: November 24, 2002 |