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Ab ovo usque ad mala
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Ab urbe condita
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Latin Sayings
Common Latin Sayings and translations
| Latin | English |
|---|---|
| Ab ovo usque ad mala | From first to last (literally, “from the egg to the apples,” meaning from the first course until dessert) |
| Ab urbe condita | From the building of the city (Rome) |
| Ad hominem | To the man |
| Ad nauseam | To the point of disgust |
| Ad vitam aut ad culpam | Till the end of life or until found guilty (e.g., “they will hold office ad vitam aut ad culpam”) |
| Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi | Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. |
| Alea iacta est | The die has been cast (Julius Caesar, crossing the Rubicon) |
| Alma mater | Nurturing mother |
| Amor omnia vincit | Love conquers all (Virgil) |
| Anno Domini, A.D. | In the year of our Lord |
| Ante bellum | Before the war (War between the States) |
| Amor omnia vincit | Love conquers all (Virgil) |
| Anno Domini, A.D. | In the year of our Lord |
| Ante bellum | Before the war (War between the States) |
| Ante meridiem (a.m.) | Before the middle of the day (morning) |
| Aqua vitae | The water of life |
| Arma virumque cano | I sing of arms and a man (Virgil) |
| Ars gratia artis | Art for the sake of art (M.G.M.’s motto) |
| Ars longa, vita brevis | Art is long, life is short |
| Aut disce aut discede | Either learn or leave |
| Ave atque vale | Hello and goodbye (lit. hail and farewell) |
| Ave atque vale in perpetuum | Hail and farewell for all time |
| Ave, Caesar, morituri te salutamus! (Roman gladiators) | Hail, Caesar, we who are about to die, salute you! |
| Bis in die (b.i.d.) | Twice in a day |
| Bona fide | With good faith |
| Caelum et terra | Heaven and earth |
| Carpe crustulum | Seize the cookie |
| Carpe diem | Seize the day (Horace) |
| Carthago delenda est! | Carthage must be destroyed! (Cato the Elder) |
| Caveat emptor | Let the buyer beware |
| Cave canem | Beware of the dog (found in Pompeii) |
| Centum (C) | A hundred |
| Cogito ergo sum | I think, therefore I am (Descartes) |
| Compara (cp.) | Compare |
| Confer (cf.) | Compare |
| Corpus delicti | The body of the crime |
| Credenda/Agenda | Things to be believed/Things to be done |
| Cum grano salis | With a grain of salt |
| De facto | Actually, in fact, in reality |
| De gustibus non est disputandum | There is no disputing about tastes |
| Dei gratia | By the grace of God |
| De mortuis nil nisi bonum | Do not speak ill of the dead (lit. of the dead, say nothing except what is good) |
| Deo gratias | Thanks be to God |
| Dies Irae | The wrath (anger) of God |
| Dum spiro, spero | While I breathe, I hope |
| Errare est humanum | To err is human |
| Et alii (et al.) | And others |
| Et cetera (etc.) | And others |
| Et tu, Brute? | And you, Brutus? (Gr: Kai su, pais?—and you, child?) |
| Exempli gratia (e.g.) | For the sake of example |
| Famam extendimus factis | We spread our fame by our deeds |
| Festina lente | Make haste slowly |
| Gens togata | The toga-clad nation |
| Habeas corpus (ad subiciendum) | You may allow the prisoner (to be handed over for pre-trial determination) |
| Hannibal ad portas! | Hannibal at the gates! |
| Hic iacet… | Here lies… |
| Hodie Christus natus est | Today Christ is born |
| Ibidem (ibid.) | The same (place cited) |
| Id est (i.e.) | That is |
| Ignorantia legis neminem excusat | Ignorance of the law excuses no one. |
| In hoc signo, vinces | In this sign, you will conquer (words and cross appeared to Constantine before the battle of Milan, A.D. 312) |
| In loco parentis | In the place of the parents |
| Ipse dixit | He himself said |
| Ipso facto | By that very fact |
| Labor omnia vincit | Work conquers all (Virgil) |
| Lapsus linguae | Slip of the tongue |
| Lex non scripta | Common law |
| Magister artium (M.A.) | Master of arts |
| Magnum opus | A great work |
| Mater Italiae—Roma | The mother of Italy—Rome (Florus, historian) |
| Mea culpa | My fault |
| Mens sana in corpore sano | A healthy mind in a healthy body |
| Miles Christi sum | I am a soldier of Christ |
| Mille (M) | A thousand |
| Mirabile dictum | Amazing to say |
| Mirabile visu | Amazing to see |
| Natura non facit saltum | Nature does not make leaps |
| Ne credite equo | Do not trust the horse (i.e., don’t look a gift horse in the mouth—said by Laocoon the priest) |
| Nil desperandum | Never despair (no cause for despairing) |
| Nolo contendere | I don’t want to contest the charges (and I accept the penalty without admitting guilt) |
| Nota bene (n.b.) | Note well |
| Novus ordo seclorum | New order of the ages |
| Nunc aut numquam | Now or never |
| Ora et labora | Pray and work (St. Benedict) |
| O tempora, O mores! | O the times, O the customs! (Cicero) |
| Pax Romana | The Roman peace |
| Pax vobiscum (sing: tecum) | Peace be with you |
| Per annum | Annually |
| Per diem | Daily |
| Per se | Through itself, by itself |
| Persona non grata | Unwelcome, fully unacceptable |
| Philosophiae doctor (Ph.D.) | Doctor of philosophy |
| Post meridiem (p.m.) | After the middle of the day (afternoon) |
| Post mortem (P.M.) | After death |
| Post scriptum (p.s.) | Written afterwards |
| Prima luce | At first light (dawn) |
| Pro bono | Something done out of good will with no charge |
| Quid est (q.e.) | That which is |
| Quid pro quo | One thing for another |
| Quod erat demonstrandum | (Q.E.D.) That which was to be proved |
| Quo modo | In what manner |
| Quo vadis? | Where are you going? |
| Quo vide (q.v.) | Which see |
| Rara avis | A rare bird |
| Repetitio mater studiorum | Repetition is the mother of learning |
| Requiescat in pace (R.I.P.) | Rest in peace |
| Retro Satana | Get thee behind me, Satan (Jesus Christ) |
| Rident stolidi verba Latina. | Fools laugh at the Latin language (Ovid) |
| Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth | Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts |
| Scientia est potentia | Knowledge is power |
| Scilicet (sc./scii.—scire licet) | Actually |
| Semper fidelis | Always faithful (motto of the marines) |
| Semper paratus | Always prepared (motto of the coast guard) |
| Senatus Populusque Romanus | S.P.Q.R. The Senate and the People of Rome |
| Sic semper tyrannis! | Thus always to tyrants! (John Wilkes Booth) |
| Sic transit Gloria munda | So passes the glory of the world |
| Signum crucis | The sign of the cross |
| Sine die | Without a day set (e.g., “they adjourned sine die” means “they adjourned with a day set for another meeting”) |
| Si vales, valeo (S.V.V.) | If you are strong/well, I am strong/well (letter greeting) |
| Status quo | The existing state of affairs (the way things are now) |
| Stupor mundi | Wonder of the world |
| Summa cum laude | With highest praise |
| Summum bonum | The highest good |
| Suum cuique | To each his own |
| Tempus fugit | Time flies |
| Terra firma | Solid ground |
| Terra incognito | Unknown territory |
| Tolle lege | Take and read (St. Augustine) |
| Vade retro | Get thee behind me [Satan] (Jesus Christ) |
| Veni, vidi, vici | I came, I saw, I conquered (Julius Caesar, Asia Minor) |
| Verbum satis sapienti est | A word to the wise is enough (abbreviated: verbum sap A word to the wise) |
| Versus (vs.) | Against, in contrast to |
| Vox populi, vox Dei. | The voice of the people is the voice of God. (Roman proverb.) |
| E pluribus unum | One out of many |
| Audemus Iura Nostra Defendere | We dare to defend our rights Alabama |
| Ditat Deus | God Enriches Arizona |
| Regnant Populi | The people rule Arkansas |
| Nil sine Numine | Nothing without Providence Colorado |
| Qui Transtulit Sustinet | He who transplated still sustains Conneticut |
| Esto perpetua | May she be perpetual Idaho |
| Ad astra per aspera | Kansas To the stars through difficulties |
| Dirigo | I direct Maine |
| Ense petit placidam sub libertatem quietem | By the sword she seeks peace but only under liberty Massachusetts |
| Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice | If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you Michigan |
| Virtute et armis | By valor and arms Mississippi |
| Salus populi suprema lex esto | Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law Missouri |
| Crescit Eundo | It grows as it grows New Mexico |
| Excelsior | Ever higher New York |
| Esse quam vincit | To be rather than to seem North Carolina |
| Labor omnia vincit | Labor conquers all things Oklahoma |
| Dum spiro spero | While I breathe, I hope South Carolina |
| Animis Opibusque Parati | Prepare in mind and resources South Carolina |
| Sic semper tyrannis | Thus always to tyrants Virginia |
| Montani semper libri | Mountaineers are always freemen West Virginia |
| Iustitia omnibus | Justice to all District of Columbia (Washington D.C.) |
Created by:
Karen Wanek
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