Tuesday, August 28, 2007

I have no idea to this day what those 2 Italian ladies were singing about. Truth is, I don't want to know. Some things are best left unsaid.

Every reader of this blog has been exposed to some Latin because the title Semper Reformanda is Latin for "Always Reforming."

It comes in handy at Providence Church because we embrace the "5 solas" of the Reformation: Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Solus Christus, and Soli Deo Gloria (id est, Scripture Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Christ Alone, to God's Glory Alone).

I never took Latin growing up and had to learn it while at Oxford University as a grad student. I began to compile a list of useful expressions.

So, as a public service announcement, I share with you 2 Latin lists. Mine is primarily concerned with ecclesiastical Latin, or that which refers to the church and theology.

Do you have any helpful Latin that might have been missed?

1.
Neatorama's Latin You Should Know:
"Why do you need these Latin phrases? Well, like Latin teachers always say, Latin lives on in plenty of English words and phrases. But mostly, it’s worth learning a bit of Latin because omnia dicta fortiori, si dicta Latina: everything sounds more impressive when said in Latin."
2. Gunny's Latin List:
  • A posteriori - from the latter
  • A priori - from the former
  • Acta non verba - actions, not words
  • Ad hominem - to the man
  • Ad infinitum - To infinity
  • Addendum - thing to be added
  • Affidavit - he asserted
  • Agenda - Things to be done
  • Agnus Dei - Lamb of God
  • Alibi - elsewhere
  • Alma mater - nourishing mother
  • Alter ego - other I
  • Amor vincit omnia - Love conquers all
  • Anno Domini - In the year of the Lord
  • Ante - before
  • Ante Bellum - before (the) war
  • Ante meridiem (a.m.) - before midday
  • Antediluvian - before (the) flood
  • Ars gratia artis - art for art's sake
  • Ava Maria - Hail, Mary
  • Bona fide - In good faith
  • Bonum commune - The common good
  • Carpe Diem - Sieze the day
  • Christus Dominus - Christ the Lord
  • Christus Rex - Christ the King
  • Circa (ca.) - around
  • Coena Domini - The Lord’s Supper
  • Cogito ergo sum - I think therefore I am
  • Communio - Communion
  • Communio sanctorum - Communion of saints
  • Confer (cf.) - Bring together, Compare
  • Consensus non facit veritatem - Consensus does not make truth
  • Consummatum est - It is consummated (finished, completed)
  • Contra naturam - Against nature
  • Contra mundum - Against the (thinking of the) world
  • Cor Unum - One Heart
  • Coram Deo - In the presence of God, Before (the face of) God
  • Corpus Christi - Body of Christ
  • Creatio ex nihilo - Creation out of nothing
  • Credenda - Things to be believed
  • Credo - I believe
  • Cum grano salis - With a grain of salt
  • Cum laude - With praise
  • Cur Deus Homo - Why God Man (Why God Became Man), book by Anselm
  • De facto - in fact
  • De jure - by law
  • Dei verbum - Word of God
  • Deo gratias - Thanks be to God
  • Deo volente - God willing
  • Deus - God
  • Deus nihil facit inane - God does nothing in vain
  • Dies irae - Day of wrath
  • Domine - O Lord
  • Dominicae cenae - The Lord’s Supper
  • Dominus - Lord, master
  • Dominus illuminatio mea - The Lord is my light
  • Dominus vobiscum - The Lord be with you
  • Donum vitae - Gift of life
  • Ductus exemplo - Leadership by example
  • Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori - It is always sweet and fitting to die for one's country/fatherland
  • E pluribus unum - from many (comes) one
  • Ecce Homo - behold the man
  • Emeritus - veteran, worn out
  • Ergo - Therefore
  • Errare humanum est - To err is human
  • Et alii (et al.) - and others
  • Et cetera - and other things
  • Et tu, Brute? - and you (too), Brutus?
  • Evangelium - Gospel
  • Evangelium vitae - Gospel of life
  • Ex cathedra - from the chair
  • Ex officio - from the office
  • Ex opere operato - from the work performed/worked
  • Ex post facto - from a thing done afterward
  • Exempli gratia (E.g.) - For the sake of an example
  • Exsurge Domine - Rise up Lord
  • Extra ecclesia nulla salus - Outside of the Church there is no salvation
  • Fama habet - Rumor has it
  • Fiat - Let it be done
  • Fiat lux - Let there be light
  • Fiat voluntas tua - Thy will be done
  • Fides quaerens intellectum - Faith seeking understanding
  • Gloria in excelsis Deo - Glory to God in the highest
  • Gloria Patri - Glory be to the Father
  • Gratia - Grace
  • Hoc est enim corpus meum - This is my body
  • Ibidem (ibid.) - In the same place
  • Id est (I.e.) - That is
  • Imago Dei - Image of God
  • In absentia - In (one’s) absence
  • In aeternum - In eternity
  • In loco parentis - In the place of a parent
  • In persona Christi - In the person of Christ
  • In toto - In totality
  • In vino veritas - in wine there is truth
  • Laudate Dominum - Praise the Lord
  • Laus Deo - Praise be to God
  • Lex rex - The law is king
  • Lex talionis - Law of retaliation
  • Liberum arbitrium - Free will
  • Magna carta - Great Paper
  • Magna cum laude - With great praise
  • Magnum opus - (A/The) great work
  • Mea culpa - My fault, my bad
  • Missio Dei - Mission from God
  • Modus operandi - Manner of working
  • Modus vivendi - Way of living
  • Ne plus ultra - no(thing) more beyond
  • Nihil ex nihilo fit - Nothing from nothing comes
  • Nolo contendere - No contest, I do not wish to contend
  • Non Nobis Domine - Not Unto Us, O Lord
  • Non sequitur - It does not follow
  • Nota bene - Note well
  • Omnia vincit amor - Love conquers all
  • Onus probandi - The burden of proving
  • Opere citato (Op. cit.) - In the work cited
  • Opus Dei - Work of God
  • Ora pro nobis - Pray for us
  • Pacem in terris - Peace on earth
  • Pater Noster - Our Father
  • Pater peccavi - Father, I have sinned
  • Pax Christi - Peace of Christ
  • Pax et bonum - Peace and goodness
  • Peccatum originale - Original sin
  • Per diem - Per day
  • Per ipsum - Through him
  • Per se - By itself
  • Per unitatem vis - from unity (comes) strength
  • Perfectus - Complete, finished, perfect, excellent
  • Persona non grata - person not pleasing
  • Pietas - Piety
  • post meridiem (p.m.) - after midday
  • Post mortem - After death
  • Post partum - After birth (bearing)
  • Post scriptum (P.S.) - Written afterwards
  • Prima Donna - first lady; egotistical one
  • Prima facie - At first sight
  • Pro - Before, in front of, on behalf of, in place of
  • Pro bono (publico) - For the (public) good
  • Pro rata - In proportion
  • Pro tempore - For the time being
  • Quid pro quo - Something for something (in exchange)
  • Redemptionis donum - Gift of redemption
  • Redemptor hominis - Redeemer of humankind
  • Redemptoris missio - Mission of redemption
  • Reductio ad absurdum - Reduction to the (point of the) absurd
  • Requiescat in pace (R.I.P.) - Rest in peace
  • Rigor mortis - Stiffness of death
  • Sacramentum - Sacrament, sign of a sacred thing
  • Salvator mundi - Savior of the world
  • Sanctus - Holy
  • Sapere aude! - Dare to know
  • Scripturam ex Scriptura explicandam esse - Scripture is to be explained from Scripture
  • Sed contra - But on the contrary
  • Semper fidelis - Always faithful
  • Semper idem - Always the same
  • Semper paratus - Always prepared
  • Sic et non - thus and not; yes and no
  • Simul iustus et peccator - Being at the same time justified & sinner
  • Similtudo Dei - Likeness to God
  • sine qua non - without which not, that which is necessary
  • Sola fide - Faith alone
  • Sola gratia - Grace alone
  • Sola Scriptura - Scripture alone
  • Soli Deo Gloria - To God alone the glory
  • Solus Christus - Christ alone
  • Status quo - Situation as it is
  • Summum bonum - The highest good
  • Textus receptus - The received text
  • Ut unum sint - That they may be one
  • Veni, Vidi, Vici - I came. I saw. I conquered.
  • Verbatim - word for word
  • Verbum Dei - Word of God
  • Veritas - Truth
  • Veto - I forbid.
  • Via Crucis - Way of the Cross
  • Videlicet (Viz.) - Clearly, evidently, namely
  • Vincit veritas - Truth conquers
  • Vinculum matrimonii - Bond of matrimony
  • Vita - Life
  • Vita aeterna - Eternal life
  • Viva voce - Live voice (something done orally)
  • Volo, non valeo - I am willing, (but) I am not able
  • Voluntas - Will (desire)

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9 Comments:

At 28 August, 2007 18:10, Blogger Jim said...

A fellow wordsmith here who appreciates your list.

But man, oh man, post titles are a mouthful if I syndicate the post on my feed!

 
At 28 August, 2007 18:30, Blogger GUNNY said...

Yeah, sorry about that, Jim.

I REALLY struggled for just the right blog post title and that one was brutal, but it seemed to fit the occasion.

;-)

 
At 29 August, 2007 10:26, Blogger Timothy said...

Gunny,
Helpful list. I think all these terms are best used with a thick, southern drawl, and slightly mispronounced for effect. :)

Ergo, becomes airgeuex! :)
Blessings

 
At 29 August, 2007 10:50, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Gunny, I never realized you were such a Latin lover. Good Slooge - Oilcan

 
At 30 August, 2007 15:13, Blogger Pablo said...

I think everyone should be required to take at least a year of Latin in high school. I took two, and for me it has formed the basis of every other language I have studied. I'll confess that I remain far short of sufficiency in any of them, but Latin was the foundation that helped smooth the path while still in school.

Great post. My favorite phrase from 1st yr Latin: Semper ubi, sub ubi. Wise words...

;-)

 
At 01 September, 2007 17:25, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I would add

"post hoc ergo propter hoc"

 
At 01 September, 2007 21:02, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I read in a book and now can't track down the quote that "Ergo non sum Ergo" meant "I am not who I once was,' would that be correct?

 
At 06 October, 2008 13:34, Anonymous Anonymous said...

@Brent: No, I'm sorry. "Ergo" means "therefore," and "sum" is "I am." It looks like bad grammar to me (one semester of college Latin), but you could translate it as something like, "Therefore, I am not therefore."

 
At 29 October, 2009 07:14, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"I am not who I once was" == "non sum qualis eram"

 

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