Academics — PMAQ Flashcards
Influenced by National Source "Latin Everywhere, Everyday" by Elizabeth Heimbach
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase pater familias.
Literal translation: father of the family
Fun Fact: If you are a Latin student, you might expect familias to end in -ae here because it means “of the family,” but –as is an archaic ending, which shows possession. This phrase is sometimes written in English as a single word, as are “bonafide” and “antebellum.” Mater familias is a similar expression that means “mother of the family,” but a mother did not wield the same power as did a Roman father who had the power of life and death over those in his household.
Give the literal translation and more common meaning for the Latin phrase sub poena.
Literal translation: under penalty
More common meaning: a legal document summoning a person to court
Fun Fact: You have probably heard this phrase, which can be a verb written as a single word in English.
Give the Latin phrase, literal translation, and common meaning for the motto of the South Carolina (I).
dum spiro spero
Literal translation: as long as I breathe, I hope
More common meaning: while there is life, there is hope
Fun Fact: A poet is inspired by beauty, an insect breathes through spiracles, and you perspire when you are hot. The base of all three English words, “inspire,” “spiracle,” and “perspire,” is the Latin word spiro, meaning “I breathe.” Dum in Latin has several meanings: “as long as,” “while,” or “until.” Sperare is the infinitive of the Latin verb that means “to hope.” There is another Latin word spes for the noun meaning “hope.”
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase in hoc signo vinces.
Literal translation: in this sign you will conquer
Fun Fact: In 314 CE, two rivals for the throne of the Roman Empire, Constantine and Maxentius, met at the Milvian Bridge north of Rome. There, Constantine had a dream in which he heard the Holy Ghost saying, “In hoc signo vinces.” The sign Constantine saw in his dream was a symbol of Christ consisting of the Greek letters chi and rho which are the first letters of Christ. The Greek letter chi looks like a Latin X, and a rho looks like a P. Although Constantine was not a Christian, he won the battle against Maxentius, became emperor, and ordered the persecution of Christians to cease. Constantine converted to Christianity on his deathbed.
Give the literal translation and more common meaning for the Latin phrase emeritus, emerita.
Literal translation: with merit
More common meaning: retired
Fun Fact: Emeritus describes a man who has retired while emerita describes a woman. Emeriti is the plural form for both. You can see “merit” within each word; the implication seems clear that an older person deserves or merits retiring.
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of Wellesley College.
ministrare quam ministrari
Literal translation: to serve rather than to be served
Fun Fact: Notice that changing the final –e of ministrare to an –i changes the verb from an active to a passive infinitive.
Give the literal translation and more common meaning for the Latin phrase alter ego.
Literal translation: another self
More common meaning: a perfect substitute or deputy
Fun Fact: Your alter ego shares your thoughts completely. An alter ego can also be one of the two sides of the same person’s personality, as Dr. Jeckyll was the alter ego of Mr. Hyde. Alter in Latin means “the other” when there are only two choices. Ego is the Latin pronoun that means “I.”
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of the University of Chicago.
crescat scientia, vita excolatur
Literal translation: let knowledge grow, let life be perfected
Fun Fact: We saw crescit meaning “it grows” in crescit eundo, the motto of New Mexico, so crescat here is easy to remember. Vita, the Latin word for life, gives us the English words “vital” and “vita- min.”
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of Johns Hopkins University.
veritas vos liberabit
Literal translation: the truth shall make you free
Fun Fact: This familiar phrase makes a perfect motto for a university where students and scholars seek truth.
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase cornucopia.
Literal translation: horn of plenty
Fun Fact: Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, is sometimes shown holding a horn shaped basket filled with vegetables, fruit, and wheat. This symbol of abundance is called a cornucopia. It is easy to remember that the Latin word for “horn” is cornu if you think of the English word “unicorn.” Copia, the Latin word for “plenty,” is the root of “copious” meaning “plentiful” in English.
Give the literal translation and more common meaning for the Latin phrase fiat lux.
Literal translation: let light be made
More common meaning: let there be light
Fun Fact: This phrase comes from the story of creation in the book of Genesis in the Old Testament. Fiat means “let it be done” or “let it be made.” The word fiat is an English word meaning a “decree” or “command,” because a decree is something that is to be done.
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase in loco parentis.
Literal translation: in place of a parent
Fun Fact: A school is considered to be responsible for the welfare of its students because it stands in loco parentis.
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase in absentia.
Literal translation: in one’s absence
Fun Fact: This is an easy expression to remember because the Latin word absentia is so close to the English word “absence.”
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of the state of Arizona.
ditat Deus
Literal translation: God enriches
Fun Fact: Remember the motto of Kentucky that began with the word Deo? Deus in this motto is another form of the same Latin word. It is interesting that the name itself of the state of Arizona comes from two Latin words; aridus meaning “dry” and “zona” meaning “belt” or “zone.”
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of the state of Missouri.
salus populi suprema lex esto
Literal translation: let the safety of the people be the supreme law
Fun Fact: We saw esto in the motto of Idaho, Esto perpetua. Notice that the word populus has changed to populi here so we add the word “of” when we translate it. Salus gives us the English word “salubrious,” which means “healthy.” You might read about an area of the country, which has a salubrious climate.
Give the literal translation and more common meaning for the Latin phrase pro rata.
Literal translation: according to a fixed share
More common meaning: in proportion
Fun Fact: Often a large debt like a mortgage is too much to pay off all at once so the lender allows the debtor to pay in installments, pro rata. The English verb “prorate” means “to divide evenly.”
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of the state of Maryland.
scuto bonae voluntatis tuae coronasti nos
Literal translation: You (God) have crowned us with the shield of Your good will
Fun Fact: Scuto means “shield” in Latin, and bonae voluntatis means “good will.” You can see that the English word “voluntary,” which means “willing,” is related to voluntatis.
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase docendo discitur.
Literal translation: one learns by teaching
Fun Fact: If you have ever helped a friend with homework, you know how true this expression is! Doceo is the Latin word that means “I teach,” and you know that a “docent” is a guide in a museum who teaches you about the displays. Disco, the Latin word for “learn,” gives us the English words “discipline” and “disciple.”
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of the U.S. Marine Corps.
semper fidelis
Literal translation: always faithful
Give the Latin phrase, the literal translation, and the more common meaning for the abbreviation s.l..
sine loco
Literal translation: without a place
More common meaning: without a place of publication listed
Fun Fact: When you prepare a bibliography for a research paper, you note the publisher’s information from the books you have used for your research. If no place of publication is listed, you simply write s.l..
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of the state of Oregon.
alis volat propriis
Literal translation: she flies by her own wings
Fun Fact: “Volatile” in English means “fickle” or “changeable,” or in science, “easily evaporated.” You can see that “volatile” is related to volat, which comes from the Latin verb volare, “to fly.” Propriis gives us the English word “expropriate, to take away,” and alis gives us “alate,” which means “having wings.” What a wonderful image of the state of Oregon taking flight!
Give the literal translation and more common meaning for the Latin phrase prima facie.
Literal translation: at first appearance
More common meaning: obvious on the face of it
Fun Fact: Prima is a form of the Latin word primus that means “first,” and facie comes from facies meaning “appearance.”
Give the literal translation and more common meaning for the Latin phrase deus ex machina.
Literal translation: god from the machine
More common meaning: any artificial or improbable device used to resolve the difficulties of a plot
Fun Fact: In an ancient theater production, an actor playing the role of a god could be flown on stage by means of an apparatus like a crane. Today, an abrupt end to a play or novel can be called a deus ex machina ending.
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the abbreviation viz..
videlicet
Literal translation: namely
Fun Fact: Remember the x in Rx that was not really the letter x, but an abbreviation? Here, the letter that looks like a z is really an abbreviation for the rest of the letters in the word videlicet.
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase verbatim.
Literal meaning: word for word
Fun Fact: In Latin verbum means not “verb,” but “word,” and the ending –tim is used for some adverbs. You may remember the word seriatim, which means “in series,” and statim that means “immediately.” An exact quotation is verbatim. There is another Latin word literatim, which means “letter by letter,” or “literally.”
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase modus vivendi.
Literal translation: way of living, lifestyle
Fun Fact: The Latin verb vivo means “live,” and vivendi is a form of vivo. The English word “vivacious,” meaning “lively,” is a derivative of vivo.
Give the Latin phrase, the literal translation, and the more common meaning for the abbreviation lb..
libra
Literal translation: weight
More common meaning: pound
Fun Fact: A pound is a measure of weight that is the equivalent of sixteen ounces or about half a kilogram. Look for the abbreviation lb on packages of sugar or flour next time you are in a grocery store. It is the abbreviation of the Latin word libra that means “pound.” In England or Scotland, the abbreviation L stands for a pound sterling.
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase per se.
Literal translation: by itself
Fun Fact: Per se is a very common expression in English. Latin students have probably learned that the preposition per means “through,” but you can see that per is translated “by” in expressions like per diem, per capita, and per se.
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of the Notley family.
noli mentiri
Literal translation: don’t lie
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of the Dimsdale family.
quod Deus vult fiet Literal translation: what God wants will be
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of the MacMoran family.
pro lusu et praeda
Literal translation: for sport and spoil
Give the Latin phrase, the literal translation, and the more common meaning for the abbreviation i.e..
id est
Literal translation: that is
More common meaning: in other words
Fun Fact: Id est is a very common Latin expression found in everyday English. Be careful not to confuse i.e. with e.g., which means “for example.”
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of the state of Mississippi.
virtute et armis
Literal translation: by courage and arms
Fun Fact: Virtute looks like the English word “virtue,” but actually means “courage” in Latin. Armis is a form of arma, the word for “weapons” we saw in the motto of Wyoming, cedant arma togae. The English word “armament” is a cognate.
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase pax vobiscum.
Literal translation: peace (be) with you
Fun Fact: Do you remember cum laude, the Latin phrase which means “with praise?” Notice that here cum, the word for “with,” is attached to the end of the word vobis. A similar Latin phrase is pax nobiscum meaning “Peace (be) with us.”
Give the literal translation and more common meaning for the Latin phrase homo sapiens.
Literal translation: wise human
More common meaning: human being
Fun Fact: In the eighteenth century a Swedish botanist named Karl von Linne developed a system of classification for all living plants and animals. He gave each specimen two Latin names. In von Linne’s system of binomial nomenclature homo sapiens is a human being. Homo in Latin means “human being,” and sapiens means “wise.” Von Linne used Latin for his system because Latin was the international language of scholars and scientists at that time. He also took a Latinized form of his own name: Carolus Linnaeus.
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the abbreviation per cent..
per centum
Literal translation: out of each hundred
Fun Fact: This phrase is usually shortened in English and written as one word: “percent.” English words like “cent” and “century” are derived from centum.
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase lapsus linguae.
Literal translation: slip of the tongue
Fun Fact: The English word “linguist,” which means an expert in languages, comes from the Latin word lingua meaning “tongue.”
Give the literal translation and more common meaning for the Latin phrase arma virumque cano.
Literal translation: arms and the man I sing
More common meaning: I tell of wars and a hero
Fun Fact: The opening words of the great Roman epic poem, the Aeneid, are “Arma virumque cano”. Arma is a reference to the fighting that Aeneas, the hero of the Aeneid, endures, and virum or “man” refers to Aeneas himself. We derive the English word “virile” meaning “manly” from this Latin word. Notice that the syllable -que is added to virum to mean “and.”
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of the Douglas family.
fortes fortuna juvat
Literal translation: fortune helps the brave
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase seriatim.
Literal translation: in series
Fun Fact: The letters –tim are an adverbial ending in Latin, so another way to translate seriatim is “serially.”
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the abbreviation ibid..
ibidem
Literal translation: in the same place
Fun Fact: Ibidem or its abbreviation ibid. is used in footnotes when the book has been cited earlier.
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of the City of Chicago.
urbs in horto
Literal translation: a city in a garden
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of Amherst College.
terras irradient
Literal translation: they will light up the lands
Fun Fact: You can see that the English word “radiant,” which means “shining,” is related to irradient. It is interesting that this motto still has the theme of light even though it does not include either lux or lumen.
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of the University of Washington.
Numen lumen Literal translation: God (is) light
Fun Fact: Remember that numen meant “God” or “Providence” in the motto of Colorado, nil sine Numine, “nothing without God”? If you do, it will be easy for you to remember that numen means “God” in this motto. Lumen is also an interesting word choice. It means “light,” but it refers to lamplight while lux is daylight. “Lumen” is actually an English word for a unit of measurement used for light emission. “Luminous” in English means “bright” or “shining.”
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of the state of Colorado.
nil sine Numine
Literal translation: nothing without God
Fun Fact: “Nil” means nothing in English as well as in Latin. You can also think of the English expres- sion “willy-nilly,” which is short for “will he (want to do something), nil he (not want to do it at all).” Numine is an interesting word because it is related to the Latin verb nuo, “to nod.” We saw a compound of this verb in the motto Annuit coeptis meaning “He (God) has favored our undertakings.” You might wonder what nodding has to do with favoring, but the Romans believed that a divinity showed favor by nodding approval. “Numinous” is an English adjec- tive meaning “supernatural.” You might see it in a description of a special place that has a numinous atmosphere.
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of the state of Michigan.
si quaeris peninsulam amoenam, circumspice
Literal translation: if you seek a pleasant peninsula, look around
Fun Fact: You can see why this motto was chosen for Michigan if you know that the state actually is a peninsula. The English word “peninsula” comes from two Latin words, paene meaning “almost” and insula meaning “island.” This makes sense when you consider that a peninsu- la really would be an island if it had water on four sides instead of only three. Another inter- esting derivative comes from the Latin word amoenam meaning “pleasant.” The English word “amenity” means “something that is pleasant but not essential.” Heated towel racks might be an example of an amenity advertised in a real estate listing.
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of the state of Arkansas.
regnat populus
Literal translation: the people rule
Fun Fact: Do you know the phrase Senatus Populusque Romanus, which means the “Senate and People of Rome?” If so, you will recognize the Latin word populus. The first syllable of regnat appears in many English words that relate to ruling or to kings and queens. “Regalia,” for example, means “elegant attire worn for special occasions.”
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the abbreviation n.p.o..
nihil per os
Literal translation: nothing by mouth
Fun Fact: Nihil meaning “nothing” gives us the English word “annihilate,” which means “to destroy completely.”
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of the state of Virginia.
sic semper tyrannis
Literal translation: thus always to tyrants
Fun Fact: When you hear the word tyrannis, you might think of the dinosaur Tyrannosaurus Rex, but the motto of Virginia has nothing to do with dinosaurs! Instead, an actual tyrant is shown on the state seal. He is lying on the ground, and a fierce warrior woman is standing with her foot on his neck. The woman represents Virtus, the spirit of Virginia. Virtus in Latin means “courage.” Sic can be used in English to mean “thus,” “in this way.” When there is a grammar mistake in a quotation, the writer who is making the citation will add sic to show that the error came from the person being quoted, not from the writer. Finally, you can remember that semper means “always” if you remember the motto of West Virginia, montani semper liberi (mountain people are always free).
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of the 11th Medical Regiment.
curare
Literal translation: to care for
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the abbreviation etc..
et cetera
Literal translation: and the rest
Fun Fact: If you have seen the musical “The King and I,” you will remember the king shouting, “Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera!” Latin students will recognize that cetera is neuter plural.
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase in memoriam.
Literal translation: in memory
Fun Fact: This phrase can be found on the obituary page of a newspaper. Latin students who know that in with the accusative means “into” will notice that in does NOT translate “into” in this phrase even though memoriam is accusative.
Give the literal translation and more common meaning for the Latin phrase ignis fatuus.
Literal meaning: foolish fire
More common meaning: will-o’-the-wisp, something misleading
Fun Fact: When swamp gas catches fire spontaneously, the fire is called a will-o’-the-wisp. People sometimes follow an ignis fatuus or swamp fire thinking they are following an actual beacon or lamp. The word for “fire” in Latin is ignis, and fatuus means “foolish.” Think of the English words “ignite” and “fatuous” to help you remember this expression.
Give the literal translation and more common meaning for the Latin phrase quidnunc.
Literal translation: what now
More common meaning: a busybody
Fun Fact: Quid in Latin means “what,” and nunc means “now.” Someone who is always asking, “What now?” is probably eager to learn the latest gossip and can be called a quidnunc.
Give the literal translation and more common meaning for the Latin phrase terra incognita.
Literal translation: unknown land
More common meaning: undiscovered territory
Fun Fact: Old maps labeled in Latin sometimes have large blank areas marked terra incognita. These lands were unknown: they had not yet been explored. Incognita is obviously related to the English word “incognito.” If someone is traveling incognito, he or she is in disguise and does not want anyone to recognize who he is. He has probably taken an alias, another name. Remember that the first syllable of “alibi” comes from alius meaning “another.”
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase casus belli.
Literal translation: cause of war
Fun Fact: Remember the word bellum from the phrase ante bellum? Here is another form of the word. The English word “bellicose” meaning “warlike” is a derivative of bellum.
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the abbreviation vs. / v..
versus
Literal translation: against
Fun Fact: You probably know the word versus from the names of court cases like Brown versus Board of Education or descriptions of contests between opposing teams like the Redskins versus the Cowboys.
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the abbreviation stat..
statim
Literal translation: immediately
Fun Fact: Remember the adverb seriatim? Here is another example of a Latin adverb ending in the letters –tim.
Give the literal translation and more common meaning for the Latin phrase placebo.
Literal meaning: I will please
More common meaning: an inactive medicine given merely to satisfy a patient
Fun Fact: When scientists want to examine the effects of a new medication, they give a certain number of people in the study a sugar pill instead of the new medicine. The sugar pill is called a placebo because sometimes it seems to please the patients as much as the real medicine. Improvement that occurs because patients believe they have received medication is called a placebo effect.
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase mens sana in corpore sano.
Literal translation: a sound mind in a sound body
Fun Fact: It is easy to remember sana and sano if you think of their English opposite: “insane.” You have seen corpore in another form in expressions like habeas corpus and corpus delicti.
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase O tempora, O mores.
Literal translation: O the times! O the customs!
Fun Fact: In English, “mores” means “morals” as well as “customs.”
Give the literal translation and more common meaning for the Latin phrase sanctum sanctorum.
Literal translation: holy of holies
More common meaning: a very private place
Fun Fact: In English, “sanctify” means “to make holy,” so you can easily remember that both sanctum and sanctorum are forms of the Latin adjective sanctus meaning “holy.”
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase sic.
Literal translation: thus
Fun Fact: Sic is a word you often see in direct quotations to indicate that a mistake in spelling or grammar came from the source, not from the writer or reporter.
Give the literal translation and more common meaning for the Latin phrase ultima Thule.
Literal translation: farthest Thule
More common meaning: the farthest point, the limit of any journey
Fun Fact: Ultima Thule was believed by the Romans to be the farthest point north. It is interesting to note that in modern times a city in Greenland was actually given the name Thule.
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase stet.
Literal translation: let it stand
Fun Fact: When a manuscript is being prepared for publication, an editor writes stet on a page that has been corrected. Stet shows that the page should stand as written, in other words, that no more corrections need to be made to that page. Stet can also be used if the editor later decides to ignore an earlier correction. Then stet means that the original version should stand.
Give the literal translation and more common meaning for the Latin phrase in vacuo.
Literal translation: in a vacuum
More common meaning: in emptiness, without considering other factors
Fun Fact: In Latin the word for empty is vacuus. It has two “u”s in many of its forms, and that is why the English word “vacuum” has two “u”s.
Give the literal translation and more common meaning for the Latin phrase rara avis.
Literal translation: a rare bird
More common meaning: an unusual person
Fun Fact: A zoo usually has an aviary, a large cage for birds, and an aviator is someone who flies. Both of these English words come from the Latin word avis.
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase status quo ante.
Literal translation: the condition in which things (were) before
Fun Fact: You sometimes see this expression with the word ante omitted. Then it means the condition in which things (are) (now).
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase stare decisis.
Literal translation: the decision stands
Fun Fact: Stare is the infinitive of the Latin verb “to stand,” and you can see that decisis is the root of the English word “decision.”
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of the Graeme / Graham / Willett family.
noli me tangere
Literal translation: don’t touch me
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of the state of North Carolina.
esse quam videri
Literal translation: to be rather than to seem
Fun Fact: In English the unconjugated form of a verb has two parts: “to” plus the verb. This form is called an “infinitive.” For example, the infinitive of “love” is “to love.” In Latin, present infini- tives are all one word so esse and videri are both infinitives. Notice that we translate both infinitives with “to.” The English word “essence” is a derivative of esse, and this motto clear- ly emphasizes the importance of what people are inside, not what is evident on the outside. Their essence is what matters!
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase mirabile dictu.
Literal translation: amazing to say
Fun Fact: Vergil, the author of the Roman epic the Aeneid, uses this expression whenever his hero encounters something marvelous, like a monster or a god or a ghost.
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase nil desperandum.
Literal translation: nothing must be despaired of
More common meaning: never give up
Fun Fact: Nil is a shortened form of nihil. Sometimes people use the word nil instead of zero when they are giving scores of games. You might hear someone say, “The score was 8 – nil,” instead of “The score was 8 to zero.”
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of Episcopal High School.
fortiter, feliciter, fideliter
Literal translation: bravely, happily, faithfully
Fun Fact: These three adverbs rhyme! Notice that they all end in –ter; another adverbial ending is -e as you can see in the Madeira motto Festina lente. It is interesting that each of the roots of these adverbs gives us an English derivative: “fortitude” means “bravery” or “courage,” “felicity” means “happiness,” and “fidelity” means “faithfulness.”
Give the literal translation and more common meaning for the Latin phrase alibi.
Literal translation: elsewhere
More common meaning: defense of being elsewhere when a crime was committed
Fun Fact: To a Roman the word alibi was an adverb formed from “al,” short for alius meaning “other” and ibi meaning “there, in that place.” Today a person accused of a crime has a strong defense if he has an alibi that confirms that he was in another place at the time the crime was committed.
Give the literal translation and more common meaning for the Latin phrase sine qua non.
Literal translation: without which not
More common meaning: the essential element, a necessity
Fun Fact: You have seen the Latin word sine in the expressions sine die and sine loco; this new phrase, thus, will be easy to remember.
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase genius loci.
Literal translation: guardian spirit of a place
Fun Fact: The Romans believed that spirits inhabited all sorts of inanimate objects like doorways and trees. It is no surprise to discover that they believed a place with a special feeling or atmosphere had its own genius loci.
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase nemo est supra leges.
Literal translation: no one is above the law
Fun Fact: Nemo in Latin means “no one.” Jules Verne’s Captain Nemo and Disney’s animated fish have the same name, so this should be an easy expression to learn.
Give the literal translation and more common meaning for the Latin phrase sui juris.
Literal translation: in one’s own right
More common meaning: having full legal capacity, i.e., not a child
Fun Fact: You can see the root of the English word “jury” in the Latin word for “law” or “right.” Latin students know that a Roman, whose alphabet did not include the letter j would have written iuris, instead of juris.
Give the Latin phrase, literal translation, and common meaning for the motto of the state of Wyoming.
cedant arma togae
Literal translation: let arms yield to the toga
More common meaning: let war yield to peace
Fun Fact: You have probably seen pictures or statues of Roman orators wearing robes called togas. The toga was considered the national garment of Rome, and the right to wear one was accorded to male Roman citizens only. The poet Vergil proudly called the Romans the gens togata, the toga wearing people. Other nations were scornfully known as the bracati, the trouser wear- ing people. Togas were made of wool and were long enough to wrap around the wearer twice. They were held in place by careful draping, never with pins. Thus, a man wearing a toga had to keep it in place with his left hand. Some wealthy Roman households actually included a valet called a vestiplicus who was skilled in the art of draping a toga. Because a toga was so bulky and difficult to keep in place, it was completely unsuitable for a soldier. In this motto, “toga” is used to symbolize peace while arma or “weapons” stand for “war.”
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of the Grattan family.
pro patria vivere et mori
Literal translation: to live and die for (one’s) country
Give the literal translation and more common meaning for the Latin phrase e pluribus unum.
Literal translation: out of more (ingredients) one (stew)
More common meaning: out of many (backgrounds) one (nation)/out of many (states) one (nation)
Fun Fact: You probably recognize these words as the motto of the United States. You can see the motto on the penny, the dollar bill, and the Great Seal of the United States. We sometimes speak about the United States as a melting pot society; thus it is interesting that the Romans used this expression to describe a dish like stew.
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of the state of West Virginia.
montani semper liberi
Literal translation: mountain people (are) always free
Fun Fact: Montani looks like its meaning, but semper is hard to remember unless you know the English word “sempiternal”, which means “always, forever.” Liberi begins with the same syl- lables as “liberty.”
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of Albion College / Alfred College.
lux fiat
Literal translation: let there be light
Fun Fact: We just saw lux in the motto of Yale, and here we have an echo of the words from the book of Genesis. It is interesting that “fiat” is a verb in Latin but a noun in English, which means an “order” or “decree.”
Give the literal translation and more common meaning for the Latin phrase ne plus ultra.
Literal translation: no more beyond
More common meaning: the pinnacle, the top
Fun Fact: If you are the best at something, you cannot go beyond your summit of achievement; you are the ne plus ultra!
Give the Latin phrase, literal translation, and common meaning for the motto of the United States (I).
e pluribus unum
Literal translation: out of more one
More common meaning: one out of many
Fun Fact: To Romans long ago this phrase was a description of stew or soup, one dish made from lots of different ingredients. To Americans today this motto is a reminder that our nation is made up of people from many different backgrounds and cultures. Another way to look at the phrase is to remember that we have one federal government made up of many states. You will see these Latin words on the Great Seal of the United States. They are also on the dollar bill, the penny, and the quarter.
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase in vino veritas.
Literal translation: in wine (there is) truth
Fun Fact: This expression is a reminder that when people drink too much, they may become so uninhibited that they speak more bluntly than usual.
Give the literal translation and more common meaning for the Latin phrase vade mecum.
Literal meaning: go with me
More common meaning: a reference book or handbook carried at all times
Fun Fact: Notice that the Latin preposition cum, which means “with,” comes after the word me. We saw the same kind of reversed word order in the phrase pax vobiscum.
Give the literal translation and more common meaning for the Latin phrase de novo.
Literal translation: from the new
More common meaning: anew
Fun Fact: Novo is a form of novus, the Latin word for “new.” You can see that the English word “novice,” which means “beginner,” is related to novus.
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of the Booth / Warren family.
non mihi, sed Deo et reg
Literal translation: not for me, but for God and for king
Give the Latin phrase and the literal translation for the motto of Harvard University.
veritas
Literal translation: truth
Fun Fact: “Verity” meaning an “established truth,” like “veracious,” is an English derivative of veritas. If you read the Harry Potter books, you may remember a potion called “veritaserum,” which makes people tell the truth.
Give the literal translation for the Latin phrase morituri te salutamus.
Literal translation: we (who are) about to die salute you
Fun Fact: Sometimes the phrase, Ave Caesar, “Hail Caesar,” is given as the first part of this expression. Gladiators were indeed expected to fight to the death. You can see that morituri is related to mortuis and mori, words you already know from other expressions.
