Latin Terms 7.1 Flashcards
What are the most common Latin terms in English writing?
E.g. and I.e.
E.g.
Is short for exempli gratia, which means for example.
E.g. uses
To introduce examples or an incomplete list.
Ex/
I have many exotic pets: e.g., lions, tigers, swamp rats, and mongooses.
I.e.
Is short for id est, which means that is.
I.e. uses
• To rephrase or explain something that has already been said.
Ex/
My favorite pet is the swamp rat: i.e. a rodent that lives in a swamp.
• To introduce a complete list of the members of a category.
Ex/
There are four seasons in a year: i.e., spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Misuse of e.g. and i.e.
E.g. to introduce an explanation
I.e. for an example of an incomplete list
Punctuating e.g. and i.e.
Usually punctured with periods followed by a comma.
Some guides omit the periods.
UK and AUS don’t use a comma.
*consistency and style guides
Et Cetera or etc. means
And so on
Or
And the rest
Etc. Uses
Use only when the things omitted from the sentence are not essential to understanding what is said.
Etc. And terminal punctuation
There is no need for a period after etc. when it appears at the end of a sentence.
However, it can followed by other terminal punctuation but retain the period after etc. since it indicates an abbreviation.
Etc. and commas
It should always be followed by a comma when it appears in the middle of a sentence.
Even when it is written in full.
*check style guides
Combining e.g. and etc.
Etc. is already used to indicate incomplete lists, so don’t need to be combined with e.g. or such as both of which already show incomplete lists.
Circa
(c. or ca.)
That the dates that follow are approximate.
Versus
(vs.)
(Vs in UK and AUS)
(legal documents v or v.)
Means either against or compared with.
N.B. or nota bene
Means note well.
