Sunday, September 5, 2010

Verbum Hodiernum: FUGIO



Today's word is FUGIO, a third conjugation verb: fugio, fugere, fugi, fugitum. It's important to distinguish between fugio, "I am fleeing, I run away," and the related first conjugation verb fugo, "I put to flight, I make (someone else) run away."

There are lots of English words from this root, such as fugitive, refuge, subterfuge, and centrigual.

The verb can take a direct object: lupum fugio, "I flee the wolf, I run away from the wolf." " It can also be used figuratively, as in the expression, res me fugit, "it escapes me, I'm ignorant of that thing."

You can also use the verb with an infinitive to mean "avoid doing something," as in the famous words of Horace: quid sit futurm cras, fuge quaerere.

Here are some examples of today's word in Latin sayings and proverbs; for more information, see the page at the Scala Sapientiae, which contains notes on some of the proverbs cited below, as well as additional proverbs:

Dum loquimur, tempus fugit.

Mors sequitur; vita fugit.

Vive tibi et longe nomina magna fuge.


Saepe malum petitur; saepe bonum fugitur.


Fuge magna.


Quod sequitur fugio; quod fugit, ipse sequor.


Tempus fugit.


Honor fugientem sequitur, sequentem fugit.


Dum loquor, hora fugit.


Hora fugit.


Dum quaeris, hora fugit.


Felices sequeris, mors, miseros fugis!


Gloria fugientes magis sequitur.


Fugit gloria sequentem et sequitur fugientem.


Hora fugit; stat ius.


Fugiens animam servas.


Tempus fugit: utere!


Tempora sic fugiunt pariter, pariterque sequuntur et nova sunt semper.


Dum umbra fugit, homo transit, at Deus est.


Satius fugere quam male manere.



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