Verbum Hodiernum: POTUS

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POTUS Dictionary Entry

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Today's word is POTUS, which is one of those sneaky fourth-declension nouns: pōtus is the nominative form, and pōtūs is the genitive. The Latin word means a "drink," from the verb potare, to drink, which also yields the Latin noun potio.

It is worth remembering the long o in the root, pōtus, because that can help you distinguish this word from the words having to do with power and ability, as in potest, "it can," potens, "powerful," etc.

From the same Latin root we get the English word "potable," for example, and "potion." Indirectly, the English word "poison" also comes from this Latin root, via the Old French puison, which in turn derives from Latin potio. The term POTUS, however, meaning "President of the United States," is an acronym; it is not an English use of the Latin word. :-)

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:

Quando venit potus, cessat sermo quasi totus.

Aqua et panis potus et escula canis.

Somno, esca, potu, nemo carere potest.

Cibi, potus, somni, Venus, omnia moderata sint.

Si sitit inimicus tuus, potum da illi.

Non cibus aut potus, cura saginat equum.

Furtivus potus plenus dulcedine totus.

Potus furtivus dulcis est.

Ebibe vas totum, si vis cognoscere potum.

Caeno puram aquam turbans numquam invenies potum.

Cibus et potus desiderio condiuntur.

Deus qui fecit totum , benedicat cibum et potum.

Inspice bis potum, et chartam subscribe scienter.

Non est enim regnum Dei esca et potus , sed iustitia et pax.

Potum meum cum fletu miscebam.

Potus hominibus est vinum; aqua pecudibus.

Potus non frangit ieiunium.

Si esurierit inimicus tuus, ciba illum; si sitit, potum da illi.

Si inquines fontem luto, non potum habebis limpidum.

Solet cibus, cum sumitur, tacitos efficere, potus loquaces.

Verbum Hodiernum: TEMPUS

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TEMPUS Dictionary Entry

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Today's word is TEMPUS, a Latin word which gives rise to all kinds of English words, too. There are some obvious ones, like "temporary," "contemporary, and "extemporaneous." There are also foreign words that we use in English which come from the Latin root, such as French "contretemps" and Italian "tempo." We also use the Latin phrase pro tempore abbreviated in English as "pro tem."

The Latin word has a basic meaning of "time," the sort of time we measure in hours and minutes and also longer stretches of time like a "season" of the year. By metaphorical extension, it can also mean something like the "right time, the opportune moment." It can also have a general sense of "the times, circumstances, a situation" (compare the English usage, "at a time like this").

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.

Tempus fugit.

Tempus fugit: utere!

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

Tempus fugit velut umbra.

Tempus fugit, nec revertitur.

Fugit irrevocabile tempus.

Fugit irreparabile tempus.

Eheu! dum loquimur fugit irremeabile tempus.

Tempus breve est.

Omnia fert tempus.

Tempori parcendum.

Nosce tempus.

Tempus omnia sanat.

Tu dormis, et tempus ambulat.

Omnia tempus habent.

Tempus animae medicus.

Tempus optima medicina.

O tempora, O mores!

Alia tempora, alii mores.

Verbum Hodiernum: AB

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AB Dictionary Entry

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Today's word is the tiny preposition that stands at the beginning of the Latin alphabet: A or AB. In its archaic form, it was spelled ap, and the spelling ab came later, along with the spellings aps and abs. You can also see the form au- (ab- becomes av- which becomes au-) in some verbal forms, like aufugio. Finally, there is the form with just the vowel, ā, lengthened. For a detailed discussion of the history of these different forms of the preposition, check out the beginning of the Lewis & Short dictionary entry. As for the range of meanings, there is no one simple English equivalent - a quick look through the dictionary entry is the best way to see the wide range of uses for this little preposition in Latin.

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:

Ab uno amore multa bona.

Cui multum datum est, multum quaeretur ab eo.

Qui petit a te, da ei.

A magnis, maxima.

A Deo rex, a rege lex.

Quidquid bene dictum est ab ullo, meum est.

Alta a longe cognoscuntur.

Disce, sed a doctis.

Qui bonus est, ab eo bona discito.

Quid faciendum sit, a faciente discendum est.

Nihil est ab omni parte beatum.

Homo a suo socio cognoscitur.

Noli vinci a malo, sed vince in bono malum.

Fuge procul a viro maiore.

Procul ab oculis, procul a corde.

Quidquid futurum est summum, ab imo nascitur.

Sapientior omnibus eris, si ab omnibus discere volueris.

Homo sum: humani nil a me alienum puto.

Si nocueris, noceberis ab alio.

A sapiente viro sapientiam discere convenit.

Verbum Hodiernum: REDIMO

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REDIMO Dictionary Entry

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Today's word is REDIMO, a third conjugation verb (redimere, redemi, redemptum). This is a compound of the verb emere, "to buy," and the prefix re- becomes red- before the vowel: redemere, "to buy back, repurchase." By metaphorical extension it them comes to mean "to buy back, to release, to redeem." This word acquires special meaning in Christian Latin, where Jesus becomes the Redemptor, "Redeemer." The English word "ransom" also comes from this same root: Latin redemptio became French raenson, and thence English "ransom."

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:

Redimo vitia virtutibus.

Sicut ager colitur, sic fructibus hic redimitur.

Tamquam si quis crucifigeret Paulum ut redimeret Petrum.







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Verbum Hodiernum: DUX

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DUX Dictionary Entry

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Today's word is the third-declension noun, DUX (gen. ducis), "leader," from the same root as in the verb ducere, "to lead." The English noun "duke" comes from Latin dux, along with related English words like "duchy" and "ducat."

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:

Dux vitae ratio.

Ratione duce per totam vitam eundum est.

Deo duce, comite Fortuna.

Deo duce, comite Spe.

Qualis dux, talis miles.

Oculi sunt in amore duces.

Virtute duce, comite Fortuna.

Dux mihi veritas.

Dux bonus bonum reddit comitem.

Natura optima bene vivendi dux.

Ducis in consilio posita est virtus militum.

Melius duce leone agmen cervorum quam duce cervo grex leonum.

Dux femina facti.

Dux atque imperator vitae mortalium animus est.

Formidabilior cervorum exercitus, duce leone, quam leonum, duce cervo.

Dux vivendi natura est.

Claudus eget baculo, caecus duce, pauper amico.

Deo duce, Fortuna comitante.

Deo duce, comite industria.

Naturam si sequemur ducem, numquam aberrabimus.

Verbum Hodiernum: TUM

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TUM Dictionary Entry

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Today's word is TUM, an adverb meaning "then." If you can just remember the pair cum, "when" and tum, "then," you won't have any trouble with this one. The similar adverb tunc is tum with an emphatic particle -c(e) at the end.

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:

Cum amamus, tum perimus.

Iratus, cum ad se rediit, sibi tum irascitur.

Multa legas facito, tum lectis neglege multa.

Tum sapimus, cum causas cognoscimus.

Mutantur mores tum cum cumulantur honores.

Fortuna vitrea est: tum, cum splendet, frangitur.

Folia nunc cadunt; tum arbores in te cadent.

Stultus cum est perpessus, tum demum sapit.

Tum demum bona cognoscimus, cum ea amisimus.

Consultatio tum melior cum expleveris alvum.

Cum inopia est, cupias, quando eius copia est, tum non velis.

Hic, ubi nunc urbs est, tum locus urbis erat.

Immortalis est infamia; etiam tum vivit, cum esse credas mortuam.

Tum loquentur eruditi, cum garrulis non erit loquendi locus.

Tum summa est in silvis fames dum lupus lupum vorat.

Verbum Hodiernum: QUE

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-QUE Dictionary Entry

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Today's word is actually not a word but rather an enclitic conjunction: QUE.

Latin meaning and usage: This enclitic conjunction joins two or more words, phrases, or clauses, and is attached to the second item in the series. For example: Mente manuque, with "mind and hand," in other words, by means of brain and brawn.

When the conjunction is used to connected multiword phrases or clauses, it goes on the first word of the second item in the series, along with any additional items. Here is a two-item series: Sum felix felixque manebo, "I am happy and happy I will remain." Here is a three-item series: Servare modum, finemque tenere, naturamque sequi, "To stay with limits, (and) to focus on the finish, and to follow nature." The only exception to this rule is when the first word of the phrase or clause is a monosyllabic preposition (although this is not a hard-and-fast rule; you will find exceptions, as for example: Contra legem proque lege).

It is also possible to put -que on both items, just as you can use "et...et..." in Latin. For example: Noctesque diesque, "Both night and day" (literally, "both nights and days").

Latin word formation: You can find many words in Latin which are formed with this particle, such as atque, denique, utique, etc.

English cognates and derivatives: As far as I know, there are no English cognates or derivates from this word,

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

Post mortem nihil est, ipsaque mors nihil.

Accipe quod tuum alterique da suum.

Video alta sequorque.

Maioresque cadunt altis de montibus umbrae.

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

Idem egoque tuque ducimus pariter iugum.

Pace belloque fidelis.

Inter sacrum saxumque sto.

Pugnare cum diis cumque Fortuna grave est.

Meliora spero sequorque.

Rarum est felix idemque senex.

Audentes saepe sorsque Venusque iuvant.

Praesentis absentisque amici sis memor.

Senatus Populusque Romanus

Furemque fur cognoscit, et lupum lupus.

Alitur vitium vivitque tegendo.

Dum fata deusque sinebat.

Maiorque videtur et melior vicina seges.

Redeunt iam gramina campis, arboribusque comae.

Audentes forsque deusque iuvat.

Verbum Hodiernum: EXPONO

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EXPONO Dictionary Entry

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Today's word is the verb EXPONO (exponere, exposui, expositum). From the Latin word we get quite a few English words. The most obvious ones are "expose" (along with the French exposé) and "exposition" (and also its shortened form "expo"). In addition to the verb "expose," there is also the verb "expound." There is also the mathematical term "exponent."

The difference in meaning between the verbs "expose" and "expound" gives you a sense of the range of meanings of the Latin verb. In a simply physical sense, the word means to "put out, lay open, expose," but it also has the metaphorical meaning of "explain, relate, expound."

Here are some examples of today's word in Latin sayings and proverbs:

Qui se exponit periculo, peribit in illo.

Vita humana multis est exposita fortunae iniuriis.

Qui omnibus se periculis exponit, vel tandem periclitabitur.

Versibus exponi tragicis res comica non vult.

Since I don't have too many proverbs for this one, I thought I would also include an Aesop's fable that uses this verb:

346. Canis et Domicilium Eius. Hieme contractus et implicitis membris cubans, canis, quo minus frigori EXPOSITUM esset corpus, spatium illud ad domum faciendam in qua viveret designavit. Postea, in aestate membra expandens et corpus extendens, animadvertit notatum spatium non magis convenire neque se capere posse, itaque nec necesse nec facile sibi esse tantas aedes extruere.

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Verbum Hodiernum: GENS

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GENS Dictionary Entry

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Today's word is the feminine noun GENS (gen. gentis), which means a "race" or a "clan," a "people," a "nation." It's important to distinguish between this word and the neuter noun genus (gen. generis), which shares a common root with gens, and also has a great deal of overlap in meaning, too. It's worth reading through both of the dictionary entries: gens and genus. One of my favorite idioms with the word gens in Latin is Ubi gentium sumus? "Where in the world (i.e. where of the peoples) are we?"

The gens had a special meaning in ancient Rome: it referred to the Roman families, such as the gens Julia or the gens Cassia.

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:

Cuncti gens una sumus.

Suus cuique genti mos.

Nobiliter vivens et agens, haec nobilis est gens.

Munera per gentes corrumpunt undique mentes.

Tantae molis erat Romanam condere gentem.

Illustrem gentem satis hic habet atque parentem, qui virtute suam nobilitat patriam.

Pauperis est gentis, tenuis puls, farre carentis.

Alta pax gentes alat.

Arx omnium gentium Roma.

Beata gens cuius est Dominus Deus eius.

Bona terra, mala gens.

Dissipa gentes quae bella volunt.

Euntes ergo, docete omnes gentes.

Gens humana ruit per vetitum nefas.

Gens togata.

Iustitia elevat gentem.

Neque quies gentium sine armis, neque arma sine stipendiis.

Nos gentes nationesque distinguimus: Deo una domus est mundus hic totus.

O fortunatas gentes quibus vivere est bibere!

Ubinam gentium sumus?

Verbum Hodiernum: AGO

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AGO Dictionary Entry

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Today's word is the verb AGO (agere, egi, actus). This is a very common Latin verb with a whole range of idiomatic meanings, something like the way the English verb "do" has all kinds of idiomatic meanings. The basic meaning of the Latin verb is "lead" or "drive" in English, but you need to be aware of some of the basic idioms, too.

With the reflexive pronoun, agere can mean "to go," i.e. Quo te agis? "Where are you going?" It can even have this basic meaning of "to go" even without the reflexive pronoun, Huc age! "Get over here!"

The verb can also mean "to stir up, set in action, extend" so if a plant flores agit, that means it is blossoming. In the human world, the meaning can extend to any kind of action or activity, so the question Quid agis? means "What are you doing?" Nihil ago, "I'm not doing anything." Note also that the verb can be used in the passive tense with this general sense of "doing," e.g. Non agitur de me, "It has nothing to do with me." From this idea of activity, the verb comes to mean to pass or spend time: domi aestatem agere, "to spend the summer at home."

Just as this word is very common in Latin, so too there are many English words which derive from it. From the present stem we get "agent," "agency," From the perfect stem, we get words like "act" and "actor." In its compound forms, the Latin -ag- becomes -ig- as you can see in English words like "navigation," "litigation" and "fumigation." The Latin participle agenda is even an English word in its own right, meaning "the things to be done."

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:

Tuas res tibi habeto, tuas res tibi agito.

Age quod agis.

Aliter cum aliis agendum.

Actum ne agas.

Agamus quod agendum.

Aliter enim cum alio agendum.

Nullus agenti dies longus est.

Age, si quid agis.

Acta, non verba.

Agere sequitur credere.

Plus valet actum quam scriptum.

Agunt opus suum fata.

Cura, quidquid agis, te bene nosse magis!

Nihil agendo, homines male agere discunt.

Fatis agimur; cedite fatis.

Nobiliter vivens et agens, haec nobilis est gens.

Audendum est: age.

Cernuntur in agendo virtutes.

Nil agenti dies longus est.

Age officium tuum.

Verbum Hodiernum: FILIUS

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FILIUS Dictionary Entry

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Today's word is FILIUS, meaning "son," from which we get the English words "filial" and also the words "affiliate" and "affiliation," which are metaphorical extensions of the basic kinship idea.

Here are some examples of today's word in Latin sayings and proverbs:

Error filius erroris.

Fortunae filius.

Albae gallinae filius.

Patris est filius.

Talis filius qualis pater.

Ut pater, ita filius; ut mater, ita filia.

Scintillae non fabrorum terrent filios.

In filiis suis agnoscitur vir.

Fili, suscipe senectam patris tui.

Pater filium quem amat, castigat.

Qui parcit virgae, odit filium suum.

Indulgentia parentum, filiorum pernicies.

Pater nimia indulgentia filios depravat.

Hostem in se nutrit qui filiis nimis indulget.

Ausculta, fili, praecepta magistri.

O fili care, noli nimis alte volare.

Numquam ex malo patre bonus filius.

Ex optimo parente nonnumquam pessimum filium.

Pater avarus, filius prodigus.

Parentes plus amant filios, quam e contra.

Nemo non formosus filius matri.

Filius vero stultus maestitia est matri suae.

Sicut mater unicum amat filium suum.

Unicus filius infatuatur, unicus sus impinguatur.

Mea, mater, mea, pater: lupus est filium tuum.

Osculo filium hominis tradis?

Omnes filii Dei sumus.

Ut filii lucis ambulate.

Mulier, ecce filius tuus.

Et tu, Brute, fili mi!







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Verbum Hodiernum: DOMINUS

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DOMINUS Dictionary Entry

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Today's word is DOMINUS, which makes a good follow-up to the previous post, pater. Today's word, dominus, is a noun formed from the verbal root dom- meaning to tame or master, to overpower something or something (compare the English words "dominate" and "dominion").

In Christian Latin, the word dominus can refer to a human lord or master, but it also is used to refer to God, the Lord God.

One perhaps surprising English word that comes from the Latin is the British word "don," meaning a university instructor. The English word is simply a shortened and contracted form of the Latin dominus. This is also the origin of the Spanish formal title, Don.

You can also see the Latin word in the English abbreviation, A.D., Anno Domini.

Even more intriguing is the history of the English word "danger," which also ultimately derives from today's Latin word. English "danger" comes from Old French dangier, which means "control, power, power to harm," via the late Latin word dominarium, which means the power of a lord or master. The modern meaning of "danger" as a kind of risk or peril developed later in English, and over time has essentially displaced the word "peril" (the word that reaches English from Latin periculum).

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:

Erat manus Domini cum eis.

Magna opera Domini.

Ducit Dominus.

Omnia videt oculus domini.

Qualis dominus, talis et servus.

Minus est quam servus dominus, qui servos timet.

Dominus videt plurimum in rebus suis.

Dominus dedit, Dominus abstulit.

Duobus dominis ne servias.

Nemo potest duobus dominis servire.

Nemo potest dominis digne servire duobus.

Nemo potest dominis pariter servire duobus.

Tu praesens cura; Domino committe futura.

Pauper dominum, non sortem mutat.

Cave canem ac dominum.

Nisi Dominus, frustra.

A morte aeterna libera nos, Domine!

Nihil facit servus, si multi domini imperent.

Ridenti domino nec caelo crede sereno.

Bonum est potius confidere in domino, quam in homine.

Verbum Hodiernum: PATER

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PATER Dictionary Entry

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Today's word is the noun PATER (gen. patris), meaning "father." As you can see, the English word and Latin word are etymological cousins. You can find a table listing the various forms of this word in the Indo-European languages at this Indo-European Lexicon online at UT Austin.

Here are some examples of today's word in Latin sayings and proverbs:

Pater semper incertus.

Mater certa, pater semper incertus.

Amor elegantiae pater.

Tempus veritatis pater.

Labor gloriae pater.

Labor bonae famae pater est.

Crudelitatis mater est avaritia, pater furor.

Pater mendaciorum diabolus est.

Nummus nummum parit, ut pater liberos.

Talis filius, qualis pater.

Pater avarus, filius prodigus.

In domo patris mei mansiones multae sunt.

Fili, suscipe senectam patris tui.

Honora patrem et matrem.

Sequamur vestigia patrum nostrorum.

Patres nostri peccaverunt et nos peccata eorum portamus.





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