Saturday, April 30, 2011
Verbum Hodiernum: VIS
Today's word is the noun VIS, which is usually found only in the nominative (singular vis, plural vires) and in the accusative (singular vim, plural vires). You can sometimes find the ablative (singular vi, plural viribus). You can see the other forms in the dictionary entry. The form vim seems to be used in the English phrase "vim and vigor" (although the actual origin of that English phrase is not entirely certain!).
In addition to being a noun found in only a few forms, it's important to recognize the noun vis as opposed to the verb vis, the second-person singular form of volo. In context, it will be easy to tell the two apart - but you need to be prepared that vis could be either a noun or a verb!
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:
Vi verum vincitur.
Naturae vis maxima.
Non vi, sed virtute.
Fit via vi.
Magna vis auri.
Ratione, non vi.
Qui timet amicum, vim non novit nominis.
In corde spes, vis et vita.
Non vi, sed iure.
Contra vim non valet ius.
Vires hominis breves sunt.
Magna vis pecuniae.
Melior est sapientia quam vires.
Artem natura superat, sine vi, sine cura.
Ratio contra vim parum valet.
Vis legibus est inimica.
Magna vis necessitatis.
Contra vim mortis nulla herba in hortis.
Non prodest ratio, ubi vis imperat.
Magna est vis consuetudinis.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Verbum Hodiernum: INVENIO
Today's word is the fourth conjugation verb INVENIO, which is a compound of the verb venio. It literally means to "come into, come upon," and, by extension, to "find." We get several English words from this root, including "invention," "inventive" and "inventor" as well as the word "inventory.
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:
Quaerendo invenietis.
Quaerite et invenietis.
Qui quaerit, invenit.
Aut inveniam viam, aut faciam.
Fata viam invenient.
Beatus qui invenit amicum verum.
Facile invenies qui bene faciant, cum qui fecerunt coles.
Hic perierat et inventus est.
Tempus invenit, discit, docet, mutat omnia.
Beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam.
Multa ante temptes, quam virum invenias bonum.
Invenit amicum, invenit thesaurum.
Qui invenit amicum, invenit thesaurum.
Nihil est simul et inventum et perfectum.
Lupus, quando te solum invenit, audacior est.
Inventa lege, inventa est fraus legis.
Facito aliquid operis, ut te semper diabolus inveniat occupatum.
Numquam finem inveniet libido.
Ubi meum invenio, ibi vindico.
Effugi mala, inveni meliora.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Verbum Hodiernum: MALUS
Today's word is the adjective MALUS, meaning "bad," with the adverbial form, "badly," male. This word is notorious for causing confusion because there is also a second declension masculine noun mālus (note the long "a" in the stem), meaning "a beam" or the "mast" of a ship. There is also a feminine second declension noun, mālus, meaning "apple tree" (and likewise mālum, "apple"). If that were not already bad enough, there is also māla, a feminine first-declension noun meaning "cheek-(bone), jaw." In context, of course, these words are not likely to cause confusion, but you do have to be prepared to anticipate these possible different readings, especially if you are reading a text that is not marked with macrons.
We get a tremendous number of English words from the Latin root in malus, including those words with mal- as a prefix: "malevolent," "malformed," "malodorous," and on and on. Via the Italian, we get "malaria," from the (mistaken) belief that it was a bad property of the air itself which caused the disease. From Latin dies mali, the says of wickedness or bad luck, we get "dismal." From Latin male habitus, via French malade, we get "malady."
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:
Qui sibi malus, cui bonus?
Qui sibi malus, nulli bonus.
Bonus esse non potest aliis malus sibi.
Audies male, si male dicas.
Mors nec bonum nec malum est.
Malum quidem nullum sine aliquo bono.
Quaerite bonum et non malum.
Nulli malum pro malo.
Bonum ex malo non fit.
Malum bono vince.
Male creditis hosti.
Mare malorum.
Male vivunt qui se semper victuros putant.
Saepe malum petitur; saepe bonum fugitur.
Lex mala, lex nulla.
Ex malis moribus fiunt bonae leges.
Qui numquam male, numquam bene.
Malum bene positum ne moveas.
Nulli malum pro malo reddete.
Alia ex aliis mala oriuntur.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Verbum Hodiernum: SOL
Today's word is the third declension noun SŌL (sōlis, m. - note the long o in the stem), meaning "sun." Capitalized, Sol, the word refers to a Sun God, equivalent to the Greek god Helios.
The Latin phrase sol oriens, "sun rising," refers to the east, and is the origin of the English words "Orient" and "Oriental," referring to the East. The phrase sol occidens, "sun setting," refers to the west, and is the origin of the English words "Occident" and "Occidental," referring to the West. The phrase dies solis, "day of the sun," gives us English "Sunday."
From this Latin root, we get the English words "solar" and "solarium." A "parasol" offers protection against the sun. The Latin solstitium, when the "sun stands (still)," gives us English "winter solstice" and "summer solstice," which mark the shortest and longest days of the year.
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:
Mentis sol amor dei.
Nihil sub sole novum.
Sol stat, sed terra movetur.
Cum sol oritur, omnibus oritur.
Sol oculus mundi.
Mundus non capit duos soles.
Nulla sine sole umbra.
Sol omnia aperit.
Cum sol oritur, stellae fugiunt.
Sub sole, sub umbra, crescens.
Scientia sol mentis.
Sole oriente, fugiunt tenebrae.
Sole orto, spes ; descendente, pax.
Sub sole nihil perfectum.
Sol efficit ut omnia floreant.
Vidi sub sole nec velocium esse cursum nec fortium bellum.
Sol omnibus lucet.
Blandi post nubila soles.
Post nubila, sol.
Post noctem spero diem, post nubila solem.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Verbum Hodiernum: SI
Today's word is the conditional particle SI, meaning "if."
An important tip to remember with Latin si is that aliquis and its forms drop their ali- after si. You might have learned a little rhyme about that in Latin class: "after, si, nisi, num, and ne, all the 'ali's drop away."
Here are some examples of today's word in Latin sayings and proverbs:
Fac, si facis.
Age, si quid agis.
Bibe, si bibis.
Ride, si sapis.
Si libet, licet.
Si vis, potes.
Si vis amari, ama.
Si vis scire, doce.
Si nihil discis, dediscis.
Si vis vincere, disce pati.
Si vis regnare, divide.
Si vis nubere, nube pari.
Si vis pacem, para bellum.
Si vis pacem, cole iustitiam.
Si vis ut loquar, ipse tace.
Si tumeas, timeas.
Si stas, vide ne cadas.
Da, si vis accipere.
Fata si poscunt, dabo.
Aliis si licet, tibi non licet.
Si radix sancta, et rami.
Sat cito, si sat bene.
Sat cito, si sat tuto.
Si satis est, multum est.
Rex eris, si recte facies.
Tristis eris, si solus eris.
Si gravis dolor, brevis.
Etiam si omnes, ego non.
Bovem si nequeas, asinum agas.
Si non nova, saltem nove.
Si finis bonus, totum laudabile.
Numera stellas, si potes.
Audies male, si male dicas.
Longa est vita, si plena est.
Vita, si uti scias, longa est
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Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Verbum Hodiernum: TANTUS
Today's word is TANTUS, the adjective that expresses quantity in English, correlative with quantus. We don't have a pair of correlative adjectives in English, so there are various phrases you can use to translate tantus, such as "of such a size" or "of such a measure" or "so great." The neuter form tantum can be used to mean "so much" or "so many."
It is also important to note that while tantus often refers to things that are so great in quantity, but it can also refers to things that are so small in quantity. This is how the adverbial tantum comes to mean "merely" or "only."
There are many Latin idioms using this word, and one of the most common is the genitive of price or value, so tanti means "of such (value)" or "of such (worth)," e.g. "hoc tanti mihi est," "this is so valuable to me." You can also find the ablative of comparison used in exclamations such as Tanto melior, "So much the better!"
Here are some examples of today's word in Latin sayings and proverbs:
Tanta est caritatis vis.
Tanta est discordia fratrum.
Tanta stultitia mortalium est!
Tantaene animis caelestibus irae?
Tantae molis erat Romanam condere gentem.
Frustra tantos labores suscepi.
De tanta laetitia, quanta tristitia!
Quantum potes, tantum aude.
Tantum scimus, quantum tenemus memoria.
Tantum quisque nitatur, quantum potest.
Tantum valent reges, quantum volunt leges.
Quanto plura paramus, tanto plura cupimus.
Quanto plus bibunt, tanto magis sitiunt.
Quanto maior eris, tanto moderatior esto.
Quo altior mons, tanto profundior vallis.
Quanto gradus altior, tanto casus gravior.
Res quanto est maior, tanto est insidiosior.
Quamdiu is vivit, tanto plus stultior fit.
Tanto plus calidum, quanto vicinius igni.
Quantum habebis, tantus eris.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Verbum Hodiernum: INVITO
Today's word is the first conjugation verb, INVITO (invitare), which obviously gives us the English word "invite."
The only thing that is really tricky about this word is that there is also an adjective, invitus, which means unwilling. This is the kind of confusion that happens with that Latin prefix in- which sometimes means "in, into, toward," as in today's word, invitare, but which sometimes is a negating prefix, so the in- in Latin invitus is like the "un-" in English "unwilling."
Here are some examples of today's word, invitare, in Latin sayings and proverbs:
Egregios invitant praemia mores.
Impunitas semper ad deteriora invitat.
Invitat culpam qui peccatum praeterit.
Veterem ferendo iniuriam, invitas novam.
Arcet poena malos, invitant praemia iustos.
Invitat stomachos esca parata bonos.
Beneficium beneficio invitetur.
Si labor terret, merces invitet.
Non invitatus hospes minime est gratus.
Assideat ianuae non invitatus honeste.
Retro sedet ianuam non invitatus ad aulam.
Plus, here are some examples of proverbs with invitus (English "unwilling") - since this is an important theme in the world of proverbs, there are some good examples he
Invito domino.
Invita Minerva.
Nihil invita Minerva facies.
Nemo peccat invitus.
Actus me invito factus non est meus actus.
Invitus nemo, nemo coactus amat.
Odero, si potero; si non, invitus amabo.
Qui invitus servit, fit miser, servit tamen.
Invitum cum retineas, exire incitas.
Invitum sequitur honor.
Huc illuc trahit invitum potens.
Natura, quam te colimus inviti quoque!.
Dis invitis.
Dis hominibusque invitis.
Invitis et superis et inferis.
Stultum est invitis canibus venari.
Invitis canibus non est venandum.
Invitis canibus venator nil capit ullus.
Invitis bobus numquam trahitur bene currus.
Aut sponte aut invite.
Invite data non sunt grata.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Verbum Hodiernum: CORPUS
Today's word is the noun CORPUS (gen. corporis), which is a neuter third-declension noun, even though that -us ending sometimes causes beginning Latin students a bit of confusion. There are actually quite a few third-declension nouns that have a nominative ending in -us.
The Latin word itself shows up in English in the legal phrases habeas corpus and corpus delicti, along with the holiday of Corpus Christi. In addition, there are many English words ultimately derived from this Latin word, such as the diminutive "corpuscle," the nouns "corporation" and "corps," the adjectives "corporeal" and "corpulent," and the verb "incorporate." It is even speculated that "hocus pocus" is a mish-mash of the liturgical Hoc est corpus meum.
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:
Animo et corpore.
Terra corpus est, at mens ignis.
Opus est te animo valere, ut corpore possis.
Redditur terrae corpus.
Dolor animi multo gravior est quam corporis.
Non sine umbra corpus.
Omnia membra corporis, cum sint multa, unum corpus sunt.
Membrum perdere praestat, quam totum corpus.
Spiritus inde perit, dum corpus dulcia quaerit.
Turba militum sine duce, corpus est sine spiritu.
Quocumque ingrederis sequitur mors corporis umbra.
Nemo liber est qui corpori servit.
Cinis fiet corpus nostrum.
Absens corpore sed praesens spiritu.
Labore corpus, discendo animum exerceas.
Esto memor mortis fueris dum corpore fortis.
Mens sana in corpore sano.
Corpus vas animi.
Aedes sine libris est similis corpori sine spiritu.
Nec domum esse hoc corpus, sed hospitium.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Verbum Hodiernum: DOCEO
Today's word is the verb DOCEO (docere, docui, doctum), meaning "to teach." The word can take a double accusative in Latin, just as in English, for example: Magistra nos litteras docet. It can also take an accusative plus an infinitive, as in this famous proverb: Aquilam volare doces. You can also teach someone about something, with the preposition de, for example: Tempus me de rebus omnibus docet.
This Latin root is very productive in Latin and so too in English. The word "doctor" is most obvious, but consider also nouns like "document" and "docent" and the adjective "docile." The word "doctrine" also derives from this root, along with the related verb, "indoctrinate." You can also see the Latin word in the abbreviation Ph.D., Philosophiae Doctor.
Here are some examples of today's word in Latin sayings and proverbs:
Experientia docet.
Multa docet fames.
Necessitas omnia docet.
Quod nocet, docet.
Quae nocent, docent.
Si vis scire, doce.
Bis discit qui docet.
Doce ut discas.
Disce docendo.
Dies diem docet.
Doctum doces.
Aquilam volare doces.
Delphinum natare doces.
Piscem natare doces.
Ferrum natare doces.
Cancrum doces recte ingredi.
Elephantem saltare doces.
Asinum sub freno currere doces.
Minervam sus docet.
Nemo doctus natus.
Ire docetur eundo.
Doctus sum damno meo.
Verba docent, exempla movent.
Qui timide rogat, docet negare.
Hic mortui vivos docent. (in bibliotheca)
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Verbum Hodiernum: NULLUS
Today's word is the adjective NULLUS. For the most part, this is a first-second declension adjective, but note the genitive singular: nullius and the dative nulli. The word is a contraction in Latin of ne- and the adjective ullus, "any," so nullus means "not any."
We get the word "null" from this Latin word, and likewise "nullify." We also get the verb "annul," which is from the late Latin verb annullare, "to make nothing."
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:
Unius dictum, dictum nullius.Qui sibi malus, nulli bonus.
Nullus agenti dies longus est.
Vir quidem unus, nullus est.
Malum quidem nullum sine aliquo bono.
Nulli malum pro malo.
Nullus omnia scire potest.
Nec nulli sis amicus, nec omnibus.
Multus amicus, nullus amicus.
Amici nec multi, nec nulli.
Vox unius, vox nullius.
Nulli secundus.
Fortuna nulli plus quam consilium valet.
Lex mala, lex nulla.
Veri amoris nullus est finis.
Scribendi nullus finis.
Ratio fatum vincere nulla valet.
Nulli malum pro malo reddete.
Aut Caesar aut nullus.
Cedo nulli.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Verbum Hodiernum: QUIDAM
Today's word is one of those sneaky compound pronouns, QUIDAM, where only the first part of the pronoun declines: qui-dam, quae-dam, quod-dam, cuius-dam, and so on. This suffix has the effect of making the pronoun specific, while still being a pronoun. We don't really have a pronoun that works this way in English, so it is really hard to translate. The usual formula you might have learned is that quidam means "a certain (someone)." Luckily, even though it's hard to translate into English, the usage of the pronoun is usually easy to understand in the Latin.
Here are some examples of today's word in Latin sayings and proverbs:
Vultus sermo quidam tacitus mentis est.
Inter verba et actus magnus quidam mons est.
Est quaedam flere voluptas.
Est quaedam in ipsis malis miserorum voluptas.
Tempus est quaedam pars aeternitatis.
Homo est quaedam particula perfecti.
Ratio quasi quaedam lux lumenque vitae.
Est enim quaedam et dolendi modestia.
Iustitiae dilatio est quaedam negatio.
Doctrina est ingenii naturale quoddam pabulum.
Latrant enim iam quidam oratores, non loquuntur.
Quidam affirmant, alii negant.
Quidam inimici graves, amici sunt leves.
Plures labori, dulcibus quaedam otiis [horae].
Honesta quaedam scelera successus facit.
Sunt quaedam quae honeste non possum dicere.
Graviora quaedam sunt remedia periculis.
Tacita quaedam habentur pro expressis.
Nescire quaedam magna pars sapientiae est.
Quaedam enim falsa veri speciem ferunt.
Est actio quasi corporis quaedam eloquentia.
Quaedam non nisi decepta sanantur.
De omnibus rebus et quibusdam aliis.
Est lingua quibusdam, molares at aliis.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Verbum Hodiernum: POPULUS
Today's word is the second declension noun, POPULUS. The basic meaning of this word is "people" in the sense of "the public, the populace." But be careful: populus has all short vowels, while there is also a word pōpulus, with a long o, which is a feminine noun, meaning "poplar," that is, the poplar tree.
There are all kinds of English words that derive from Latin populus, meaning "people," such as "population," "populist," and "popular," for example - and also "pop music." The English word "people" also comes from the Latin, via the Anglo-French people, from Old French peupel. The Spanish word pueblo also comes from Latin populus.
It is also worth noting here an unusual Latin word formed from populus: the verb populor (populari). The literal meaning of the word is for a mass of people to pour into a region. Well, since that is often something that brings havoc and destruction to the original inhabitants of that region, the Latin verb populari usually means, by metaphorical extension, "to lay waste, destroy, plunger, pillage."
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:
Caveat populus.Vox populi, vox Dei.
Ibi valet populus, ubi valent leges.
Maximus magister populus.
Quales principes, tales populi.
Regnat populus.
Populus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur.
Ita populus, sic sacerdos.
Senatus Populusque Romanus
Maximus erroris populus magister.
Salus populi suprema lex esto.
Saepe luit populus poenas unius iniqui.
Populus est novarum cupiens pavidusque.
Iustitia elevat populos.
Vox populi, vox insaniae.
Unius peccata viri populus luit omnis.
Leo rugiens et ursus esuriens, princeps impius super populum pauperem.
Ibi pote valere populus, ubi leges valent.
Tamdiu a periculo aberit populus, quamdiu sciet ferre frenos.
Advocatus et non latro: res miranda populo.
Amor populi praesidium regis.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Verbum Hodiernum: ARMA
Today's word is ARMA, which is a neuter plural second declension noun, so the genitive form is armorum. The word literally refers to body armor or a shield, but through a process of extension and generalization it comes to refer to implements of war generally. By metaphorical extension, it can also refer to the tools of other crafts and trades, not just war.
There is a whole range of military words that derive from this Latin word, such "army," "armor," and "armaments." There is also the wonderful word "armistice," which is a compound of Latin arma and the verb sistere, meaning "to cause to stand, to cause to stand still." So the armistice is when the arms are set down and war comes to a stop (compare the similar compound "solstice," when the sun stops in its course and seems to stand still).
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:
Plus legibus arma valent.
Nec satis rationis in armis.
Cedant arma legibus.
Arma nesciunt leges.
Arma non servant modum.
Pacemne huc fertis an arma?
Sapiens contra omnes arma fert, cum cogitat.
Armis potentius aequum.
Arma tuentur pacem.
Leges silent inter arma.
Inter arma silent Musae.
Silent enim leges inter arma.
Inter arma silent leges.
Amor arma ministrat.
Furor arma ministrat.
Pax armis acquiritur.
Arma armis repellere licet.
Inter armorum strepitus verba iuris civilis exaudiri non possunt.
Cedant arma togae.
Bis interimitur qui suis armis perit.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Verbum Hodiernum: PRAEDICO
Today's word is PRAEDICO, as in the first conjugation verb, praedicare, meaning "to announce, proclaim publicly." In Christian Latin, it takes on the meaning "preach," an English word that ultimately derives from the Latin. This verb was used in classical Latin, but it became even more important in Christian Latin (often spelled predicare), which is how it shows up on this list of most frequently used Latin words.
This Latin verb also gives us the English grammar term "predicate," as well as the word "predicament." The word "predicament" originally meant a logical statement or assertion, and over time it has taken on connotations of an "unpleasant situation" (compare the similar connotations of the logic term "dilemma").
Just to make things a bit more confusing, there is a third conjugation verb: praedico, praedicere, a compound of the verb dico. This verb means "to say in advance, foretell, warn." It is from this Latin verb that we get the English words "predict" and "prediction."
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:
Audi quod dicis, operare quod praedicas.
De se nemo male praedicat.
Amicorum, magis quam tuam ipsius laudem, praedica.
Nummus ubi praedicat, labitur iustitia.
Qui praedicas non furandum, furaris?
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