Verbum Hodiernum: TANTUS

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TANTUS Dictionary Entry

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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.