Verbum Hodiernum: FUMUS

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FUMUS Dictionary Entry

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Today's word is FUMUS, which is a second-declension masculine noun.

Latin meaning and usage: The basic meaning of the word is "smoke" or "steam" or "fumes."

Latin word formation: The root is highly productive, giving rise to many verbs such as fumo, fumesco, fumifico, and compound verbs like effumo. There are also various nouns such as fumator and fumarium, as well as adjectives like fumosus and fumifer.

English cognates and derivatives: We get the English word "fume" from this Latin word, along with "fumigation."

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

De fumo ad flammam.

Defecerunt sicut fumus dies mei.

Flamma fumo est proxima.

Fumum fugiens, in ignem incidi.

Fumus, ergo ignis.

Homo humus, fama fumus, finis cinis.

Post mortem fumus, pulvis et umbra sumus.

Semper flamma fumo proxima est.

Vita mortalium cinis est et fumus.

Vitandus fumus, in ignem ne incidas.

Dum vito fumum, flammam in ipsam decido.

Fumum pro fulgore dat.

Praenuntiat fumus incendium.

Fumus sumus, fimus fimus.

Non est fumus absque igne.

De fumo disceptant.

Patriae fumus igni alieno luculentior.

Ex fumo dare lucem.

Ex igne ut fumus, sic fama ex crimine surgit.

Fumo comburi nihil potest, flamma potest.

Verbum Hodiernum: RES

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RES Dictionary Entry

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Today's word is RES, which is a fifth-declension noun (gen. rei).

Latin meaning and usage: The range of meaning for the Latin word res is simply astounding; sometimes you can make do with the word "thing," but there is simply no English equivalent for the wide-ranging meanings of this Latin word. Take a read through the Lewis & Short dictionary entry to get a sense of the many possible English translations.

Latin word formation: You can find the word res used in many different expressions and compounds. One of the most famous, of course, is res publica, sometimes written respublica. The phrase quam ob rem can also be written as one word: quamobrem. You can also see the word res in the expression quare = quā rē? Be careful also with the verb refero; there is a typical compound re+fero, meaning "carry back, bring back, report," etc., but there is a different compound, rē+fert, meaning "it is somebody's business" - meā rēfert, "it is my business," tuā rēfert, "it is your business," etc.

English cognates and derivatives: You can see the Latin rē (= in rē) in the "re:" line used in the subject line of memos and letters. We also get the word "republic" (and its derivatives) from this Latin word.

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

Verbum Hodiernum: IUBEO

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IUBEO Dictionary Entry

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Today's word is IUBEO, which is a second-conjugation verb: iubere, iussi, iussum.

Latin meaning and usage: The basic Latin meaning is to command. It can take an infinitive complement, with the person(s) commanded in the accusative. It can also take an ut (ne) clause, or a subjunctive clause without a conjunction. You can also see the person commanded in the dative as well as in the accusative.

Latin word formation: The etymology of this word might be a contraction of ius and habere. There are various compounds of the verb in Latin: adiubeo, coniubeo, etc. There are also derivatives such as iussor and its compounds: fideiussor and confideiussor.

English cognates and derivatives: The only English derivative I know of is the word "jussive" which is used to describe the use of the subjunctive in Latin - a so-called "jussive subjunctive" - which expresses a command.

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

Nos iubere volumus, non iuberi.

Si regnas, iube.

Lex universa est, quae iubet nasci et mori.

Lex iubet, aut permittit, aut vetat.

Hominem experiri multa paupertas iubet.

Lex iubet, non suadet.

Iubeat lex, non suadeat.

Deus impossibilia non iubet.

Deus nos scire pauca, multa mirari iubet.

Qui recte vivit, contemnit iussa superbi.

Non qui iussus aliquod, sed qui invitus facit, miser est.

Taurum ferre iubes, nequeam cum ferre capellam.

Dicere quae puduit, scribere iussit amor.

Fari iubes tacere quae suadet metus.

Iubet igitur nos Pythius Apollo noscere nosmet ipsos.

Nudo detrahere vestimenta me iubes.

Qui non prohibet cum potest, iubet.

Renuis quod tu, iubet alter.

Si inimicos iubemur diligere, quem habemus odisse?

Silentium non est consensus, nisi lex loqui iubeat.

Verbum Hodiernum: CAMPUS

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CAMPUS Dictionary Entry

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Today's word is CAMPUS, which is a masculine second-declension noun.

Latin meaning and usage: The basic meaning of the Latin campus is a flat place, such as a "plain" or a "field." The Campus Martius was a grassy field along the Tiber river in Rome where the comitia centuriata met. The word campus could also refer to a place of action, such as a field of battle.

Latin word formation: You can see the Latin root in the place name Campania. There are also compounds like campidoctor, also spelled campi doctor, which is the term for the drill-master who trained the soldiers in the Campus Martius.

English cognates and derivatives: Of course, we use the word "campus" in English! We also get "camp" and "campaign" from Latin campus. The English "scamper" also comes from this same root, via the Old French eschamper, from the Late Latin excampare, meaning to decamp, to leave the field. From the Late Latin word campionem we get English "champion." The name of "Camembert" cheese is from a village in Normandy once called Campus Maimberti.

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

Campus habet oculos, silva aures.

Quot campo flores, tot sunt in amore dolores.

Redeunt iam gramina campis, arboribusque comae.

Quot campus mures, tot alis, Mars improbe, fures.

Quot campo lepores, tot sunt in amore dolores.

Gramina quot campis, tot sunt in amore pericula.

Campus habet lumen, et habet nemus auris acumen.

Lumina campus habet; nemus aures fertur habere.

Magnus est in re publica campus, multis apertus cursus ad laudem.

Verbum Hodiernum: MORS

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MORS Dictionary Entry

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Today's word is MORS, which is a a third-declension feminine noun, genitive mortis.

Latin meaning and usage: The Latin word means "death," with a range of metaphorical meaning quite similar to the English word.

Latin word formation: The root -mort is extremely production in Latin, and can be seen also in the participle of the verb morior - mortuus. Some of the most common are the adjectives mortalis (immortalis), and mortifer, along with the abstract nouns mortalitas (immortalitas).

English cognates and derivatives: In English we still use the Latin phrases rigor mortis and post mortem, along with words like "mortal" and "immortal." We also get the verb "amortize" from the Latin Latin admortire.

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

Mors nec bonum nec malum est.

Mors tua, vita mea.

Post mortem nihil est, ipsaque mors nihil.

Quis est vir qui vivat et non videat mortem?

Nihil nisi mors certum est.

Nihil morte certius.

Mors sequitur; vita fugit.

Vita sine litteris mors est.

Fac bene dum vivis, post mortem vivere si vis.

Omnium finis mors est.

Mors omnibus parata est.

Mors omnia solvit.

Somnus est frater mortis.

Qualis vita, mors est ita.

Beata morte nihil beatius.

Nemo ante mortem beatus est.

Mors et vita in manibus linguae.

Mors sua quemque manet.

Mors servat legem: tollit cum paupere regem.

Ubi omnis vita metus est, mors est optima.

Verbum Hodiernum: FRATER

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FRATER Dictionary Entry

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Today's word is FRATER, which is a third-declension masculine noun, gen. fratris.

Latin meaning and usage: The basic meaning of the Latin word is "brother," with many of the same metaphorical extensions that we have in English.

Latin word formation: There is the diminutive fraterculus, and the abstract noun fraternitas, along with the adjective fraternus. There is the compound fratricida, and there are also kinship terms, such as fratria, sister-in-law (uxor fratris) and fratruelis, a paternal cousin.

English cognates and derivatives: The English "brother" derives from the same Indo-European root as Latin frater. In English we have "fraternities," of course, and the adjective "fraternal." The word "friar" comes via Old French frere, and "confrere" comes via French from medieval Latin confrater.

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:

Quis amicior quam frater fratri?

Frater est amicus quem nobis dedit Natura.

Omnes vos fratres estis.

Somnus est frater mortis.

Frater est amicus quem donat Natura.

Quid mihi prodest scire agellum in partes dividere, si nescio cum fratre dividere?

Melior est vicinus iuxta, quam frater procul.

Proximus est melior vicinus fratre remoto.

Utilior praesto vicinus fratre remoto.

Tu quid iudicas fratrem tuum?

Qui diligit fratrem, placat Deo patrem.

Num custos fratris mei sum?

Acerba sunt bella fratrum.

Fratrum inter se irae sunt acerbissimae.

Non oderis fratrem tuum in corde tuo.

Fratrum concordia rara.

Iam frater fratrem, natus fraudare parentem nititur, et servus dominum, coniunxque maritum.

Mors dirimit fratres, absentia perdit amicos.

Si videas fratres inter se bella gerentes, neutri confer opem, sed eorum corrige mentes.

Concordes duo sunt in caelo sidera fratres; in terra unanimes vix reor esse duos.

Verbum Hodiernum: LONGUS

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LONGUS Dictionary Entry

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Today's word is LONGUS, which is a regular first-second declension adjective.

Latin meaning and usage: The basic meaning of the Latin word is "long," but note that it can also mean "tall," as well as "distant." It can also refer to something "long-lasting." As often an adjective that refers to space can also be applied to time!

Latin word formation: There is an adverbial form, longe, meaning "a long way off, at a distance" and also "for a long time." There are many words derived from this root in Latin, such as the adjective longinquus, as well as compounds such as longaevus. There is also an abstract noun, longitudo. Don't forget the intensive forms, too: perlongus and perlonginquus, too.

English cognates and derivatives: Of course, we have English "long" as well as "longitude" and "longevity," along with comopunds such as "oblong," "prolong" and "elongation." We get "purloin" from this root via the Old French porloigner and "lunge" via the Old French alongier. (But note that "belong" is not from Latin; it is from a Germanic root, which you can see in German belangen.)

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

Longae regum manus.

Nullus agenti dies longus est.

Nox tibi longa venit nec reditura dies.

Vive tibi et longe nomina magna fuge.

Legis manus longa.

Longa est vita, si plena est.

Alta a longe cognoscuntur.

Vita beatior non fit, si longior.

Vita, si scias uti, longa est.

Ars longa, vita brevis.

Breve tempus aetatis, satis longum ad bene vivendum.

Brevis ipsa vita est, sed malis fit longior.

O vita misero longa, felici brevis!

Vita misero longa, felici brevis.

Longa via est: propera.

Nil agenti dies longus est.

Mutat via longa puellas.

Brevis via per exempla, longa per praecepta.

Recede longius, et ride.

Sapientia longe praestat divitiis.