Saturday, March 5, 2011
Verbum Hodiernum: STO
Today's word is the verb STO (stare, steti, status), which has the basic meaning of "stand" or "stay." It can also have the metaphorical meaning of "stand firm," "withstand," etc. The history of this word in the Romance languages is of tremendous importance, as it comes to have the general meaning of "to be," existing side by side with the Latin esse, with subtle differences in meaning, as in Italian sto versus sono, both meaning "I am."
There are all kinds of words in English that are derived from today's word, such as "state," "estate," "station," "status" and "stature," as well as "statue" and "statute," and also "stance" and "stable." There are also words in English that come from Latin compounded forms of today's word, such as "circumstance," "constant," "distant," "instant," "substance," etc. An interesting one is "contrast," which is from contrastare. The English word "stage" comes from Old French estage, from Late Latin staticum.
The subjunctive Latin stet is sometimes used in editorial writing to mean, "let it stand (as written)." We also use the Latin phrase status quo.
Here are some examples of today's word in Latin sayings and proverbs:
Suis stat viribus.
Stat sua cuique dies.
Stat magni nominis umbra.
Stat contra ratio.
Hora fugit, stat ius.
Fata regunt orbem; certa stant omnia lege.
Non segnis stat, remeatve dies.
Caelum stat, terra movetur.
Sol stat, sed terra movetur.
Crux stat, dum volvitur orbis.
In medio stat veritas.
In medio stat virtus.
Deum colenti stat sua merces.
Cum fortuna statque caditque fides.
Summum non stat sine infimo.
Bene qui stat, non moveatur.
Qui stat, videat ne cadat.
Si stas, ne cadas.
Uno nemo potest in pede stare diu.
Non datum est summis imperiis stare diu.
Decet imperatorem stantem mori.
Nec invideamus altius stantibus.
Inter sacrum saxumque sto.
Stet fortuna domus!
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Thursday, March 3, 2011
Verbum Hodiernum: PHILOSOPHUS
Today's word is PHILOSOPHUS, a Greek word meaning "lover of wisdom," adopted into Latin. We have also adopted the Greek word (via Latin) into English as "philosopher." There is also a noun philosophia, meaning "philosophy."
All the vowels in Latin philosophus are short, and the "ph" represents a single consonant in the Greek alphabet (the letter phi, φ), so the stress in the Latin word is on the antepenultimate syllabus, philósophus.
In addition to the familiar word "philosopher," you can see the Latin word philosophia itself in the abbreviation PhD, Philosophiae Doctor. Plus, here is a bit of related Greek trivia: The honor society Phi Beta Kappa is a Greek abbreviation of Φιλοσοφία Βίου Κυβερνήτης (philosophia biou kybernetes), "philosophy, guide of life."
Here are some examples of today's word in Latin sayings and proverbs:
Barba tenus philosophus.
Barba non facit philosophum.
Video barbam et pallium; philosophum nondum video.
Barba non facit philosophum, neque vile gerere pallium.
Si philosophum oporteat ex barba metiri, hircos primam laudem ablaturos.
Sile et philosophus esto.
Si tacuisset, philosophus mansisset.
Verus philosophus est amator Dei.
Tota philosophorum vita commentatio mortis est.
Philosophi autem in suis lectulis plerumque moriuntur.
Liberis enim verbis loquuntur philosophi.
Inanes sententiae philosophorum.
Nihil tam absurde dici potest quod non dicatur ab aliquo philosophorum.
Plus potest negare asinus quam probare philosophus.
Facilius inter philosophos quam inter horologia conveniet.
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Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Verbum Hodiernum: SANCTUS
Today's word is SANCTUS, the perfect participle of the verb sancire, meaning "to render sacred," so sanctus is that which is sacred or blessed. In Christian Latin, it acquires the special meaning of "saint," and the English word "saint" is ultimately derived from Latin sanctus. This is a word that was widely used in classical Latin, though, even before its special importance in Christian Latin; for a sense of the range of Roman uses of the word, take a look at the Lewis & Short dictionary entry.
From the same Latin root we also get the English words "sanction," "sanctuary," "sanctify," "sacrosanct," etc.
Here are some examples of today's word in Latin sayings and proverbs:
Si radix sancta, et rami.
Sanctus amor patriae dat animum.
Amicitiae sanctum et venerabile nomen.
Sanctissimum est meminisse, cui te debeas.
Sancta sancte tractanda sunt.
Qui conversatur cum sanctis, sanctus erit.
Non poscunt sancti quod negatur a Deo.
Non omnis Martinus sanctus.
Non omnes sancti qui calcant limina templi.
Non omnes sancti sunt qui delubra deorum intrant.
Hypocrita non appetit sanctus esse, sed vocari.
Vincit sanctos dira libido.
Corrumpunt etiam sanctos commercia prava.
Sancta sanctorum.
Veni, Sancte Spiritus.
Spiritus Sanctus te illuminet.
In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti.
Pretiosa est in oculis Domini mors sanctorum eius.
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