Thursday, March 17, 2011
Verbum Hodiernum: TOTUS
Today's word is the adjective TOTUS. Although this is basically a first-second declension adjective, note that it has an irregular genitive for all genders: totius. You can see this Latin root in the English word "total" (which is actually from the late Latin adjective totalis). You can sometimes see the Latin phrase in toto used in English.
It is important to note that in Latin this adjective is used where we might use an adverb instead. For example, totus gaudeo, "I am completely happy."
Here are some examples of today's word in Latin sayings and proverbs:
Tota erras via.
Toto caelo erras.
Tota vita dies unus.
Tota vita hominis, unus est dies.
Tota vita flebilis est.
Tota vita discendum est mori.
Vivere tota vita discendum est.
Civis totius mundi.
Patria mea totus hic mundus est.
Pauca sed ex toto corde.
Tota in minimis exsistit natura.
Scabiosa ovis totum inquinat gregem.
Lingua maculat totum corpus.
Est gula totius fons et origo mali.
Unius peccata tota civitas luit.
Totum me, Fortuna, vicisti.
Fortuna nos vincit, nisi tota vincitur.
Qui totum vult, totum perdit.
Qui nimium petit, totum perdit.
Virtus in usu sui tota posita est.
Suum cuique tribuere tota est aequitas.
Furtivus potus plenus dulcidine totus.
Principium dimidium totius est.
Si finis bonus, totum laudabile.
Totum laudatur, si finis laude beatur.
Toto devorato bove, in cauda defecit.
Aurea libertas toto non venditur orbe.
Ne totam substantiam uni credamus navi.
Orbem iam totum victor Romanus habebat.
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Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Verbum Hodiernum: TERRA
Today's word is the noun TERRA. The word means "earth" in the general sense of earth as opposed to sky, and it also means "land," in the sense of ground, the soil beneath our feet, and also in the sense of a country or region. The phrase orbis terrarum was commonly used to refer to the whole world.
There are few English phrases that actually contain this Latin word, such as "terra incognita" or "terra firma." Via Italian, we get "terra-cotta." There are also many English words derived from the Latin such as "subterranean," "terrain" and "territory." The dog breed "terrier" is so named because the dogs were trained to chase their quarry, such as badgers, into their underground burrows. The word "terrace" originally referred to a platform built for walking across a mound of earth, hence the name. And don't forget the great science fiction adjective, "Terran."
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:
Omnes terra sumus.
Terra es, et in terram ibis.
Nihil in terra sine causa fit.
Terra corpus est, at mens ignis.
Qui de terra est, de terra loquitur.
Nihil novum super terram.
Sol stat, sed terra movetur.
Redditur terrae corpus.
Sit tibi terra levis.
Omnia de terra facta sunt et in terram pariter revertentur.
Terrae, ad quam pergis, cape mores, quos ibi cernis.
Omnes homines terra et cinis.
Non est ad astra mollis e terris via.
Terra amat imbrem.
Amicitia vera, rara avis in terra.
Alia terra alios mores postulat.
Vox sanguinis clamat de terra.
Novos caelos et novam terram expectamus, in quibus iustitia habitat.
Omne quod exoritur, terra fit et moritur.
Diligite iustitiam, qui iudicatis terram.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Verbum Hodiernum: FESTINO
Today's word is FESTINO, a first-conjugation verb meaning "make haste, hurry." Although the verb is very common in latin, I don't think it has yielded any English words. If anyone can think of some examples, though, let me know! In addition to the Latin verb, there is the noun festinatio, the adjective festinus, the adverb festinanter, etc.
There are many different kinds of constructions using this verb. You can see it used with an ut clause or with an infinitive. You can also use the verb with a direct object: nuptias festinare, for example. You can also see it used with a prepositional phrase: Ad rem festinemus, for example, "Let's get hurry and get down to business!"
Here are some examples of today's word in Latin sayings and proverbs:
Festina lente.
Festinare nocet.
Canis festinans caecos edit catulos.
Qui festinat ad divitias, non erit insons.
Ne festines locupletari, ne celerius fias pauper.
Eheu! Quam festinant dies.
Lupus ante clamorem festinat.
Dum festino omnia celeriter percurrere, tardior sum.
Qui plus satis festinat initio, serius ad finem pervenit.
Festinans ad duo diversa, neutrum bene peragit.
Animo cupienti nihil satis festinatur.
Festinata maturitas celerius occidit.
Festinus intellege, tardus loquere.
Qui festinus est pedibus, offendet.
Ut famam acquiras, festinus desere lectum.
Melior est gradus lentior per iter rectum, quam velocitas festina per devium.
Festinatio tarda est.
Festinatio nimia hominem retardat.
Omnis festinatio est a diabolo.
Festinatio improvida est et caeca.
Festinationis error comes et paenitentia.
Festinationis comites esse solent error et paenitentia.
Patientia est clavis gaudii; festinatio autem clavis paenitentiae.
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