Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Verbum Hodiernum: VALEO
Today's word is the second-conjugation verb, VALEO, meaning "be strong, be well, be effective." One of the most common uses of this word was to refer to personal health (Valesne? Are you well? Valeo! I am well) and as such it was also used in leave-taking, with Vale! being equivalent to our "Goodbye!" There are various abbreviations used in letter-writing which invoke this word: S.V.B.E., si vales, bene est, for example, or S.V.B.E.E.V., si vales, bene est; ego valeo.
The val- root, meaning "strong," is extremely productive in Latin, and we consequently get many English words from this Latin root, such as "valid" and "invalid", "valence" and "ambivalent," "valor" and "valiant," and even the personal name Valerie. In addition, via French, we get the words "avail, available," etc. Even the English word "value" comes from this root!
Here are just some examples of valeo in proverbs I have tentatively selected to include in the Scala Sapientiae!
Virtus semper valet.
Non vivere, sed valere vera vita est.
Non vivere, sed valere, vita est.
Quam bene valere, melius in vita nihil.
Volo, non valeo.
Res plus valent quam verba.
Plus valent oculi quam oculus.
Plus valet actum quam scriptum.
Fortuna hominibus plus quam consilium valet.
Fortuna nulli plus quam consilium valet.
Plus legibus arma valent.
Ibi valet populus, ubi valent leges.
Aurum quid valet!
Ratio fatum vincere nulla valet.
Contra vim non valet ius.
Sine ope divina nihil valemus.
Quae non valeant singula, iuncta iuvant.
Iuncti valemus.
Plus sonat quam valet.
Plus valet bonum nomen, quam divitiae multae.
Valere malo quam dives esse.
Ratio contra vim parum valet.
Non est opus valentibus medico, sed male habentibus.
Plurimum valet gallus in aedibus suis.
Nulla valet tantum virtus, patientia quantum.
Ubi iudicat, qui accusat, vis, non lex valet.
Testimonium unius non valet.
Si non currere, saltare saltem vales.
Facile omnes cum valemus, recta consilia aegrotis damus.
Ferrum quando calet cudere quisque valet.
Plus valet in manibus avis unica quam dupla in silvis.
Plus valet passer in dextra quam quattuor extra.
Plus valet in dextra munus quam plurima extra.
.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Verbum Hodiernum: QUASI
Today's word is QUASI, an adverb that means "as if" or "like." We even use this Latin word in English, and it has just the same meaning - a "quasi-member" of a group, for example, is someone who is like a member of the group, but not really a member.
The Latin word was originally spelled "quamsi" - think of it as being something like "tam... quam si" - just... as if."
Here are some examples of today's word in Latin sayings and proverbs:
Quasi nix tabescit dies.
Res quasi bruma fluit, quae male parta fuit.
Dies nostri quasi umbra super terram.
Consuetudo quasi altera lex.
Consuetudo quasi altera natura.
Oculi quasi fenestrae animi.
Qui monet, quasi adiuvat.
Dii nos quasi pilas homines habent.
Ita vita est hominum quasi cum ludas tesseris.
Deus ipse solem, quasi lumen, accendit.
Ratio quasi quaedam lux lumenque vitae.
Maiorum gloria posteris quasi lumen est.
Omnis mundi creatura quasi liber et scriptura.
Sine doctrina vita est quasi imago mortis.
Homo sine pecunia est quasi corpus sine anima.
Laudatur nummus, quasi rex super omnia summus.
Ignoscito aliis quasi pecces cotidie.
Superbia est quasi rex omnium vitiorum.
Quis unquam res suas quasi periturus aspexit?
Quod est venturum, sapiens quasi praesens cavet.
A iustitia, quasi a quodam fonte, omnia iura emanant.
Egomet meo indicio miser quasi sorex hodie perii.
Quasi mures semper edimus alienum cibum.
.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Verbum Hodiernum: MEDICUS
Today's word is MEDICUS, and of course you can see the same Latin root in all kinds of English words like medical, medicine, and so on. Like the word amicus, the word medicus is actually an adjective and can be used as such (as in the phrase materia medica), but you will see it far more often substantively, referring to a "medical man," i.e. a physician or doctor.
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:
Errores medicorum terra tegit.
Medice, cura te ipsum.
Medice, tibi ipsi medicus esto.
Medico male est, si nemini male est.
Modicus cibi, medicus sibi.
Morborum medicus omnium mors ultimus.
Non est opus valentibus medico, sed male habentibus.
Omnis doloris tempus fit medicus.
Plus a medico quam a morbo periculi.
Post mortem, medicus.
Sanus non eget medico, sed male habens.
Sermo irae medicus.
Tempus animae medicus.
Turba medicorum regem interfecit.
Medice, sana te ipsum.
Medicus curat, natura sanat.
Medici carnifices sub honesto nomine.
Aegroto mortuo, sero venit medicus.
Aliorum medicus, ipse ulceribus scates.
Abbati, medico, patronoque intima pande.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)