Latin Phrase Dictionary

 Latin Phrases

quoqunque jeceris stabit – Whichever Way You Throw It, It Will Stand

quoqunque jeceris stabit – Whichever Way You Throw It, It Will Stand

quoqunque jeceris stabit Whithersoever You Throw It, It Will Stand Motto of the Isle of Man, a self-governing crown dependency in the Irish Sea between England and Northern Ireland.  The earliest examples of the Latin motto come from the island’s coinage in the late 17th century.  

 Latin Phrases

libertas – Freedom

libertas Freedom  

 Latin Phrases

montis insignia calpe – Badge of the Rock of Gibraltar (motto)

montis insignia calpe – Badge of the Rock of Gibraltar (motto)

  montis insignia calpe Badge of the Rock of Gibraltar Motto of Gibraltar (British Overseas Territory) This coat of arms was given to Gibraltar by Isabella I of Castile. After the territory was passed back to the Spanish Crown in 1501, the queen issued a Royal Warrant granting Gibraltar the coat of arms and motto […]

 Latin Phrases

deo juvante – with God’s Help (motto of Monaco)

deo juvante With God’s help (motto of Monaco)

 Latin Phrases

Joannes est nomen eius – John Is His Name (Motto of Puerto Rico)

Joannes est nomen ejus or:  Ioannes est nomen eius or:  Iohannes est nomen eius John is his name (Motto of Puerto Rico)

 Latin Phrases

esse quam videri – to Be Rather than to Seem (Motto of N. Carolina)

esse quam videri To be rather than to seem (Motto of North Carolina and many other groups/organizations)

 Latin Phrases

sapientia superat moras – Wisdom Overcomes Difficulty (Bolton Institute Motto)

sapientia superat moras Wisdom overcomes difficulty (Motto of Bolton Institute of Higher Education, Bolton, UK).

 Latin Phrases

sane, paululum linguae latinae dico – Sure, I Speak a Little Latin.

sane, paululum linguae latinae dico Sure, I speak a little Latin. id legi modo hic modo illic. vero, latine loqui non est difficilissimum I picked it up here and there. Really, Latin isn’t all that hard. lingua speciem involutam praebet, sed sat cito eam comprehendes It looks like a tricky language, but you’ll get the […]

 Latin Phrases

assiduus usus uni rei deditus et ingenium et artem saepe vincit – Constant Practice Devoted to One Subject Often Outdoes Both Intelligence and Skill

assiduus usus uni rei deditus et ingenium et artem saepe vincit  (M.Tullius Cicero). Constant practice devoted to one subject often outdoes both intelligence and skill.

 Latin Phrases

acta sanctorum – Deeds of the Saints

acta sanctorum Deeds of the saints (Jean Bolland)

 Latin Phrases

accusare nemo se debit, nisi coram Deo – No One Is Bound to Accuse Himself, unless Before God

accusare nemo se debit, nisi coram Deo No one is bound to accuse herself/himself, unless before God actus Dei act of God a Deo et rege From God and the king a Deo lux nostra Our light comes from God adiuvante Deo labor proficit With God’s help, work prospers ad majorem Dei gloriam To the […]

 Latin Phrases

denique caelum – Heaven at Last

denique caelum Heaven at last (battle cry of the Crusaders)

 Latin Phrases

ad clerum – to the Clergy

ad clerum To the clergy concio ad clerum Discourse to the clergy

 Latin Phrases

disputandi pruritus ecclesiarum scabies – an Itch for Disputation Is the Incurable Disease of the Church

disputandi pruritus ecclesiarum scabies An itch for disputation is the incurable disease of the church

 Latin Phrases

Christo et Ecclesiae – for Christ and for the Church

Christo et Ecclesiae For Christ and for the Church

 Latin Phrases

bene orasse est bene studuisse – to Have Prayed Well Is to Have Pursued Well

bene orasse est bene studuisse To have prayed well is to have pursued well benigno numine By the favour of the heavens (Horace) beatus A blessed person Beata Virgo Maria Blessed Virgin Mary beati pacifici Blessed are the peacemakes (Beatitudes) beati pauperes spiritu Blessed are the poor in spirit beati possidentes Blessed are those who […]

 Latin Phrases

favete linguis – Be Silent

favete linguis Favour me with your tongues (be silent) mendacem memorem esse oportet It is fitting that a liar should be a man of good memory (liars should have good memories) parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus Mountains will be in labour, and an absurd mouse will be born (all that work and nothing to show […]

 Latin Phrases

exitus acta probat – the Result Validates the Deeds

exitus acta probat The result validates the deeds. errare humanum est To err is human eheu fugaces . labuntur anni Alas, the fleeting years slip away fabas indulcet fames Hunger sweetens the beans. facta non verba Deeds, not words (Actions speak louder than words) fallaces sunt rerum species The appearances of things are deceptive. flat […]

 Latin Phrases

cur ante tubam tremor occupat artus? – Why Should Fear Seize the Limbs before the Trumpet Sounds?

Cur ante tubam tremor occupat artus? Why should fear seize the limbs before the trumpet sounds? (Virgil) victis honor Honour to the vanquished veni vidi vici I came, I saw, I conquered (Julius Caesar’s report of victory in 47 B.C. over Pharnaces, king of Pontus) in pace, ut sapiens, aptarit idonea bello In peace, like […]

 Latin Phrases

ad vitam aut culpam – for Life or Until a Misdeed

ad vitam aut culpam – for Life or Until a Misdeed

ad vitam aut culpam For life or until a misdeed do ut des I give so that you may give do ut facias I give so that you may do

 Latin Phrases

amare et sapere vix deo conceditur – Even a God Finds it Hard to Love and Be Wise at the Same Time

amare et sapere vix deo conceditur Even a god finds it hard to love and be wise at the same time amor vincit omnia Love conquers all amantes sunt amentes Lovers are lunatics amantium irae amoris integratio est Lovers quarrels are the renewal of love cras amet qui nunquam amavit; quique amavit, cras amet May […]

 Latin Phrases

culpam poena premit comes – Punishment Presses Hard onto the Heels of Crime

culpam poena premit comes Punishment presses hard onto the heels of crime (Horace) celari vult sua furta Venus Venus desires her thefts to be concealed culpae poenae par esto Let the punishment fit the crime caput lupinum The wolf’s head (an outlaw or a renegade)

 Latin Phrases

adhuc sub iudice lis est – the Case Is Still Before the Court

adhuc sub iudice lis est The case is still before the court cursus curiae est lex curiae The practice of the court is the law of the court cursus curiae est lex curiae The practice of the court is the law of the court certiorari To be informed by an appellate review court

 Latin Phrases

absens haeres non erit – the Absent One Will Not Be Heir

absens haeres non erit The absent one will not be heir abusus non tollit usum Abuse of a right does not invalidate use ab abusu ad usum non valet consequentia Consequences of abuse do not aply to general use curia advisari vult The court wishes to be advised lex non distinguitur nos non distinguere debemus […]

 Latin Phrases

pro rata – Proportionally; for a Proportion

pro rata Proportionally; for a proportion. In a situation where several debtors are each liable for her/his own share or proportion only, they are said to be bound “pro rata”. Term ‘pro rata’ is contrasted with ‘in solidum’ – where several debtors are each liable for the whole debt. An example of both phrases may […]

 Latin Phrases

mutatis mutandis – Things Being Changed Which Are to Be Changed

mutatis mutandis Things being changed which are to be changed. E.g., a proprietor of an estate fues his lands, and the feu contracts all contain the same general clauses, the same obligations on the feuars and confer the same rights. In such a case two of the feu charters are said to be the same […]

 Latin Phrases

consensus facit legem – Consent makes the law

consensus facit legem Consent makes the law corruptissima re publica plurimae leges In the most corrupt state are the most laws (Terence) cursus curiae est lex curiae The practice of the court is the law of the court de minimis non curat lex The law does not concern itself with trifles durum hoc est sed […]

 Latin Phrases

contra ius commune – against Common Law

contra ius commune Against common law contra ius gentium Against the law of nations custodia legis In the custody of law corpus iuris Body of law codex A volume of manuscripts; a code of laws corpus The body; collection of law or writings Corpus Juris Canonici Body of religious law Corpus Juris Civilis Body of […]

 Latin Phrases

de fide et officio iudicis non recipitur quaestio – No Question Can Be Allowed Concerning the Faith and Duty of the Judge

de fide et officio iudicis non recipitur quaestio No question can be allowed concerning the faith and duty of the judge

 Latin Phrases

coram iudice – In the Presence of a Judge with Jurisdiction

coram iudice In the presence of a judge with [proper] jurisdiction coram non iudice Before a judge without [proper] jurisdiction in camera [In secret] in a judges private room  

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