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 […]
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 […]
denique caelum – Heaven at Last
denique caelum Heaven at last (battle cry of the Crusaders)
ad clerum – to the Clergy
ad clerum To the clergy concio ad clerum Discourse to the clergy
Christo et Ecclesiae – for Christ and for the Church
Christo et Ecclesiae For Christ and for the Church
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 […]
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
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 […]
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)
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 […]
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 […]
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
falsi crimem – Crime of falsification
falsi crimen / crimen falsi Crime of falsification; perjury doli incapax Incapable of crime actus reus The criminal act; the guilty act corpus delicti Body of the crime; objective proof of crime crimen Crime; criminal crimen innominatum Nameless crime; crime against nature crimem laesae maiestatis Crime of high treason culpa lata Gross negligence culpa levis […]
curia – A court of law
curia A court of law claves curiae Keys of the court dies juridicus A day on which the court is in session dies non juridicus A day on which the court is not in session Camera Stellata The Star Chamber (renowned court of 16th century England) accedas ad curiam You may approach the court certiorari […]
consuetudo est altera lex – Custom is another law
consuetudo est altera lex Custom is another law consuetudo pro lege servatur Custom is held as the law ad usum… According to custom…
castigat ridendo mores – Corrects customs laughing
castigat ridendo mores One corrects customs by laughing at them damnant quodnon intelligunt They condemn what they do not understand parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus Mountains will be in labour, and an ridiculous mouse will be born So much work and the result is ridiculous facile est inventis addere it is easy to add to […]
corruptio optimi pessima – The curruption of the best is the worst
corruptio optimi pessima The curruption of the best is the worst corruptissima re publica plurimae leges In the most corrupt state are the most laws (Terence)
conscientia mille testes – Conscience a thousand witnesses
conscientia mille testes Conscience is as good as a thousand witnesses
certum est quia impossible est – It is certain because it is impossible
certum est quia impossible est It is certain because it is impossible (Tertullian)
caveat – Let one beware, take caution
caveat Let one beware, take caution caveant consules Consuls (of the Roman Senate) beware caveant consules ne quid detrimenti respublica capiat Beware consuls that the commonwealth is not harmed caveat actor Let the doer beware caveat emptor Let the buyer beware caveat venditor Let the seller beware caveat viator Let the traveller beware cave canem […]
Eggs today are better than chickens tomorrow
ad praesens ova cras pullis sunt meliora ad quem ad quod Eggs today are better than chickens tomorrow cave quid dicis, quando, et cui Beware of what you say, when, and to whom
credo ut intelligam – I believe so that I may understand
credo ut intelligam I believe so that I may understand cras credemus, hodie nihil tomorrow we believe, but not today credo quia absurdum est or credo quia impossible est I believe it because it is absurd/impossible credat Iudaeus Apella Let Apella the Jew believe it (I won’t) (Horace) crede quod habes, et habes Believe that […]
ars est celare artem – True art is to conceal art
ars est celare artem True art is to conceal art ars longa vita brevis Art is long life is short ars gratia artis Art is the reward of art. dramatis personae Characters of the play
concordia discors – Harmony in discord
concordia discors Harmony in discord (Horace) adversus solem ne loquitor Don’t speak against the sun (i.e., don’t argue an obvious fact) disputandi pruritus ecclesiarum scabies An itch for disputation is the incurable disease of the church ad verecundiam Appeal to modesty in an argument componere lites To settle disputes (Horace)
credo quia absurdum est – I believe it because it is absurd
credo quia absurdum est I believe it because it is absurd ab asino lanam [Like getting] wool from an ass (i.e., blood from a stone) ab absurdum To the absurd
cognati – Relations of the Mother’s Side
Latin Family Terms: Relatives cognati Relations of the mother’s side affinitas Relationship by marriage Latin Family Terms: Children filius nullius son of nobody; bastard filius a son
censor morum – a Censor of Morals
censor morum A censor of morals