Nuggets From A Dead Language

Some folks call Latin a dead language; they say the same thing about Sanskrit. But there is nothing like a dead language to add some class to your national symbols, motto's, plaques and banners of all sorts. It is difficult to find a legal document in English that does not carry a sprinkling of per se, sub peona and suo moto. There is even a line of footwear called Quo Vadis.

The only times I desperately wanted to know the meaning of Latin words and phrases was while reading Asterix comics. Centurions and one-legged, toothless pirates carried it with such elan that left you desperately seeking translations.

Here is a collection of interesting Latin from Wikipadia. Some of the meanings were surprising:

affidavit: "he asserted"

agenda: "things to be done"

alma mater: "nourishing mother"

bona fide: "in good faith"

carpe diem: "seize the day" - An exhortation to live for today. From Horace, Odes I

ceteris paribus: "all things being equal" - A phrase which rules out outside changes interfering with a situation.

citius altius fortius - "faster, higher, stronger" - Motto of modern Olympics

curriculum vitae: "course of life"

Magna Carta: "great paper"

magister dixit -"the master has said it" - Canonical medieval reference to Aristotle, precluding further discussion (So what about Madhuri Dixit ;)

memento mori - "remember that [you will] die"

nosce te ipsum - "know thyself"- From Cicero, inscribed on the Temple of Apollo at Delphi

Peccavi - "I have sinned" - Telegraph message and pun from Charles Napier, British general, upon completely subjugating the Indian province of Sindh in 1842.

pons asinorum - "bridge of asses" - Any obstacle that stupid people find hard to cross. Originally used of Euclid's Fifth Proposition in geometry.

pulvis et umbra sumus - "we are dust and shadow" - From Horace, Carmina

quid pro quo - "what for what" - Signifies a favor exchanged for a favor.

quod erat demonstrandum (Q.E.D.) - "which was to be demonstrated" - Sometimes translated loosely into English as "The Five Ws", W.W.W.W.W., which stands for "Which Was What We Wanted".

sic - "thus" - Or "just so". States that the preceding quoted material appears exactly that way in the source, despite any errors of spelling, grammar, usage, or fact that may be present.

sine qua non - "without which not" - Used to denote something that is an essential part of the whole.

sine die - "without a day" - In modern legal context, it means there is nothing left for the court to do, so no date for further proceedings is set.

sub poena - "under penalty" - Commonly rendered subpoena. Said of a request, usually by a court, that must be complied with on pain of punishment.

Sui generis - "Of its own kind" - In a class of its own.

sum quod eris - "I am what you will be" - A gravestone inscription to remind the reader of the inevitability of death (cf. memento mori). Also rendered fui quod sis ("I have been what you are") and tu fui ego eris ("I have been you, you will be I").

suo moto - "upon one's own initiative"