Latin word for learn

Root Metaphor

To distinguish or notice

Composite Visual Metaphor

latin colour 01

Etymology

The most common Latin word for learn, discite, combines a pair of metaphors – dividing and accepting. The first metaphor, about taking or accepting, is derived from the PIE dek— “to take, accept.” Importantly, dek- is also the root of “doctor” and “dogma,” from the Latin doceo “teach.” The second metaphor, about dividing or separating, is derived from the PIE skei- “to cut, split.” It is the root of many English words, including “science” and scissors” (see more below). Combined in discite, these two metaphors suggest that the original meaning of “to learn” was likely something like “to notice and accept established distinctions.”

Common phrases

Latin is a dead language, and so we are compelled to extrapolate from remnants of meaning in English words that are derived from Latin roots.

English words related to the Latin discite, “to learn”
  • discern
  • discreet
  • discrete
  • disciple
  • discipline
Common phrases about learning

 Isaiah 1:17 discite benefacere quaerite iudicium subvenite oppresso iudicate pupillo defendite viduam  Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
 Discite iustitiam moniti et non temnere divos! Having been warned, study justice and learn not to despise the gods!
generatim discite cultus Learn each field of study according to its kind.
ab uno disce omnes — from one, learn all – which refers to the universal truth within a single case.

English words related to the Latin doceo, “to teach”
  • decent
  • decorate
  • dignity
  • docile
  • doctor
  • document
  • dogma
  • paradox
Common phrases about teaching

 docendo discitur It is learned by teaching / one learns by teaching
docendo disco, scribendo cogito — I learn by teaching, I think by writing
experientia docet — experience teaches
mortui vivos docent — the dead teach the living
quaecumque vera doce me — teach me whatsoever is true
qui docet in doctrina Let those who teach, teach

Commentary

Because Latin is a “dead language” (i.e., it isn’t a native language for a living community), the web of associations in this entry is largely based on inference – in particular, on extrapolations from associations among English cognates (in grey) of Latin words. That said, it is evident that two Proto-Indo-European roots figure prominently across the Latin web, namely skei- “to cut, split” and dek- “to take, accept.” Worthy of emphasis, skei- and dek- are combined in the Latin disciplina “teaching given,” which echoes strongly in English vocabulary for knowledge, learning, and teaching alike.
 
 
 

Please cite this article as:
Francis, K., & Davis, B. (2023) “Discite» (Latin). In Metaphors of Learning In Different Languages. https://doi.org/10.11575/8B7N-V637. https://learningmetaphors.com

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It’s guaranteed that you have or will run into some of these Latin terms in anything including the lightest reading. That’s because they’re everywhere. In newspapers, textbooks, manuals, et cetera. They are used in, inter alia, academic writing, text messaging, and, quite extensively, law documents. So, they are, ipso facto, very important to know. Ergo, we thought it’s a good idea to combine these Latin words and phrases in one place and explain what they mean so that when you run into some of them next time, you go like, ha! I have seen this word somewhere and I know what it means. So, let’s get down to it. 


1. a priori

A belief or conclusion based on assumptions or reasoning of some sort rather than actual experience or empirical evidence. Before actually encountering, experiencing, or observing a fact.

2. a posteriori. 

A fact, belief, or argument that is based on actual experience, experiment, or observation. After the fact.

3. ad astra.

To the stars.

4. ad hoc.

For a particular situation, without planning or consideration of some broader purpose or application.

5. ad hominem.

Directed to a particular person rather than generally, such as an attack on a person rather than a position they are espousing.

6. ad infinitum.

Repeat forever.

7. ad lib

Short for ad libitum. As you desire, at one’s pleasure. To speak or perform without preparation.

8. ad nauseam. 

Repetition that has become annoying or tiresome.


9. affidavit.

He has sworn. Sworn statement.

10. alma mater.

Nourishing, kind, bounteous mother. School from which one graduated.

11. alias.

Also known as. Otherwise known as. Less commonly as the proper meaning of at another time, otherwise.

12. alibi. 

In another place. Elsewhere. Reason one couldn’t have been in a location where an act was committed.

13. alter ego.

Other self. Another side of oneself.

14. A.D.

short for anno Domini. In the year of our Lord. Number of years since the birth of Jesus Christ.

15. a.m.

Short for ante meridiem. Before midday (noon.) Morning.

16. animus

Spirit, mind, courage anger. Animosity. Intense opposition and ill will towards something, somebody, or some social group, commonly emotional, passionate, and mean-spirited. Hatred.


17. ante

Before. Earlier. In a Supreme Court opinion, ante refers to an earlier page of the same opinion.

18. ante bellum.

Before the war.

19. ante mortem. 

Before death. 

20. bona fide.

Genuine. Real. With no intention to deceive.

21. c. / ca. / or cca.

Short for circa. Around. About. Approximately. Relative to a certain year.

22. carpe diem.

Seize the day or moment. Make the best of the present rather than delay or focus on the future.

23. caveat.

Warning, caution, disclaimer, or stipulation.

24. cf.

Short for confer. Compare to. In reference to, as a comparison.


25. cogito ergo sum

I think, therefore I am — Descartes.

26. consensus.

Agreement. General or widespread agreement.

27. corpus.

Body, especially of written or textual matter such as books and papers.

28. curriculum.

Race. Course of a race. Path of a race. Subjects comprising a course of academic study.

29. CV 

Short for curriculum vitae. The course of one’s life. Resume. List of significant academic and professional accomplishments, achievements, awards, education, and training.

30. de facto. 

True or matter of fact as it is, regardless of intent, good reason, authority, or official reason for being such.


31. dictum.

Something said. Noteworthy, authoritative statement or principle. Common wisdom.

32. doctor. 

Teacher. Learned person. Doctor.

33. ergo. 

Therefore.

34. et al. 

Short for et alia (neuter plural) or et alii (masculine plural) or et aliae (feminine plural). And others. And all of the others.

35. etc. 

Short for et cetera.

36. e pluribus unum. 

— Out of many, one — U.S. motto.

37. ex post.

After.

38. ex post facto.

After the fact.


39. e.g. 

Short for exempli gratia. For the sake of example. For example.

40. ibid. 

Short for ibidem or ib idem. In the same place. For a citation, indicates that it is from the same place as the preceding citation.

41. id. 

short for idem. From the same source. For a citation, indicates that it is from the same source, but not from the same location in that source. In contrast to ibidem (ibid.) which means the same location or place in the same source as the preceding citation.

42. i.e. 

Short for id est. That is. In other words.

43. in absentia. 

Conducted in the absence of.

44. in camera. 

In chambers. In private, commonly for legal proceedings, in the judge’s office (chambers.) before digital photography cameras were little “chambers.”

45. in situ. 

In position. In place.

46. in toto. 

As a whole. Entirely. All of it.

47. incognito. 

Unknown. With one’s identity concealed. This is actually an Italian word, derived from the Latin word incognitus.


48. inter alia. 

Among others. Among other things.

49. innuendo. 

By nodding. Implied. Indirectly implied. Suggested. Oblique allusion.

50. intra. 

Within. In a Supreme Court opinion, refers to a decision of another court, typically an appeals court.

51. ipso facto. 

By that very fact or act. Therefore.

51. lingua franca. 

Common language in a multi-language environment. Technically, it’s Italian.

52. magnum opus. 

Great work. Greatest work. Masterpiece.

53. M.O. 

short for modus operandi. Mode or method of operation. How you do things.

54. n.b. or N.B. 

short for nota bene. Note well. It is worth noting that.


55. per capita. 

Per person, for each person, of a population. Individually, but not for any particular person.

56. per cent. 

or percent short for per centum. For each one hundred.

57. per se. 

By itself. Intrinsically. Specifically.

58. p.m. / PM 

short for post meridiem. After midday (noon.) Afternoon.

59. post. 

After. Later. In a Supreme Court opinion, post refers to a later page of the same opinion.

60. post mortem. 

After death.


61. prima facie. 

On its face. Accepted on its face. Accepted as true based on initial impression. Accepted as true unless proven false.

62. PS. 

short for post scriptum. Written after. After what has been written. In addition to what has been written. In addition.

63. quasi. 

As if. As though. Resembling. Similar but not quite exactly the same. Having many but not all the features of.

64. quid pro quo. 

This for that. An exchange of goods or services. A barter transaction. Any contractual transaction.

65. sic 

or [sic]. So, this. The previous word should be taken literally even if it is not correct or appropriate.

66. stat. 

or stat short for statim. Immediately. Now. without delay.

67. status quo. 

The existing state of affairs. As it is. As things are.


68. stricto sensu

or sensu stricto. In a narrow, tight, or strict sense. Strictly speaking.

69. sui generis. 

Of its own kind. Unique. Outside of existing categories. In law, outside of existing law.

70. supra. 

Above. From the previous cited source.

71. tabula rasa. 

Clean slate. Blank slate. Absence of any preconceived notions, ideas, goals, or purpose.

72. veni, vidi, vici. 

I came, I saw, I conquered.

73. verbatim. 

The same exact words. Literally.

74. vs. 

short for versus. Against. In opposition to. As opposed to. In contrast to.

75. veto. 

I forbid. Reject.

76. vice versa. 

As well as the two immediately preceding subjects of a statement reversed. The same either way. The other way around.

77. viz. 

short for videre licet or videlicet. Namely. That is.

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in: Character, Featured, Knowledge of Men

May 10, 2019 • Last updated: September 3, 2021

Ancient greek leaders giving speech in a meeting.

What do great men like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Theodore Roosevelt all have in common?

They all were proficient in Latin.

From the Middle Ages until about the middle of the 20th century, Latin was a central part of a man’s schooling in the West. Along with logic and rhetoric, grammar (as Latin was then known) was included as part of the Trivium – the foundation of a medieval liberal arts education. From Latin, all scholarship flowed and it was truly the gateway to the life of the mind, as the bulk of scientific, religious, legal, and philosophical literature was written in the language until about the 16th century. To immerse oneself in classical and humanistic studies, Latin was a must.

Grammar schools in Europe and especially England during this time were Latin schools, and the first secondary school established in America by the Puritans was a Latin school as well. But beginning in the 14th century, writers started to use the vernacular in their works, which slowly chipped away at Latin’s central importance in education. This trend for English-language learning accelerated in the 19th century; schools shifted from turning out future clergymen to graduating businessmen who would take their place in an industrializing economy. An emphasis on the liberal arts slowly gave way to what was considered a more practical education in reading, writing, and arithmetic.

While Latin had been dying a slow death for hundreds of years, it still had a strong presence in schools until the middle of the 20th century. Beginning in the 1960s, college students demanded that the curriculum be more open, inclusive, and less Euro-centric. Among their suggested changes was eliminating Latin as a required course for all students. To quell student protests, universities began to slowly phase out the Latin requirement, and because colleges stopped requiring Latin, many high schools in America stopped offering Latin classes, too.  Around the same time, the Catholic Church revised its liturgy and permitted priests to lead Mass in vernacular languages instead of Latin, thus eliminating one of the public’s last ties to the ancient language.

While it’s no longer a requirement for a man to know Latin to get ahead in life, it’s still a great subject to study. I had to take classes in Latin as part of my “Letters” major at the University of Oklahoma, and I really enjoyed it. Even if you’re well out of school yourself, there are a myriad of reasons why you should still consider obtaining at least a rudimentary knowledge of the language:

Knowing Latin can improve your English vocabulary. While English is a Germanic language, Latin has strongly influenced it. Most of our prefixes and some of the roots of common English words derive from Latin. By some estimates, 30% of English words derive from the ancient language. By knowing the meaning of these Latin words, if you chance to come across a word you’ve never seen before, you can make an educated guess at what it means. In fact, studies have found that high school students who studied Latin scored a mean of 647 on the SAT verbal exam, compared with the national average of 505.

Knowing Latin can improve your foreign language vocabulary. Much of the commonly spoken Romanic languages like Spanish, French, and Italian derived from Vulgar Latin. You’ll be surprised by the number of Romanic words that are pretty much the same as their Latin counterparts.

Many legal terms are in Latin. Nolo contendere. Mens rea. Caveat emptor. Do you know what those mean? They’re actually common legal terms. While strides have been made to translate legal writing into plain English, you’ll still see old Latin phrases thrown into legal contracts every now and then. To be an educated citizen and consumer, you need to know what these terms mean. If you plan on going to law school, I highly recommend boning up on Latin. You’ll run into it all the time, particularly when reading older case law.

Knowing Latin can give you more insight to history and literature. Latin was the lingua franca of the West for over a thousand years. Consequently, much of our history, science, and great literature was first recorded in Latin. Reading these classics in the original language can give you insights you otherwise may have missed by consuming it in English.

Moreover, modern writers (and by modern I mean beginning in the 17th century) often pepper their work with Latin words and phrases without offering a translation because they (reasonably) expect the reader to be familiar with it. This is true of great books from even just a few decades ago (seems much less common these days – which isn’t a hopeful commentary on the direction of the public’s literacy I would think). Not having a rudimentary knowledge of Latin will cause you to miss out on fully understanding what the writer meant to convey.

Below we’ve put together a list of Latin words and phrases to help pique your interest in learning this classical language. This list isn’t exhaustive by any stretch of the imagination. We’ve included some of the most common Latin words and phrases that you still see today, which are helpful to know in boosting your all-around cultural literacy. We’ve also included some particularly virile sayings, aphorisms, and mottos that can inspire greatness or remind us of important truths. Perhaps you’ll find a Latin phrase that you can adopt as your personal motto. Semper Virilis!

Latin Words and Phrases Every Man Should Know

  1. a posteriori — from the latter; knowledge or justification is dependent on experience or empirical evidence
  2. a priori — from what comes before; knowledge or justification is independent of experience
  3. acta non verba — deeds, not words
  4. ad hoc — to this — improvised or made up
  5. ad hominem — to the man; below-the-belt personal attack rather than a reasoned argument
  6. ad honorem — for honor
  7. ad infinitum — to infinity
  8. ad nauseam — used to describe an argument that has been taking place to the point of nausea
  9. ad victoriam — to victory; more commonly translated into “for victory,” this was a battle cry of the Romans
  10. alea iacta est — the die has been cast
  11. alias — at another time; an assumed name or pseudonym
  12. alibi — elsewhere
  13. alma mater — nourishing mother; used to denote one’s college/university
  14. amor patriae — love of one’s country
  15. amor vincit omnia — love conquers all
  16. annuit cœptis –He (God) nods at things being begun; or “he approves our undertakings,” motto on the reverse of the Great Seal of the United States and on the back of the United States one-dollar bill
  17. ante bellum — before the war; commonly used in the Southern United States as antebellum to refer to the period preceding the American Civil War
  18. ante meridiem — before noon; A.M., used in timekeeping
  19. aqua vitae — water of life; used to refer to various native distilled beverages, such as whisky (uisge beatha) in Scotland and Ireland, gin in Holland, and brandy (eau de vie) in France
  20. arte et marte — by skill and valour
  21. astra inclinant, sed non obligant — the stars incline us, they do not bind us; refers to the strength of free will over astrological determinism
  22. audemus jura nostra defendere — we dare to defend our rights; state motto of Alabama
  23. audere est facere — to dare is to do
  24. audio — I hear
  25. aurea mediocritas — golden mean; refers to the ethical goal of reaching a virtuous middle ground between two sinful extremes
  26. auribus teneo lupum — I hold a wolf by the ears; a common ancient proverb; indicates that one is in a dangerous situation where both holding on and letting go could be deadly; a modern version is, “to have a tiger by the tail”
  27. aut cum scuto aut in scuto — either with shield or on shield; do or die, “no retreat”; said by Spartan mothers to their sons as they departed for battle
  28. aut neca aut necare — either kill or be killed
  29. aut viam inveniam aut faciam — I will either find a way or make one; said by Hannibal, the great ancient military commander
  30. barba non facit philosophum — a beard doesn’t make one a philosopher
  31. bellum omnium contra omnes — war of all against all
  32. bis dat qui cito dat — he gives twice, who gives promptly; a gift given without hesitation is as good as two gifts
  33. bona fide — good faith
  34. bono malum superate — overcome evil with good
  35. carpe diem — seize the day
  36. caveat emptor — let the buyer beware; the purchaser is responsible for checking whether the goods suit his need
  37. circa — around, or approximately
  38. citius altius forties — faster, higher, stronger; modern Olympics motto
  39. cogito ergo sum — “I think therefore I am”; famous quote by Rene Descartes
  40. contemptus mundi/saeculi — scorn for the world/times; despising the secular world, the monk or philosopher’s rejection of a mundane life and worldly values
  41. corpus christi — body of Christ
  42. corruptissima re publica plurimae leges — when the republic is at its most corrupt the laws are most numerous; said by Tacitus
  43. creatio ex nihilo — creation out of nothing; a concept about creation, often used in a theological or philosophical context
  44. cura te ipsum — take care of your own self; an exhortation to physicians, or experts in general, to deal with their own problems before addressing those of others
  45. curriculum vitae — the course of one’s life; in business, a lengthened resume
  46. de facto — from the fact; distinguishing what’s supposed to be from what is reality
  47. deo volente — God willing
  48. deus ex machina — God out of a machine; a term meaning a conflict is resolved in improbable or implausible ways
  49. dictum factum — what is said is done
  50. disce quasi semper victurus vive quasi cras moriturus — learn as if you’re always going to live; live as if tomorrow you’re going to die
  51. discendo discimus — while teaching we learn
  52. docendo disco, scribendo cogito — I learn by teaching, think by writing
  53. ductus exemplo — leadership by example
  54. ducunt volentem fata, nolentem trahunt — the fates lead the willing and drag the unwilling; attributed to Lucius Annaeus Seneca
  55. dulce bellum inexpertis — war is sweet to the inexperienced
  56. dulce et decorum est pro patria mori — it is sweet and fitting to die for your country
  57. dulcius ex asperis — sweeter after difficulties
  58. e pluribus unum — out of many, one; on the U.S. seal, and was once the country’s de facto motto
  59. emeritus — veteran; retired from office
  60. ergo — therefore
  61. et alii — and others; abbreviated et al.
  62. et cetera — and the others
  63. et tu, Brute? — last words of Caesar after being murdered by friend Brutus in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, used today to convey utter betrayal
  64. ex animo — from the heart; thus, “sincerely”
  65. ex libris — from the library of; to mark books from a library
  66. ex nihilo — out of nothing
  67. ex post facto — from a thing done afterward; said of a law with retroactive effect
  68. faber est suae quisque fortunae — every man is the artisan of his own fortune; quote by Appius Claudius Caecus
  69. fac fortia et patere — do brave deeds and endure
  70. fac simile — make alike; origin of the word “fax”
  71. flectere si nequeo superos, acheronta movebo — if I cannot move heaven I will raise hell; from Virgil’s Aeneid
  72. fortes fortuna adiuvat — fortune favors the bold
  73. fortis in arduis — strong in difficulties
  74. gloria in excelsis Deo — glory to God in the highest
  75. habeas corpus — you should have the body; a legal term from the 14th century or earlier; commonly used as the general term for a prisoner’s right to challenge the legality of their detention
  76. habemus papam — we have a pope; used after a Catholic Church papal election to announce publicly a successful ballot to elect a new pope
  77. historia vitae magistra — history, the teacher of life; from Cicero; also “history is the mistress of life”
  78. hoc est bellum — this is war
  79. homo unius libri (timeo) — (I fear) a man of one book; attributed to Thomas Aquinas
  80. honor virtutis praemium — esteem is the reward of virtue
  81. hostis humani generis — enemy of the human race; Cicero defined pirates in Roman law as being enemies of humanity in general
  82. humilitas occidit superbiam — humility conquers pride
  83. igne natura renovatur integra — through fire, nature is reborn whole
  84. ignis aurum probat — fire tests gold; a phrase referring to the refining of character through difficult circumstances
  85. in absentia — in the absence
  86. in aqua sanitas — in water there is health
  87. in flagrante delicto — in flaming crime; caught red-handed, or in the act
  88. in memoriam — into the memory; more commonly “in memory of”
  89. in omnia paratus — ready for anything
  90. in situ — in position; something that exists in an original or natural state
  91. in toto — in all or entirely
  92. in umbra, igitur, pugnabimus — then we will fight in the shade; made famous by Spartans in the battle of Thermopylae and by the movie 300
  93. in utero — in the womb
  94. in vitro — in glass; biological process that occurs in the lab
  95. incepto ne desistam — may I not shrink from my purpose
  96. intelligenti pauca — few words suffice for he who understands
  97. invicta — unconquered
  98. invictus maneo — I remain unvanquished
  99. ipso facto — by the fact itself; something is true by its very nature
  100. labor omnia vincit — hard work conquers all
  101. laborare pugnare parati sumus — to work, (or) to fight; we are ready
  102. labore et honore — by labor and honor
  103. leges sine moribus vanae — laws without morals [are] vain
  104. lex parsimoniae — law of succinctness; also known as Occam’s Razor; the simplest explanation is usually the correct one
  105. lex talionis — the law of retaliation
  106. magna cum laude — with great praise
  107. magna est vis consuetudinis — great is the power of habit
  108. magnum opus — great work; said of someone’s masterpiece
  109. mala fide — in bad faith; said of an act done with knowledge of its illegality, or with intention to defraud or mislead someone; opposite of bona fide
  110. malum in se — wrong in itself; a legal term meaning that something is inherently wrong
  111. malum prohibitum — wrong due to being prohibited; a legal term meaning that something is only wrong because it is against the law
  112. mea culpa — my fault
  113. meliora — better things; carrying the connotation of “always better”
  114. memento mori — remember that [you will] die; was whispered by a servant into the ear of a victorious Roman general to check his pride as he paraded through cheering crowds after a victory; a genre of art meant to remind the viewer of the reality of his death
  115. memento vivere — remember to live
  116. memores acti prudentes future — mindful of what has been done, aware of what will be
  117. modus operandi — method of operating; abbreviated M.O.
  118. montani semper liberi — mountaineers [are] always free; state motto of West Virginia
  119. morior invictus — death before defeat
  120. morituri te salutant — those who are about to die salute you; popularized as a standard salute from gladiators to the emperor, but only recorded once in Roman history
  121. morte magis metuenda senectus — old age should rather be feared than death
  122. mulgere hircum — to milk a male goat; to attempt the impossible
  123. multa paucis — say much in few words
  124. nanos gigantum humeris insidentes — dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants; commonly known by the letters of Isaac Newton: “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants”
  125. nec aspera terrent — they don’t terrify the rough ones; frightened by no difficulties; less literally “difficulties be damned”
  126. nec temere nec timide — neither reckless nor timid
  127. nil volentibus arduum — nothing [is] arduous for the willing
  128. nolo contendere — I do not wish to contend; that is, “no contest”; a plea that can be entered on behalf of a defendant in a court that states that the accused doesn’t admit guilt, but will accept punishment for a crime
  129. non ducor, duco — I am not led; I lead
  130. non loqui sed facere — not talk but action
  131. non progredi est regredi — to not go forward is to go backward
  132. non scholae, sed vitae discimus — we learn not for school, but for life; from Seneca
  133. non sequitur — it does not follow; in general, a comment which is absurd due to not making sense in its context (rather than due to being inherently nonsensical or internally inconsistent); often used in humor
  134. non sum qualis eram — I am not such as I was; or “I am not the kind of person I once was”
  135. nosce te ipsum — know thyself; from Cicero
  136. novus ordo seclorum — new order of the ages; from Virgil; motto on the Great Seal of the United States
  137. nulla tenaci invia est via — for the tenacious, no road is impassable
  138. obliti privatorum, publica curate — forget private affairs, take care of public ones; Roman political saying which reminds that common good should be given priority over private matters for any person having a responsibility in the State
  139. panem et circenses — bread and circuses; originally described all that was needed for emperors to placate the Roman mob; today used to describe any entertainment used to distract public attention from more important matters
  140. para bellum — prepare for war; if you want peace, prepare for war; if a country is ready for war, its enemies are less likely to attack
  141. parvis imbutus tentabis grandia tutus — when you are steeped in little things, you shall safely attempt great things; sometimes translated as, “once you have accomplished small things, you may attempt great ones safely”
  142. pater familias — father of the family; the eldest male in a family
  143. pecunia, si uti scis, ancilla est; si nescis, domina — if you know how to use money, money is your slave; if you don’t, money is your master
  144. per angusta ad augusta — through difficulties to greatness
  145. per annum — by the year
  146. per capita — by the person
  147. per diem — by the day
  148. per se — through itself
  149. persona non grata — person not pleasing; an unwelcome, unwanted or undesirable person
  150. pollice verso — with a turned thumb; used by Roman crowds to pass judgment on a defeated gladiator
  151. post meridiem — after noon; P.M.; used in timekeeping
  152. post mortem — after death
  153. postscriptum — thing having been written afterward; in writing, abbreviated P.S.
  154. praemonitus praemunitus — forewarned is forearmed
  155. praesis ut prosis ne ut imperes — lead in order to serve, not in order to rule
  156. primus inter pares — first among equals; a title of the Roman Emperors
  157. pro bono — for the good; in business, refers to services rendered at no charge
  158. pro rata — for the rate
  159. quam bene vivas referre (or refert), non quam diu — it is how well you live that matters, not how long; from Seneca
  160. quasi — as if; as though
  161. qui totum vult totum perdit — he who wants everything loses everything; attributed to Seneca
  162. quid agis — what’s going on; what’s up, what’s happening, etc.
  163. quid pro quo — this for that; an exchange of value
  164. quidquid Latine dictum sit altum videtur — whatever has been said in Latin seems deep; or “anything said in Latin sounds profound”; a recent ironic Latin phrase to poke fun at people who seem to use Latin phrases and quotations only to make themselves sound more important or “educated”
  165. quis custodiet ipsos custodes? — who will guard the guards themselves?; commonly associated with Plato
  166. quorum — of whom; the number of members whose presence is required under the rules to make any given meeting constitutional
  167. requiescat in pace — let him rest in peace; abbreviated R.I.P.
  168. rigor mortis — stiffness of death
  169. scientia ac labore — knowledge through hard work
  170. scientia ipsa potentia est — knowledge itself is power
  171. semper anticus — always forward
  172. semper fidelis — always faithful; U.S. Marines motto
  173. semper fortis — always brave
  174. semper paratus — always prepared
  175. semper virilis — always virile
  176. si vales, valeo — when you are strong, I am strong
  177. si vis pacem, para bellum — if you want peace, prepare for war
  178. sic parvis magna — greatness from small beginnings — motto of Sir Frances Drake
  179. sic semper tyrannis — thus always to tyrants; attributed to Brutus at the time of Julius Caesar’s assassination, and to John Wilkes Booth at the time of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination; whether it was actually said at either of these events is disputed
  180. sic vita est — thus is life; the ancient version of “it is what it is”
  181. sola fide — by faith alone
  182. sola nobilitat virtus — virtue alone ennobles
  183. solvitur ambulando — it is solved by walking
  184. spes bona — good hope
  185. statim (stat) — immediately; medical shorthand
  186. status quo — the situation in which; current condition
  187. subpoena — under penalty
  188. sum quod eris — I am what you will be; a gravestone inscription to remind the reader of the inevitability of death
  189. summa cum laude — with highest praise
  190. summum bonum — the supreme good
  191. suum cuique — to each his own
  192. tabula rasa — scraped tablet; “blank slate”; John Locke used the term to describe the human mind at birth, before it had acquired any knowledge
  193. tempora heroic — Heroic Age
  194. tempus edax rerum — time, devourer of all things
  195. tempus fugit — time flees; commonly mistranslated “time flies”
  196. terra firma — firm ground
  197. terra incognita — unknown land; used on old maps to show unexplored areas
  198. vae victis — woe to the conquered
  199. vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas — vanity of vanities; everything [is] vanity; from the Bible (Ecclesiastes 1)
  200. veni vidi vici — I came, I saw, I conquered; famously said by Julius Caesar
  201. verbatim — repeat exactly
  202. veritas et aequitas — truth and equity
  203. versus — against
  204. veto — I forbid
  205. vice versa — to change or turn around
  206. vincit qui patitur — he conquers who endures
  207. vincit qui se vincit — he conquers who conquers himself
  208. vir prudens non contra ventum mingit — [a] wise man does not urinate [up] against the wind
  209. virile agitur — the manly thing is being done
  210. viriliter agite — act in a manly way
  211. viriliter agite estote fortes — quit ye like men, be strong
  212. virtus tentamine gaudet — strength rejoices in the challenge
  213. virtute et armis — by virtue and arms; or “by manhood and weapons”; state motto of Mississippi
  214. vive memor leti — live remembering death
  215. vivere est vincere — to live is to conquer; Captain John Smith’s personal motto
  216. vivere militare est — to live is to fight
  217. vox populi — voice of the people

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Do you want to learn to read Latin well—without look­ing for the verb or check­ing the dic­tio­nary every oth­er sen­tence? It is pos­si­ble to read Latin well and under­stand it with­out trans­lat­ing, although you will need com­men­taries for some lit­er­a­ture.

Like most peo­ple who study Latin at uni­ver­si­ty for years, I strug­gled to read and under­stand Latin as Latin—translating is not read­ing. Trans­lat­ing all the time robs you of the joy that is under­stand­ing Ovid or Sal­lust in Latin.

After sev­er­al years I real­ized that speak­ing Latin was one of the miss­ing com­po­nents keep­ing me from achiev­ing flu­en­cy in reading.

If you want to hear more about my jour­ney, lis­ten to this talk I gave in Latin at a con­fer­ence in Florence.

I taught myself to speak Latin and I learned to read comfortably.

Today, I speak Latin every day dur­ing my teach­ing ses­sions, in our videos, and with friends. At con­fer­ences and in emails, peo­ple ask me how I learned to speak Latin fluently.

Speak­ing to one­self is a great way to start to speak Latin. 

The answer is a three-pronged approach:

  • by speak­ing to myself for months, and lat­er with others
  • by study­ing and mas­ter­ing the con­tents of a select few books
  • by read­ing Latin lit­er­a­ture dai­ly for years afterward

Today we are focus­ing on the first point: how to start to speak Latin. 

Speak­ing Latin is one of sev­er­al key aspects that will help you gain a strong com­mand of Latin—to speak you have to inter­nal­ize the end­ings, syn­tax, and vocab­u­lary so that it becomes sec­ond nature. Speak­ing will help with this, but you still need to read and lis­ten to a lot of Latin. Speak­ing Latin will help you devel­op the con­fi­dence and instinc­tive knowl­edge of Latin to read well.

But how do you start speaking? 

Whether you are a begin­ner to Latin or a sea­soned col­lege pro­fes­sor who wants to incor­po­rate the use of spo­ken Latin into the ped­a­gogy, as many do these days, here is an exer­cise to get start­ed, even if you’ve nev­er spo­ken a word of Latin before.

This is the exer­cise that I have my stu­dents start with and it does wonders.

After read­ing this arti­cle, you will be able to start prac­tic­ing today, five min­utes after read­ing this arti­cle. It’s not a quick fix; it will require work and time.

Sug­gest­ed read­ing: Can Latin be Spo­ken? — Com­mon questions

Engraving of a Renaissance Cabinet of Curiosities from 1599.

Cab­i­net of Curiosi­ties from Dell’Historia Nat­u­rale di Fer­rante Imper­a­to Napoli­tano lib­ri XXVIII, 1599, Museo di Fer­rante Imperato.

Start speaking Latin exercise 1

I have my stu­dents do this exer­cise every day from the start. It is a sim­ple exer­cise requir­ing only one verb and a cou­ple of nouns. It’s an exer­cise in start­ing to describe one’s sur­round­ings and what you are doing—all in Latin. Every­thing is con­crete and con­nect­ed to you.

First, we need the verb video (“I see”). Next, we need a few con­crete nouns. Here is a list of com­mon house­hold items in Latin:

  • Men­sa : table 
  • Liber: book
  • Fen­es­tra: win­dow
  • pocu­lum: cup

Now, since Latin uses case end­ings to indi­cate the func­tion of a word in a sen­tence, we need to learn one form right away: the accusative sin­gu­lar. The accusative in Latin is used to indi­cate the object of an action. This is done in Eng­lish as well, to a much less­er extent, e.g., I see her. Her is the object of the see­ing. In Latin, the accusative sin­gu­lar is used when exert­ing an action upon one object, and it usu­al­ly ends in -m. Depend­ing on the noun, it can be -um, ‑am, ‑em. But this is of lit­tle impor­tance now. Let’s learn the accusative of the nouns above:

  • men­sa – men­sam (“a / the table”)
  • fen­es­tra – fen­es­tram (“a / the window”)
  • pocu­lum – pocu­lum (“a / the cup”)

Note that Latin does not have a def­i­nite or indef­i­nite arti­cle like the Eng­lish “a/a” and “the.”

Now, all we have to do to start speak­ing Latin is to use video (“I see/am see­ing”) togeth­er with one of these four forms. 

Try this:

Look at a table and say aloud Men­sam video (“I see the/a table”).

Now look at a win­dow and say Fen­es­tram video (“I see a/the window”).

Look at the table again and say: men­sam video, then at the win­dow say­ing fen­es­tram video.

Alter­nate a few times, and if you have sev­er­al tables and win­dows, say the sen­tences while look­ing at the dif­fer­ent items.

A sculpture of a giant table and chair, by Giancarlo Neri.
Gian­car­lo Neri sculp­ture of table and chair, pho­to by Aglet

The idea here is to con­nect the action of see­ing an object with the words in Latin. We are not trans­lat­ing; we are cre­at­ing a real con­nec­tion between the action and the Latin words.

Now take out a cup and say Pocu­lum video (“I see the/a cup”). Go back to the oth­er objects and alter­nate between the three words.

When you feel com­fort­able with them, you can string them togeth­er and say Men­sam, et fen­es­tram, et pocu­lum video (“I see a table, and a win­dow, and a cup”).

Isn’t this sil­ly, Daniel?

Yes, yes, it is. But it’s the first step. Much like my son’s first steps were very halt­ing and stum­bling, they slow­ly became steady and quick—a lit­tle too quick.

Fresco from Herculaneum with a Roman couple next to a small table.
Fres­co from Her­cu­la­neum with a Roman cou­ple next to a table. Do they see the table? Are they talk­ing about the table? Per­haps. And now, so can you!

The same thing hap­pens here. You add words every day, and pret­ty soon, you will have a firm com­mand of them. Com­bin­ing this exer­cise with study­ing dili­gent­ly a hand­ful of the best text­books and read­ing and lis­ten­ing to a lot of Latin at your lev­el will, with prac­tice and patience, allow you to read Cicero, Plau­tus, Eras­mus, or any oth­er author with­out trans­lat­ing and won­der­ing about cases.

As you progress through your read­ing, you will learn new forms and new verbs. All you have to do is incor­po­rate them into this exercise.

In the next arti­cle (“The sec­ond dai­ly exer­cise”), we will dis­cuss going from say­ing “I see the table” to more com­plex things.

This is how I start­ed to learn to speak Latin with great flu­en­cy. You can too. 

Learning these common words will give you a huge leg up when reading, writing, speaking, and listening to Latin, but remember that most of these words will have various forms due to their cases (Accusative, Genitive, Dative or Ablative) or function in a sentence or clause.

Number

Word

Meaning

1

 Ego

     I

2

 Tu

    You

3

 Nos

     We

4

Vos

     You   (plural)

5

Is

     He

6

Ea

     She

7

Id

     It,   that

8

 Hic, haec, hoc

     This   (masculine, feminine, neuter)

9

 Ille ,illa, illud

     That   (masculine, feminine, neuter)

10

 Idem, eadem, idem

      The same (masculine, feminine,   neuter)

11

      Illi, illae      They

12

Suus

     Theirs

13

Tuus, uester

      Yours

14

Meus

      My

15

Eius

      His, hers, its

16

 Ipse,a,um

    (Him,   her, it)-self

17

 in

      In, into

18

 a,ab

     Away   from, by

19

 de

     About,   concerning

20

pro

     Before,   in front of,

21

 sine

     Without

22

ante

     Before

23

 contra

     Opposite, against, contrary to

24

per

     Through,   across, throughout

25

 post

     After, behind, afterwards

26

 trans

     Over, across, beyond

27

 ad

     To, towards,

28

 ex

     From,  out of

29

cum

      When, with

30

et, atque

      And

31

 nam

      For, in fact

32

 sed

      But

33

deinde

      Then,   next

34

 quia

      Because

35

si

       If

36

 tamen

      However

37

 dum

      While

38

 uel….uel

      Either…..or

39

 nemo

      No one

40

 nihil

      Nothing

41

 non

      Not, not at all, by no means

42

 ut

      Where, how?, so that,

43

nunc

      Now

44

ita

      So, thus

45

Bonus

      Good

46

 Malus

       Bad

47

 Multus

       Much

48

 Parvus

       Small

49

 Magnus

       Great

50

Solus

       Alone, only, lonely, single

51

Totus

       All, whole, entire

52

Ullus

       Any, anyone

53

 Unus

       One

54

 Alius

       Another,   other, different

55

Alii…alii

      Some……others

56

 Aliqui, aliquid

      Some,   someone, something

57

 Quis, quid

     Who? What? Which? Anyone, anything, someone, something

58

 Sursum

     Up

59

 Deorsum

    Down

60

 Sinister

    Left

61

 Dexter

    Right

62

 Audire

  To listen, to hear

63

 Dare

  To give , to grant

64

Esse

  To be

65

 Amare

  To love

66

 Dicere

  To say

67

 Habere

  To have

68

 Videre

  To look, see

69

Facere

  To make, do

70

 Scribere

  To write

71

Ire

  To go

72

 Posse

  To be able

73

 Vocare

  To call

74

 Venire

  To Come

75

 Capere

  To take

76

Primus

  First

77

Secundus

  Second

78

Tertius

  Third

79

Ultimus

  Last

80

Homines

  People

81

Urbs

  City

82

Aer

  Air

83

Ignis

  Fire

84

Aqua

  Water

85

Terra

  Land

86

Amor

  Love

87

Dies

  Day

88

Familia

  Family

89

Res

  Things

90

Bellum

  War

91

Coniunx

  Spouse

92

 Deus

  God

93

 Ludus

  Game, sport

94

Nomen

  Name

95

 Sors

  Destiny, Fate

96

Tempus

  Times

97

Domus

  Home

98

Cibus

  Food

99

Ara

  Altar

100

 Mors

  Death

A wonderful list of the 300 most common words in Latin with principal parts and gender may be found here!

The purpose of this list is to give a rough idea of the Latin language. The words listed below are not the most common words, but a broad sampling of words. See the Word Lists page for more details.

English Latin
(latīna)
I ego
you (singular)
he ille (m.), illa (f.), illud (n.)
we nōs
you (plural) vōs
they illī (m.), illae (f.), illa (n.)
this hic (m.), haec (f.), hoc (n.)
that ille (m.), illa (f.), illud (n.)
here hīc
there illic, ibi
who quis (m.), quae (f.)
what quid
where ubi
when cum
how quōmodō
not nōn, nē
all omnēs (mf.), omnia (n.)
many multī (m.), multae (f.), multa (n.)
some aliquī (m.), aliqua (f.), aliquod (n.)
few paucī (m.), paucae (f.), pauca (n.)
other alter, alius
one ūnus
two duō
three trēs
four quattuor
five quīnque
big magnus
long longus
wide lātus
thick crassus
heavy gravis
small parvus
short brevis
narrow angustus
thin gracilis
woman fēmina
man (adult male) vir
man (human being) homō
child puer
wife uxor, mulier
husband maritus
mother māter
father pāter
animal animal
fish piscis
bird avis
dog cānis
louse pediculus
snake serpens
worm vermis
tree arbor
forest silva
stick hasta, palus
fruit fructus
seed semen
leaf folium
root rādix
bark (of a tree) cortex
flower flōs
grass herba
rope chorda
skin cutis
meat carnis
blood sanguis
bone os
fat (noun) pinguāmen
egg ovum
horn cornu
tail cauda
feather penna
hair pilus
head caput
ear auris
eye oculus
nose nasus, naris
mouth ōs
tooth dens
tongue (organ) lingua
fingernail unguis
foot pes
leg crus
knee genu
hand mānus
wing ala
belly venter, abdomen
guts viscera
neck cervix
back dorsum
breast mamma
heart cor
liver iecur
to drink bībere
to eat edere
to bite mordēre
to suck sūgere
to spit spuere
to vomit vomere
to blow īnflāre
to breathe respīrāre
to laugh ridēre
to see vidēre
to hear audīre
to know scīre
to think cogitāre, putāre, existimāre
to smell olfacere
to fear timēre
to sleep dormīre
to live vīvere
to die morīri
to kill necāre
to fight luctāre
to hunt venāri
to hit pellere
to cut secāre
to split dīvidere
to stab pungere
to scratch scabere
to dig fodīre
to swim nāre, natāre
to fly volāre
to walk ambulāre
to come venīre
to lie (as in a bed) cubāre
to sit sedēre
to stand stāre
to turn (intransitive) vertīre
to fall cadere
to give dāre
to hold tenēre
to squeeze exprimere
to rub fricāre
to wash lavāre
to wipe tergēre
to pull trahere
to push pellere
to throw iacere
to tie ligāre
to sew sēmināre
to count computāre, numerāre
to say dīcere
to sing canere
to play ludere
to float fluctuāre
to flow fluere
to freeze gelāre
to swell augēre
sun sol
moon luna
star stella
water aqua
rain pluvia
river flumen, fluvius, amnis
lake lacus
sea mare
salt sal
stone saxum, lapis, petra
sand harena
dust pulvis
earth humus, terra, ager
cloud nubes, nebula
fog cālīgō, nebula, tenebrae
sky caelum
wind ventus
snow nix
ice gelu
smoke fumus
fire ignis
ash cinis
to burn urere, flammāre
road via
mountain mons
red ruber, rufus
green viridis
yellow croceus
white albus, candidus
black ater, niger
night nox
day dies
year annus
warm calidus
cold frigidus
full plenus
new novus
old vetus
good bonus
bad malus
rotten putridus
dirty immundus
straight rectus
round rotundus
sharp (as a knife) acutus
smooth suavis
wet humidus, aqueus
dry siccus
correct rectus
near propinquus, proximus
far longus
right dexter

View other word lists here

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