January 31st, 2023 Latin of the Day - "absit omen"
"absit omen"
"may omen be absent," "let there be no (ill) omen," id est "may this not be an ill omen" - used following some uncanny occurrence or unfortunate seeming words, much as some superstitious Christians add "God forbid!" after speaking of unpleasant possibilities
Pridie Kalendas Februarias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 30th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "absit invidia"
"absit invidia"
"let ill-will be absent," id est "no offense is intended," "no offense"
a.d. III Kalendas Februarias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 29th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "absit"
"absit"
"may he/she/it be absent," "let him/her/it be absent" - also a term used in English for persmission to be absent, e.g. "May I have an absit for next Thursday? I have a doctor's appointment."
a.d. IV Kalendas Februarias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 28th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "absente reo
"absente reo"
"the defendant being absent," "in the absence of the defendant" - a bit of legal Latin
a.d. V Kalendas Februarias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 27th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Ditat Deus" (state motto of Arizona!)
"Ditat Deus"
"God enriches" or "God makes rich" (apparently a reference to the mineral abundance of Arizona, but the attitude may also explain the rather unpleasant prevalence of pernicious "prosperity gospel" Christianity in AZ . . .)
~ State Motto of Arizona (AZ)
a.d. VI Kalendas Februarias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 26th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "absens haeres non erit"
"absens haeres non erit
"the absent (person) will not be (an) heir" - a bit of legal Latin - one who is not present may not inherit - sort of an expression of "our of sight, out of mind," or rather, "out of sight, out of relevance"
a.d. VII Kalendas Februarias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 25th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ab urbe condita (A.U.C.)"
"ab urbe condita" (A.U.C.)
"from the founding of the city" - "the city," of course, being Rome. According to legend, Rome was founded in the year 753 B.C.E. by our calendar, so this marked the beginning point of one of the later Roman calendars of years. Thus, the year as of this writing is the 2,776th year A.U.C. - since the founding of Rome.
a.d. VIII Kalendas Februarias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 24th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ab ovo usque ad mala"
"ab ovo usque ad mala"
"From egg(s) all the way to apples." (id est, from beginning to end - eggs were apparently an appetizer course in Roman meals, and apples were a dessert course, so it has the literal sense of "from appetizer to dessert")
a.d. IX Kalendas Februarias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 23rd, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Fides facit fidem."
"Fides facit fidem."
"Trust creates (more) trust."
~ Anonymous
a.d. X Kalendas Februarias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 22nd, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Pati necesse est multa mortales mala."
"Pati necesse est multa mortales mala."
"It is necessary that mortals suffer many evils."
~ Gnaeus Naevius (c. 270 - c. 201 B.C.E.)
a.d. XI Kalendas Februarias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 21st, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ab ovo"
"ab ovo"
"from the egg" = "from the beginning"
a.d. XII Kalendas Februarias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 20th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ab origine"
"ab origine"
"from the beginning," "from the source," "from the origin" (hence the English word aborigine, meaning a person or people whose ancestors have inhabited a place for as long as can be remembered - "from the beginning")
a.d. XIII Kalendas Februarias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 19th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ab irato"
"ab irato"
"from an angry man" = irrational, unfair (the words of an angry man are not rational, and ought not to be given weight until calmer reflection)
a.d. XIV Kalendas Februarias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 18th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ab intra"
"ab intra"
"from within," "from the inside"
a.d. XV Kalendas Februarias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 17th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ab initio"
"ab initio"
"from the beginning," "from the start"
a.d. XVI Kalendas Februarias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 16th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ab incunabulis"
"ab incunabulis"
"from the cradle," "from swaddling clothes," id est, from infancy (note that incunabula, -orum, "swaddling clothes," is inherently neuter plural in Latin, hence the plural form in this expression)
a.d. XVII Kalendas Februarias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 15th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Cucullus non facit monachum."
"Cucullus non facit monachum."
"The cowl does not make the monk."
~ Medieval Expression
a.d. XVIII Kalendas Februarias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 14th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ab imo pectore"
"ab imo pectore"
"from the bottom of [one's] chest" (= English "from the bottom of one's heart")
a.d. XIX Kalendas Februarias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 13th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Oderunt di homines iniuros."
"Oderunt di homines iniuros."
"The gods hate unjust people"
~ Gnaeus Vaevius (c. 270 - c. 201 B.C.E.), Lycurgus
Idibus Ianuariis anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 12th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Necessitas non habet legem."
"Necessitas non habet legem."
"Necessity does not know [lit. "have"] [any] law."
~ Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 - 1153 C.E.), monastic reformer; also found in Oliver Cromwell's speech in Parliament on September 12th, 1654
Pridie Idus Ianuarias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 11th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ab extra"
"ab extra"
"from without," "from outside" c.f. ab intra
a.d. III Idus Ianuarias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 10th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Semper pluris feci ego potioremque habui libertatem quam pecuniam."
"Semper pluris feci ego
potioremque habui libertatem quam pecuniam."
"I have always made freedom of more account
and held it as more preferable than money."
~ Gnaeus Naevius (c. 270 - c. 201 B.C.E.)
a.d. IV Idus Ianuarias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 9th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Abeunt studia in mores."
"Abeunt studia in mores."
"[One's] enthusiasms come out into [one's] character."
~ Publius Ovidius Naso (43 B.C.E. - c. 18 C.E.), Heroides, xv.83
a.d. V Idus Ianuarias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 8th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Praestatur laus virtuti, sed multo ocius verno gelu tabescit."
"Praestatur laus virtuti, sed multo ocius verno gelu tabescit."
"Praise is offered for virtue, but melts away more swiftly than spring frost."
~ Livius Andronicus (c. 280 - c. 205 B.C.E.)
a.d. VI Idus Ianuarias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 7th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Dies dolorem minuit."
"Dies dolorem minuit."
"Time diminishes grief."
~ Robert Burton, 1577-1640, English writer, author of The Anatomy of Melancholy
a.d. VII Idus Ianuarias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 6th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Spem sucessus alit."
"Spem successus alit."
"Success nourishes hope."
~ Anonymous
a.d. VIII Idus Ianuarias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 5th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Lis litem parit."
"Lis litem parit."
"Lawsuit brings forth lawsuit." ("One lawsuit leads to another," "one lawsuit creates another")
~ Anonymous
The Nones of January
Nonis Ianuariis anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
January 4th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ab asino lanam"
[quaeris] "ab asino lanam"
[you seek] "wool from a donkey," i.e. an equivalent expression to English "blood from a stone," meaning to attempt to obtain what is impossible.
January 3rd, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Mirum videtur quod sit factum iam diu?"
"Mirum videtur quod sit factum iam diu?"
"Does it seem wondrous because it happened long ago?"
~ Livius Andronicus, Aiax Mastigophorus (c. 284 - c. 205 B.C.E.)
January 2nd, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Negotium populo Romano melius quam otium committi."
[Appius Claudius Caecus dicebat] "Negotium populo Romano melius quam otium committi."
[Appius Claudius Caecus used to say] "That work was more familiar to the Roman people than leisure."
~ Appius Claudius Caecus (c. 340 - c. 273 B.C.E.)
January 1st, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Tui animi compote es, ne quid fraudis stuprique ferocia pariat."
Tui animi compote es, ne quid fraudis stuprique ferocia pariat.
"Be in control of your soul, lest your fierceness bring forth some deceit and disgrace."
~ Appius Claudius Caecus (c. 340 - c. 273 B.C.E.)
