March 31st, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad litteram"

March 31st, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad litteram"

"ad litteram"

"To the letter"- literally, to the letter of the alphabet. 

Pridie Kalendas Apriles anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI

March 30th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad litem"

 March 30th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad litem"

"ad litem"

"To/for the suit/action" - a bit of legal Latin indicating that something is taken as valid only for the lis (the case or lawsuit) in question, e.g. a "guardian ad litem" is appointed by the court to represent a particular minor only with regard to the matter before the court, not as a general guardian (e.g. a foster or adoptive parent, a permanent guardian), 

a.d. III Kalendas Apriles anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI

March 29th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Regnat Populus"

 March 29th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Regnat Populus"

"Regnat Populus"

"The people rule" - the motto of the state of Arkansas. The original motto, dating back to at least 1836, was Regnant Populi (intending the meaning of the current motto, but inadvertently implying multiple peoples ruling), but it was emended in an act approved by Governor Xenephon O. Pindall on May 24, 1907 - and how great is THAT name?

~ Motto of the state of Arkansas

a.d. IV Kalendas Apriles anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI

March 28th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Hi sunt inimici pessumi fronte hilaro corde tristi."

 March 28th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Hi sunt inimici pessumi fronte hilaro corde tristi."

"Hi sunt inimici pessumi fronte hilaro corde tristi."

"These are the worst enemies, cheerful of face and bitter of heart." The form pessumi is somewhat archaic; the classical form is pessimi. 

~ Caecilius Statius (c. 220 - c. 166 B.C.E.), Hypobolimaeus, as recorded in Aulus Gellius, Attic Nights, XV.

a.d. V Kalendas Apriles anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI

March 27th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Impedit ira animum, ne possit cernere verum."

 March 27th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Impedit ira animum, ne possit cernere verum."

"Impedit ira animum, ne possit cernere verum."

"Anger hinders the mind, so that it is not able to discern the truth." The word impedit literally means to get in the way of the foot, to trip up. Animum, literally "soul," is often used for "mind." Verum is not "truth" in the abstract, but more literally "a true thing," "that which is true." 

~ Dionysius Cato (The Distichs of Cato)

a.d. VI Kalendas Apriles anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI

March 26th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad libitum" (ad lib.)

 March 26th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad libitum" (ad lib.)

"ad libitum," commonly abbreviated as ad lib. 

"to the point of pleasure," id est, "as much as pleases," "as much as one wants," or "at will"

a.d. VII Kalendas Apriles anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI

March 25th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad interim"

March 25th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad interim"

"ad interim"

"in the meantime," during the interval"

a.d. VIII Kalendas Apriles anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI

March 24th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad infinitum"

March 24th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad infinitum"

"ad infinitum"

"to the infinite," "never-ending"

a.d. IX Kalendas Apriles anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI

March 23rd, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Vive memor leti, fugit hora."

March 23rd, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Vive memor leti, fugit hora."

"Vive memor leti, fugit hora."

"Live mindful of death, the hour is fleeing." Sometimes one sees the spelling lethi for leti, which is ultimately the source of the English "lethal" and its associated words. 

~ Aulus Persius Flaccus (34 - 62 C.E.), Satires 5.153

a.d. X Kalendas Apriles anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI

March 22nd, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Patria est, ubicumque est bene."

  March 22nd, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Patria est, ubicumque est bene."

"Patria est, ubicumque est bene."

"Wherever it is well, that is our fatherland." I've seen this translated as ""Wherever we are content, that is our country."

~ Marcus Pacuvius (200 - c. 130 B.C.E.), Teucer

a.d. XI Kalendas Apriles anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI

March 21st, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Adhuc sub iudice lis est."

 March 21st, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Adhuc sub iudice lis est."

"Adhuc sub iudice lis est."

"The case is still before the judge," literally "under the judge," meaning a legal matter may not be discussed because it is an active case still being considered by a judge.

a.d. XII Kalendas Apriles anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI

March 20th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad hominem"

 March 20th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad hominem"

"ad hominem"

"to the man," id est, an argument made attacking a person rather than their ideas or argument (hence, a fallacy)

a.d. XIII Kalendas Apriles anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI

March 19th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad hoc"

 March 19th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad hoc"

"ad hoc"

"to this," "for this purpose"

a.d. XIV Kalendas Apriles anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI

March 18th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Emas, non quod opus est, sed quod necesse est: quod non opus est, asse carum est."

 March 18th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Emas, non quod opus est, sed quod necesse est: quod non opus est, asse carum est."

"Emas, non quod opus est, sed quod necesse est: quod non opus est, asse carum est."

"But not what you need, but what is absolutely necessary: what you do not need, that is expensive at any price [literally at one as, the Roman coin of least value]."

~ Marcus Porcius Cato Maior, quoted by Lucius Annaeus Seneca in Epistulae, XCIV, 28

a.d. XV Kalendas Apriles anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI

March 17th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Sine Cerere et Libero friget Venus."

March 17th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Sine Cerere et Libero friget Venus."

"Sine Cerere et Libero friget Venus."

"Without Ceres [bread] and Liber [wine], Venus {love] grows cold." Today, March 17th, is the Liberalia, the ancient Roman festival of Liber Pater, the god of wine, so I wanted a saying that included him. This one uses the gods in metonymy for their attributes - Ceres, Liber, and Venus for food, drink, and love. 

~ Publius Terentius Afer (c. 185 - 159 B.C.E.), Eunuchus 732

a.d. XVI Kalendas Apriles anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI

March 16th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad gustum"

 March 16th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad gustum"

"ad gustum"

"to taste" - a cookbook expression, as in "add salt ad gustum." Note that gustus is 4th declension, not 2nd, as one might suppose at a glance. 

a.d. XVII Kalendas Apriles anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI

March 15th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Et tu, Brute?"

 March 15th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Et tu, Brute?"

"Et tu, Brute?"

"You too, Brutus?"

~ William Shakespeare (c. 1564 - 1616), in his play Julius Caesar, attributes these words to Gaius Julius Caesar when he realized that Brutus was among his assassins. The Latin words of Shakespeare have become famous, although sources from the time of Caesar report his last words were actually Greek, καὶ σύ, τέκνον, "You too, child?"

Idibus Martiis anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI

March 14th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad gloriam"

  March 14th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad gloriam"

"ad gloriam"

"to glory"

Pridie Idus Martias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI 

March 13th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad finem"

 March 13th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad finem"

"ad finem"

"to the end," "towards the end"

a.d. III Idus Martias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI 

March 12th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad extremum"

 March 12th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad extremum"

"ad extremum"

"to/at the end," "at last," "finally"

a.d. IV Idus Martias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI 

March 11th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad eundem gradum"

 March 11th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad eundem gradum"

"ad eundem gradem"

"to the same degree," sometimes abbreviated to ad eundem "to the same" 

a.d. V Idus Martias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI 

March 10th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "addendum"

 March 10th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "addendum"

"addendum"

"to be added," in a neuter singular form meaning "a thing that must be added," "a thing to be added" - thus the English word derived directly from the Latin. Note the plural in Latin (and so in formal English as well) is addenda. 

a.d. VI Idus Martias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI 

March 9th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad clerum"

March 9th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad clerum"

"ad clerum"

"to the clergy" - id est, a proclamation by a church leader intended only for the clergy, as opposed to a proclamation ad populum ("to the people"), intended for a general audience

a.d. VII Idus Martias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI 

March 8th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad crumenam"

 March 8th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad crumenam"

"ad crumenam"

"to the purse," id est, pertaining to financial matters, pertaining "to the purse" . . . 

a.d. VIII Idus Martias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI 

March 7th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Gutta cavat lapidem."

 March 7th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Gutta cavat lapidem."

"Gutta cavat lapidem."

"The drop [of water] hollows out the stone," id est, not by force but by continually dripping.  

~ Publius Ovidius Naso (43 B.C.E. - c. 18 C.E.), Epistulae Ex Ponto IV.10.5

Nonis Martiis anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI 

March 6th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Res rustica sic est: si unam rem sero feceris, omnia opera sero facies."

 March 6th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Res rustica sic est: si unam rem sero feceris, omnia opera sero facies."

"Res rustica sic est: si unam rem sero feceris, omnia opera sero facies."

"Thus it is with country life (or "with farming"): if you do one thing late, you do all your tasks late." 

~ Marcus Porcius Cato Maior (Cato the Elder; 234 - 149 B.C.E.), De Agri Cultura V.7

Pridie Nonas Martias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI 

March 5th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad captandum vulgus"

March 5th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "ad captandum vulgus"

"ad captandum vulgus," sometimes just "ad captandum"

"for the purpose of winning over the common people," "for the sake of capturing the goodwill of the masses" - sometimes shortened to just ad captandum "for the sake of capturing" (where "the attention and goodwill of the mob" is understood). The implication is usually that something done ad captandum (vulgus) is being done cynically - not for any real good reason, except how it looks, how it "plays" with the masses. 

a.d. III Nonas Martias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI 

March 4th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Ad Kalendas Graecas."

 March 4th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Ad Kalendas Graecas."

"Ad Kalendas Graecas," sometimes with the spelling "ad Calendas Graecas"

"At the Greek Kalends," "to the Greek Kalends" = NEVER. The Kalends (sometimes spelled Calends) were a feature of the ancient Roman calendar, marking the beginning of a new month. The ancient Greek calendar did not have Kalends, however. So "at the Greek Kalends" was a way of saying "never," since it implied waiting for the Kalends in a calendar that had no Kalends. 

a.d. IV Nonas Martias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI 

March 3rd, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Ad astra per aspera."

 March 3rd, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Ad astra per aspera."

"Ad astra per aspera."

"Through hardships to the stars," or "to the stars through difficulties."

~ Motto of the state of Kansas; the path to the stars is apparently not an easy one . . .

a.d. V Nonas Martias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI 

March 2nd, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Occasio facit furem."

 March 2nd, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Occasio facit furem."

"Occasio facit furem."

"Opportunity makes a thief." (attributed as a medieval proverb)

a.d. VI Nonas Martias anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI 

March 1st, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Qui vicit non est victor nisi victus fatetur."

 March 1st, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Qui vicit non est victor nisi victus fatetur."

"Qui vicit non est victor nisi victus fatetur."

"One who wins is not the winner unless the defeated admits it."

~ Quintus Ennius (c. 239 - c, 169 B.C.E.), Annales, location uncertain

Kalendis Martiis anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI