October 26th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "altissima quaeque flumina minimo sono labi"
"altissima quaeque flumina minimo sono labi"
"All the deepest rivers flow with the least sound." - like the English "Still waters run deep."
a.d. VII Kalendas Novembres anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
October 25th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "alter ego"
"alter ego"
Literally "another I" - "another self" - a term used in English both for a very close friend and for another identity
a.d. VIII Kalendas Novembres anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
October 24th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "alma mater"
"alma mater"
Literally "nourishing mother," used metaphorically in English for the institutions (particularly schools) one attended, and sometimes for symbols thereof (like the "school song" is sometimes referred to as the alma mater)
a.d. IX Kalendas Novembres anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
October 23rd, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Cui des videto"
"Cui des videto"
"Look at to whom you would give," "Consider to whom you give" ~ from the Monostichs of Dionysius Cato
a.d. X Kalendas Novembres anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
October 22nd, 2023 Latin of the Day - "alis volat propriis"
"alis volat propriis"
"she flies on her own wings" ~ State Motto of Oregon
a.d. XI Kalendas Novembres anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
October 21st, 2023 Latin of the Day - "aliquando bonus dormitat Homerus"
"aliquando bonus dormitat Homerus"
"sometimes good Homer nods off" - meaning sometimes even the greatest poet fails to be as incredible as usual, even the greatest in any field can be off their game and no one is perfect all the time - from Quintus Horatius Flaccus (Horace)
a.d. XII Kalendas Novembres anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
October 20th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "alieni iuris"
"alieni iuris"
"of a another's law" or "of another's right" - a legal Latin term designating a person as being under the authority of another by law, as with children or those not mentally competent to manage their own affairs
a.d. XIII Kalendas Novembres anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
October 19th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "alieni generis"
"alieni generis"
"of a different kind," "of another kind"
a.d. XIV Kalendas Novembres anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
October 18th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Mutuum da!"
"Mutuum da!"
"Give a loan!" (literally, perhaps better translated more loosely, as in the Loeb's "Be willing to lend!"
a.d. XV Kalendas Novembres anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
October 17th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Tempus fugit"
"Tempus fugit"
"Time flies" is the traditional translation - "time is escaping," "time is fleeing" is the sense . . .
a.d. XVI Kalendas Novembres anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
October 16th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "alibi"
"alibi"
"other-there," "literally - equivalent of English "elsewhere." used quite commonly in English to mean an excuse that one was elsewhere when some crime or misdeed was committed, and therefore one could not have committed it.
a.d. XVII Kalendas Novembres anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
October 15th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "alias (dictus)"
"alias dictus," shortened to just "alias" in English usage
"otherwise (called)" - Roman usage of "alias dictus" was as a way of introducing a nickname (without the implied deceit of the English "alias"), somewhat similar to modern English "a.k.a." ("also known as")
Idibus Octobribus anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
October 14th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "alere flammam"
"alere flammam"
"to feed the flame" - used figuratively, as in modern English
Pridie Idus Octobres anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
October 13th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "alea iacta est"
"alea iacta est"
"let the die be cast" - words sometimes attributed to Julius Caesar as he crossed the Rubicon River with his army and initiating a Roman Civil War
a.d. III Idus Octobres anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
October 12th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Alcinoo poma dare"
"Alcinoo poma dare"
"to give fruit to Alcinous," roughly equivalent to English "to carry coals to Newcastle," in the Odyssey, Alcinous the Phaeacian has marvelous gardens and orchards, so giving him fruit represents something superfluous and unnecessary
a.d. IV Idus Octobres anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
October 11th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Familiam cura!"
"Familiam cura!"
"Care for your household!" It is fair, I think, to translate this by the modern cognate (:Care for your family!"), but the Latin familia was much broader than the English "family" - it really translates more accurately as "household." From the Monostichs of Dionysius Cato
a.d. V Idus Octobres anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
October 10th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "albo lapillo notare diem"
"albo lapillo notare diem"
"to mark the day with a white stone" - from Pliny the Elder's Natural History VII.xl.41, referring to a custom purported to go back to the Thracians of marking good and bad days with white and black stones in an urn, and being able to take out the pebbles at the end of a month and look over the number of good and bad days.
a.d. VI Idus Octobres anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
October 9th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "albae gallinae filius"
"albae gallinae filius"
"son of a white hen" literally, meaning a very fortunate person, a person "born lucky"
a.d. VII Idus Octobres anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
October 8th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "a latere"
"a latere"
"from the side" - can be used quite literally as "from the side" (the source of the English "lateral" and "laterally," but also used in the Catholic Church for cardinals with the confidence of the pope ("from his side") - a legatus a latere is a papal legate enjoying the special confidence of the pope. In diplomacy, a legatus a latere can be a representative plenipotentiary. The word can also be used in law for succession of property rights - hence the English word "collateral"
a.d. VIII Idus Octobres anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
October 7th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "agnosco veteris vestigia flammae"
"agnosco veteris vestigia flammae"
"I recognize the traces of the old flame" - Publius Vergilius Maro, Aeneid, IV.23 - recognizing the traces of romantic love - the "old flame"
Nonis Octobribus anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
October 6th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "age quod agis"
"age quod agis"
"Do what you are doing" - pay attention to the business at hand!
Pridie Nonas Octobres anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
October 5th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "a fronte praecipitium, a tergo lupi"
"a fronte praecipitium, a tergo lupi"
"a precipice from the front, wolves from behind" - Ancient Roman equivalent of "between the Devil and the deep blue sea" or "between a rock and a hard place" - being caught between choices of equally unpleasant alternatives
a.d. III Nonas Octobres anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
October 4th, 2023 Latin of the Day - "a fortiori"
"a fortiori"
"from a stronger [argument or reason]," "with stronger reason," "all the more" - a phrase used in philosophy and law to indicate an argument based on an even stronger one
a.d. IV Nonas Octobres anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
October 3rd, 2023 Latin of the Day - "aetatis suae"
"aetatis suae"
"of their own age" - found on tombstones, e.g. "Obiit aetatis suae XLVIII" would mean "Died at the age of 48," "Died at 48 years of their own age"
a.d. V Nonas Octobres anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
October 2nd, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Fiat lux!"
"Fiat lux!"
"Let there be light!" or "Let light be made!" (Genesis 1:3 in the Vulgate)
a.d. VI Nonas Octobres anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
October 1st, 2023 Latin of the Day - "Rem tuam custodi!"
"Rem tuam custodi!"
"Guard your own property," "Protect your own affair(s)," perhaps even to be rendered by the English expression, "Mind your own business!" - from the Monostichs of Cato
Kalendis Octobribus anno A.U.C. MMDCCLXXVI
