Articles

TitleDateExcerpt
Pax Dei And The Medieval Search For PeaceThe Latin term Pax Dei means “the peace of God”. It describes a series of medieval church-led efforts to limit violence by placing certain people, places, and…
Oculus Dei and the Symbolic Eye of GodOculus Dei is a compact Latin expression meaning “the eye of God”. Its imagery is immediately recognisable: an eye that sees, watches, or understands, often…
Nunc dimittis in religious and farewell settings“Nunc dimittis” is a short Latin phrase with a remarkably wide emotional range. It can express peaceful release, gratitude after a life’s work, or the moment…
Nil Volentibus Arduum And The Practice Of Facing ChallengesNil volentibus arduum is a Latin saying commonly translated as “nothing is difficult for the willing” or “nothing is too hard for those who are determined”.…
Labor Omnia Vincit And The Value Of Persistent WorkLabor omnia vincit is commonly translated as “work conquers all” or “labour conquers all”. The phrase comes from Virgil’s Georgics, a Roman poem about farming,…
In Vino Veritas And The Social Truths We ShareThe Latin phrase in vino veritas is commonly translated as “in wine, truth”. It suggests that alcohol can loosen restraint, weaken social performance and bring…
Homo Sapiens In Scientific ClassificationThe term Homo sapiens is the formal scientific name for the human species. It combines a Latin genus name, Homo, with a species name, sapiens, usually…
Festina lente and the art of balanced productivityFestina lente is a compact Latin saying with a useful tension at its centre. It means “make haste slowly”, or more naturally, “hurry slowly”. The phrase does…
Errare Humanum Est And The Work Of ForgivenessErrare humanum est means “to err is human”. The short Latin saying recognises a basic fact of life: people make mistakes because judgement is limited, emotions…
Dum Spiro, Spero: A Latin Motto of HopeFew Latin sayings express resilience as directly as dum spiro, spero. Usually translated as “while I breathe, I hope,” the phrase joins physical life with…