Few Latin phrases have traveled so far from their original setting as quid pro quo. Its literal sense is simple: “something for something.” The expression…
Some expressions describe an idea so precisely that they survive changes in language, politics, and culture. Ad nauseam is one of them. Literally translated…
A walk through a garden, woodland, or kitchen can become a lesson in botanical language. The rose on a trellis is Rosa, the oak in a park may be Quercus, and…
Few Latin expressions have traveled as successfully from religious ritual into ordinary speech as mea culpa. Literally meaning “my fault,” the phrase has…
Formal argument depends on visible connections between claims. A reader should be able to see when evidence supports a conclusion, when a premise limits an…
Few Latin legal maxims have the dramatic force of fiat justitia ruat caelum. Usually translated as “let justice be done though the heavens fall,” the phrase…
English vocabulary contains thousands of words formed from Latin roots, and prefixes often provide the first clue to what those words mean. A prefix is a word…
Few Latin sayings capture the instability of fame as sharply as sic transit gloria mundi. Usually translated as “thus passes the glory of the world,” the…