Et cetera is one of the most familiar Latin expressions in modern English. Usually shortened to etc., it means “and the rest” or “and other things of the same…
Alea iacta est is one of the best-known Latin sayings associated with a moment of decision. Usually translated as “the die is cast,” it describes the point at…
Few Latin sayings are as compact and recognisable as veni, vidi, vici: “I came, I saw, I conquered.” The phrase presents victory as swift, decisive and almost…
“Memento mori” is a Latin reminder that every human life ends. Usually translated as “remember that you must die”, the phrase is less a celebration of gloom…
The Latin phrase "in vino veritas" is often translated as "in wine, there is truth." It belongs to a small family of sayings that promise insight when ordinary…
For more than three centuries, the Latin phrase cogito ergo sum has echoed through lecture halls, courtrooms, novels, and university tutorials from Boston to…
Few Latin expressions have travelled as far from their ancient roots as the two-word imperative carpe diem. Coined by Horace in his Odes around 23 BCE, the…
Caveat emptor is one of the oldest commercial adages in the English-speaking legal tradition. The Latin phrase translates as "let the buyer beware," and for…
Few phrases from the medieval Latin tradition have shaped the way people record time as thoroughly as "Anno Domini." From church manuscripts to university…
The Latin word stet means “let it stand” or “let it remain as it is”. It is a compact editorial instruction used when a proposed change should be ignored and…