Amor est vitae essentia - Love is the essence of life

A fortiori – With yet stronger reason.
A posteriori – From what comes later: To reason a posteriori = to argue with the consequences of a hypothesis.
A priori – From what comes before: To conclude a priori.
Ab aeterno – From the beginning of time; from eternity.
Ab imo corde – From the bottom of one’s heart.
Ab imo pectore – From the bottom of the chest. Imus, a, um is an adjective (= intimate), which agrees with pectore.
Ab initio – From the beginning.
Ab ovo – From the beginning (literally, from the egg).
Ab uno disce omnes - From one example you may judge the rest .
Ab urbe condita – From the founding of the city (of Rome); 753 B.C., according to Livy's count; used as a reference point by the Romans for establishing dates, as we use A.D. today.
Abusus non tollit usum – Wrong use does not preclude proper use.
Abyssus abyssum invocat –– Troubles never come singly (literally, one abyss calls another).
Ad amussim – To the letter, with precision: To read a work ad amussim.
Ad hoc – (Constituted) for a particular purpose: Ad hoc secretary.
Ad kalendas graecas – On the Greek calends; on a date that does not exist, hence, never. (The calends was a date in the Roman month, and simply did not exist in the Greek calendar.)
Ad libitum – Freely; at ease; at one's pleasure; at will. To proceed ad libitum.
Ad literam – Literally, word for word: Translation ad literam.
Ad nutum –– (Dismissible) at will: To appoint officers ad nutum.
Ad perpetuam rei memoriam – For eternal remembrance of the fact. Monument ad perpetuam rei memoriam.
Ad referendum –– Subject to approval.
Age quod agis – Do what you are doing, dedicate yourself to what you are doing.
Alea iacta est - The die is cast.
Alienos rigas agros, tuis sitientibus – You water others’ fields, while yours are dry (absolute ablative).
Amicus Plato, sed magis amica veritas – Plato is my friend, but the truth is a greater friend.
Aquila non capit muscas – The eagle doesn’t catch flies (don’t bother about small things).
Bis – Twice: The audience demanded a bis.
Bis dat qui cito dat – He gives twice who gives promptly (Publilius Syrus).
Consummatum est – It is accomplished, it is completed
Coram populo – In the presence of the people (Horace).
Cornu bos capitur, voce ligatur homo – The bull is caught by the horns, the man by the word.
Corruptio optimi pessima – The corruption of the best is worst.
Cum charta cadit, omnis scientia vadit – When the paper falls, all the science goes away.
Cum grano salis – With a grain of salt.
Currente calamo –– As the pen runs; in haste (with the pen writing fast).
Data venia – With your permission.
De gustibus et coloribus non est disputandum – One should not argue over matters of taste and color.
Dormientibus ossa – The bones to the sleepers. Those who arrive late get what’s left.
Dum tacent, clamant – When they are silent, they speak out loud.
Eadem per eadem – To pay in the same coin.
Errando discitur – One learns by one’s mistakes.
Est modus in rebus – There’s measure in things.
Et similia – ... and similar things: To write letters, descriptions, compositions et similia.
Ex abrupto – Suddenly, without preparation.
Ex cathedra – (Literally, from the (bishop's) chair): speaking with formal, official authority. Usually refers to an official pronouncement from the Pope. The Pope spoke ex cathedra = he spoke as supreme pontiff.
Ex corde - From the bottom of one’s heart.
Ex expositis – From what has been exposed or expounded.
Ex officio - By virtue of the office held; as a consequence one's duty or office.: A lawyer was appointed ex officio (by law) by the court on behalf of a defendant. To be an ex officio elector.
Ex positis – From what has been agreed.
Ex professo – as a teacher, authoritatively, with all perfection. To discourse on the matter ex professo.
Exclusive – Exclusively
Exempli gratia – For example; for the sake of example; for instance. Usually abbreviated e.g.
Gladiator in arena consilium capit –The gladiator is formulating his plan in the arena (i.e., too late) (Seneca).
Gratis – ... provided without payment; free.
Grosso modo – Superficially, approximately.
Ibidem – In the same place (in a book), by the same author (as in a previous reference).
Idem – The same.
In fine – At the end
In limine – On the threshold, at the outset. The reasons had been rejected in limine.
In perpetuum – For ever, perpetually.
In totum – As a whole, completely.
Inclusive – ... inclusively.
Infra – Below, on a later page.
Inter pocula – ... in the act of drinking, at the party: To discourse inter pocula. To act inter pocula = to act as a drunk.
Ipsis verbis – With precisely the same words.
Ipso facto – By that very fact, by the fact itself, thereby: He did not pay; ipso facto he did not take part in the draw.
Lato sensu – In a broad sense (the contrary of stricto sensu = in a strict sense).
Manus manum lavat – One hand washes the other. A favor for a favor (Petronius).
Mater artium necessitas –Nenessity is the mother of invention.
Maxime – Principally, chiefly.
Medice, cura te ipsum – Physician, heal thyself (Versio Vulgata).
Mors omnia solvit – Death dissolves everything.
Mortuo leone et lepores insultant – Even hares insult a dead lion (literally: the lion being dead, even the hares dance).
Mutatis mutandis – With necessary changes being made.
Nascuntur poetae, fiunt oratores – A poet is born but an orator is made.
Ne sutor ultra crepidam – Shoemaker, do not go beyond (your competence in respect of) shoes. - It is said that a Greek painter was painting a warrior, but he was uncertain on how to render his shoe (crepida); he then asked a cobbler (sutor) and the latter explained what was required. But then the cobbler started criticizing other parts of the painting, so the artist asked him to keep within the limits of his competence
Nemo propheta in patria sua – No one is a prophet in his own land.
Nemo sua sorte contentus – No one is satisfied with his own lot.
Non vi, virtute – No by stenght, but by merit.
Pari passu – With equal speed; simultaneously and equally. To keep up with something pari passu = to keep up with it in every respect.
Per fas et per nefas– Indiscriminately, willy-nilly, by any means: I´ll achieve my purpose per fas et nefas.
Primo – In the first place.
Pro forma – For the sake of form; as a matter of formality; made or carried out in a perfunctory manner or as a formality.
Philosophum non facit barba – The beard does not define a philosopher (Plutarch).
Quantum satis ou quantum sufficit – As much as suffices.
Qui bene olet, male olet – One who puts on perfume doesn´t smell good.
Qui semel furatur, semper fur est –– Once a thief, always a thief
Quod licet Jovi, non licet bovi – What Jupiter (supreme God) is allowed to do, catlle (people) are not.
Quod non fecerunt barbari, Barberini fecerunt – What the barbarians didn’t do, the Barberini have done (apropos of Urban VIII, Maffeo Barberini, for having ordered the removal of the bronze that covered the Pantheon portico). Sovereigns can be pirates
Retro – ... behind.
Roma locuta, causa finita – Rome has spoken; the case is over.
Secundo – In second place.
Si vis, potes – If you wish, you can. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Sic – thus used, spelt etc.
Sine die – (Literally, without a day.) Without a specific day being set. With no time fixed. Without stipulating a day. Without any future date being designated (as for reconvening, for resumption: indefinitely.)
Statu quo – The present state of affairs. The existing condition. Things as they are. The current state of being: The winners have maintained the statu quo in the monetary aspect.
Stricto sensu – In a strict sense (the opposite of lato sensu = in a broad sense).
Suae quisque fortunae faber est – Every man is the artisan of his own fortune (Appius Claudius Caecus).
Sui generis – Of its own kind; unique.
Supra – Above
Una voce – With one voice, unanimously.
Unum et idem – One and same thing.
Urbi et orbi – To the city (Rome) and to the globe – a blessing of the pope.
Utile dulci – Useful and pleasant.
Vae soli! – Woe to the lonely man!
Vae victis! –Woe to the conquered (vanquished) (Livy).
Verba volant, scripta manent – (Spoken) words fly away, what is written remains.
Verbi gratia – For example (it is abbreviated v. g.).
Veritas odium parit, obsequium amicos – Frankness makes enemies and flattery, friends.
Via trita, via tuta – A beaten track is a safe track.
Vice versa – In reverse order.

Máriton Silva Lima
Constitutionalist and Philosopher