Common Latin Phrases and Abbreviations A ars gratia artis - art for art's sake ab aeterno - from the beginning of time artium baccalaureus - Bachelor of Arts (BA) a bene placito - at one's pleasure artium magister - Master of Arts (MA) ab imo pectore - from the bottom of the heart audaces fortuna iuvat - fortune favours the bold ab incunabulis - from the cradle aude sapere - dare to know ab initio - from the beginning aurea mediocritas - the golden mean ab intestato - having made no will aurora australis - the southern lights ab ovo - from the egg aurora borealis - the northern lights absente reo - in absence of the defendant aut vincere aut mori - either conquer or die absit invidia - no offence intended ave atque vale - hello and goodbye ab urbe condita - from the foundation of the city (Rome) Ave Maria - Hail Mary a capite ad calcem - from head to heel a verbis ad verbera - from words to blows a contrario - from a contrary position B a cruce salus - from the cross comes salvation beatae memoriae - of blessed memory acte est fabula - the play is finished Beata Virgo (Maria)- the Blessed Virgin (Mary) actus reus - guilty act bella gerant alii - let others wage war AD (Anno Domini) - in the year of the Lord bibere venenum in auro - drink poison from a cup of gold ad absurdum - to the point of absurdity b.i.d. (bis in die) - twice a day addendum - a thing to be added bona fide - acting in good faith ad hoc - to this particular purpose ad hominem - according to the person C ad infinitum - to infinity c. (circa) - approximately ad interim - for the meantime cadit quaestio - the question drops ad lib (ad libitum) - as one pleases caeca invidia est - envy is blind ad locum - at the place carpe diem - sieze the day ad maiorem Dei gloriam - for the greater glory of God casus belli - an act used to justify war ad nauseum - to the point of making one sick cave - beware! ad rem - to the point caveat - let him/her beware adsum - I am here caveat emptor - let the buyer beware advocatus diaboli - the devil's advocate cave canem - beware of the dog aet. (aetatis) - age cedo maiori - I yield to a greater person a fortiori - by stronger reason cetera desunt - the rest is missing agenda - things to be done ceteris paribus - other things being equal Agnus Dei - the Lamb of God cf. (confer) - compare AH (anno hegirae) - in the year of the hegira Codex Juris Canonici - book of canon law alea iacta est - the die is cast cogito ergo sum - I think therefore I am alias - otherwise commune bonum - the common good alibi - elsewhere compos mentis - of sound mind (and judgement) alma mater - nurturing mother concordia discors - discordant harmony alter ego - other self / also known as coniunctis viribus - with united powers alumnus - nursling (former pupil) consensu omnium - by the agreement of all am (ante meridiem) -before midday consummatum est - it is completed a mensa et thoro - from board and bed (legal separation) contra mundum - against the world amicus curiae - friend of the court coram populo - before the public amor patriae - love of country Corpus Christi - the body of Christ an. (anno) - year corpus delicti - the body of the crime anno mundi - in the year of the world Corpus Juris Canonici - the body of canon law anno regni - in the year of reign Corpus Juris Civilis - the body of civil law annus horribilis - a horrible year corpus vile - worthless body annus mirabilis - a wonderful year corrigenda - things to be corrected ante - before crescite et multiplicamini - increase and multiply antebellum - before the war crimen falsi - perjury ante-mortem - before death crux - puzzle a.p. (ante prandium) - before a meal cui bono - for whose advantage a posse ad esse - from possibility to actuality culpa - a sin a posteriori - from what comes later cum - with a priori - from what comes before cum grano salis - with a grain of salt aqua vitae - water of life (brandy) cum laude - with praise arbiter elegantiae - judge in matters of taste curriculum vitae - the course of one's life arcana imperii - secrets of the empire custos morum - guardian of morals D et sic de ceteris - and so to of the rest data et accepta - expenditure and receipts et tu, Brute - and you, Brutus decrevi - i have decreed e vestigio - from where one stands de die in diem - from day to day ex - out of de facto - in fact ex cathedra - with authority Dei gratia- by the grace of God excelsior - higher de integro - repeat again from the start exceptio probat regulam - the exception proves the rule de iure - according to law exceptis excipiendis - excepting what is to be excepted de novo - anew exeat - let him/her go out de mortuis nil nisi bonum - speak no ill of the dead exeunt - they go out Deo adiuvante - with God's help exeunt omnes - all go out Deo favente - with God's favour ex gratia - done as a favour Deo gratias - thanks be to God ex hypothesi - from the hypothesis Deo Optimo Maximo - to God, the Best, the Greatest exit - he/she goes out Deo volente - God willing exitus acta probat - the outcome justifies the deed de profundis - up from the depths (of misery) ex libris - from the library of desunt cetera - the rest is missing ex more - according to custom deus absconditus - a god who is hidden from man ex officio - by right of office deus ex machina - god from the machine ex parte - on behalf of one party only Deus vobiscum - God be with you ex post facto - from what is done afterward Deus vult - God wills it ex proprio motu - voluntarily diem perdidi - I have lost a day ex silentio - from silence (from lack of contrary Dies Irae - Day of Wrath evidence) dies non - business free day extempore - without premeditation dira necessitas - grim necessity ex voto - according to one's vow disjecta membra - the scattered remains F divide et impera - divide and rule facile princeps - acknowledged leader dixi - i have spoken facta, non verba - deeds, not words docendo discimus - by teaching, we learn factum est - it is done doli capax - capable of crime fama semper vivat - may his/her fame last forever Domine, dirige nos - Lord, direct us favete linguis - to keep a (religious) silence Dominus illuminatio mea - the Lord is my light fec. (fecit) - made by Dominus vobiscum - the Lord be with you felix culpa - happy fault (domus) dulcis domus - (home) sweet home felo de se - suicide dramatis personae - characters of the play festina lente - make haste slowly dum spiro, spero - while I breathe, I hope fiat - let it be done E fiat lux - let there be light ecce homo - behold the man Fidei Defensor - defender of the faith ecce signum - behold the proof fidus Achates - faithful Achates (friend) e contrario - from a contrary position filioque - and from the son editio princeps - first printed edition filius nullius - a bastard e.g. (exempli gratia) - by grace of example finis - the end ego et rex meus - I and my King flagrante delicto - in the act of committing a crime eiusdem generis - of the same kind flamma fumo est proxima - the is no smoke without fire emeritus - honourably discharged from service floruit - flourished eo ipso - by that very act fons et origo - the source and origin eo nomine - under that name fortes fortuna adiuvat - fortune favors the brave e pluribus unum - one out of many fugit hora - the hour flies e re nata - as circumstances dictate G E.R. (Elizabeth Regina/Eduardus Rex) - Queen genius loci - the guardian spirit of the place Elizabeth/King Edward gloria - glory ergo bibamus - therefore, let us drink Gloria in Excelsis Deo - glory to God in the highest errare humanum est - to err is human Gloria Patri - glory to the Father erratum (errata) - error (errors) graviora manent - greater dangers await est deus in nobis - the is a god inside us esto perpetue - may you last for ever H et al. (et alii/et aliae/et alia) - and others habeas corpus - you are to produce the body etc. (et ceterae/etcetera) - and the rest habemus Papam - we have a Pope et seq. (et sequens) - and the following hac lege - with this law et seqq. (et sequentia) - and those that follow haud ignota loquor - I say things that are known 2 hic et nunc - here and now in principio - in the beginning hic iacet - here lies in propria persona - in person hinc illae lacrimae - hence these tears in puris naturalibus - completely naked HJ (hic jacet) - here lies in re - refering to HJS (hic jacet sepultus) - here lies buried in rem - against the matter (property) hoc erat in votis - this was among my prayers in rerum natura - in the nature of things homo homini lupus - man is a wolf to man Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum-Jesus of Nazareth, King of homo sum - i am a man the Jews honoris causa - for the sake of honour insculpsit - he/she engraved it honor virutis preamium - honour is the reward of virtue in se - in itself horribile dictu - horrible to relate in situ - in position horror vacui - fear of empty places inter alia - among other things hunc tu caveto - beware of this man inter alios - among other people in terrorem - as a warning I inter se - between themselves ib. (ibidem) - in the same place inter spem et metum - between hope and fear i.e. (id est) - that is to say inter vivos - between living (people) ign. (ignotus) - unknown in totidem verbis - in so many words ignis fatuus - foolish fire (will-o-the-wisp) in toto - completely ignorantia legis neminem excusat - ignorance of the law in transitu - in passing excuses no one intra vires - within the powers ignoratio elenchi - an ignorance of proof in usu - in use Imp.