Transcript LATIN NOTES
LATIN NOTES ETYMOLOGY QUID PRO QUO Something for something An even exchange; You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours QUORUM Of whom Minimum number of people required in order to conduct official business RARA AVIS Rare bird One of a kind REQUIESCAT IN PACE (R.I.P.) May s/he rest in peace Check out some old timey tombstones SANCTUM SANCTORUM Holy of Holies Place of inviolable privacy; where no one should interrupt you SEMPER FIDELIS Always faithful Motto of US Marine Corps (often abbreviated as “semper fi”) SEMPER PARATUS Always prepared/ready Motto of US Coast Guard SI QUAERIS PENINSULAM AMOENAM CIRCUMSPICE If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you Motto of the State of Michigan SIC Thus I found it thus; used when using a direct quote from text to denote misspellings i.e. Her note said “I left because their (sic) was no one home.” SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS Thus even to tyrants John Wilkes Boothe’s alleged words when killing Lincoln; motto of the State of Virginia SIC TRANSIT GLORIA MUNDI Thus/so passes the glory of the world Everything passes/is transitory; used during the coronation of the Pope SINE QUA NON Without which not An absolute necessity; indispensable SUB ROSA Under the rose What’s said in a meeting is confidential; roses suspended above Roman tables to remind guests to keep silent; “what’s said under the rose, stays under the rose” SUI GENERIS Of its own kind Unique; in a class of its own SUMMUM BONUM Highest good The supreme good from which all others are derived TABULA RASA Clean slate Starting over from scratch; newborns are tabula rasa TEMPUS FUGIT Time flies ‘nuff said TERRA FIRMA Solid earth To be on solid ground TERRA INCOGNITA Unknown land Often written on maps before it was “discovered” VENI, VIDI, VICI I came, I saw, I conquered Julius Caesar quote after crossing the Rubicon in 49 bc in defiance of Roman law, resulting in civil war VERSO Left Left (side of a page) RECTO Right Right (side of a page) VICE VERSA With the order changed Conversely; reversed VALE (SALVE) Farewell (Hail) Roman greeting NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM New order of the ages Motto on the reverse of the Great Seal of the US; also on dollar bill VOX POPULI Voice of the people Popular opinion