![]() Literal meaning: “Spoken words fly away, written words remain.” Also very eligible to be tattooed, together with Carpe Diem or YOLO. Literal meaning: “I came, I saw, I conquered.”Īnother very famous phrase attributed to Julius Caesar, after he achieved a very quick victory in a short war. Requiescat in paceĪnd you thought “R.I.P.” came from English? Come on! 2. Nowadays, this concept is used in art and literature to represent the fleeting nature of life. This servant was probably the first party pooper of all times. When the Emperor was celebrating a victory with a parade, a servant would whisper in his ear “ memento mori” to remind him that he was human, not a God. This phrase comes from a rather peculiar custom back in Ancient Rome. Literal meaning: “Remember that you will die.” The natural follow-up: If you get “i.e.” confused with “e.g.” knowing the full Latin phrases can help you differentiate. Errare humanum est.“įinally, you have discovered where the shortening “e.g.” come from! Once again, with those abbreviations. “Darn! It’s pouring rain and I am wearing my sandals again.”.Here’s a theoretical conversation between two ancient Roman friends: The full sentence, “ errare humanum est, sed perseverare autem diabolicum” (anyone can err, but only the fool persists in his fault) is basically the “epic fail” of Roman times. The author credited with this famous statement is Cicero, a Roman politician and lawyer. This phrase has been repeated over and over since ancient times, since failure is a constant feature throughout history. This is where the phrase “being delirious” comes from. Literal meaning: “Off the furrows” + “Trembling”Ĭoined in 1813 by British physician Thomas Sutton, Delirium Tremens is the medical term for withdrawal syndrome from alcohol. This fundamental proposition of Western philosophy has become one of the most famous statements in history, together with “no TV and no beer make Homer go crazy.” 8. This phrase was first uttered by the mathematician, philosopher and scientist René Descartes (1596-1650). Literal meaning: “I think, therefore I am.” We humans haven’t changed that much, have we? 9. The “beware of the dog” sign was written at the entrance to one of the houses. The “Cave Canem” inscription was first found in Pompeii, the Roman city that was buried in ash after Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. Horace said this in the First Century B.C, before Drake rephrased it into “YOLO” in the 2010s. It indicates the effort and dedication required to make something sublime that will last forever, whereas the life of the human accomplishing the task is brief. Literal meaning: “Art is long, life is short.”Ī fancy guy with a fancy name, Hippocrates of Kos, and also a fancy job - he is considered the father of modern medicine - once said this. In this case, you finally get to understand your alarm clock’s language! 12. You probably know these terms by their abbreviations: “a.m.” and “p.m.” I know, this article is going to reveal the meaning of so many acronyms you will feel like you finally understand a bigger part of your own language. Literal meaning: “Before midday / after midday” A person with an Alter Ego is a person who leads a double life… but it’s no excuse to behave badly and then blame the “other you”! 13. The term was coined in the 20th century, when psychologists discovered dissociative identity disorder. “The other I” - a different person with a completely different personality. You just handed in your exam? Well, alea iacta est. This expression means that we have passed the point of no return. What, you can’t? Well, it was a symbolic act that basically commenced the Second Civil War in the Roman Republic. Imagine Julius Caesar crossing the river Rubicon. How many of these would you recognize? Here’s a list of 15 of my favorite Latin expressions and their precise origins: 15.
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