List of Latin phrases

This page lists English translations of several Latin phrases and abbreviations, such as "i.e." and "et cetera". Some of these are themselves translations of Greek phrases.

E

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;e.g.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:See Exempli gratia.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;E pluribus unum

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"From many, one" — one of the national mottoes of the United States of America.

Related Topics:
National motto - United States of America

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Ecce homo

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"Behold the man!" — in the Latin translation of the Gospel of John these words are spoken by Pilate as he presents Jesus crowned with thorns to the crowd. Oscar Wilde thus opened his defense on trial for sodomy, characteristically using a well known Biblical reference as a double entendre. It is also the title of Friedrich Nietzsche's autobiography and the title of the theme music of the BBC comedy Mr. Bean (music by Howard Goodall).

Related Topics:
Gospel of John - Pilate - Jesus - Oscar Wilde - Friedrich Nietzsche - BBC - Mr. Bean

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Editio princeps

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"First edition."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Emeritus

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"From merit" — often used to denote a position held at the point of retirement, as an honor. Professor emeritus, provost emeritus. This does not necessarily mean that the honoree is no longer active.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Ergo

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"Therefore" — used to show a logical conclusion. 'Therefore, hence' See Cogito ergo sum.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Errare humanum est

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"To err is human."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Esse quam videri

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"To be, rather than to seem" — motto of the U.S. state of North Carolina.

Related Topics:
U.S. state - North Carolina

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Esto perpetua

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"Let it be everlasting" — used by the historian Fra Paolo Sarpi of his native Venice.

Related Topics:
Paolo Sarpi - Venice

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Et alibi (et al.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"And elsewhere" — used (albeit uncommonly) like "etc." to stand for a list of places.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Et alii (et al.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"And others" — used like "etc." to stand for a list of names (alii is actually masculine, so it can be used for men, or groups of men and women; the feminine aliae is appropriate when the "others" are all female, and the neuter alia is also common.) APA style suggests that et alii may be used if the work cited was written by more than six authors; MLA style suggests that only three are necessary.

Related Topics:
Etc. - Masculine - APA style - MLA style

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Et cetera (etc. or &c.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"And the rest" — nowadays also "and others", "and so on", "and more".

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Et in Arcadia ego

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"I, also, am in Arcadia" — see memento mori.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Et sequens (et seq.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:And the following

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Et tu, Brute

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"And thou, Brutus?" — literal quotation from William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. He renders as Latin in an English play what was originally quoted as Greek supposedly spoken by a Roman. But Plutarch quotes Caesar as saying, ??? ?? ?????? Kai su, teknon? — Greek for "You too, my child?" (Greek would have been the language of Rome's elite at the time.) However it is unlikely that Caesar actually said these words.

Related Topics:
Thou - William Shakespeare - Julius Caesar - Latin - English - Greek - Roman - Plutarch - Caesar

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Ex abundantia cordis os loquitur

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Ex aequo

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"On equal footing" — i.e., "in a tie".

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Ex animo

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"From the heart" — i.e., "sincerely".

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Ex ante

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"From before" — "beforehand", "before the event", i.e., based on prior assumptions.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Ex astris scientia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"From the stars, knowledge", or "From the stars come knowledge." Used as the motto for Starfleet Academy on Star Trek. Adapted from the motto of the United States Naval Academy.

Related Topics:
Starfleet - Star Trek - United States Naval Academy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Ex cathedra

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"From the Chair" — a phrase applied to the Pope when he is speaking infallibly and, by extension, to others who speak with supreme authority or arrogance.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Ex Deo

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"From God."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Ex dolo

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"Intentionally"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Ex gratia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"From kindness" or "from grace" — referring to someone performing an act out of kindness as opposed to being forced to do it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Ex hypothesi

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"From the hypothesis" — i.e., by hypothesis.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Ex lege

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"From the law"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Ex libris...

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"From the books (library) of..."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Ex luna, scientia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"From the moon, knowledge". The motto of the Apollo 13 moon mission, derived from the motto of the US Naval Academy.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Ex nihilo

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"Out of nothing" — Some Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions hold that God created the universe from nothing.

Related Topics:
Jew - Christian - Muslim - God - Created - Universe - Nothing

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Ex nihilo nihil fit

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"Nothing comes from nothing" — a phrase used in philosophy to indicate that everything has its origin in something else and in physics to summarize the laws of conservation of energy and mass, which postulate that energy and mass are neither created nor destroyed but rather conserved.

Related Topics:
Philosophy - Physics - Conservation of energy - Mass

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Ex officio

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"From the office" — when someone holds one position by virtue of holding another, e.g., the U.S. vice president is ex officio president of the Senate.

Related Topics:
U.S. - Vice president - Senate

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Ex opere operato

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

: "By the work having been worked" — a theological phrase that refers to the idea that the act of receiving a sacrament actually confers the promised benefit (for instance, that the sacred act of baptism actually cleanses one's sins).

Related Topics:
Theological - Sacrament - Baptism - Sin

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Ex parte

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"By (or for) one party" — a legal term.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Ex post facto

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"From a thing done afterward" — of a law with retroactive effect.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Ex silentio

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

: "From silence" — arguing that the absence of something demonstrates the proof of a proposition.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Ex tempore

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"This instant" or "Right away" or "Immediately"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Ex vi termini

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"By definition."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Excelsior

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"Higher" — i.e., "ever upward!" — state motto of New York

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Exempli gratia (e.g. or eg)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:Literally "for the sake of example", usually rendered in English as "for example." See: citation signal. (An alternative interpretation of this abbreviation: "example given".) Often confused with i. e. (see Dictionary.com for an explanation of the difference between i.e. and e.g.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Exeunt

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"They leave" — see exit.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Exeunt omnes

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"They all leave" — see exit.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Exit

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"He/she leaves" — used e.g., in theatrical stage directions.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Experimentum crucis

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"Critical experiment" — a decisive test of a scientific theory.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Expressio unius est exclusio alterius

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"The mention of one thing may exclude others" — A principle of legal statutory interpretation: the explicit presence of a thing implies intention to exclude others.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Extra territorium jus dicenti impune non paretur

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"the judgment (or the authority) of one who is exceeding his territorial jurisdiction is disobeyed with impunity" — referring to extraterritorial jurisdiction. Often cited in law of the sea cases on the high seas.

Related Topics:
Extraterritorial - Law of the sea - High seas

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;Extra ecclesiam nulla salus

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"Outside the Church there is no salvation" — Referring to the Catholic Church's "law" concerning absolution

Related Topics:
Catholic Church - Absolution

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~