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.

P

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;Pace

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:"With peace" — used to indicate that the speaker contradicts someone else: "...but acquired characteristics are not inherited, pace Jean-Baptiste Lamarck..."

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;Pace tua

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:"With your permission."

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;Panem et circenses

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:"Bread and circus plays" — Juvenal, Satires 10, 81, describing all that was needed for the emperors to placate the Roman mob, and today used to describe any public entertainment used to distract public attention from more important matters.

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;Parens patriae

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:"Parent of the country."

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;Pari passu

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:"With equal step" — moving together, simultaneously, etc..

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;Passim

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:"Throughout", "here and there", "frequently" — of a word that occurs several times in a cited texts; also, in proof reading, of a change that is to be repeated everywhere needed.

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;Pater familias

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:"Father of the family."

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;Pater peccavi

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:"Father, I have sinned" — the traditional beginning of a Catholic confession.

Related Topics:
Catholic - Confession

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;Pauca sed matura

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:"Few, but ripe." From The King and I by Rogers and Hammerstein. It was said to be one of Carl Gauss's favorite quotations.

Related Topics:
The King and I - Carl Gauss

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;Pax Americana

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:"The Peace of America" — a euphemism for the United States of America and its sphere of influence, adapted from Pax Romana (q.v.)

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;Pax Britannica

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:"The Peace of Britain" — a euphemism for the British Empire, adapted from Pax Romana (q.v.)

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;Pax Dei

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:"Peace of God", Peace and Truce of God movement, 10th Century, France.

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;Pax Deorum

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:"Peace of the Gods" — Like the vast majority of inhabitants of the ancient world, the Romans practiced pagan rituals, believing it important to achieve a state of Pax Deorum (The Peace of the Gods) instead of Ira Deorum (The Wrath of the Gods). Earthquakes, floods, famine, etc.

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;Pax et bonum

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:"Peace and goodness". The motto of St. Francis of Assisi and, consequently, the motto of his monastery in Assisi, in the Tuscany region of Italy. Italian translation: pace e bene.

Related Topics:
Francis of Assisi - Assisi - Tuscany - Italy

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;Pax Romana

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:"The Peace of Rome" — the peace forcefully imposed by the Roman Empire.

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;Pax Sinica

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:"The Peace of China" — a euphemism for periods of peace in East Asia during times of a strong Chinese empire, adapted from Pax Romana (q.v.)

Related Topics:
East Asia - Chinese empire

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;Pax tecum

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:"Peace be with you (singular)."

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;Pax vobiscum

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:"Peace be with you (plural)."

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;Pendent opera interrupta

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:"The work hangs interrupted" — from the Aeneid of Virgil, Book IV

Related Topics:
Aeneid - Virgil

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;Per annum

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:"Per year."

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; Per ardua ad astra

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:"Through adversity to the stars." — Motto of the British Royal Air Force

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; Per aspera ad astra

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:"The hard way towards the stars", or "through hardship to the stars" (a state motto of Kansas)

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;Per capsulam

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:"By letter."

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;Per caput or per capita

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:"Per head" — i.e., "per person".

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;Per curiam

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:"by court."

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;Per definitionem

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:"by definition."

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;Per diem

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:"Per day." — a specific amount of money an organization allows an individual to spend per day. Typically, this is for travel expenses.

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;Per os (p.o.)

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:"By mouth" ()

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;Per procura; per procurationem (p.p.)

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:"Through the agency (of)" — used to indicate that a person is signing a document on behalf of another person (correctly placed before the name of the person signing, but often placed before the name of the person on whose behalf the document is signed, sometimes through incorrect translation of the alternative abbreviation "per pro." as "for and on behalf of").

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;Per se

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:"By itself" or "in itself" — i.e., without referring to anything else, intrinsically, taken without qualifications, etc.; for instance, negligence per se.

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;Per stirpes

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:"Per branch" — used in wills to indicate that each branch of the testator's family should inherit equally; contrast per capita.

Related Topics:
Will - Testator - Per capita

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;Per veritatem vis

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:Through truth, strength (Motto of Washington University in St. Louis)

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;Perpetuum mobile

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:"Thing in perpetual motion."

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;Persona non grata

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:"Person not wanted" — an unwanted or undesirable person. In diplomatic contexts, a person rejected by the host government. (Unwelcome, banned)

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;Petitio principii

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:"Begging the principle" — i.e., "begging the question"; a logical fallacy.

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;Pia desideria

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:"Pious desires."

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;Pia fraus

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:"Pious betrayal" — expression from Ovid used to describe betrayal which serves Church purposes.

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;Pons asinorum

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:"Bridge of asses". Any obstacle that stupid people find hard to cross, originally used of Euclid's Fifth Proposition in geometry.

Related Topics:
Euclid - Geometry

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;Pontifex Maximus

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:"The greatest high priest" — a traditional epithet of the pope and previously of the Roman emperors. The pontifices were the most important priestly college of the ancient Roman religion; their name is usually thought to derive from pons facere, 'to make a bridge', which in turn is usually linked to their religious authority over the bridges of Rome, especially the Pons Sublicius.

Related Topics:
Pope - Roman emperor - Roman religion - Pons Sublicius

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;Posse comitatus

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:"Power of the county".

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;Post aut propter

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:"After it or because of it" — causality between to phenomena is not established; cf. Post hoc, ergo propter hoc

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;Post cibum (p.c.)

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:"After meals" ()

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;Post facto

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:"After the fact." (see ex post facto)

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;Post hoc, ergo propter hoc

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:"After this, therefore because of this" — a logical fallacy in which sequence and cause are confused.

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;Post meridiem (p.m.)

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:"After noon" — in the period from noon to midnight.

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;Post mortem

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:"After death."

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;Post scriptum (p.s.)

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:"Post script" used to mark additions to a letter, after the signature.

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;Post tenebras lux

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:"After darkness, light" - a motto of the Protestant Reformation inscribed on the Reformation Wall in Geneva, Switzerland.

Related Topics:
Protestant Reformation - Geneva, Switzerland

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;Prima facie

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:"At first sight" — used to designate evidence in a trial which is suggestive, but not conclusive, of something (e.g., a person's guilt).

Related Topics:
Evidence - Trial

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;Primum non nocere

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:"First, do no harm." — A medical precept, attributed to Hippocrates.

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;Primus inter pares

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:"First among equals" — a title of the Roman emperors.

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;Principia probant, non probantur

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:"Principles prove, they are not proved." — Fundamental principles require no proof.

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;Pro bono (publico)

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:"For the (public) good" — said of a lawyer's work that is not charged for.

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;Pro forma

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:"As a matter of form"

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;Pro hac vice

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:"for this occasion" — request of a state court to allow an out-of-state lawyer to represent a client. (see List of legal terms)

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;Pro patria

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:"For (the) country"

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;Pro rata

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:"For the rate" — i.e., proportionately.

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;Pro re nata (prn)

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:"As needed" ()

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;Pro studio et labore

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:"For hard work and labor."

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;Pro tanto

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:"for so much", "partially fulfilled", a philosophical term meaning: the acceptance of a theory or idea without fully accepting the explanation

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;Pro tempore

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:"For the time (being)" — i.e., "temporary."

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;Profanum vulgus

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:"The uninitiated masses" — from Horace.

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;Propria manu (p.m.)

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:"By own hand."

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;prox.

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:abbreviation for proximo. Formerly used in formal correspondence to refer to the following month. See also ult. and inst.

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;Punctum saliens

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:"The outstanding point" — i.e., the essential or most notable point.

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