LATIN QUOTES AND EXPRESSIONS

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Many Latin expressions are used in books and in everyday English speech, and you will certainly find most those phrases listed and translated on my site. However, the existing body of Latin literature, both Classical and Medieval is extremely vast. There are many undiscovered gems of wit and wisdom, so I encourage you to study Latin :) The source for a quote is sometimes indcated, but one must remember that Latin quotations are often used as if they were anonymous maxims of universal wisdom. Unlike the collections of quotes that you will find on some other websites, these lines have been actually looked at more than once by someone who knows Latin. I am sure, however, that some typos have not been fixed, so do not assume that anything you find here is safe and good enough to be tattooed on your person! Always ask a Latinist before using a Latin quote for any permanent purpose.

This site also hosts a plethora of imporant resources about Latin, as well as some other languages. Most notably, there a list of legal Latin maxims. Elsewhere on this site there are Latin phrases used in medicine, heraldry, jewelry engravings, sundials and Latin love poems. There is even a motto generator that lets you create Latin phrases without knowing Latin!

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Saepe creat molles aspera spina rosas - Often the prickly thorn produces tender roses. (Ovid)

Saepe ne utile quidem est scire quid futurum sit - Often it is not even advantageous to know what will be. (Cicero)

Saepe stilum vertas - May you often turn the stylus (You should make frequent corrections.)

Salus populi suprema lex - The safety of the people is the supreme law. (Cicero)

Salva veritate - With truth preserved

Salve (plural salvete) - Hail; welcome

Salve sis - May you be well

Salve veritate - Saving the truth

Salve - Hello

Salve(te) - Greetings!

Sanctum sanctorum - The holy of holies

Sapere aude! - Dare to be wise! (Horace)

Sapiens nihil affirmat quod non probat - A wise man states as true nothing he does not prove (don't swear to anything you don't know firsthand)

Sartor resartus - The tailor patched

Sat sapienti - Enough for a wise man. (Plautus)

Satis - Enough

Satius est impunitum relinqui facinus nocentis, quam innocentem damnari - It is better that a crime is left unpunished than that an innocent man is punished. (Corpus Iuris Civilis)

Scala Caeli - The ladder of heaven

Scala naturae - The ladder of nature

Scandalum magnatum - Scandal of magnates

Schola cantorum - School of singers

Scientia est potentia - Knowledge is power

Scientia non habet inimicum nisp ignorantem - Science has no enemies but the ignorants

Scilicet (sc.) - That is to say

Scio cur summae inter se dissentiant! Numeris Romanis utor! - I know why the numbers don't agree! I use Roman numerals!

Scio me nihil scire - I know that I know nothing. Certain knowledge cannot be obtained. (Socrates)

Scire tuum nihil est, nisi te scire hoc sciat alter - Your knowledge is nothing when no one else knows that you know it

Sciri facias - Cause (him) to know

Scito te ipsum - Know yourself

Scribere est agere - To write is to act

Scripsit - He/she wrote it

Sculpsit - He/she engraved it

Sed quis custodiet ipsos custodes? - Who watches the watchmen? (Juvenal)

Sedit qui timuit ne non succederet - He who feared he would not succeed sat still. (For fear of failure, he did nothing.) (Horace)

Semper fidelis - Always faithful

Semper idem - Always the same thing. (Cicero)

Semper inops quicumque cupit - Whoever desires is always poor. (Claudian)

Semper letteris mandate - Always get it in writing!

Semper paratus - Always prepared

Semper superne nitens - Always striving upwards

Semper ubi sub ubi ubique - Always wear underwear everywhere

Senatus Populusque Romanus (SPQR) - The Senate and the Roman people

Sensu lato - Broadly speaking

Sensu stricto - Strictly speaking

Sensu stricto, nullo metro compositum est - Strictly speaking, it doesn't rhyme

Sentio aliquos togatos contra me conspirare - I think some people in togas are plotting against me

Sequens (seq.) - The following (one)

Sequens mirabitur aetas - The following age will be amazed

Sequentia (seqq.) - The following (ones)

Seriatim - One after another in order

Serva me, servabo te - Save me and I will save you. (Petronius Arbiter)

Si Deus pro nobis quis contra nos - If God is with us who is against us

Si finis bonus est, totum bonum erit - If the end is good, everything will be good (all's well that ends well)

Si monumentum requiris circumspice - If you seek a monument, look around

Si post fata venit gloria non propero - If glory comes after death, I'm not in a hurry (if one must die to be recognised, I can wait)

Si sapis, sis apis - If you are wise, be a bee

Si tacuisses, philosophus manisses - If you had kept quiet, you would have remained a philosopher. (Boethius)

Si tu id aeficas, ei venient. Ager somnia - If you build it, they will come

Si vis amari, ama - If you wish to be loved, love. (Seneca)

Si vis pacem, para bellum - If you want peace, prepare for the war. (Vegetius)

Sic ad nauseam - And so on to the point of causing nausea

Sic erat in fatis - So it was fated

Sic faciunt omnes - Everyone is doing it

Sic friatur crustum dulce - That's the way the cookie crumbles

Sic itur ad astra - Such is the path to the stars (i.e. Gain reputation) (Vergil)

Sic passim - Thus everywhere

Sic semper tyrannis - Thus always to tyrants

Sic transit gloria mundi - So passes the glory of the world

Sic volo, sic iubeo - I want this, I order this. (Juvenalis)

Sic - Thus, just so

Silent enim leges inter arma - Laws are silent in times of war. (Cicero)

Simia quam similis, turpissimus bestia, nobis! - How like us is that very ugly beast the monkey. (Cicero)

Simplex munditiis - Unaffected by manners. (Horace)

Simpliciter - Naturally; without qualification

Sine cura - Without a care

Sine die - Without a day (indefinitely)

Sine ira et studio - Without anger or bias. (Tacitus)

Sine loco (sl) - Without place

Sine nobilitatis - Without nobility (SNOB)

Sine prole (sp) - Without a descendant

Sine qua non - Something/someone indispensable

Sine sole sileo - Without the sun I'm silent. (sundial inscription)

Siste, viator - Wait, traveler

Sit tibi terra levis - May the earth be light upon you

Sobria inebrietas - Sober intoxication

Sol omnibus lucet - The sun shines upon us all. (Petronius)

Solitudinem fecerunt, pacem appelunt - They made a desert and called it peace. (Tacitus)

Sotto voce - In soft voice

Spectatum veniunt, veniunt spectentur ut ipsae - They come to see, they come that they themselves be seen 'to see and be seen (Ovid)

Spemque metumque inter dubiis - Hover between hope and fear. (Vergil)

Spero melior - I hope for better things

Spiritus asper - Rough breathing

Spiritus lenis - Smooth breathing

Splendide mendax - Splendidly false. (Horace)

Splendor sine occasu - Splendour without end

Stabat Mater - The mother was standing

Stare decisis - To stand by things decided

Status quo - The current state of being

Stet - Let it stand

Struit insidias lacrimis cum femina plorat - When a woman weeps, she is setting traps with her tears. (Dionysius Cato)

Studium discendi voluntate quae cogi non potest constat - Study depends on the good will of the student, a quality which cannot be secured by compulsion

Stultior stulto fuisti, qui tabellis crederes! - Idiot of idiots, to trust what is written!

Stultorum calami carbones moenia chartae - Chalk is the pen of fools, walls (their) paper No Graffiti please. Showing that graffiti is nothing new

Stultorum infinitus est numerus - Infinite is the number of fools. (Bible)

Stultum est timere quod vitare non potes - It is foolish to fear that which you cannot avoid. (Publilius Syrus)

Sua cuique voluptas - Everyone has his own pleasures

Sub dio - Under the open sky

Sub iudice - Under a judge

Sub lite - In dispute

Sub poena - Under penalty of law

Sub rosa - Under the rose. Secretly or in confidence

Sub secreto - In secret

Sub silentio - In silence

Sub sole nihil novi est - There's nothing new under the sun

Sub voce (sv) - Under the voice

Suggestio falsi - Suggestion of something false

Suggestio veri, suggestio falsi - An intimation of truth, an intimation of falcity

Sui generis - Of his/her/its kind

Sui iuris - Of one's own right

Sum, ergo edo - I am, therefore I eat

Summa cum laude - With highest honor

Summam scrutemur - Let's look at the bottom line

Summum bonum - The highest good

Summum ius, summa iniuria - The extreme law is the greatest injustice. (Cicero)

Sumptus censum ne superet - Let not your spending exceed your income (live within your means)

Sunt lacrimae rerum et mentem mortalia tangunt - These are the tears of things, and our mortality cuts to the heart. (Vergil)

Sunt pueri pueri, puerilia tractant - Children are children, (therefore) children do childish things

Suo iure - In one's own right

Suo jure - In one's rightful place

Suos cuique mos - Everyone has his customs. (Gellius)

Supra - Above or on an earlier page

Sursum corda - Lift up your hearts (to God)

Suum cuique pulchrum est - To each his own is beautiful. (Cicero)