everything happens for a reason

TattooReason

New Member

Hello there,

I want to extend my tattoo collection about this quote. It means that every good/bad thing in your life happened/happening for some reason which you don't have to understand right away but over time.

Everything happens for a reason
It will be a small lettering tattoo so I believe that "omnia causa fiunt" can be used here but I am not sure based on this thread.
THREAD: everything-happens-for-a-reason-just-believe

Thanks!
 
 

Matthaeus

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maybe something in Boethius's de consolatione, I wonder?
 

TattooReason

New Member

Thanks, @Adrian! I heard about nihil fit extra fatum too, but cannot find if someone has a tattoo with this quote. Omnia causa fiunt is more "popular" in the world. Can you please explain why? Is it really so incorrect version?

Is there any other way how to say it with 3 words?
 

Adrian

Civis Illustris

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Thanks, @Adrian! I heard about nihil fit extra fatum too, but cannot find if someone has a tattoo with this quote. Omnia causa fiunt is more "popular" in the world. Can you please explain why? Is it really so incorrect version?
I have no certain answer why Omnia causa fiunt is so popular. To me it's wrong. I imagine someone used google translate and such abomination came out, which was later reproduced.

Is there any other way how to say it with 3 words?
:puzzled: I'm not sure. I've seen nihil sine causa - but that is too vague.
I would advise waiting for more experienced latinists to speak out on the matter.
 

TattooReason

New Member

OK, thank you for your quick reaction - I will count with nihil fit extra fatum for now and let's wait for some more people involved.
 

Pacifica

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For a literal rendering maybe you could say omnia aliquam ob causam fiunt.

In any case, do not use the "popular" omnia causa fiunt. I agree with Adrian that it sounds wrong.
 

TattooReason

New Member

OK, still better to go with nihil fit extra fatum because omnia aliquam ob causam fiunt is too long for a tiny tattoo which should serve me as reminder for me. :)
 
B

Bitmap

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In any case, do not use the "popular" omnia causa fiunt. I agree with Adrian that it sounds wrong.
I agree ... but I remember saying that 11 or 12 years ago.

For a literal rendering maybe you could say omnia aliquam ob causam fiunt.
I would have chosen quandam over aliquam, even though both makes some sense.
In any case, this is a suggestion that actually looks like proper Latin.
 

TattooReason

New Member

The tried and tested Latin proverb is nihil fit sine causa.
It is true that nihil fit sine causa is worked for someone and on the top of it, translation is more accurate to "everything happens for a reason"

I also find some thread here with nihil fit sine cause so I confused now which quote should be used. The deadline is approaching this week! :D


EDIT: My intention is to remind myself that everything happens because it has and why, you can understand over time
 
B

Bitmap

Guest

nihil fit sine causa means "nothing happens without a reason" -- it's not really how you would phrase it in English, but it sounds rather compelling in Latin. nihil fit extra fatum is essentially the same thing; it just didn't acquire the same status as a proverb.
 

Callaina

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Another long-standing Latin expression along those lines is ex nihilo nihil fit = literally, "nothing comes from nothing".
 

Pacifica

grammaticissima

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Location:
Belgium
I would have chosen quandam over aliquam, even though both makes some sense.
They mean different things: quandam ob causam = "for a certain unspecified reason"; aliquam ob causam = "for some (as opposed to no) reason". The latter is how I interpret the English phrase. Things don't happen for no reason, but always for a reason.
 

TattooReason

New Member

Another long-standing Latin expression along those lines is ex nihilo nihil fit = literally, "nothing comes from nothing".
Yes, I found this expression too! I think I will consider between ex nihilo nihil fit and nihil fit sine causa which is better for me than nihil fit extra fatum
 

TattooReason

New Member

They mean different things: quandam ob causam = "for a certain unspecified reason"; aliquam ob causam = "for some (as opposed to no) reason". The latter is how I interpret the English phrase. Things don't happen for no reason, but always for a reason.
Unfortunately, it is too long for the tiny tattoo!
 

Callaina

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They mean different things: quandam ob causam = "for a certain unspecified reason"; aliquam ob causam = "for some (as opposed to no) reason". The latter is how I interpret the English phrase. Things don't happen for no reason, but always for a reason.
I agree that the latter makes more sense here.
 
B

Bitmap

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Yes, I found this expression too! I think I will consider between ex nihilo nihil fit and nihil fit sine causa which is better for me than nihil fit extra fatum
"ex nihilo nihil fit" sounds to me more like "if you don't try, you'll never make it"
 
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