Post your favorite Latin phrases/sayings/proverbs

[Anonymous]

I've just been searching around the net for the most beautiful, powerful and inspirational Latin. Something that sounds beautiful while said is a bonus.

Some of my favorites that I have so far are:

Luctor et emergo - I struggle and emerge

Dum spiro, spero. - As long as I breathe, I hope

Experto credite - Believe me, for I have experienced

In omnia paratus - Ready for all things

Nil desperandum - Never despair

Quod me nutrit me destruit - What nourishes me, destroys me

Vive Ut Vitas - Live, so that you may live

Omnia mea mecum porto - All that's mine I carry with me


What are yours?!
(by the way, I apologize if I screwed any of these up, just found the translations online)

 

[Bitmap]

amicus certus in re incerta incernitur

Vive Ut Vitas - Live, so that you may live

I think it should be "vivas" rather than "vitas".

 

[Decimvs]

You are right, it is a subjunctive there. Vivere is 3rd conjugation and has the vowel change to -a- in the present active subjunctive.

 

[Imber Ranae]

Nil desperandum means something more like "there's no reason to despair" (literally "nothing ought to be despaired of").

 

[Labienus]

quantum religio potuit suadere malorum

And so many more

 

[Matthaeus]

Here are some from the top of my head:

Hominis mens cogitando alitur et discendo. (Cicero)
O tempora, o mores! (id.)
Generosos animos labor nutrit. (Seneca)
Non qui parum habet, sed qui plus cupit, pauper est. (id.)
Non quam diu, sed quam bene, vivas, refert. (id.)
Sors est sua cuique ferenda. (Manlius)

Seneca, to be sure, is my favourite, for his letters are replete with such witty and deep aphorisms.

 

[Matthaeus]

Oh yes, these as well:

Docendo discimus.
Errare humanum est, ignoscere divinum.

 

[wtfpwndd]

Si ursus homines comedit, quanto magis homo debet ursum comesse.

 

[Gregorius]

Do favorite English proverbs translated into Latin count? 'Cause I've got a few.

Mundus nimis gravis est quam non illum derideamus. ("The world is too serious not to laugh at it." I'm not sure if I'm translating it quite right.)

Vindicta optima vivere bene est.

Si homini piscem das, diem edit. Si homini artem piscandi doces, vitam edit.

 

[Matthaeus]

Mundus nimis gravis est ut non derideatur.

 

[Diaphanus]

Some Internet memes translated:

Longifeles longa est. -- Longcat is long.
Factum sunt. Scio propter meas discentias. -- It are a fact. I know because of my learnings.
Super novem milliiiiiiia est! -- It's over nine thousaaaaaaand!
Haec est Sparta! -- This is Sparta!
Victor est tu! -- A winner is you!
Non opto. -- Do not want.
Caede id igni. -- Kill it with fire.
Facis id perperam. -- You are doing it wrong.
Pertinens ad mea studia. -- Relevant to my interests.

 

[Gregorius]

Mundus nimis gravis est ut non derideatur.

I guess it's true what they say. Your first answer is invariably more correct than any subsequent attempts. I originally had "Mundus nimis gravis est ut non illum derideamus," but I wasn't sure if "quam" or "ut" was the correct conjunction. Thanks for setting me straight, Mattheus!

 

[Imber Ranae]

Mundus nimis gravis est ut non derideatur.

I believe that means "The world is so exceedingly serious that it is not laughed at."

This type of construction regularly uses quam plus a result clause or relative clause of characteristic after a comparative adjective or adverb. So I'd say: Mundus gravior est quam quem non derideamus or Mundus gravior est quam ut non derideatur.

 

[Matthaeus]

Yes, I believe your version is the best, Imber Ranae.

 

[porodzilus]

Festina Lente - Hurry Slowly.

Bis das si cito das - You give twice if you give quickly.

 

[Gregorius]

Here's another one that's especially relevant to people like me:

Artifex sui ipsius censor severissimus est.

 

[Anonymous]

Latin Phrases

I've been looking for some very common Latin phrases, and found this:

http://www.linguanaut.com/english_latin.htm

It has been a great resource but I'm also interested in common religions phrases, I would appreciate it if you post some in this thread.

 

[Bitmap]

Re: Latin Phrases

I don't know who made this up, but it doesn't look like these are Latin phrases that are taken from actual sources. There are little mistakes in there, some of them are even wrong entirely.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Latin Phrases

Wikipedia has a list of Latin phrases, I have no idea how accurate they are: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Latin_phrases_(full)

 

[Matthaeus]

Re: Latin Phrases

That looks pretty accurate.