Latin Love

I love Latin. I know thousands of Latin words, as I’ve been studying biosciences since the age of 15.

I’ve already taught four phrases to my kids:

Carpe Diem (Seize the day)

Memento Mori (Remember you will die)

Tempus Fugit (Time flies)

Amor Fati (Love of fate)

Let's see as I explain them to my daughter.

Carpe Diem: Each day brings new opportunities to be happy. Don’t let it go to waste. Seize it!

Memento Mori: We will all die one day. It’s the truth. You saw how grandpa passed away six months ago.

Tempus Fugit: Time flies. You were a premature kid, and now you are ready to go to school!

Amor Fati: In life, we will not get everything we want. Be grateful for what you have got. Fall in love with your destiny.

Yesterday, my daughter asked me to teach her more Latin. I found few phrases worth teaching.

Ad Astra Per Aspera (To the stars through difficulties). This phrase feels especially relevant for people like us, who come from humble beginnings and push through by avoiding temptations and following discipline.

Another favorite phrase is Fortes Fortuna Adiuvat (Fortune favors the brave). It’s almost similar to Veni, Vidi, Vici (I came, I saw, I conquered).

Lastly, In Vino Veritas (In wine, there is truth) makes me laugh, though it’s not relevant to us.

Let’s learn some other key Latin phrases.

Magnum opus — Great work (a masterpiece)

Annus mirabilis — Wonderful year

Tabula rasa — Blank slate

Mea culpa — My fault

They sound so intelligent!

Versus, Curriculum vitae, Et cetera (etc.), Bona fide, Alma mater, Anno Domini (A.D.), Modus operandi, Ad infinitum, Post meridiem (P.M.), Ad hoc, Per se, Pro bono, Status quo, Terra firma, Verbatim, Vice versa are too common in daily life.

In vitro, Ad nauseam, In situ etc. are common in biology. A posteriori, A priori are even part of modern algorithms.

Eureka (I have found it) was made famous by Einstein. E pluribus unum (Out of many, one) is the motto of the United States, found on the coins.

Panacea, vaccine, pacific, spectrum, absorption, and a whole lot of other English words derive their origin from Latin!

Prandium (breakfast), palustris (swampy), dulcifera (sweet-bearing), pratensis (meadow), natans (floating), tomentosa (wooly), sylvestris (wild), metamorphosis (transformation), symbiosis (mutually-beneficial living)… Over the years, so many Latin words have become part of my vocabulary. I loved Latin so much that I got a book and read it cover to cover.

Maybe it’s the reason I gave my daughter’s name Sophia, which in Latin means ‘one with wisdom’.

April originates from the Latin word ‘aperire,’ which means ‘to open.’ It obviously indicates the buds breaking on bare trees, and blossoms unfurling.

Let’s see some more meaningful Latin phrases.

Condemnant quod non intellegunt — They condemn what they do not understand.

As I read this, it made me chuckle. Do you know why? Because I have been reaching out to people regarding the dangers of chemicals as hormone disruptors for the last 10 years. Yet, people consider me a spoilsport because they don’t understand the link. How can a grooming product, supposedly designed to enhance beauty, affect hormones? Whether they understand it or not, it will still damage their hormones.

Sic transit gloria mundi — Thus passes the glory of the world.

Earthly fame and glory are fleeting. Unfortunately, to gain rank in a hierarchy, we are chasing fame, which is unnecessary. We should focus on more important things like health, relationships, and personal growth.

Non sum qualis eram — I am not what I used to be.

I believe all of us should realize this. Our personalities are fluid, changing as life situations evolve. We are creatures of our environment, so trusting someone blindly based on their past character is flawed. People have a tendency to change.

This morning, while I was brewing tea in the kitchen, I overheard my kid daughter telling something to her little brother. He’s in a phase where he throws around a lot of dramatic affection. I heard my daughter telling him: “You don’t have to say it. Acta, non verba. If you really love your family, then, don’t pick fight with me.” I just stood there smiling. Because that — that is truth.

Familia supra omnia (family always comes first). A mother’s presence and attention, is the best gift to her children, I feel.

Ego sum, quia tu es is a Latin phrase that means, “I am, because you are.” It emphasizes on shared humanity and the relation between individuals.

I hope that, I whetted your appetite for Latin.

If you love Latin like me, share your thoughts. What’s your favorite Latin word or phrase?

What’s your favorite Latin phrase?