List of Latin phrases: L
Encyclopedia
L
| Latin | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Labor omnia vincit Labor omnia vincit Labor omnia vincit is a Latin phrase meaning "Hard work conquers all". The phrase appears in Virgil's Georgics, Book I, in the form Labor omnia uicit improbus... |
Popular as a motto; derived from a phrase in Virgil Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid... 's Eclogue (X.69: omnia vincit Amor – "Love conquers all"); a similar phrase also occurs in his Georgics Georgics The Georgics is a poem in four books, likely published in 29 BC. It is the second major work by the Latin poet Virgil, following his Eclogues and preceding the Aeneid. It is a poem that draws on many prior sources and influenced many later authors from antiquity to the present... I.145. |
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| Laborare pugnare parati sumus | To work, (or) to fight; we are ready | Motto of the California Maritime Academy California Maritime Academy The California Maritime Academy is one of 23 campuses in the California State University system and is one of only seven degree-granting maritime academies in the United States... |
| Labore et honore | By labour and honour | Motto of several schools |
| Laboremus pro patria | Let us work for the fatherland | Motto of the Carlsberg breweries |
| Laboris gloria Ludi | Work hard, Play hard | Motto of the Camborne School of Mines, Cornwall, UK Camborne School of Mines The Camborne School of Mines , commonly abbreviated to CSM, was founded in 1888. It is now a specialist department of the University of Exeter. Its research and teaching is related to the understanding and management of the Earth's natural processes, resources and the environment... |
| lapsus linguae | slip of the tongue | A "proglossis", "tip of the tongue" or "apex of the tongue". Often used to mean "linguistic error" or "language mistake". It and its written-word variant, lapsus calami (slip of the pen) can sometimes refers to a typographical error Typographical error A typographical error is a mistake made in, originally, the manual type-setting of printed material, or more recently, the typing process. The term includes errors due to mechanical failure or slips of the hand or finger, but usually excludes errors of ignorance, such as spelling errors... as well. Ex.: "I'm sorry for mispronouncing your name. It wasn't intentional; it was a lapsus linguae". |
| lapsus memoriae | slip of memory | Source of the term memory lapse. |
| Laudator Temporis Acti | praiser of time past | One who is discontent with the present but instead prefers things of the past. See "the Good old days Good old days Good Old Days is a cliché in popular culture.In American particularly through sound recordings of the country music genre, it has certain established traits:*Nostalgia*Christianity*Conformity*Conservatism*Camping*Sport hunting*Sport fishing----... ". |
| Laudetur Jesus Christus Laudetur Jesus Christus Laudetur Jesus Christus or Laudetur Iesus Christus is a traditional Roman Catholic greeting, which is commonly used among members of religious communities, especially of certain ethnic backgrounds. The answer to this greeting is typically "In sæcula! Amen" or " in aeternum! Amen"... |
Praise (Be) Jesus Christ | Often used as a salutation Salutation (greeting) A salutation is a greeting used in a letter or other written communication, such as an email. Salutations can be formal or informal. The most common form of salutation in a letter is Dear followed by the recipient's given name or title... , but also used after prayer Prayer Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of... s or the reading of the gospel Gospel A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John... . |
| laus Deo | praise be to God | This is written on the East side at the peak of the Washington Monument Washington Monument The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington... in Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution.... Also is the motto of the Viscount of Arbuthnott Viscount of Arbuthnott The title Viscount of Arbuthnott was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1641, along with the title Lord Inverbervie, for Sir Robert Arbuthnot.The Viscount of Arbuthnott is the hereditary Clan Chief of Clan Arbuthnott.... and Sydney Grammar School Sydney Grammar School Sydney Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational, selective, day school for boys, located in Darlinghurst, Edgecliff and St Ives, all suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.... . |
| lectori salutem | greetings reader | Often abbreviated to L.S., used as opening words for a letter. |
| lege artis | according to the law of the art | Describes how something should be performed, conducted or carried out in a correct way. Used especially in a medical context. The 'art' referred to in the phrase is medicine. |
| legem terrae | the law of the land | |
| leges humanae nascuntur, vivunt, et moriuntur | laws of man are born, live and die | |
| leges sine moribus vanae | laws without morals [are] vain | From Horace Horace Quintus Horatius Flaccus , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:... 's Odes: the official motto of the University of Pennsylvania University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution... . |
| legio patria nostra | The Legion is our fatherland | Motto of the French Foreign Legion French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces... |
| legi, intellexi, condemnavi | I read, I understood, I condemned. | |
| legitime Legitime In Civil law and Roman law, the legitime , or forced share, of a decedent's estate is that portion of the estate from which he cannot disinherit his children, or his parents, without sufficient legal cause... |
lawfully | A legal term describing a "forced share", the portion of a deceased person's estate Estate (law) An estate is the net worth of a person at any point in time. It is the sum of a person's assets - legal rights, interests and entitlements to property of any kind - less all liabilities at that time. The issue is of special legal significance on a question of bankruptcy and death of the person... from which the immediate family cannot be disinherited Inheritance Inheritance is the practice of passing on property, titles, debts, rights and obligations upon the death of an individual. It has long played an important role in human societies... . From the French French language French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts... héritier legitime (rightful heir). |
| lex artis | law of the skill | The rules that regulate a professional duty. |
| lex dei vitae lampas | the law of God is the lamp of life | Motto of the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne , is an independent,private, Presbyterian, day and boarding school predominantly for girls, located in Burwood, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.... |
| lex ferenda Lex ferenda Lex ferenda is a Latin expression that means "future law" used in the sense of "what the law should be" . The derivative expression de lege ferenda means "with a view to the future law"... |
the law that should be borne | The law as it ought to be. |
| lex hac edictali | the law here proclaims | The rule whereby a spouse cannot by deed inter vivos or bequeath by testament to his or her second spouse more than the amount of the smallest portion given or bequeathed to any child. |
| lex in casu | law in the event | A law that only concerns one particular case. |
| lex lata Lex lata Lex lata is a Latin expression that means "the law as it exists" .... |
the law that has been borne | The law as it is. |
| lex loci | law of the place | |
| lex non scripta | law that has not been written | Unwritten law, or common law Common law Common law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action... . |
| lex orandi, lex credendi | the law of prayer is the law of faith | |
| lex parsimoniae | law of succinctness | also known as Occam's Razor Occam's razor Occam's razor, also known as Ockham's razor, and sometimes expressed in Latin as lex parsimoniae , is a principle that generally recommends from among competing hypotheses selecting the one that makes the fewest new assumptions.-Overview:The principle is often summarized as "simpler explanations... . |
| lex rex | the law [is] king | A principle of government Government Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized... advocating a rule by law rather than by men. The phrase originated as a double entendre Double entendre A double entendre or adianoeta is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Often the first meaning is straightforward, while the second meaning is less so: often risqué or ironic.... in the title of Samuel Rutherford Samuel Rutherford Samuel Rutherford was a Scottish Presbyterian theologian and author, and one of the Scottish Commissioners to the Westminster Assembly.-Life:... 's controversial book Lex, Rex (1644), which espoused a theory of limited government Limited government Limited government is a government which anything more than minimal governmental intervention in personal liberties and the economy is generally disallowed by law, usually in a written constitution. It is written in the United States Constitution in Article 1, Section 8... and constitutionalism Constitutionalism Constitutionalism has a variety of meanings. Most generally, it is "a complex of ideas, attitudes, and patterns of behavior elaborating the principle that the authority of government derives from and is limited by a body of fundamental law".... . |
| lex scripta Lex scripta Lex scripta pl. leges scriptae is a Latin expression that means "written or statutory law." It is in contrast to lex non scripta, customary or common law. The term originates from the Roman legal tradition... |
written law | Statute Statute A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law, decided by courts, and regulations... law. Contrasted with lex non scripta. |
| lex talionis | the law of retaliation | Retributive justice Retributive justice Retributive justice is a theory of justice that considers that punishment, if proportionate, is a morally acceptable response to crime, with an eye to the satisfaction and psychological benefits it can bestow to the aggrieved party, its intimates and society.... (cf. an eye for an eye An eye for an eye The meaning of the principle, an eye for an eye, is that a person who has injured another person receives the same injury in compensation. The exact Latin to English translation of this phrase is actually "The law of retaliation." At the root of this principle is that one of the purposes of the... ). |
| lex tempus | time is the law | Name of musical composition by popular Maltese electronic music Electronic music Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound... artist Ray Buttigieg Ray Buttigieg Ray Buttigieg is a poet and musician.He attended Qala primary school, then the Lyceum in Victoria, Gozo. He then moved to the United States and continued his studies in New York, where he settled permanently... |
| libera te tutemet (ex inferis) | Free yourself (from hell) | Used in the movie Event Horizon Event Horizon (film) Event Horizon is a 1997 science fantasy horror film. The screenplay was written by Philip Eisner and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. The film stars Laurence Fishburne and Sam Neill... (1997), where it is translated as "save yourself (from hell)". It is initially misheard as liberate me (free me), but is later corrected. Libera te is often mistakenly merged into liberate, which would necessitate a plural pronoun instead of the singular tutemet (which is an emphatic form of tu, you). |
| Libertas Justitia Veritas | Liberty Justice Truth | Motto of the Korea University Korea University Korea University is a prestigious nonsectarian, private research university located primarily in Seoul, South Korea, and one of the SKY universities, a historical acronym used in South Korea to refer to Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University. Founded by Lee Yong-ik in... . |
| Libertas Quae Sera Tamen | freedom which [is] however late | Thus, "liberty even when it comes late". Motto of Minas Gerais Minas Gerais Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the... , Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... . |
| Libertas Securitas Justitia | Liberty Security Justice | Motto of the Frontex Frontex Frontex is the European Union agency for external border security... . |
| libra (lb) | scales | Literally "balance". Its abbreviation, lb, is used as a unit of weight, the pound Pound (mass) The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement... . |
| loco citato (lc) | in the place cited | More fully written in loco citato. See also opere citato. |
| locus classicus | a classic place | The most typical or classic case of something; quotation which most typifies its use. |
| locus deperditus | place of (irremediable) loss | Used in philology to indicate that subsequent mistakes in the tradition of the text have made a passage so corrupted as to discourage any attempt of correction. The passage is marked by a crux desperationis ("†"). Somehow close in meaning to the modern English expression lost in translation. |
| locus minoris resistentiae | place of less resistance | A medical term to describe a location on or in a body that offers little resistance to infection, damage, or injury. For example, a weakened place that tends to be reinjured. |
| locus standi Standing (law) In law, standing or locus standi is the term for the ability of a party to demonstrate to the court sufficient connection to and harm from the law or action challenged to support that party's participation in the case... |
A right to stand | A right to appear before court. |
| lorem ipsum Lorem ipsum In publishing and graphic design, lorem ipsum[p] is placeholder text commonly used to demonstrate the graphics elements of a document or visual presentation, such as font, typography, and layout... |
sorrow itself, pain for its own sake | A mangled fragment from Cicero Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief... 's De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum (On the Limits of Good and Evil, 45 BC), used as typographer Typography Typography is the art and technique of arranging type in order to make language visible. The arrangement of type involves the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading , adjusting the spaces between groups of letters and adjusting the space between pairs of letters... 's filler to show fonts Typeface In typography, a typeface is the artistic representation or interpretation of characters; it is the way the type looks. Each type is designed and there are thousands of different typefaces in existence, with new ones being developed constantly.... (a.k.a. greeking). An approximate literal translation of lorem ipsum might be "sorrow itself", as the term is from dolorum ipsum quia, meaning "sorrow because of itself", or less literally, "pain for its own sake". |
| luceat lux vestra | Let your light shine | May be found in Matthew Gospel of Matthew The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth... Ch. 5 V. 16. Popular as a school motto. |
| lucem sequimur | We follow the light | Motto of the University of Exeter University of Exeter The University of Exeter is a public university in South West England. It belongs to the 1994 Group, an association of 19 of the United Kingdom's smaller research-intensive universities.... , United Kingdom |
| luctor et emergo | I struggle and emerge | Motto of the Dutch Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... province of Zeeland Zeeland Zeeland , also called Zealand in English, is the westernmost province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium. Its capital is Middelburg. With a population of about 380,000, its area is about... to denote its battle against the sea, and the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame Athol Murray College of Notre Dame - History :In 1920, the Sisters of Charity of St. Louis opened the Notre Dame of the Prairies Convent and St. Augustine's residential elementary and high school for boys and girls at Wilcox, Saskatchewan; a small town on the Canadian prairies south of Regina – the provincial capital.Father Athol... . |
| lucus a non lucendo | [it is] a grove by not being light | From late 4th-century grammarian Honoratus Maurus, who sought to mock implausible word origins such as those proposed by Priscian Priscian Priscianus Caesariensis , commonly known as Priscian, was a Latin grammarian. He wrote the Institutiones grammaticae on the subject... . A pun Pun The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,... based on the word lucus (dark grove) having a similar appearance to the verb lucere (to shine), arguing that the former word is derived from the latter word because of a lack of light in wooded groves. Often used as an example of absurd etymology Etymology Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during... . |
| lupus in fabula | the wolf in the story | With the meaning "speak of the wolf, and he will come". Occurs in Terence Terence Publius Terentius Afer , better known in English as Terence, was a playwright of the Roman Republic, of North African descent. His comedies were performed for the first time around 170–160 BC. Terentius Lucanus, a Roman senator, brought Terence to Rome as a slave, educated him and later on,... 's play Adelphoe. |
| lupus non mordet lupum | a wolf does not bite a wolf | |
| lux et lex | light and law | Motto of the Franklin & Marshall College Franklin & Marshall College Franklin & Marshall College is a four-year private co-educational residential national liberal arts college in the Northwest Corridor neighborhood of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States.... |
| lux et veritas | light and truth | A translation of the Hebrew Urim and Thummim Urim and Thummim In ancient Israelite religion and culture, Urim and Thummim is a phrase from the Hebrew Scriptures or Torah associated with the Hoshen , divination in general, and cleromancy in particular... . Motto of several institutions. |
| lux ex tenebris | light from darkness | Motto of the 67th Network Warfare Wing 67th Network Warfare Wing The 67th Network Warfare Wing , Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, was reactivated October 1, 1993 as the 67th Intelligence Wing. The wing was re-designated the 67th Information Operations Wing on February 1, 2001... . |
| lux hominum vita | light the life of man | Motto of the University of New Mexico University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution... |
| lux in Domino | light in the Lord | Motto of the Ateneo de Manila University Ateneo de Manila University The Ateneo de Manila University is a private teaching and research university run by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines. It began in 1859 when the City of Manila handed control of the Escuela Municipal de Manila in Intramuros, Manila, to the Jesuits... |
| lux libertas | light, liberty | Motto of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States... |
| lux mentis lux orbis | Light of the mind, light of the world | Motto of Sonoma State University Sonoma State University Sonoma State University is a public, coeducational business and liberal arts college affiliated with the California State University system. The main campus is located in Rohnert Park, California, United States and lies approximately south of Santa Rosa and north of San Francisco... |
| lux sit | let there be light Let there be light "Let there be light" is an English translation of the Hebrew יְהִי אוֹר . Other translations of the same phrase include the Latin phrase fiat lux, and the Greek phrase γενηθήτω φῶς . The phrase is often used for its metaphorical meaning of dispelling ignorance.The phrase comes from the third verse... |
A more literal Latinization of the phrase "let there be light", the most common translation of fiat lux ("let light arise", literally "let light be made"), which in turn is the Latin Vulgate Vulgate The Vulgate is a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. It was largely the work of St. Jerome, who was commissioned by Pope Damasus I in 382 to make a revision of the old Latin translations... Bible phrase chosen for the Genesis line "וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, יְהִי אוֹר; וַיְהִי-אוֹר" (And God said: 'Let there be light.' And there was light). Motto of the University of Washington University of Washington University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University... . |
| lux tua nos ducat | Your Light Guides Us | Motto of St. Julian's School, Carcavelos, Portugal |
| lux, veritas, virtus | light, truth, courage | Motto of Northeastern University |