Mutatis mutandis
Encyclopedia
Mutatis mutandis is a Latin
phrase meaning "by changing those things which need to be changed" or more simply "the necessary changes having been made".
The phrase carries the connotation that the reader should pay attention to the corresponding differences between the current statement and a previous one, although they are analogous
. This term is used frequently in economics
, philosophy
and in law
, to parameterize a statement with a new term, or note the application of an implied, mutually understood set of changes. The phrase is also used in the study of counter-factuals, wherein the requisite change in the factual basis of the past is made and the resulting causalities are followed.
Mūtātīs is the perfect passive participle (ablative plural neuter), literally "having been changed."
Mūtandīs is the gerundive
(ablative plural neuter), which can convey the idea of necessity, hence: "things needing to be changed".
The phrase is an ablative absolute construction.
It is probably of mediaeval origin. The Oxford English Dictionary
states that its first instance in British Latin is from 1272.
, some countries attempt to replace the Latin phrases existing in their legislatures with the English phrases. "Mutatis mutandis" may be replaced by "with the necessary modifications" as being used in the English translation of the German Civil Code by the German Ministry of Justice. For example:
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
phrase meaning "by changing those things which need to be changed" or more simply "the necessary changes having been made".
The phrase carries the connotation that the reader should pay attention to the corresponding differences between the current statement and a previous one, although they are analogous
Analogy
Analogy is a cognitive process of transferring information or meaning from a particular subject to another particular subject , and a linguistic expression corresponding to such a process...
. This term is used frequently in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and in law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
, to parameterize a statement with a new term, or note the application of an implied, mutually understood set of changes. The phrase is also used in the study of counter-factuals, wherein the requisite change in the factual basis of the past is made and the resulting causalities are followed.
Etymology
Both "mutatis" and "mutandis" come from the Latin verb "mūtō" (principal parts: mūtō, mūtāre, mūtāvī, mūtātum), meaning "to change."Mūtātīs is the perfect passive participle (ablative plural neuter), literally "having been changed."
Mūtandīs is the gerundive
Gerundive
In linguistics, a gerundive is a particular verb form. The term is applied very differently to different languages; depending on the language, gerundives may be verbal adjectives, verbal adverbs, or finite verbs...
(ablative plural neuter), which can convey the idea of necessity, hence: "things needing to be changed".
The phrase is an ablative absolute construction.
It is probably of mediaeval origin. The Oxford English Dictionary
Oxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
states that its first instance in British Latin is from 1272.
Plain English
In the wake of the Plain English movementsPlain English
Plain English is a generic term for communication styles that emphasise clarity, brevity and the avoidance of technical language – particularly in relation to official government communication, including laws.The intention is to write in a manner that is easily understood by the target...
, some countries attempt to replace the Latin phrases existing in their legislatures with the English phrases. "Mutatis mutandis" may be replaced by "with the necessary modifications" as being used in the English translation of the German Civil Code by the German Ministry of Justice. For example:
"Section 27 (Appointment of and management by the board). ...(3) The management by the board is governed by the provisions on mandate in sections 664 to 670 with the necessary modifications."
Quotes
- 2010, Lord RodgerAlan Rodger, Baron Rodger of EarlsferryAlan Ferguson Rodger, Baron Rodger of Earlsferry, FRSE, FBA, PC was a Scottish lawyer and Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom....
of the Supreme Court of the United KingdomSupreme Court of the United KingdomThe Supreme Court of the United Kingdom is the supreme court in all matters under English law, Northern Ireland law and Scottish civil law. It is the court of last resort and highest appellate court in the United Kingdom; however the High Court of Justiciary remains the supreme court for criminal...
:
To illustrate the point [that the right to live freely and openly as a gay man was protected] with trivial stereotypical examples from British society: just as male heterosexuals are free to enjoy themselves playing rugby, drinking beer and talking about girls with their mates, so male homosexuals are to be free to enjoy themselves going to Kylie concerts, drinking exotically coloured cocktails and talking about boys with their straight female mates. Mutatis mutandis – and in many cases the adaptations would obviously be great – the same must apply to other societies.
- 1998, U.S. bankruptcy court analysis of use in a legal document:
This Latin phrase simply means that the necessary changes in details, such as names and places, will be made but everything else will remain the same.
- "We can in fact only define a weed, mutatis mutandis, in terms of the well-known definition of dirt — as matter out of place. What we call a weed is in fact merely a plant growing where we do not want it." — E.J. Salisbury, The Living Garden, 1935.
- "The proof that Q is universal relative to the set of all 3-bit gates applies step by step, mutatis mutandis, to Q4." — D. Deutsch, Quantum computational networks, Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 425, pp. 85, 1989.
- "A friend of mine has a son whose case, mutatis mutandis, is very much like yours" - Proust, Within a Budding Grove.
- "If you were born in Arkansas and you think Christianity is true and Islam false, knowing full well that you would think the opposite if you had been born in Afghanistan, you are the victim of childhood indoctrination. Mutatis mutandis if you were born in Afghanistan." - Richard Dawkins, "The God Delusion" preface, 2006.
- "Mutatis mutandis. He did what needed to be done." - Companion of Trevor Goodchild, Aeon Flux: "The Purge".
- "I believe the soul in Paradise must enjoy something nearer to a perpetual vigorous adulthood than to any other state we know. At least that is my hope. Not that Paradise could disappoint, but I believe Boughton is right to enjoy the imagination of heaven as the best pleasure of this world. I don't see how he can be entirely wrong, approaching it that way. I certainly don't mind the thought of your mother finding me a strong young man. There is neither male nor female, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but, mutatis mutandis, it would be a fine thing. That mutandis! Such a burden on one word!" - Marilynne Robinson, GileadGilead (novel)Gilead is a novel written by Marilynne Robinson and published in 2004. It won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, as well as the National Book Critics Circle Award. The novel is the fictional autobiography of the Reverend John Ames, an elderly congregationalist pastor in the small, secluded town...
. - In the Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
universe X-MenX-MenThe X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
is team of superheroSuperheroA superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es. Professor Xavier is their leader, and his X-MansionX-MansionIn the fictional Marvel Comics universe, the X-Mansion is the common name for Professor Xavier's mansion. It is the base of operations and training site of the X-Men and the location of a school for mutant teenagers, the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, formerly Xavier's School for Gifted...
is the host for Xavier Institute for Higher Learning for mutant teenagers. The school's motto is "Mutatis mutandis."
See also
- Ceteris paribusCeteris paribusor is a Latin phrase, literally translated as "with other things the same," or "all other things being equal or held constant." It is an example of an ablative absolute and is commonly rendered in English as "all other things being equal." A prediction, or a statement about causal or logical...
("all other things being equal") - Dependent and independent variablesDependent and independent variablesThe terms "dependent variable" and "independent variable" are used in similar but subtly different ways in mathematics and statistics as part of the standard terminology in those subjects...
- List of Latin phrases
- Nunc pro tuncNunc pro tuncNunc pro tunc is a Latin expression in common legal use in the English language. It means Now for then. In general, a court ruling "nunc pro tunc" applies retroactively to correct an earlier ruling.-Definition:...
("now for then", legal term with similar effect)