| Latin |
Translation |
Notes |
| e
pluribus unum |
'From many, (comes) One.' |
Usually translated 'Out of many, (is) One.' Motto of the United States of
America. Used on many U.S. coins and inscribed on the Capitol. Also used as the motto
of S.L.
Benfica. |
| Ecce
Homo |
'Behold the Man' |
From the Latin Vulgate Gospel according to St. John (XIX.v) (19.5, Douay-Rheims),
where Pontius
Pilate speaks these words as he presents Christ, crowned with thorns, to the crowd. It is
also the title of Nietzsche's autobiography and of
the theme music by Howard Goodall for the BBC comedy Mr. Bean. Oscar Wilde opened his
defense with this phrase when on trial for pederasty. |
| ecce panis
angelorum |
'Behold the bread of Angels.' |
A phrase occasionally inscribed near the altar in Catholic
churches; it makes reference to the Host; the Eucharist; the bread of Heaven; the Body of Christ.
See also: Panis
Angelicus. |
| editio princeps |
'first edition' |
The first printed edition of a work. |
| Ego non |
'not I' |
|
| ego te
absolvo |
'I absolve you' |
Part of the absolution-formula spoken by a priest as part of the
sacrament of Penance (cf. absolvo). |
| ego te
provoco |
'I provoke you' |
Used as a challenge, "I dare you". |
| emeritus |
'veteran' |
Also 'worn-out'. Retired from office. Often used to denote a
position held at the point of retirement, as an honor, such as
professor emeritus or provost emeritus. This does
not necessarily mean that the honoree is no longer active. |
| ens causa
sui |
'existing because of oneself' |
Or 'being one's own cause'. Traditionally, a being that owes
its existence to no other being, hence God or a Supreme Being (cf. Primum
Mobile). |
| ense petit placidam sub libertate
quietem |
'by the sword she seeks gentle peace under liberty' |
State motto of
Massachusetts,
adopted in 1775. |
|
entitas ipsa involvit aptitudinem ad extorquendum
certum assensum |
'reality involves a power to compel sure assent' |
A phrase used in modern Western philosophy on the nature of
truth. |
| eo
ipso |
'by that very act' |
Technical term used in philosophy and the law. It means 'by
that very act'; similar to ipso facto. Example: "The fact that I am
does not eo ipso mean that I think." From Latin eo
ipso, ablative form of id ipsum, "that
(thing) itself". |
| eo
nomine |
'by that name' |
|
| equo ne
credite |
'do not trust the horse' |
Virgil, Aeneid, II. 48–49 (Latin) |
| erga
omnes |
'in relation to everyone' |
|
| ergo |
'therefore' |
Denotes a logical conclusion (cf. cogito ergo
sum). |
| errare humanum
est |
'to err is human' |
From Seneca the Younger. The full quote
is errare humanum est, sed perseverare diabolicum:
'to err is human, but to persist (in the mistake) is
diabolical.' |
| erratum |
'error' |
Or 'mistake'. Lists of errors in a previous edition of a work
are often marked with the plural, errata ('errors'). |
| esse est
percipi |
'to be is to be perceived' |
George
Berkeley's motto for his idealist philosophical position that nothing
exists independently of its perception by a mind except minds
themselves. |
| esse quam videri |
'to be, rather than to seem' |
Truly being something, rather than merely seeming to be
something. Motto of many institutions. From chapter 26 of Cicero's De amicitia
('On Friendship'). Earlier than Cicero, the phrase had been used by
Sallust in his Bellum
Catilinae (54.6), where he wrote that Cato esse quam
videri bonus malebat ('he preferred to be good, rather
than to seem so'). Earlier still, Aeschylus used a similar phrase in Seven
Against Thebes, line 592, ou gar dokein aristos, all'
enai thelei ('his resolve is not to seem the best, but in
fact to be the best'). |
| esto
perpetua |
'may it be perpetual' |
Said of Venice by the
Venetian historian Fra Paolo Sarpi shortly before his death. Also
the state motto of
Idaho, adopted in 1867, and of
St Thomas' College, Mt.
Lavinia, Sri Lanka. |
| et alibi (et
al.) |
'and elsewhere' |
A less common variant on et cetera used at the end of
a list of locations to denote unlisted places. |
| et alii (et
al.) |
'and others' |
Used similarly to et cetera ('and the rest'), to stand
for a list of names. Alii is actually masculine, so it can be used for
men, or groups of men and women; the feminine, et aliae
(or et aliæ), is appropriate when the 'others' are all
female. Et alia is neuter plural and thus properly used
only for inanimate, genderless objects, but some use it as a
gender-neutral alternative.[1] APA style uses et
al. if the work cited was written by more than six authors; MLA
style uses et al. for more than three authors. |
| et
cetera (etc.) or
(&c.) |
'And the rest' |
In modern usages, also used to mean 'and so on' or 'and
more'. |
| et facta est
lux |
'And light was made' |
From Genesis 1:3 "and there was light". |
| et hoc genus
omne |
'And all that sort of thing' |
Abbreviated to e.h.g.o. or
ehgo |
| et in Arcadia ego |
'and in Arcadia [am]
I' |
In other words, 'I, too, am in Arcadia'. See memento
mori. |
|
et nunc reges intelligite erudimini qui judicatis
terram |
'And now, O ye kings, understand: receive instruction, you that
judge the earth.' |
From the Book of Psalms,
II.x. (Vulgate), 2.10 (Douay-Rheims). |
| et sequentes (et seq.) |
'and the following' |
Pluralized as et sequentia ('and the following
things'), abbreviations: et seqq., et seq.., or sqq. |
| et
suppositio nil ponit in esse |
'a supposition puts nothing in being' |
More typically translated as either (a) "Sayin' it don't make
it so", or (b) "Hypothetically..." |
| et tu,
Brute? |
'And you, Brutus?' |
Also 'Even you, Brutus?' or 'You too, Brutus?' Used to indicate
a betrayal by someone close. From Shakespeare's Julius
Caesar, based on the traditional dying words of Julius Caesar.
However, these were almost certainly not Caesar's true last words;
Plutarch quotes Caesar as
saying, in Greek (which was the language of Rome's
elite at the time), καὶ σὺ
τέκνον; (Kaì sù téknon?), in English 'You as well,
(my) child?', quoting from Menander. |
| et uxor
(et ux.) |
'and wife' |
A legal term. |
| et
vir |
'and husband' |
A legal term. |
| Etiamsi omnes, ego
non |
'Even if all others... I will not' |
Peter to Jesus Christ (Matthew 26:33) |
| ex abundanti
cautela |
'from abundant caution' |
|
| ex
abundantia enim cordis os loquitur |
'For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth
speaketh.' |
From the Gospel according to St. Matthew, XII.xxxiv (Vulgate), 12.34 (Douay-Rheims) and
the Gospel
according to St. Luke, VI.xlv (Vulgate), 6.45 (Douay-Rheims).
Sometimes rendered without enim ('for'). |
| ex aequo |
'from the equal' |
'On equal footing', i.e., 'in a tie'. |
| ex
Africa semper aliquid novi |
'Always something new from Africa' |
Pliny the
Elder, Naturalis Historia,
VIII/42 (verbatim: unde etiam vulgare Graeciae
dictum semper aliquid novi Africam adferre)[2] |
| ex animo |
'from the heart' |
Thus, 'sincerely'. |
| ex
ante |
'from before' |
'Beforehand', 'before the event'. Based on prior assumptions. A
forecast. |
| ex astris
scientia |
'From the Stars, Knowledge' |
The motto of the fictional Starfleet Academy on Star Trek. Adapted
from ex luna scientia, which in turn was modeled after
ex scientia tridens. |
| ex cathedra |
'from the chair' |
A phrase applied to the declarations or promulgations of the Pope when, in communion with the
college of cardinals, preserved from the possibility of error by
the action of the Holy Spirit (see Papal infallibility), he solemnly
declares or promulgates ("from the chair" that was the ancient
symbol of the teacher and of the governor, in this case of the
church) a dogmatic teaching on faith or morals as being contained
in divine revelation, or at least being intimately connected to
divine revelation. Used, by extension, of anyone who is perceived
as speaking as though with supreme authority. |
| ex Deo |
'from God' |
|
| ex dolo
malo |
'from fraud' |
'From harmful deceit'; dolus malus is the Latin legal
term for 'fraud'. The full legal phrase is ex dolo malo non
oritur actio ('an action does not arise from fraud'). When an
action has its origin in fraud or deceit, it cannot be supported;
thus, a court of law will not assist a man who bases his course of
action on an immoral or illegal act. |
| ex
facie |
'from the face' |
Idiomatically rendered 'on the face of it'. A legal term
typically used to note that a document's explicit terms are
defective without further investigation. |
| ex fide
fiducia |
'from faith [comes] confidence' |
A motto of St George's College,
Harare. |
| ex
gratia |
'from kindness' |
More literally 'from grace'. Refers to someone voluntarily
performing an act purely out of kindness, as opposed to for
personal gain or from being forced to do it. In law, an ex
gratia payment is one made without recognizing any liability or
legal obligation. |
| ex
hypothesi |
'from the hypothesis' |
Thus, 'by hypothesis'. |
| ex
juvantibus |
'from that which helps' |
The medical pitfall in which response to a therapeutic regimen
substitutes proper diagnosis. |
| ex lege |
'from the law' |
|
| ex libris |
'from the books' |
Precedes a person's name, with the meaning of 'from the library
of...'; also a bookplate. |
| ex luna
scientia |
'from the moon, knowledge' |
The motto of the Apollo
13 moon mission, derived from ex scientia tridens, the
motto of Jim Lovell's
Alma Mater, the United States Naval
Academy. |
| ex malo
bonum |
'good out of evil' |
From St. Augustine's "Sermon LXI" where
he contradicts Seneca's dictum in Epistulae 87:22:
bonum ex malo non fit (good does not come from evil).
Also: the alias of the Anberlin song, "Miserabile Visu" from their
album New
Surrender. |
| ex mea
sententia |
'in my opinion' |
|
| ex nihilo
nihil fit |
'nothing may come from
nothing' |
From Lucretius, and
said earlier by Empedocles. Its original meaning is 'work is
required to succeed', but its modern meaning is a more general
'everything has its origins in something' (cf. causality). It is commonly applied to the conservation
laws in philosophy and modern science. Ex nihilo often
used in conjunction with the term creation, as in
creatio ex nihilo, meaning 'creation, out of nothing'. It
is often used in philosophy or theology in connection with the
proposition that God created the universe from nothing. It is also
mentioned in the final ad-lib of the Monty Python song Always Look on the
Bright Side of Life. |
| ex novo |
'from new' |
Said of something that has been built from scratch. |
| ex
oblivione |
'from oblivion' |
The title of a short story by H. P. Lovecraft. |
| ex officio |
'from the office' |
By virtue of office or position; 'by right of office'. Often
used when someone holds one position by virtue of holding another.
A common misconception is that ex officio members of a
committee or congress may not vote, but this is not guaranteed by
that title. In legal terms, ex officio refers to an administrative
or judicial office taking action of its own accord, for example to
invalidate a patent or prosecute copyright infringers. |
| ex opere
operantis |
'from the work of the one working' |
A theological phrase contrasted with ex opere
operato, referring to the notion that the validity or promised
benefit of a sacrament
depends on the person administering it. |
| ex
opere operato |
'from the work worked' |
A theological phrase meaning that the act of receiving a sacrament actually confers
the promised benefit, such as a baptism actually and literally cleansing one's
sins. The Catholic Church affirms that the source
of grace is God, not just the actions or disposition of the
minister or the recipient of the sacrament. |
| ex oriente
lux |
'from the East, the light' |
Originally refers to the sun rising in the east, but alludes to
culture coming from the Eastern world. Motto several
institutions. |
| ex
parte |
'from a part' |
A legal term
meaning 'by one party' or 'for one party'. Thus, on behalf of one
side or party only. |
| ex
pede Herculem |
'from Hercules' foot' |
From the measure of Hercules' foot you shall know his size;
from a part, the whole. |
| ex post |
'from after' |
'Afterward', 'after the event'. Based on knowledge of the past.
Measure of past performance. |
| ex post facto |
'from a thing done afterward' |
Said of a law with retroactive effect. |
| ex professo |
'with due competence' |
Said of the person who perfectly knows his art or science. |
| ex scientia
tridens |
'from knowledge, sea power.' |
The United States Naval Academy
motto. Refers to knowledge bringing men power over the sea
comparable to that of the trident-bearing Greek god Poseidon. |
| ex scientia
vera |
'from knowledge, truth.' |
The motto of the College of Graduate Studies at Middle Tennessee State
University. |
| ex silentio |
'from silence' |
In general, the claim that the absence of something
demonstrates the proof of a proposition. An argumentum ex
silentio ('argument from silence') is an
argument based on the assumption that someone's silence on a matter
suggests ('proves' when a logical fallacy) that person's ignorance of the matter
or their inability to counterargue validly. |
| ex situ |
opposite of 'in
situ' |
|
| ex tempore |
'from time' |
'This instant', 'right away' or 'immediately'. Also written
extempore. |
| ex umbra in
solem |
'from the shadow into the light' |
Motto of UTFSM. |
| ex vi
termini |
'from the force of the term' |
Thus, 'by definition'. |
| ex vivo |
'out of or from life' |
Used in reference to the study or assay of living tissue in an
artificial environment outside the living organism. |
| ex voto |
'from the vow' |
Thus, in accordance with a promise. An ex voto is also
an offering made in fulfillment of a vow. |
| excelsior |
'higher' |
'Ever upward!' The state motto of
New York. Also a catch phrase used by
Marvel Comics
head Stan Lee. |
|
exceptio firmat (or probat) regulam in
casibus non exceptis |
'The exception confirms the rule in cases which are not
excepted' |
A
juridical principle which means that exception, as for example
during a 'state of exception', does not put in
danger the legitimacy of the rule in its globality. In other words,
the exception is strictly limited to a particular sphere. Often
mistranslated as "the exception that proves the
rule". |
| excusatio
non petita accusatio manifesta |
'an excuse that has not been sought is an obvious
accusation' |
More loosely, 'he who excuses himself, accuses himself'—an
unprovoked excuse is a sign of guilt. In French, qui s'excuse,
s'accuse. |
| exeat |
'may he/she leave' |
A formal leave of absence. |
| exempli gratia
(e.g.) |
'for the sake of example' |
Usually shortened in English to 'for example' (see citation
signal). Often confused with id est
(i.e.).[3]
Exempli gratia, 'for example', is commonly abbreviated
'e.g.'; in this usage it is sometimes followed by a comma,
depending on style.[4] |
| exercitus
sine duce corpus est sine spiritu |
'an army without leader is like a body without spirit' |
On a plaque at the former military staff building of the Swedish
Armed Forces. |
| exeunt |
'they leave' |
Third-person plural present active indicative of the Latin verb
exire; also extended to exeunt omnes, 'all
leave'; singular: exeat. |
| experientia
docet |
'experience teaches' |
This term has been used in dermatopathology to express that there
is no substitute for experience in dealing with all the numerous
variations that may occur with skin conditions.[5]
The term has also been used in gastroenterology.[6] |
| experimentum crucis |
'crucial experiment' |
Literally 'experiment of the cross'. A decisive test of a scientific
theory. |
| experto
crede |
'trust the expert' |
Literally 'believe one who has had experience'. An author's
aside to the reader. |
| expressio
unius est exclusio alterius |
'the expression of the one is the exclusion of the other' |
'Mentioning one thing may exclude another thing'. A principle
of legal statutory interpretation: the
explicit presence of a thing implies intention to exclude others;
e.g., a reference in the Poor Relief Act 1601 to 'lands, houses,
tithes and coal mines' was held to exclude mines other than coal
mines. Sometimes expressed as expressum facit cessare
tacitum (broadly, 'the expression of one thing excludes the
implication of something else'). |
| extant |
'still in existence; surviving' |
adjective: extant law is still existing, in existence,
existent, surviving, remaining, undestroyed. Usage, when a law is
repealed the extant law governs. |
| extra domus |
'(placed) outside of the house' |
Refers to a possible result of Catholic ecclesiastical legal
proceedings when the culprit is removed from being part of a group
like a monastery. |
| Extra Ecclesiam nulla
salus |
'Outside the Church there is no salvation' |
This expression comes from the writings of Saint Cyprian of
Carthage, a bishop of the third century. It is often used to
summarise the doctrine that the Catholic Church is absolutely
necessary for salvation. |
| Extra omnes |
'Out, all of you.' |
It is issued by the
Master of the Papal Liturgical Celebrations before a session of
the Papal
conclave which will elect a new Pope. When spoken, all those who are not Cardinals, or those otherwise
mandated to be present at the Conclave, must leave the Sistine
Chapel. |
|
extra territorium jus dicenti impune non paretur |
'he who administers justice outside of his territory is
disobeyed with impunity' |
Refers to extraterritorial jurisdiction.
Often cited in law
of the sea cases on the high seas. |
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