In legal speak we have many more Latin phrases that are less familiar. Perhaps that is one reason that people think lawyers ‘speak a different language’.
Here are some common and not so common phrases: (Note I will not be offering you the English translation – consider it ‘homework’!)
Alma mater
Quid pro quo
A priori
Vox populi and the less known vox nihili
Ad Litem
Carpe diem and the less well known Carpe noctem
Tempus Fugit
Semper Fidelis – (motto of the U.S. Marines)
Ultra Vires
Vice versa
Mea culpa and the less well known Felix culpa
Cui bono?
Brutum Fulmen
E Pluribus Unum – this one should sound very familiar – it is the motto of the U.S.
In vivo and In vitro
Curriculum vitae
Pro rata
Pro bono
Compis mentis
In vivo veritas – for those wine drinkers
Veni,vidi,vici
Persona non grata
Terra firma
In toto
Ergo
I could go on about this ‘ad nauseam’ (check off another Latin word), since there are literally hundreds of Latin words in use in the English language particularly in the fields of science, medicine and law. *
In terms of Estate Planning, there is one motto/saying that seems to stand out for me:
Semper Partus which means Be Prepared. (It also happens to be the song of the U.S. Coast Guard)
To me…Semper Partus highlights the essence of Estate Planning –the preparation for the inevitable as well as for the unforeseen.
* For more interesting reading, seek out the book:
A Dictionary of Latin Words and Phrases. Morwood, James. Oxford Univ. Press, 1998
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