Italian comes from Latin and
nowadays in the Italian language there are still phrases and idioms that come
from Latin and that are widely used, either in their original Latin form or in
their modern translation.
Ad litteram -
Alla lettera: to the letter. Generally heard in the Italian form.
Alea iacta est - Il dado è
tratto: the die is cast, the famous phrase attributed to Caesar while
crossing the Rubicone river and declaring war to the senate. We generally use
the translation, but the original form is just as famous.
Alma mater - Madre
che nutre: nurturing mother. Many universities in Italy are called Alma
Mater, the most famous of which is the University of Bologna, called Alma Mater
Studiorum
Carthago delenda est - Cartagine
dev'essere distrutta: Carthage must be destroyed.
Cum grano salis - Con
un grano di sale: with a grain of salt, Pliny the Elder, both versions are
used
Cui prodest? - A chi giova?: who
benefits from it?, Seneca. Both versions are used, but I’d say that the Latin
form is more used, for example in detective stories
Do ut des - Do perché tu mi dia: I give to
you so that you give to me. The Italian translation is generally never used.
Dura lex sed lex - Dura è la
legge, ma è la legge: The law is hard/strict, but it’s the law
Horror vacui - Orrore del vuoto: the
horror of the void. Not widely used, but commonly known
In medias res - Nel mezzo delle
cose: in the middle of things, used to talk about books that
start in the middle of the story
In medio stat virtus - La virtù
sta in mezzo (a due cose): virtue stands in between (two
things), an invitation to moderation
In vino veritas - Nel vino la
verità: in the wine, there is truth. Funny answer recently added: “in
vino veritas e in scarpe adidas” (in vino veritas and in shoes adidas)
Labor limae - Lavoro di lima:
smoothing out the details (lit. work of file), Horace. Both forms are known
Lapsus linguae - Un errore della
lingua: a mistake of the language/tongue. Generally used only in the
form of “lapsus”, word that has entered the Italian dictionary
Non plus ultra: ultimate/top
object. The phrase has entered the Italian vocabulary as it is.
Pecunia non olet - Il denaro non
puzza: money doesn’t stink. Generally, the Latin form is used
Sic semper tyrannis - Così sempre
ai tiranni: lit. as always to the tyrants, the phrase usually
attributed to Brutus after stabbing Ceasar.
Sic transit gloria mundi - Così
passa la gloria del mondo: this way passes the glory of the world.
Tu quoque Brute, fili mi - Anche
Tu Bruto, Figlio mio: Et tu Brute. In the English-speaking world,
“Et tu Brute” is more used because it was used by Shakespeare in Julius Caesar.
In Italy, on the other hand, we use “Tu quoque(..)”
Vox populi vox dei - Voce del
popolo, voce di Dio: voice of the people, voice of God. Usually used
only as “vox populi”
