When I learned about this it blew my mind.
So you know when you were in elementary/jr high/high school and your teacher would tell you that if you left something out in a hand written paper you should draw a little "v" and then write what you wanted to insert?
Your teacher told you it was called a "carrot" mark, right? And that made sense to you because the "v" kind of looks like a carrot, right?
Wrong! It's real name is a caret mark. It comes from the verb careo, meaning to lack. So caret means, it lacks.
Crazy, right?
Monday, January 31, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
We'll start with the obvious
Some Latin has an obvious presence in our language. By obvious I mean that the Latin is still in its original form and English hasn't changed it so that it looks like an original English word. Make sense?
Abbreviations
i.e.
Stands For: id est
Meaning: that is (to say)
e.g.
Stands For: exempli gratia
Meaning: for the sake of an example, for example
etc.
Stands For: et cetera
Meaning: and the rest
a.m.
Stands For: ante meridiem
Meaning: before midday
p.m.
Stands For: post meridiem
Meaning: after midday
RIP
Stands For: requiescat in pace
Meaning: may he/she/it rest in peace. From the verb "requiesco" in the subjunctive* 3rd person singular. "Pace" is the ablative* form of pax, meaning peace.
Luckily it translates very nicely with the same initials and same meaning in English.
Phrases
per diem
Literal: for the day
Modern Meaning: a business stipend for necessary items
exit
Literal: he/she/it goes out. From the verb exeo conjugated in 3rd person singular
Modern Meaning: A verb with the meaning to leave, or a noun meaning a place to leave.
alter ego
Literal: the other/a second I/me
Modern Meaning: another self, a second identity
ad hoc
Literal: for this
Modern Meaning: for this purpose only
sic
Literal: thus
Modern Meaning: Used to show that some mistake in writing was already there and isn't a typo.
via
Literal: road, journey, method. In the ablative, by way of
Modern Meaning: by way of
That's it for now. I don't want to give away all my knowledge. I have to have something left for next week you know.
* See side panel "Explanation of Grammar Terms"
Abbreviations
i.e.
Stands For: id est
Meaning: that is (to say)
e.g.
Stands For: exempli gratia
Meaning: for the sake of an example, for example
etc.
Stands For: et cetera
Meaning: and the rest
a.m.
Stands For: ante meridiem
Meaning: before midday
p.m.
Stands For: post meridiem
Meaning: after midday
RIP
Stands For: requiescat in pace
Meaning: may he/she/it rest in peace. From the verb "requiesco" in the subjunctive* 3rd person singular. "Pace" is the ablative* form of pax, meaning peace.
Luckily it translates very nicely with the same initials and same meaning in English.
Phrases
per diem
Literal: for the day
Modern Meaning: a business stipend for necessary items
exit
Literal: he/she/it goes out. From the verb exeo conjugated in 3rd person singular
Modern Meaning: A verb with the meaning to leave, or a noun meaning a place to leave.
alter ego
Literal: the other/a second I/me
Modern Meaning: another self, a second identity
ad hoc
Literal: for this
Modern Meaning: for this purpose only
sic
Literal: thus
Modern Meaning: Used to show that some mistake in writing was already there and isn't a typo.
via
Literal: road, journey, method. In the ablative, by way of
Modern Meaning: by way of
That's it for now. I don't want to give away all my knowledge. I have to have something left for next week you know.
* See side panel "Explanation of Grammar Terms"
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