List of Latin phrases (C)

C 
LatinTranslationNotescacoethes scribendiinsatiable desire to writeCacoēthescacoēthes. Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short. A Latin Dictionary on Perseus Project. "bad habit" or medically "malignant disease" is a borrowing of Greek kakóēthes.  The phrase is derived from a line in the Satires of Juvenal: Tenet insanabile multos scribendi cacoethes, or "the incurable desire (or itch) for writing affects many". See: hypergraphia.cadavera vero innumeratruly countless bodiesUsed by the Romans to describe the aftermath of the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains.Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius.Kill them. For the Lord knows those who are his.Supposed statement by Abbot Arnaud Amalric before the massacre of Béziers during the Albigensian Crusade, recorded 30 years later, according to Caesar of Heisterbach.Caelum non animum mutant qui trans mare curruntThose who hurry cross the sea change the sky [upon them], not their souls or state of mindHexameter by Horace (Epistulae I, 11 v.27 ). Seneca shortens it to Animum debes mutare, non caelum (You must change [your] disposition, not [your] sky) in his Letter to Lucilium XXVIII, 1caetera desuntthe rest is missingCaetera is Medieval Latin spelling for cētera.calix meus inebriansmy cup making me drunkcamera obscuradark chamberAn optical device used in drawing, and an ancestor of modern photography. The source of the word camera.canes pugnaceswar dogs or fighting dogscanis canem editdog eats dogRefers to a situation where nobody is safe from anybody, each man for himself.capax infinitiholding the infinitea term referring (at least) to some Christian doctrines of the incarnation of the Son of God when it asserts that humanity is capable of housing full divinity within its finite frame. Related to the Docetic heresy and sometimes a counterpoint to the Reformed 'extracalvinisticum.'caput inter nubila (condit)(he plunges) [his] head in the cloudsSo aggrandized as to be beyond practical (earthly) reach or understanding (from Virgil's Aeneid and the shorter form appears in John Locke's Two Treatises of Government)caput mortuumdead headOriginally an alchemical reference to the dead head or worthless residue left over from a reaction.  Also used to refer to a freeloader or worthless element.Caritas ChristiThe love of ChristIt implies a command to love as Christ loved. Motto of St. Francis Xavier High School in West Meadowlark Park, Edmonton.Caritas in VeritateCharity in TruthPope Benedict XVI's third encyclical.carpe diemseize the dayAn exhortation to live for today. From Horace, Odes I, 11.8. Carpere refers to plucking of flowers or fruit. The phrase collige virgo rosas has a similar sense.carpe noctemseize the nightAn exhortation to make good use of the night, often used when carpe diem would seem absurd, e.g., when observing a deep sky object or conducting a Messier marathon.carpe vinumseize the wineCarthago delenda estCarthage must be destroyedThe Roman senator Cato the Elder ended every speech after second Punic Wars with ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam, literally "For the rest, I am of the opinion that Carthage is to be destroyed." Before the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty in the European Parliament, Daniel Hannan ended all his speeches in a similar way with Pactio Olisipiensis censenda est "The Lisbon Treaty must be put to a referendum".casus bellievent of warRefers to an incident that is the justification or case for war.causa latet, vis est notissimaThe cause is hidden, but the result is well known.Ovid: Metamorphoses IV, 287; motto of Alpha Sigma Phi.causa mortiscause of deathcavebeware!especially used by Doctors of Medicine, when they want to warn each other (e.g.: "cave nephrolithiases" in order to warn about side effects of an uricosuric). Spoken aloud in some British public schools by pupils to warn each other of impending authority.cave canemBeware of the dogcave laborembeware of workcave nil vinobeware of no winecaveat emptorlet the buyer bewareThe purchaser is responsible for checking whether the goods suit his need. Phrases modeled on this one replace emptor with lector, subscriptor, venditor, utilitor: "reader", "signer", "seller", "user".cedant arma togaelet arms yield to the gown"Let military power yield to civilian power", Cicero, De Officiis I:77. See also Togacelerius quam asparagi cocunturmore swiftly than asparagus [stem]s are cookedOr simply "faster than cooking asparagus". A variant of the Roman phrase velocius quam asparagi coquantur, using a different adverb and an alternative mood and spelling of coquere.cepi corpusI got the bodyIn law, it is a return made by the sheriff, upon a capias, or other process to the like purpose; signifying, that he has taken the body of the party. See also habeas corpus.certum est quod certum reddi potestit is certain, whatever can be rendered certainOr "... if it can be rendered certain." Often used in law when something is not known, but can be ascertained (e.g. the purchase price on a sale which is to be determined by a third-party valuer)cessante ratione legis cessat ipsa lexwhen the reason for the law ceases, the law itself ceasesA rule of law becomes ineffective when the reason for its application has ceased to exist or does not correspond to the reality anymore. By Gratian.cetera desuntthe rest are missingAlso spelled "caetera desunt".ceteris paribusall other things being equalThat is, disregarding or eliminating other factors in a situation.charta pardonationis se defendendoa paper of pardon to defend oneselfThe form of a pardon for killing another man in self-defence (see manslaughter).charta pardonationis utlagariaea paper of pardon to the outlawThe form of a pardon of a man who is outlawed. Also called perdonatio utlagariae.Christianos ad leones[Throw the] Christians to the lions!Christo et DoctrinaeFor Christ and LearningThe motto of Furman University.Christus nos liberavitChrist has freed ustitle of volume I, book 5, chapter XI of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.Christus RexChrist the KingA Christian title for Jesus.circa (c.) or (ca.)aroundIn the sense of "approximately" or "about". Usually used of a date.circulus in probandocircle made in testing [a premise]Circular reasoning. Similar term to circulus vitiosus.circulus vitiosusvicious circleIn logic, begging the question, a fallacy involving the presupposition of a proposition in one of the premises (see petitio principii). In science, a positive feedback loop. In economics, a counterpart to the virtuous circle.citius altius fortiusfaster, higher, strongerMotto of the modern Olympics.clamea admittenda in itinere per atturnatum A writ whereby the king of England could command the justice  to admit one's claim by an attorney, who being employed in the king's service, cannot come in person.clausum fregit A legal action for trespass to land; so called, because the writ demands the person summoned to answer wherefore he broke the close (quare clausum fregit), i.e., why he entered the plaintiff's land.claves Sancti Petrithe keys of Saint PeterA symbol of the Papacy.clavis aureagolden keyThe means of discovering hidden or mysterious meanings in texts, particularly applied in theology and alchemy.clerico admittendofor being made a clerkIn law, a writ directed to the bishop, for the admitting a clerk to a benefice upon a ne admittas, tried, and found for the party who procures the writ.clerico capto per statutum mercatorum In law, a writ for the delivery of a clerk out of prison, who is imprisoned upon the breach of statute merchant.clerico convicto commisso gaolae in defectu ordinarii deliberando In law, a writ for the delivery of a clerk to his ordinary, that was formerly convicted of felony; by reason that his ordinary did not challenge him according to the privilege of clerks.clerico intra sacros ordines constituto non eligendo in officium In law, a writ directed to the bailiffs, etc., that have thrust a bailiwick or beadleship upon one in holy orders; charging them to release him.Codex Iuris CanoniciBook of Canon LawThe official code of canon law in the Roman Catholic Church (cf. Corpus Iuris Canonici).cogito ergo sumI think, therefore I am.A rationalistic argument used by French philosopher René Descartes to attempt to prove his own existence.coitus interruptusinterrupted congressAborting sexual intercourse prior to ejaculation—the only permitted form of birth control in some religions.coitus more ferarumcongress in the way of beastsA medical euphemism for the doggy-style sexual position.collige virgo rosaspick, girl, the rosesExhortation to enjoy fully the youth, similar to Carpe diem, from De rosis nascentibus (also titled Idyllium de rosis) attributed to Ausonius or Virgil.100px"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may", 1909, by John William Waterhousecombinatio novanew combinationIt is frequently abbreviated comb. nov.. It is used in the life sciences literature when a new name is introduced, e.g. Klebsiella granulomatis comb. nov.. communibus annisin common yearsOne year with another; on an average. "Common" here does not mean "ordinary", but "common to every situation"communibus locisin common placesA term frequently used among philosophical and other writers, implying some medium, or mean relation between several places; one place with another; on a medium. "Common" here does not mean "ordinary", but "common to every situation"communis opinioview of the common (man)compos mentisin control of the mindDescribes someone of sound mind. Sometimes used ironically. Also a legal principle, non compos mentis (not in control of one's faculties), used to describe an insane person.concordia cum veritatein harmony with truthMotto of the University of Waterloo.concordia saluswell-being through harmonyMotto of Montreal. It is also the Bank of Montreal coat of arms and motto.condemnant quod non intelleguntThey condemn what they do not understand orThey condemn because they do not understand The quod here is ambiguous: it may be the relative pronoun or a conjunction.condicio sine qua noncondition without which notA required, indispensable condition. Commonly mistakenly rendered with conditio ("seasoning" or "preserving") in place of condicio ("arrangement" or "condition").confer (cf.)confer"Abbreviations", University of Sussex"compare". Used as an abbreviation in text to recommend a comparison with another thing (cf. citation signal).Confoederatio Helvetica (C.H.)Helvetian ConfederationThe official name of Switzerland, hence the use of "CH" for its ISO country code, ".ch" for its Internet domain, and "CHF" for the ISO three-letter abbreviation of its currency, the Swiss franc.coniunctis viribuswith connected strengthOr "with united powers". Sometimes rendered conjunctis viribus.consuetudo pro lege servaturCustom is held as law.Where there are no specific laws, the matter should be decided by custom;Jon R. Stone, More Latin for the Illiterati, Routledge, 1999, p. 53. established customs have the force of laws.Giles Jacob, A Law Grammar, W. Clarke & Sons, 1817, p. 3. Also consuetudo est altera lex (custom is another law) and consuetudo vincit communem legem (custom overrules the common law); see also: Consuetudinary.consummatum estIt is completed.The last words of Jesus on the cross in the Latin translation of John 19:30.contemptus saeculiscorn for the timeDespising the secular world. The monk or philosopher's rejection of a mundane life and worldly values.contra bonos moresagainst good moralsOffensive to the conscience and to a sense of justice.contra legemagainst the lawcontra spem sperohope against hopeTitle of a poem by Lesya Ukrainka; also used in the Pentateuch with reference to Abraham the Patriarch.contradictio in terminiscontradiction in termsA thing or idea that would embody a contradiction, for example, payment for a gift, or a circle with corners. The fallacy of proposing such a thing.contra principia negantem non est disputandumthere can be no debate with those who deny the foundationsDebate is fruitless when you do not agree on common rules, facts, presuppositions.contraria contrariis curanturthe opposite is cured with the oppositeFirst formulated by Hippocrates to suggest that the diseases are cured with contrary remedies. Antonym of similia similibus curantur (the diseases are recovered with similar remedies.)cor ad cor loquiturheart speaks to heartFrom Augustine's Confessions, referring to a prescribed method of prayer: having a "heart to heart" with God. Commonly used in reference to a later quote by Cardinal John Henry Newman. A motto of Newman Clubs.cor aut morsHeart or Death(Your choice is between) The Heart (Moral Values, Duty, Loyalty) or Death (to no longer matter, to no longer be respected as person of integrity.)cor meum tibi offero domine prompte et sinceremy heart I offer to you Lord promptly and sincerelymotto of Calvin Collegecor unumone heartA popular school motto. Often used as names for religious and other organisations such as the Pontifical Council Cor Unum.coram Deoin the Presence of GodA phrase from Christian theology which summarizes the idea of Christians living in the Presence of, under the authority of, and to the honor and glory of God.coram nobis, coram vobisin our presence, in your presenceTwo kinds of writs of error.coram populoin the presence of the peopleThus, openly.coram publicoin view of the publicCorpus ChristiBody of ChristThe name of a feast in the Roman Catholic Church commemorating the Eucharist. It is also the name of a city in Texas, Corpus Christi, Texas, and a controversial play.corpus delictibody of the offenceThe fact that a crime has been committed, a necessary factor in convicting someone of having committed that crime; if there was no crime, there can not have been a criminal.Corpus Iuris CanoniciBody of Canon LawThe official compilation of canon law in the Roman Catholic Church (cf. Codex Iuris Canonici).Corpus Iuris CivilisBody of Civil LawThe body of Roman or civil law.corpus vileworthless bodyA person or thing fit only to be the object of an experiment.corrigendathings to be correctedcorruptio optimi pessimathe corruption of the best is the worstcorruptissima re publica plurimae legesWhen the republic is at its most corrupt the laws are most numerousA quote from Tacitus.corruptus in extremiscorrupt to the extremeMotto of the fictional Springfield Mayor Office in The Simpsons TV-Showcras amet qui nunquam amavit; quique amavit, cras ametMay he love tomorrow who has never loved before; And may he who has loved, love tomorrow as wellIt's the refrain from the 'Pervigilium Veneris', a poem which describes a three day holiday in the cult of Venus, located somewhere in Sicily, involving the whole town in religious festivities joined with a deep sense of nature and Venus as the "procreatrix", the life-giving force behind the natural world.Credo in Unum DeumI Believe in One GodThe first words of the Nicene Creed and the Apostles' Creed.credo quia absurdum estI believe it because it is absurdA very common misquote of Tertullian's et mortuus est Dei Filius prorsus credibile quia ineptum est (and the Son of God is dead: in short, it is credible because it is unfitting), meaning that it is so absurd to say that God's son has died that it would have to be a matter of belief, rather than reason. The misquoted phrase, however, is commonly used to mock the dogmatic beliefs of the religious (see fideism). This phrase is commonly shortened to credo quia absurdum, and is also sometimes rendered credo quia impossibile est (I believe it because it is impossible) or, as Darwin used it in his autobiography, credo quia incredibile.crescamus in Illo per omniaMay we grow in Him through all thingsMotto of Cheverus High School.crescat scientia vita excolaturlet knowledge grow, let life be enrichedMotto of the University of Chicago.crescit eundoit grows as it goesState motto of New Mexico, adopted in 1887 as the territory's motto, and kept in 1912 when New Mexico received statehood. Originally from Lucretius' De rerum natura book VI, where it refers in context to the motion of a thunderbolt across the sky, which acquires power and momentum as it goes.cruci dum spiro fidowhile I live, I trust in the cross, Whilst I trust in the Cross I have lifeMotto of the Sisters of Loreto (IBVM) and its associated schools.cucullus non facit monachumThe hood does not make the monkWilliam Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Scene I, Act V 48–50cui bonoGood for whom?"Who benefits?" An adage in criminal investigation which suggests that considering who would benefit from an unwelcome event is likely to reveal who is responsible for that event (cf. cui prodest). Also the motto of the Crime Syndicate of America, a fictional supervillain group. The opposite is cui malo (Bad for whom?).cui prodestfor whom it advancesShort for cui prodest scelus is fecit (for whom the crime advances, he has done it) in Seneca's Medea. Thus, the murderer is often the one who gains by the murder (cf. cui bono).cuius est solum eius est usque ad coelum et ad inferosWhose the land is, all the way to the sky and to the underworld is his.First coined by Accursius of Bologna in the 13th century. A Roman legal principle of property law that is no longer observed in most situations today. Less literally, "For whosoever owns the soil, it is theirs up to the sky and down to the depths."cuius regio, eius religiowhose region, his religionThe privilege of a ruler to choose the religion of his subjects. A regional prince's ability to choose his people's religion was established at the Peace of Augsburg in 1555.cuiusvis hominis est errare, nullius nisi insipientis in errore perseverare.Anyone can err, but only the fool persists in his faultCicero, Philippica XII, 5.culpafaultAlso "blame" or "guilt". In law, an act of neglect. In general, guilt, sin, or a fault. See also mea culpa.cum gladiis et fustibuswith swords and clubsFrom the Bible. Occurs in  and .cum gladio et salewith sword and saltMotto of a well-paid soldier. See salary.cum grano saliswith a grain of saltNot to be taken too seriously or as the literal truth.cum hoc ergo propter hocwith this, therefore on account of thisfallacy of assuming that correlation implies causation.cum laudewith praiseThe standard formula for academic Latin honors in the United States. Greater honors include magna cum laude and summa cum laude.cum mortuis in lingua mortuawith the dead in a dead languageMovement from Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgskycuncti adsint meritaeque expectant praemia palmaelet all come who by merit deserve the most rewardMotto of University College London.cur Deus HomoWhy the God-ManThe question attributed to Saint Anselm in his work by this name, wherein he reflects on why the Christ of Christianity must be both fully Divine and fully Human. Often translated "Why did God become Man?"cura personaliscare for the whole person Motto of the University of Scranton.cura te ipsumtake care of your own selfAn exhortation to physicians, or experts in general, to deal with their own problems before addressing those of others.curriculum vitaecourse of life An overview of a person's life and qualifications, often known as a CV, similar to a resume.custos morumkeeper of moralsA censor.cygnis insignisdistinguished by its swansMotto of Western Australia.cygnus inter anatesswan among ducks 

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