List of Latin phrases (F)

This page lists English translations of notable Latin phrases, such as veni vidi vici and et cetera. Some of the phrases are themselves translations of Greek phrases, as Greek rhetoric and literature reached its peak centuries before the rise of ancient Rome.

This list covers the letter F. See List of Latin phrases for the main list.

F

Latin Translation Notes
faber est suae quisque fortunaeevery man is the artisan of his own fortuneAppius Claudius Caecus; motto of Fort Street High School in Petersham, Sydney, Australia
fac et sperado and hopemotto of Clan Matheson
fac fortia et pateredo brave deeds and enduremotto of Prince Alfred College in Adelaide, Australia
fac similemake a similar thingorigin of the word facsimile, and, through it, of fax
faciam eos in gentem unumI will make them into one nationappeared on British coinage following the Union of the Crowns
faciam quodlibet quod necesse estI'll do whatever it takes
faciam ut mei meminerisI'll make you remember mefrom Plautus, Persa IV.3–24; used by Russian hooligans as tattoo inscription
facile princepseasily the firstsaid of the acknowledged leader in some field, especially in the arts and humanities
facilius est multa facere quam diuIt is easier to do many things, than one thing consecutivelyQuintilian, Institutio Oratoria 1/12:7
facio liberos ex liberis libris libraque"I make free adults out of children by means of books and a balance."motto of St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland, and Santa Fe, New Mexico
facta, non verbadeeds, not wordsFrequently used as motto
factum fieri infectum non potestIt is impossible for a deed to be undoneTerence, Phormio 5/8:45
falsus in uno, falsus in omnibusfalse in one, false in allA Roman legal principle indicating that a witness who willfully falsifies one matter is not credible on any matter. The underlying motive for attorneys to impeach opposing witnesses in court: the principle discredits the rest of their testimony if it is without corroboration.
familia supra omniafamily over everythingfrequently used as a family motto
fas est et ab hoste doceriIt is lawful to be taught even by an enemyOvid, Metamorphoses 4:428
feci quod potui, faciant meliora potentesI have done what I could; let those who can do better. Slight variant ("quod potui feci") found in James Boswell's An Account of Corsica, there described as "a simple beautiful inscription on the front of Palazzo Tolomei at Siena".[1] Later, found in Henry Baerlein's introduction to his translation of The Diwan of Abul ʿAla by Abul ʿAla Al-Maʿarri (973–1057);[2] also in Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters, act 1. Also in Alfonso Moreno Espinosa, Compendio de Historia Universal, 5. ed. (Cádiz 1888).
NN fecitNN made (this)a formula used traditionally in the author's signature by painters, sculptors, artisans, scribes etc.; compare pinxit
fecisti patriam diversis de gentibus unam"From differing peoples you have made one native land"Verse 63 from the poem De reditu suo by Rutilius Claudius Namatianus praising emperor Augustus.[3]
felicior Augusto, melior Traiano"be more fortunate than Augustus and better than Trajan"ritual acclamation delivered to late Roman emperors
Felicitas, Integritas Et SapientiaHappiness, Integrity and KnowledgeThe motto of Oakland Colegio Campestre school through which Colombia participates of NASA Educational Programs
felix culpafortunate faultfrom the "Exsultet" of the Catholic liturgy for the Easter Vigil
felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causashappy is he who can ascertain the causes of thingsVirgil. "Rerum cognoscere causas" is the motto of the London School of Economics, University of Sheffield, and University of Guelph.
felo de sefelon from himselfarchaic legal term for one who commits suicide, referring to early English common law punishments, such as land seizure, inflicted on those who killed themselves
fere libenter homines id quod volunt creduntmen generally believe what they want toPeople's beliefs are shaped largely by their desires. Julius Caesar, The Gallic War 3.18
festina lentehurry slowlyAn oxymoronic motto of Augustus. It encourages proceeding quickly, but calmly and cautiously. Equivalent to "more haste, less speed". Motto of the Madeira School, McLean, Virginia and Berkhamsted School, Berkhamsted, England, United Kingdom
festinare nocet, nocet et cunctatio saepe; tempore quaeque suo qui facit, ille sapit.it is bad to hurry, and delay is often as bad; the wise person is the one who does everything in its proper time.Ovid[4]
fiat iustitia et pereat munduslet justice be done, though the world shall perishmotto of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
fiat justitia ruat caelumlet justice be done should the sky fallattributed to Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus
fiat luxlet there be lightfrom the Genesis, "dixitque Deus fiat lux et facta est lux" ("and God said, 'Let light be made', and light was made."); frequently used as the motto of schools.
fiat panislet there be breadMotto of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
fiat voluntas DeiMay God's will be donemotto of Robert May's School; see the next phrase below
fiat voluntas tuaThy will be donemotto of Archbishop Richard Smith of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton; quotation of the third petition of the Pater Noster (Our Father) prayer dictated by Jesus Christ
ficta voluptatis causa sint proxima verisfictions meant to please should approximate the truthHorace, Ars Poetica (338); advice presumably discounted by the magical realists
Fidei Defensor (Fid Def) or (fd)Defender of the FaithA title given to King Henry VIII of England by Pope Leo X on 17 October 1521, before Henry became a heresiarch. British monarchs continue to use the title, which is still inscribed on all British coins, and usually abbreviated.
fidem scithe knows the faithsometimes mistranslated to "keep the faith" when used in contemporary English writings of all kinds to convey a light-hearted wish for the reader's well-being
fides qua crediturthe faith by which it is believedRoman Catholic theological term for the personal faith that apprehends what is believed, contrasted with fides quae creditur, which is what is believed; see next phrase below
fides quae crediturthe faith which is believedRoman Catholic theological term for the content and truths of the Faith or "the deposit of the Faith", contrasted with fides qua creditur, which is the personal faith by which the Faith is believed; see previous phrase
fides quaerens intellectumfaith seeking understandingmotto of St. Anselm; Proslogion
fidus Achatesfaithful Achatesrefers to a faithful friend; from the name of Aeneas's faithful companion in Virgil's Aeneid
filiae nostrae sicut anguli incisi similitudine templimay our daughters be as polished as the corners of the templemotto of Francis Holland School
finis coronat opusthe end crowns the workA major part of a work is properly finishing it. Motto of St. Mary's Catholic High School in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; on the Coat of Arms of Seychelles; and of the Amin Investment Bank
finis vitae sed non amoristhe end of life, but not of loveunknown
flagellum deithe scourge of Godtitle for Attila the Hun, the ruthless invader of the Western Roman Empire
flatus vocis[a or the] breath of voicea mere name, word, or sound without a corresponding objective reality; expression used by the nominalists of universals and traditionally attributed to the medieval philosopher Roscelin of Compiègne
flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta moveboif I can not reach Heaven I will raise HellVirgil, Aeneid, Book VII.312
floreat Etonamay Eton flourishMotto of Eton College, England, United Kingdom
floreat nostra scholamay our school flourisha common scholastic motto
floruit (fl.)one flourishedindicates the period when a historic person was most active or was accomplishing that for which he is famous; may be used as a substitute when the dates of his birth and/or death are unknown.
fluctuat nec mergiturshe wavers and is not immersedMotto of the City of Paris, France
fons et origothe spring and sourcealso: "the fountainhead and beginning"
fons sapientiae, verbum Deithe fount of knowledge is the word of Godmotto of Bishop Blanchet High School
fons vitae caritaslove is the fountain of lifemotto of Chisipite Senior School and Chisipite Junior School
formosam resonare doces Amaryllida silvasteach the woods to re-echo "fair Amaryllis"Virgil, Eclogues, 1:5
forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabitperhaps even these things will be good to remember one dayVirgil, Aeneid, Book 1, Line 203
fortes fortuna adiuvatFortune favours the boldThe motto of the United States Marine Corps 3rd Marine Regiment
fortes fortuna juvatFortune favours the boldThe motto of the Jutland Dragoon Regiment of Denmark
fortes in fidestrong in faitha common motto
fortis cadere, cedere non potestthe brave may fall, but can not yieldmotto on the Coat of Arms of the Fahnestock Family and of the Palmetto Guard of Charleston, South Carolina
fortis est veritastruth is strongmotto on the Coat of Arms of Oxford, England, United Kingdom
fortis et liberstrong and freemotto of Alberta, Canada
fortis in arduisstrong in difficultiesmotto of the Municipal Borough of Middleton, from the Earl of Middleton
fortiter et fideliterbravely and faithfullya common motto
fortiter in re, suaviter in modoresolute in execution, gentle in mannera common motto
fortunae meae, multorum faberartisan of my fate and that of several othersmotto of Gatineau
fraus omnia vitiata legal principle: the occurrence or taint of fraud in a (legal) transaction entirely invalidates it
fui quod es, eris quod sumI once was what you are, you will be what I amAn epitaph that reminds the reader of the inevitability of death, as if to state: "Once I was alive like you are, and you will be dead as I am now." It was carved on the gravestones of some Roman military officers.
fumus boni iurispresumption of sufficient legal basisa legal principle
fundamenta inconcussaunshakable foundation

References

Additional sources

  • Adeleye, Gabriel G. (1999). Thomas J. Sienkewicz; James T. McDonough, Jr., eds. World Dictionary of Foreign Expressions. Wauconda, IL: Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0865164223. 
  • Stone, Jon R. (1996). Latin for the Illiterati. London & New York: Routledge. ISBN 0415917751. 
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