Latin Phrases We Already Know
Six Latin phrases that English borrows.
How It Works
| Latin | Literally | In English |
|---|---|---|
| et cetera | and the other things | and so on |
| ad hoc | to this | for one purpose only |
| per se | through itself | by itself |
| vice versa | the turn being turned | the other way round |
| status quo | the state in which | how things are now |
| bona fide | in good faith | honest, real |
English speakers say et cetera as et SET-er-ah. In Latin it is et KEH-teh-rah in the classical way and et CHEH-teh-rah in the Church way.
Write it as two words, et cetera, and shorten it to etc.
Examples (5)
- Et cetera.
And the rest.
Cetera is a neuter plural: the other things.
- Ad hoc.
For this.
Ad plus the accusative hoc, this.
- Per se.
By itself.
Per plus the accusative se, itself.
- Vice versa.
The other way round.
Vice is the ablative of vicis, turn, and versa means turned.
- Bona fide.
In good faith.
Bona and fide are both ablative, and they agree.
Common Mistakes
Swapping the letters of the short form of et cetera.
Ect.Etc.The short form follows the Latin words in order: e for et, then c for cetera. The letters ect. are a common slip and are not a Latin word.
How It Connects
Learn This First
These phrases are Latin words in English, so the overview of them comes first.
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
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