Terry van Erp - Latin quotes, sayings and words of wisdom

Maecenas atavis edite regibus - Maecenas, born of monarch ancestors. (Horace)

Magister artis ingeniique largitor venter - Necessity is the mother of all invention

Magister Artium (MA) - Master of arts

Magister mundi sum! - I am the master of the universe!

Magna cum laude - With great honour or academic distinction

Magna res est vocis et silentii temperamentum - The great thing is to know when to speak and when to keep quiet

Magnas inter opes inops - A pauper in the midst of wealth. (Horace)

Magnificat - It magnifies

Magnum bonum - A great good

Magnum opus - Great work, the major work of one's life

Mala fide - In bad faith (something which is done fraudulently)

Male parta male dilabuntur - What has been wrongly gained is wrongly lost.(Cicero)

Malum consilium quod mutari non potest - It's a bad plan that can't be changed. (Publilius Syrus)

Malum prohibitum - A prohibited wrong. A crime that society decides is wrong for some reason, not inherently evil

Malum quidem nullum esse sine aliquo bono - There is, to be sure, no evil without something good. (Pliny the Elder)

Manus in manu - Hand in hand

Manus manum lavat - One hand washes the other. The favor for the favor. (Petronius)

Mare clausum - A closed sea

Mare liberum - An open sea

Mare nostrum - Our sea. (Mediterranean)

Margaritas ante porcos - Pearls before swine. To give something valuable to someone not respecting it

Mater artium necessitas - Necessity is the mother of invention

Mater dolorosa - Sorrowful mother. (Virgin Mary)

Materfamilias - Mother of family

Materia medica - Medical matter

Materiam superabat opus - The workmanship was better than the subject matter. (Ovid)

Maxima debetur puero reverentia - We owe the greatest respect to a child

Maximus in minimis - Great in little things

Me fallit - I do not know

Me iudice - In my judgement

Mea culpa - Through my fault

Mea maxima culpa - Through my very great fault

Mea mihi conscientia pluris est quam omnium sermo - My conscience means more to me than all speech. (Cicero)

Medice, cura te ipsum! - Physician, heal thyself! (Versio Vulgata)

Medici graviores morbos asperis remediis curant - Doctors cure the more serious diseases with harsh remedies. (Curtius Rufus)

Medicus curat, natura sanat - The physician treats, nature cures

Medio tutissimus ibis - You will go safest in the middle. (Moderation in all things) (Ovid)

Meliora cogito - I strive for the best

Melius est praevenire quam praeveniri - Better to forestall than to be forestalled

Melius frangi quam flecti - It is better to break than to bend

Memento mori - Remember that you must die

Memento vivere - A reminder of life (literally remember that you have to live)

Memorabilia - Memorable things

Memorandum - A note of; a thing to be remembered

Memoria in aeterna - In everlasting remembrance

Memoriter - From memory

Mendacem memorem esse oportet - A liar needs a good memory. (Quintilianus)

Mens agitat molem - The mind moves the matter. (Vergil)

Mens rea - Guilty mind

Mens regnum bona possidet - An honest heart is a kingdom in itself. (Seneca)

Mens sana in corpore sano - A sound mind in a sound body. (Juvenalis)

Mens sibi conscia recti - A mind conscious of its rectitude

Meum pactum dictum - My word is my bond

Mihi cura futuri - My concern is the future

Millennium (millennia) - A thousand year period

Mirabile dictu - Wonderful to say/relate

Mirabile visu - Wonderful to behold

Miserere - Have mercy

Missa solemnis - Solemn Mass. (high Mass)

Mittimus - We send (to prison)

Modus agendi - Manner of operation

Modus operandi (m.o.) - Way of operating

Modus vivendi - Way of living

Monstra mihi pecuniam! - Show me the money!

Moratorium - A delay

Morituri te salutant - Those who are about to die salute you

Mors ultima linea rerum est - Death is everything's final limit. (Horace)

Mors ultima ratio - Death is the final accounting

Mortui non mordant - Dead me don't bite; Dead men tell no tale

Motu proprio - Of one's own initiative

Mulier taceat in ecclesia - Let the woman be silent in church. (Paul)

Multi famam, conscientiam pauci verentur - Many fear their reputation, few their conscience. (Pliny)

Multi sunt vocati, pauci vero electi - Many are called [but] few are chosen

Multis post annis - Many years later

Multum in parvo - Much in little. (small but significant)

Multum, non multa - Much, not many (quality not quantity)

Mundus vult decipi - The world wants to be deceived

Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur - The world wants to be deceived, so let it be deceived!

Munit haec et altera vincit - One defends and the other conquers

Mus uni non fidit antro - A mouse does not rely on just one hole. (Plautus)

Musica delenit bestiam feram - Music soothes the savage beast

Mutatis mutandis - The necessary changes having been made

Mutatis mutandis - The things that ought to have changed having been changed with the necessary substitutions having been made

Mutato nomine - The name being changed