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Ex Obscuritate in Lucem (From Ignorance to Learning) by Susan Thurman

If you read or write academic works, you'll no doubt encounter far more Latin than you would in everyday use. In addition to the often-seen e.g. and i.e., you'll need to know about cf., ibid., c., et seq., n.b., and op. cit — and those are just some of the abbreviations.

Diverse academic disciplines use Latin terms — from math to philosophy to history to writing. The following list is comprehensive enough to help you in many academic disciplines.

<tgroup cols="2" align="center"> <colspec colname="col1" colnum="1" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="2" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <tbody> <tr> <td><p><B>a posteriori</B></p></td> <td><p>from the latter; reasoning that flows from particulars to general principles; inductive reasoning (antonym of <emphasis>a priori</emphasis>)</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>a priori</B></p></td> <td><p>from the former; reasoning that flows from the known or assumed; deductive reasoning (antonym of <emphasis>a posteriori</emphasis>)</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>alma mater</B></p></td> <td><p>nourishing mother; used to designate the college or university from which a person has graduated</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>alter ego</p></td> <td><p>the other I; a secret identity; a separate personality</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>alumnus</B></p></td> <td><p>one male graduate is an <B>alumnus</emphasis>; one female graduate is an <emphasis role="bold">alumna</emphasis>; all male graduates are <emphasis role="bold">alumni</emphasis>; all female graduates are <emphasis role="bold">alumnae</B>; male and female graduates are alumni</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>cf.</emphasis> (<emphasis>confer</B>)</p></td> <td><p>compare; look at the material just stated and compare it with other material cited immediately after the <emphasis>cf.</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>circa (c.</emphasis> or <emphasis role="bold">ca.</B>)</p></td> <td><p>around, about, approximately</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>cogito ergo sum</B></p></td> <td><p>I think, therefore I am; an argument written in 1637 by French philosopher René Descartes to prove his existence</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>colloquium</B></p></td> <td><p>a type of academic lecture usually offered to a wide audience</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>cum laude</B></p></td> <td><p>used to designate those who graduate with distinction</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>dixi</B></p></td> <td><p>I have spoken</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>emeritus</B></p></td> <td><p>retired (professor, clergy person, other dignitary)</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>ergo</B></p></td> <td><p>therefore, consequently</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>errata</B></p></td> <td><p>errors; a list of errata from a previous edition of a work is often listed in a current edition</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>et al.</emphasis> (<emphasis>et alii</B>)</p></td> <td><p>and others (The paper was written by Fowler et al.)</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>Et tu, Brute?</B></p></td> <td><p>Even you, Brutus?; a line spoken by the title character in Shakespeare's <emphasis>Julius</emphasis> Caesar as he's stabbed by his friend Brutus; now the term is used whenever a person is betrayed by a friend</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>ex libris</B></p></td> <td><p>from the books; commonly found in bookplates, followed by a person's name; now means that the book comes from a person's library</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>ibid.</emphasis> (<emphasis>ibidem</B>)</p></td> <td><p>the material being cited comes from the same place as the previous citation</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>inter alia</B></p></td> <td><p>among other things</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>magna cum laude</B></p></td> <td><p>used to designate those who graduate with high distinction</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>magnum opus</B></p></td> <td><p>a great work; especially an artist's masterpiece</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>n.b.</emphasis> (<emphasis>nota bene</B>)</p></td> <td><p>note well; used to call a reader's attention to something</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>post hoc, ergo propter hoc</B></p></td> <td><p>after this, therefore because of this; a common fallacy in reason in reasoning</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>q.e.d.</emphasis> (<emphasis>quod erat demonstrandum</B>)</p></td> <td><p>that which was to have been proved (placed at the end of mathematic proofs)</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>q.a.f.</emphasis> (<emphasis>quod erat faciendum</B>)</p></td> <td><p>that which was to have been shown (used to mark the end of a mathematical solution or calculation)</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>q.v.</emphasis> (<emphasis>quod vide</B>)</p></td> <td><p>a scholarly way of directing readers to a reference</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>symposium</B></p></td> <td><p>an academic conference</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>sic</B></p></td> <td><p>thus, just so; indicates a writer realizes that original material he or she is quoting contains an error (often a spelling error)</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>summa cum laude</B></p></td> <td><p>used to designate those who graduate with highest distinction</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>tabula rasa</B></p></td> <td><p>blank slate; refers to the argument that people learn only through experiences</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>viz</emphasis> (<emphasis>videlicet</B>)</p></td> <td><p>namely, used to introduce examples, lists, etc.; no period is placed at the end</p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> <p>Many colleges and universities have Latin mottoes. Among them are <emphasis>In Veritatis Amore</emphasis> (In the Love of Truth, Bellarmine University), <emphasis>Lux et Veritas</emphasis> (Light and Truth, Indiana University), <emphasis>Vincit Omnia Veritas</emphasis> (Truth Conquers All, Compton Community College), and <emphasis>Et Facta Est Lux</emphasis> (And the Light Was Created, Morehouse College). You can find others by clicking on links at <emphasis>tinyurl.com/msgdw</emphasis>.</p> <p>In addition to these actual schools, you can impress your younger friends by working <emphasis>Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus (Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon)</emphasis> into your conversation. That's the motto of Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry Potter's alma mater.</p> <!--/gc--> <div id="pagination"><ul><li class="prev"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/grammar/latin-alive-and-kicking/its-everywhere-everyday-latin.htm" title="It's Everywhere! Everyday Latin">It's Everywhere! 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