List of Latin phrases (C-E)

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This page lists direct English translations of 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 that of ancient Rome.

This list spans letters C to E. See List of Latin phrases for the main list.

Contents
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V
References

C

Latin Translation Notes
cacoethes scribendi bad habit of writing From Satires of Juvenal. An insatiable urge to write. Hypergraphia
cadavera vero innumera truly countless bodies Used by the Romans to describe the aftermath of the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains.
caetera desunt the rest is wanting
calix meus inebrians my cup makes me drunk
camera obscura dark chamber An optical device used in drawing, and an ancestor of modern photography. The source of the word camera.
canes pugnaces war dogs" or "fighting dogs
canis canem edit dog eats dog Refers to a situation where nobody is safe from anybody, each man for himself.
capax infiniti capable of the infinite a pejorative 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) head in the clouds So 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)
Caritas Christi The love of Christ It implies a command to love as Christ loved. Motto of St. Franicis Xavier High School located in West Meadowlark Park (Edmonton).
carpe diem seize the day An exhortation to live for today. From Horace, Odes I, 11.8. By far the most common translation is "seize the day", though carpere normally means something more like "pluck", and the allusion here is to picking flowers. The phrase collige virgo rosas has a similar sense.
carpe noctem seize the night An exhortation to make good use of the night, often used when carpe diem, q.v., would seem absurd, e.g., when observing a deep sky object or conducting a Messier marathon.
Carthago delenda est Carthage must be destroyed From Roman senator Cato the Elder, who ended every speech of his between the second and third Punic Wars with ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam, literally "For the rest, I am of the opinion that Carthage is to be destroyed." Other translations include "In conclusion, I declare that Carthage must be destroyed." and "Furthermore, I move for Carthage to be destroyed."
casus belli event of war Refers to an incident that is the justification or case for war.
causa mortis cause of death
cave beware! 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 canem beware of the dog Found written on floor mosaics depicting a dog, at the entrance of Roman houses excavated at Pompeii.
cave laborem beware of work
cave nil vino beware of running out of wine
caveat emptor let the buyer beware The purchaser is responsible for checking whether the goods suit his need.
caveat lector let the reader beware Used when the writer does not vouch for the accuracy of a text. Probably a recent alteration of caveat emptor.
caveat subscriptor let the signer beware The person signing a document is responsible for reading the information about the what the document entails before entering into an agreement.
caveat venditor let the seller beware The person selling goods is responsible for providing information about the goods to the purchaser.
caveat utilitor let the user beware The user is responsible for checking whether the goods suit his need.
Cedant arma togae let arms yield to the gown "Let military power yield to civilian power", Cicero, De Officiis. See Toga, it:Cedant arma togae
celerius quam asparagi cocuntur more swiftly than asparagus is cooked Or simply "faster than cooking asparagus". A variant of the Roman phrase velocius quam asparagi coquantur, using a different adverb and an alternate mood and spelling of coquere.
cepi corpus I got the body In 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.
certum est quod certum reddi potest It is certain if it is capable of being 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 lex When the reason for the law ceases, the law itself ceases. A rule of law becomes ineffective when the reason for its application has ceased to exist or does not correspond to the reality anymore.
cetera desunt the rest are missing Also spelled "caetera desunt".
ceteris paribus with other things equal Idiomatically translated as "all other things being equal". A phrase which rules out outside changes interfering with a situation.
charta pardonationis se defendendo a paper of pardon to him who defended himself The form of a pardon for killing another man in self-defence. (see manslaughter)
charta pardonationis utlagariae a paper of pardon to the outlaw The 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 Doctrinae For Christ and Learning The motto of Furman University.
Christus Rex Christ the King A Christian title for Jesus.
circa (c.) or (ca.) around In the sense of "approximately" or "about". Usually used of a date.

circulus in probando Circle made in testing (a premise) Circular reasoning. Similar term to circulus vitiosus.
circulus vitiosus vicious circle In 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 fortius faster, higher, stronger Motto of the modern Olympics.
Clamea admittenda in itinere per atturnatum A writ whereby the king of England could command the justice in eyre to admit one's claim by an attorney, who being employed in the king's service, cannot come in person.
clausum fregit An action of tresspass; thus called, by reason the writ demands the person summoned to answer to wherefore he broke the close (quare clausum fregit), i.e. why he committed such a trespass.
claves Sancti Petri the keys of Saint Peter A symbol of the Papacy.
clavis aurea Golden key The means of discovering hidden or mysterious meanings in texts, particularly applied in theology and alchemy.
clerico admittendo about to be made a clerk In 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 Canonici Book of Canon Law The official code of canon law in the Roman Catholic Church (cf. Corpus Iuris Canonici).
Coelum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt Those who hurry cross the sea change the sky [upon them], not their souls or state of mind Hexameter 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, 1
cogito ergo sum I think, therefore I am. A rationalistic argument used by French philosopher René Descartes to attempt to prove his own existence.
coitus interruptus interrupted congress Aborting sexual intercourse prior to ejaculation—the only permitted form of birth control in some religions.
coitus more ferarum congress in the way of beasts A medical euphemism for the doggy-style sexual position.
collige virgo rosas pick, girl, the roses