C2 · 50 words
Latin phrases in Spanish
Formulas left untranslated in Spanish law, in scholarship and in the newspaper.
Three of these look wrong to an English eye and are not. Spanish writes statu quo, never « status quo »: the whole phrase is in statu quo, and the ablative is what survives — so mantener el statu quo keeps the u. It writes de iure with an i where we write a j. And it puts Spanish accents on the ones it has taken in as words: alma máter, lapsus cálami, el currículum. The rule behind all three is the same — a phrase kept in Latin is kept whole, and one taken into Spanish is spelled like Spanish.
The words
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Phrase (50)
a prioribefore the fact, from what is assumedPhraseC2
A priori la propuesta parecía razonable.A priori the proposal seemed reasonable.
a posterioriafter the fact, from what happenedPhraseC2
A posteriori todo el mundo lo veía venir.A posteriori everybody saw it coming.
grosso modoroughly, in broad outlinePhraseC2
Grosso modo, la cifra se sostiene.Grosso modo, the figure holds up.
motu proprioof one's own accord, with nobody askingPhraseC2
Lo hizo motu proprio, sin que nadie se lo pidiera.He did it motu proprio, with nobody asking him to.
de factoin fact, whatever the law saysPhraseC2
De facto la norma ya no se aplica.De facto the rule is no longer applied.
de iurein law, whatever the fact isPhraseC2
De iure el contrato sigue vigente.De iure the contract is still in force.
ipso factoon the spot, from that momentPhraseC2
La medida entra en vigor ipso facto.The measure takes effect ipso facto.
in situon site, where the thing itself isPhraseC2
La comprobación se hizo in situ.The check was made in situ.
ad hocmade for this one purpose and no otherPhraseC2
Se creó una comisión ad hoc.An ad hoc committee was set up.
ad hominemaimed at the person instead of the argumentPhraseC2
El argumento ad hominem no responde a nada.The ad hominem argument answers nothing.
ad infinitumgoing on with no end at allPhraseC2
La discusión podría seguir ad infinitum.The discussion could go on ad infinitum.
sine dieput off to no fixed date, with no end announcedPhraseC2
La reunión se aplazó sine die.The meeting was put off sine die.
sine qua nonthe condition without which nothing else holdsPhraseC2
Es una condición sine qua non.It is a sine qua non condition.
statu quothe state of things as they now standPhraseC2
Nadie quiso tocar el statu quo.Nobody wanted to touch the statu quo.
modus operandithe way somebody habitually goes about itPhraseC2
El modus operandi se repite en los tres casos.The modus operandi repeats in all three cases.
modus vivendithe working arrangement two sides find a way to live withPhraseC2
Encontraron un modus vivendi sin firmar nada.They found a modus vivendi without signing anything.
quid pro quothe something given in return for something elsePhraseC2
No hubo quid pro quo declarado.There was no declared quid pro quo.
per seby itself, taken alonePhraseC2
El dato per se no dice nada.The figure per se says nothing.
mutatis mutandiswith the necessary changes madePhraseC2
Vale lo mismo, mutatis mutandis, para el otro caso.The same holds, mutatis mutandis, for the other case.
ceteris paribuswith everything else held equalPhraseC2
Ceteris paribus, el precio debería bajar.Ceteris paribus, the price ought to fall.
a contrario sensureading the rule the other way round, so what is not forbidden is allowedPhraseC2
A contrario sensu, lo no prohibido está permitido.A contrario sensu, what is not forbidden is allowed.
stricto sensuin the narrow sense of the termPhraseC2
Stricto sensu no es un delito.Stricto sensu it is not a criminal offence.
lato sensuin the wide sense of the termPhraseC2
Lato sensu cabe dentro del concepto.Lato sensu it fits inside the concept.
inter aliaamong others, naming some and not the restPhraseC2
El informe cita, inter alia, tres precedentes.The report cites, inter alia, three precedents.
idemthe same as what was just saidPhraseC2
La segunda cláusula dice idem que la primera.The second clause says idem to the first.
ibidemin the same place already citedPhraseC2
La cita remite a ibidem, página treinta.The reference points to ibidem, page thirty.
et aliiand the other authors, after the first namePhraseC2
La autoría se cita como el primer nombre et alii.The authorship is cited as the first name et alii.
opus citatumthe work already citedPhraseC2
La nota remite al opus citatum.The note refers to the opus citatum.
sicthus in the original, mistake and allPhraseC2
La transcripción conserva el error y añade sic.The transcription keeps the mistake and adds sic.
vox populiwhat everybody already knowsPhraseC2
Era vox populi antes de publicarse.It was vox populi before it was published.
alma máterthe university where one was trainedPhraseC2
Volvió a dar clase en su alma máter.She went back to teach at her alma máter.
curriculum vitaethe account of a working life, attached to an applicationPhraseC2
El curriculum vitae se adjunta en el mismo archivo.The curriculum vitae is attached in the same file.
rara avisthe rare exception in its kindPhraseC2
Es una rara avis en su generación.He is a rara avis in his generation.
casus bellithe incident put forward as a reason for warPhraseC2
El incidente se presentó como casus belli.The incident was presented as a casus belli.
habeas corpusthe demand that a detention be justified before a judgePhraseC2
El habeas corpus se resuelve en veinticuatro horas.A habeas corpus is decided within twenty-four hours.
in dubio pro reowhere doubt remains, the accused keeps the benefit of itPhraseC2
El principio in dubio pro reo cierra el debate.The principle in dubio pro reo closes the argument.
non bis in idemno second trial for the same actPhraseC2
El non bis in idem impide juzgar dos veces lo mismo.Non bis in idem stops the same act being tried twice.
erga omnesbinding on everybody, not only on the partiesPhraseC2
La sentencia tiene efecto erga omnes.The judgment has effect erga omnes.
inter partesbinding only on the two partiesPhraseC2
El acuerdo obliga inter partes.The agreement binds inter partes.
ultra viresbeyond the powers the body actually hasPhraseC2
La decisión se anuló por ultra vires.The decision was annulled for being ultra vires.
a sensu contrarioread the other way round, the text says something elsePhraseC2
Leído a sensu contrario, el texto dice otra cosa.Read a sensu contrario, the text says something else.
rebus sic stantibusas long as the circumstances stay as they werePhraseC2
La cláusula rebus sic stantibus permite revisar el contrato.The rebus sic stantibus clause allows the contract to be revised.
lapsus linguaethe slip of the tonguePhraseC2
Lo atribuyó a un lapsus linguae.He put it down to a lapsus linguae.
lapsus cálamithe slip of the penPhraseC2
El lapsus cálami se corrigió en la segunda edición.The lapsus cálami was corrected in the second edition.
in extremisat the last possible momentPhraseC2
El acuerdo se cerró in extremis.The agreement was closed in extremis.
ex profesodone on purpose, for this and nothing elsePhraseC2
Viajó ex profeso para la firma.He travelled ex profeso for the signing.
a fortioriall the more so, if the lesser case holdsPhraseC2
Si vale para uno, a fortiori vale para todos.If it holds for one, a fortiori it holds for all.
honoris causafor the honour of it, without the examinationsPhraseC2
Recibió el doctorado honoris causa.He received the doctorate honoris causa.
primus inter paresthe first among equals, with no rank above themPhraseC2
El cargo es de primus inter pares.The post is that of a primus inter pares.
verbi gratiafor example, naming one case of severalPhraseC2
Verbi gratia, el caso de la semana pasada.Verbi gratia, last week's case.
This list belongs to Language and expression — 22 lists and 1102 words that can also be practised as a whole.
Practise this list
From these 50 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.