Latin Proverbs, Mottoes, Phrases, and Words: Group A

Food of Acheron.

Food for the gallows; applied to those who are thought to be deserving of execution.

Acheruns [Acheron] was one of seven rivers said to flow around Hell. Anyone adjudged sufficiently evil may be said to be Acheruntis pabulum, or “food of Acheron”.

Deeds: The term acta was used in ancient Rome to refer to an account of actions or achievements.

Translation: "The drama has been acted out" or "The play is over."

Acta est fabula was used at the close of a dramatic performance in the ancient Roman theater.

Acta est fabula are said to be the dying words of Emperor Caesar Augustus.

The maxim Acta est fabula may be appropriately spoken whenever a life or an unfolding event comes to an unhappy end or is simply concluded.

Translation: "Deeds of the saints."

The acta sanctorum involves the lives of the Christian martyrs and saints that are used in teaching the faith.

Translation: "It is done."

"It is over or finished."

1. A length in building which is about 120 Roman feet: An actus is about 35,5 meters.
2. In Roman law, the legality of herding animals or driving a vehicle across another person's land: A long time ago in Roman times, an actus allowed a farmer, for example, to drive his domesticated animals over his neighbor's property.

An act of the court: Actus curia is a term used in law, and historically was one of many medieval councils of the courts of justice.

An act of God: More literally, actus Dei is a “driving” or the “moving forward of God”. Used in legal terminology, actus Dei refers to any phenomena, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, falling trees, hail storms, etc.

A legal maxim: The act, Actus non facit reum nisi mens est rea, means that a person is not made a criminal unless the intention is criminal.

Pure act: Actus purus is Thomas Aquinas’ conception of God as pure act, without matter or form.

A needle: a needlelike instrument: The acus Dr. Fiske had was for sewing up the wound following the surgical operation.

An improper use of a word.

An overly delicate euphemism, as, for example, the 19th century prudish avoidance of mentioning a chicken’s breast or leg by saying “white meat” and “dark meat”.

A reference to how an argument demonstrates the ridiculousness of an opponent's proposition: Timothy tried to explain his line of reasoning to the others in the meeting, but it led to ad absurdum, because, as much as he tried to demonstrate his intention, they were all of a different opinion and didn't understand the obvious truth and sound judgment of the issue.

Up to the year.

Used to indicate a specific year date.

Before c, f, g, l, n, p, q, r, s, and t; ad- is changed to ac-, af-, ag-, al-, an-, ap-, aq-, ar-, as-, and at-.

In other words, the d of ad usually changes into the same letter as the first letter of the following root or word when it is a consonant: ad-fix becomes affix, and ad-sign becomes assign; therefore, making a double consonant.

Another example includes: attract as with ad-tract (drawn towards); so it has a double t. On the other hand when ad- precedes a vowel, as with adapt, it is simply ad-apt, with one d. For the same reason, there is only one d in adore and adumbrate, because ad- has combined with orare and umbra each of which starts with a vowel.

So, remember: since these Latin words begin with vowels and not consonants, the d of ad does not double as shown in the previous examples.