DO

The notes here are taken from the actual Scala, so be warned that references to the "previous" proverb refer to its order in the Scala, not its order here. You can read more about the word at the Verbosum blog: DO.

Do ut des. ~ Note: This saying can be applied to exchange between human beings, but it is also commonly used to refer to religious contracts: I do something so that you, O god, may do something for me in return.

Non dat qui non habet.

Qui non habet, ille non dat. ~ Note: This is a legal maxim in Latin, but it can also apply to human life in general.

Deus omnia non dat omnibus. ~ Note: You can find this saying in Mantuanus, Eclogue 5.

Cui des videto. ~ Note: This imperative videto, "see," has the cautionary sense of "watch out for" or "keep an eye on." Note again the use of the future imperative, a common feature of proverbial style.

Deus dat cui vult. ~ Note: This was the royal motto of King Eric XIV of Sweden.

Nihil dat qui non habet. ~ Note: Another Latin legal maxim.

Cui multum datum est, multum quaeretur ab eo. ~ Note: Note the future tense: quaeretur. This saying is included by Polydorus in his Adagia, B51.

Da et accipe.

Quod datur, accipe. ~ Note: As often, the antecedent of the relative pronoun is not expressed: (Hoc), quod datur, accipe.

Dare Deo accipere est. ~ Note: This is the one of the sayings collected by the Renaissance scholar Andreas Eborensis (Andrea de Resende).

Da, si vis accipere. ~ Note: You can also find this saying with an "ut" clause: Da, ut accipias.

Qui petit a te, da ei. ~ Note: As often in Latin, the relative cause comes before its so-called antecedent. You can re-arrange the saying as: Da ei, qui petit a te. You can find this Biblical saying in Matthew 5:42.

Petenti dabitur. ~ Note: Note the use of the future here: "It will be given..." The reference is to the power of prayer: what you ask God for in your prayers will be given, dabitur. You can find the Latin saying invoked by Pascal in his Pensées, 514. Compare Matthew 7.7: Petite, et dabitur vobis, "Ask, and it will be given to you."

Accipe quod tuum alterique da suum. ~ Note: Again, there are some words implied but not stated in the compact Latin: Accipe (hoc), quod tuum (est), alterique da suum. Note that suum refers to the person who is "alter" - give to another what is his (or hers).

Frater est amicus quem nobis dedit Natura. ~ Note: You can also find this saying with the words: Frater est amicus quem donat natura.

Nox dabit consilium. ~ Note: Or, as we would say in English, "Sleep on it."

Petite, et dabitur vobis. ~ Note: For this expression, see the Gospel of Luke, 11.

Date, et dabitur vobis. ~ Note: For this expression, see the Gospel of Luke, 6.

Non uni dat cuncta deus.

Non cunctis dat cuncta deus. ~ Note: Here's an expanded version of this saying: Non cunctis dat cuncta Deus, formosus ut idem sit simul et sapiens et summa laude disertus. (I guess if I had my pick of the three qualities, I would pick sapiens as my allotment!)

Gratis dare debemus, quae gratis accepimus. ~ Note: As often, the antecedent of the relative pronoun is omitted: dare debemus (haec), quae...

Quae gratis accepimus, gratis demus. ~ Note: Note the contracted form, gratis - which is a Latin word we have adopted directly into English! The full form is gratiis, and it has the meaning of "out of favor" or "as a kindness," i.e. "at no cost."

Gratis accepistis; gratis date. ~ Note: The words are from the Gospel of Matthew, 10. The saying is included by Polydorus in his Adagia, B25.

Simul da, simul accipe. ~ Note: As often, the charm of the proverb depends on its parallelism: simul...simul... (For another example, see "Simul dictum, simul factum" below.)

Dabit deus his quoque finem.

Dii meliora dent! ~ Note: Note the independent use of the subjunctive here: Dii dent, "May the gods grant..."

Dare melius est quam accipere. ~ Note: This expresses the same idea as the previous saying, this time with melius instead of beautius.

Da locum melioribus. ~ Note: You can find these words in Terence's Phormio.

Date Caesari quae sunt Caesaris. ~ Note: This refers to the famous testing of Jesus in the Temple, which you can read about in the Wikipedia article entitled "Render unto Caesar."

Deos accepimus, Caesares dedimus.

Detur digniori. ~ Note: Note the subjunctive, detur: Let it be given. This is a Latin legal maxim which obviously has applications to life in general!

Detur dignissimo. ~ Note: This is a variation on the previous saying, this time with the superlative, dignissimo, instead of the comparative, digniori.

Dare nemo potest quod non habet. ~ Note: Notice how the verb phrase "potest dare" is elegantly wrapped around the subject: nemo. As often, the antecedent for the relative pronoun is implied but not state: Dare nemo potest (hoc) quod non habet.

Nemo dat quod non habet, nec plus quam habet. ~ Note: Sometimes it helps to replace "nec" with "et non" just to see how all the pieces fit together: Nemo dat quod non habet, et non (dat) plus quam habet.

Nemo dat gratis.

Verba das in ventos. ~ Note: This is a fool's errand, of course - the winds carry your words away to no avail. You can also find this idiom with the dative: verba dare ventis, to give words to the wind. Compare the saying included by Erasmus in his Adagia, 1.4.85: Vento loqueris.

Beatius est dare quam accipere. ~ Note: The infinitives dare and accipere, when used as nouns, are regarded as neuter singular, hence the neuter comparative: beatius.

Nemo potest tollere quod natura dedit.

Quod natura dedit, tollere nemo potest.

Beatum est potius dare quam recipere. ~ Note: This saying is included by Polydorus in his Adagia, B26.

Aut est, aut non est; tertium non datur. ~ Note: You can read more about the "law of the excluded middle" in this Wikipedia article.

Consilium vero dare audeamus libere.

Virtus dabit, cura servabit.

Datum serva. ~ Note: The participle datum expresses the idea of "that which has been given, a gift." The proverbial advice is given by the so-called Cato in his Monostichs.

Virtus dedit, cura servabit. ~ Note: This is a motto of the Browne family.

Ut ager colitur, ita dat fructus.

Vita data est utenda. ~ Note: Here is a fuller form of the saying: "Vita data est utenda; data est sine faenore nobis / Mutua, nec certa persolvenda die" - "Life is given to use to be used; it is given to use without interest, as a loan, to be repaid on a day not known to us" (a fragment of Albinovanus Pedo preserved by Seneca the Elder.)

Multa rogant utenda dari; data reddere nolunt.

Natura est quae dat et aufert omnia.

Dominus dedit, Dominus abstulit. ~ Note: This saying is included by Polydorus in his Adagia, B217.

Nil sine magno vita labore dedit mortalibus. ~ Note: These words come from Horace's Satires, 1.9.

Deo dat, qui pauperi dat. ~ Note: This saying is a good way to remember that pauper is a third-declension noun (not second-declension like, for example, ager and puer) - pauperi shows the third-declension dative ending, while deo shows the second-declension dative.

Da dextram misero.

Dat ira vires.

Saepe dies unus dat, totus quod negat annus.

Una dabit quod negat altera.

Alia dantur, alia negantur. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings Erasmus included in his Adagia, 3.9.1.

Quae dantur munera lauda. ~ Note: Notice that munera here is neuter plural, hence the relative pronoun quae. As often, the so-called antecedent of the relative pronoun actually comes after the pronoun itself!

Laus in fine datur, quia res in fine probatur.

Sic demus, quomodo vellemus accipere.

Divinum dare, humanum accipere. ~ Note: The infinitives, used here as nouns, agree with the neuter adjectives divinum and humanum.

Mente nihil homini dedit Deus ipse divinius. ~ Note: The words are from Cicero's De Officiis, 3. Note the neuter form of the comparative adjective: divinius.

Date et dabitur vobis, dimittite et dimittemini. ~ Note: This saying is included by Polydorus in his Adagia, B23.

Quid datur a divis felici optatius hora? ~ Note: Here the ablative phrase, felici hora, wraps around the comparative adjective: optatius, "more hoped for" (neuter, agreeing with quid).

Si tibi quid detur, cur detur respice. ~ Note: Note that quid here has the force of aliquid.

Capies qualia dona dabis.

Donum quodcumque dat aliquis, lauda.

Donum quodcumque dat aliquis, proba.

Ut ver dat florem, studium sic reddit honorem.

Vincula da linguae, vel tibi vincula dabit.

Omnibus ex aequo non dant sua munera divi. ~ Note: The prepositional phrase "ex aequo" express the idea of "equally, in equal measure."

Dando retinentur amici.

Quidquid des, celere. ~ Note: Here the subjunctive, des, gives the sense a hypothetical quality: "Whatever you might give, (give) quickly."

Nolite dare sanctum canibus. ~ Note: The words are from the Gospel of Matthew 7 and are included by Polydorus in his Adagia, B27.

Qui dedit consilium, ferat auxilium. ~ Note: Notice the use of the subjunctive, ferat: Let the one who gave advice bring help. (In other words, don't give advice if you are not intending to help!)

Spes dabit auxilium. ~ Note: This is the Dunbar family motto.

Mora dat vires.

Dare aliud est, et aliud promittere.

Quod dare non possis, verbis promittere noli.

Sermo datur multis, animi sapientia paucis. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 1204. You can also find the saying in this form: Sermo datur cunctis, animi sapientia paucis.

Quod non dedit Fortuna, non eripit. ~ Note: This expresses the same idea in somewhat different terms; again, the antecedent of the relative pronoun is not expressed: (Hoc), quod non dedit Fortuna, non eripit.

Nihil eripit Fortuna, nisi quod et dedit. ~ Note: This is a more elaborate version of the previous saying: Nihil eripit Fortuna, "Fortune can take away nothing, " nisi quod et dedit, "except that which she likewise gave" (the word et is being used adverbially there).

Iudicis est ius dicere, non dare.

Eripere telum, non dare, irato decet. ~ Note: The impersonal verb decet takes infinitive complements: eripere and dare. Both of those infinitives have telum as their accusative object, and they also both take a dative complement: eripere irato (to take away from an angry man), dare irato (to give to an angry man).

Quod di dant boni cave culpa tua amissis. ~ Note: The line is from Plautus's Bacchides, with amissis as a syncopated form of amiseris, a perfect subjunctive introduced by cave: take care that you don't lose...

Non datur ad Musas currere lata via.

Cura dat victoriam. ~ Note: This expresses the same idea as the previous proverb but with a different wording; now cura is the subject.

Est multis certare datum, sed vincere paucis.

Necessitas dat legem, non ipsa accipit. ~ Note: This is another one of the sayings collected by Publilius Syrus.

Necessitas dat ingenium.

Nihil est perpetuum datum. ~ Note: You can find this observation in Plautus's Cistellaria.

O fortuna, ut numquam perpetuo es data! ~ Note: The words are from Terence's Hecyra. The use of "ut" here is exclamatory, like the exclamatory "quam" which you saw in the previous saying. You can also find this variant: O fortuna, numquam perpetuo es bona!

Minimum eripit Fortuna, cui minimum dedit. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Publilius Syrus. Note that minimum is being used here as an adverb, "as little as possible" or "least." As often, the antecedent of the relative pronoun is not expressed: Minimum eripit Fortuna (ei), "Fortune takes least away from the man," cui minimum dedit, "to whom she has given least."

Conanti dabitur.

Litterae non dant panem.

Carmina non dant panem.

Saepe dat una dies quod non evenit in anno. ~ Note: As often, the antecedent of the relative pronoun is not expressed: Saepe dat una dies (hoc), quod non evenit in anno.

Vani vanum dant consilium.

Labor assiduus hominibus sapientiam dedit.

Illum nullus amat, qui semper: Da mihi! clamat. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 522.

Cras petito, dabitur.

Iter est, quacumque dat prior vestigium.

Pastor bonus animam suam dat pro ovibus. ~ Note: The words are from the Gospel of John, 10.

Fata si poscunt, dabo.

Necessitas quod poscit, nisi des, eripit.

Bis dat qui cito dat. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings Erasmus included in his Adagia, 1.8.91. Compare the saying above: Tanto gratius quanto citius. Compare also the saying collected by Wegeler, 1005: Qui cito dat, bis dat; qui tardat munera, nil dat.

Bis dat qui celeriter dat. ~ Note: The idea is that if you give quickly, it is twice as good: bis dat.

Nisi certanti nulla corona datur. ~ Note: From Mantuanus: Certandum est: nulli veniunt sine Marte triumphi, / et nisi certanti nulla corona datur.

Eripit interdum, modo dat fortuna salutem.

Natura semina nobis scientiae dedit, scientiam non dedit. ~ Note: The words are from Seneca's letters, 120.

Invite data non sunt grata. ~ Note: Here the participle data is being used substantively, things which are given, gifts. Like a verb, a participle can take an adverb which is what you have here: invite - gifts given unwillingly, invite data.

Deus superbis resistit; humilibus autem dat gratiam.

Admitte consilium bonum, quicumque det. ~ Note: (Camerarius)

Sibi non cavere et aliis consilium dare stultum. ~ Note: Both infinitive phrases, sibi non cavere and aliis consilium dare, are used here as nouns.

Cui mens est stulta, pro paucis vult dare multa. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 178. Notice how the dative, cui, is used here to express what would be possession in English: cui mens est stulta, (he) whose mind is foolish.

Gratia nulla datur, si munere munus ematur. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 476.

Qui dat pauperibus numquam egebit. ~ Note: Note the future tense: egebit.

Dandum semper est tempus: veritatem dies aperit.

Cordi dat robora virtus. ~ Note: This is a motto of the Mitchelson family.

Amor amara dat satis. ~ Note: There is a play on words here with amor, "love" and amara "bitter things" - this neuter plural is the accusative object of the verb dat. The words are adapted from Plautus's Trinummus.

Benignus etiam causam dandi cogitat.

Libertas natura etiam mutis animalibus data.

Seni verba dare difficile est. ~ Note: The Latin idiom "verba dare" means to fool, to trick: It is a difficult things to trick an old man.

Gratia quando datur, studeas ut restituatur. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 478.

Qui dat mutuum, amicum vendit, inimicum emit.

Da requiem; requietus ager bene credita reddit.

Placatur donis Iuppiter ipse datis.

Qui suadet, sua det.

Regula certa datur: bene qui stat, ne moveatur.

Dare beneficium imitari deum.

Qui dat beneficia, deos imitatur. ~ Note: Notice the nice alliteration in this saying: dat-deos.

Beneficium saepe dare, docere est reddere. ~ Note: This is another saying collected by Publilius Syrus. Here is how those infinitive phrases fit together: "beneficium saepe dare" is the subject while "docere reddere" is the predicate: "To do favors often is to teach how to return (a favor)."

Beneficium dando accepit, qui digno dedit. ~ Note: This is another one of the sayings collected by Publilius Syrus. Note the gerund in the ablative case: dando, "by means of giving, by giving." So, paradoxically, you receive something (beneficium accepit) by giving, provided that you have given to someone worthy (digno).

Beneficium qui dare nescit, iniuste petit. ~ Note: Notice the parallel structure here: beneficium dare nescit, (beneficium) iniuste petit. As often, Latin omits the word which is repeated in establishing the parallel.

Licentiam des linguae, cum verum petas.

Panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis hodie.

Perseveranti dabitur.

Errat, qui datum sibi, quod extortum est, putat.

Ad ignavis nulla corona datur.

Partem da cuique: sic non partiris inique. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 853.

Da veniam culpae. ~ Note: The word venia means "pardon" or "forgiveness" (hence the phrase, "venial sin," meaning a sin that can be forgiven).

Necessitati datur venia. ~ Note: You can find this principle expressed in Cicero's De Officiis, 2.

Da veniam lacrimis. ~ Note: This is a formulaic expression to ask pardon for the tears that accompany what you are saying.

Danda venia lapso. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings that Erasmus included in his Adagia, 3.10.59.

Non dat qui munere tardat.

Qui tardat munera, nil dat. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 1005: Qui cito dat, bis dat; qui tardat munera, nil dat.

Panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis cotidie.

Cras do, non hodie : sic nego cotidie.

Contra factum non datur argumentum.

Si sitit inimicus tuus, potum da illi. ~ Note: The sentiment is found in Paul's letter to the Romans, 12.

Accipe quale datur, si cupis esse satur.

Deo dat, qui dat inopibus.

Inopi beneficium bis dat, qui dat celeriter.

Praesens malo datum quam promissum geminatum. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 911.

Unicuique dedit vitium natura creato.

Da ubi consistam, et terram caelumque movebo.

Fumum pro fulgore dat.

Vivat in aeternum, qui dat mihi dulce Falernum! ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 1466.

Qui habet duas tunicas, det non habenti.

Veniam petimusque damusque vicissim.

Et decerptae dabunt odorem. ~ Note: This is a motto of the Aiton family.

Nolite dare sanctum canibus, neque mittatis margaritas vestras ante porcos.

Dantur opes Croeso, nihil praebetur egenti.

Quis ex vobis patrem petet panem, numquid lapidem dabit illi?

Bos mugiens multum dat lactis ab ubere parum.

Si tibi copia, si sapientia, formaque detur, sola superbia destruit omnia, si comitetur.

Abluit manus manum: da aliquid et accipe.

Quod serimus, metimus; quod damus, accipimus. ~ Note: This proverb shows how the work of sowing and reaping can be generalized to the practice of giving and receiving. The line is from a poem by the fifth-century Christian poet Prosper of Aquitaine, and it is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 1107.

Qui dat pauperi non indigebit.

Dat pira, dat poma, qui non habet alia dona.

Det pira, det poma, qui non habet aurea dona. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 235.

Gallinam dat, ut taurum recipiat.

Si deus formicam perdere vult, alas duas ei dat.

Mel nulli sine felle datur.

Manum ut manus fricat, da aliquid et accipe.

Caro data vermibus. ~ Note: There is an odd little folk etymology for the Latin word cadaver, based on this saying: CA-ro DA-ta -VER-mibus. The scientific etymology of cadaver, however, derives the word from the verb cado, so the cadaver is a man who has fallen.

Cani das paleas, asino ossa. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings Erasmus included in his Adagia, 3.5.14.

Det peccatori veniam peccator.

Absurdo uno dato, sequitur alterum.

Dato uno absurdo, sequuntur plurima.

Dato uno absurdo, mox sequuntur infinita.

Levis est fortuna: cito reposcit quod dedit.

Cum valemus, recta consilia aegrotis damus.

Facile, cum valemus, recta consilia aegrotis damus. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings Erasmus included in his Adagia, 1.6.68.

Dat deus immiti cornua curta bovi.

Non cuivis datum est adire Corinthum.

Unum dabitis, et centuplum accipietis.

Dat veniam corvis, vexat censura columbas. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings Erasmus included in his Adagia, 3.5.73.

Dat lupus intuitum reliquis spretis super agnum.

Date obolum Belisario.

Cum dabitur sonipes gratis, non inspice dentes.

Si tibi do mannos, numeres ne dentibus annos. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 471.

Dat mora consulta plus quam properatio stulta.

Amare simul et sapere ipsi Iovi non datur.

Bonus pastor animam suam dat pro ovibus suis.

Cui plura nosse datum est, eum maiora dubia sequuntur.

Dat Deus, et recipit saepe, quod ipse dedit.

Dat quodcumque libet fortuna rapitque vicissim.

Fortuna multis dat nimis, satis nulli.

Huic puero panis datur, alter transit inanis.

Noli dare omnia quae habes quia qui dat omnia quae habet saepe misere quaerit quod non habet.

Qui dat gallinam, aliquando recipit bovem.

Spernens omne datum, non se facit esse ligatum.

Cum non datur quod vis, velis quod sors tulit.

Leve est dare consilium, arduum se noscere.

Sermo omnibus, sapientia at paucis datur.

Exiguum munus cum dat tibi pauper amicus noli despicere.

Ille Deo similis, qui dat bene munera laetus.

Qui dat inopi sua, numquam erit pauper.

Vitam quaerenti dat iter sacra lectio menti.

Bis dat qui cito dat; nil dat qui munera tardat.

Laetificat stultum nil dare, promittere multum.

Mos est praelatis beneficia non dare gratis.

Non est dignus dandis, qui non est gratus datis.

Qui struit insidias alii, sibi damna dat ipse.