PRIMUS

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: PRIMUS.

Primus sum egomet mihi. ~ Note: You can find these words in Terence's Andria. The word "egomet" is an emphatic form of the pronoun "ego."

Non possunt primi esse omnes omni in tempore. ~ Note: This line of verse is cited in Macrobius's Saturnalia, 2. Notice the elegant way "omni...tempore" wraps around its preposition!

Erunt novissimi primi, et primi novissimi. ~ Note: These words come from the Gospel of Matthew, 20; the saying is included by Polydorus in his Adagia, B359. Notice that novissimus here can be translated as "latest" in a series, as opposed to the first in a series (primus) - hence the King James rendering of this verse: "So the last shall be first, and the first last." The Greek reads: οὕτως ἔσονται οἱ ἔσχατοι πρῶτοι καὶ οἱ πρῶτοι ἔσχατοι. Someone's "last words" in Latin are verba novissima.

Primo quoque die nemo magister erit. ~ Note: See the note on the previous proverb; now instead of doctus, you have magister.

Nemo primo quoque die fit doctus. ~ Note: Note that primo goes with die: "primo die," on the first day. The word "quoque" is being used here with the sense of the word "quidem" - On the first day indeed no one becomes educated.

Primus amor potior. ~ Note: Here you see the masculine singular comparative form, potior, agreeing with the subject, amor.

Nemo potest scire, quis primus debet abire. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 667.

Primus inter pares. ~ Note: You can read about the history of the use of this proverb here at Wikipedia.

Prima facie. ~ Note: This is a Latin phrase that is still often used in English. Read more in this Wikipedia article. This is also one of the sayings Erasmus included in his Adagia, 1.9.88.

In bello nec primus nec ultimus esto. ~ Note: Note the nec...nec construction, which is equivalent to the English "neither...nor..." As often, the proverb is urging us to take the middle ground, avoiding both extremes.

Primus beatus qui per se sapiat, secundus qui sapientem audiat. ~ Note: Here secundus has the meaning of "second," as you can see from the parallel with primus: primus beatus qui... secundus (beatus) qui...

Primum: non nocere. ~ Note: To learn more about this principle of medical ethics, see the Wikipedia article.

Prima virtus est vitio carere. ~ Note: Here the infinitive phrase, "vitio carere," functions as a noun: The first virtue is to be free from vice.

Vis loqui? Disce tacere primo. ~ Note: Note the use of the ablative, primo, to mean "in the beginning, at first, in the first place."

Offeras primum pacem. ~ Note: This saying is included by Polydorus in his Adagia, B437.

Morbum suum nosse est pars prima salutis. ~ Note: The infinitive phrase, "morbum suum nosse," is functioning as a noun here, serving as the subject of the sentence.

Alium silere quod voles, primus sile. ~ Note: This is from Seneca's tragedy, Phaedra. Note the way primus agrees with the implied: subject of the infinitive sile, tu: you, first of all, should keep silent.

Primum est suo esse contentum. ~ Note: The word "primum" here has the sense of "the first thing," "the main thing," etc. The adjective contentum is in the accusative because it agrees with the implied subject of the infinitive, esse (the subject of an infinitive is in the accusative case).

Primum hominis officium est suo esse contentum. ~ Note: Notice how the infinitive phrase, "suo esse contentum," functions as a noun here, providing the predicate of the sentence.

Prima virum primum mulier deiecit ad imum. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 948.

Ardua prima via est. ~ Note: Samuel Coleridge chose this saying as the title for a poem.

Pignora prima memento. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings included in the distichs attributed to the so-called "Cato." Here is the complete distich: Damnaris numquam post longum tempus amicum: / mutavit mores, sed pignora prima memento.

Sapiunt vasa quidquid primum acceperunt. ~ Note: Here the verb "sapiunt" has the sense of "taste, having the taste of."

Neque pessimus, neque primus. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings Erasmus included in his Adagia, 4.4.22. It praises the "golden mean" of the middle ground: not worst, not first, but somewhere in-between.

Accipe quam primum, brevis est occasio lucri. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 8.

Cum sis in mensa, primo de paupere pensa. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 192: Cum sis in mensa, primo de paupere pensa; / tunc bene prandetur, cum Christus adesse videtur. You can also find the couplet as follows: Cum sis in mensa, primo de paupere pensa: cum pascis eum, pascis, amice, Deum.

Ad primos ictus non corruit ardua quercus. ~ Note: This item is listed in Tosi, 641.

Arbor per primum quaevis non corruit ictum. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 57.

Prima felicitatis pars sapere. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings Erasmus included in his Adagia, 5.1.87. Here the infinitive sapere is being used as a noun: Prima felicitatis pars (est) sapere.

Refrenet primum libidines. ~ Note: This is included by André Rouillé in his anthology of Cicero's notable sententiae.

Incidit in foveam, qui primus fecerat illam. ~ Note: Compare the saying included by Polydorus in his Adagia, B134: Incidit in foveam quam fecit.

Primum apes abigendae. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings Erasmus included in his Adagia, 4.9.7.

Piscis a capite primum incipit putere. ~ Note: Compare the saying in the Adagia of Erasmus, 4.2.97: Piscis primum a capite foetet.