Saturday, July 31, 2010

SUB

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: SUB.

Nihil sub sole novum. ~ Note: This is a saying from the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes, 1.

Sub pace, copia. ~ Note: This is a motto of the France family.

sub poena ~ Note: This is the origin of the English word "subpoena."

Sub sole, sub umbra, crescens. ~ Note: This is a motto of the Irving family.

sub rosa ~ Note: This is not a classical Latin phrase. You will find sources which claim that in ancient times people hung roses from the ceiling to indicate that what happened in the room was "sub rosa," i.e. to be secret - but there is no evidence for any such practice in antiquity, and attestations as to the use of this phrase belong to the Renaissance and later. For more about this topic, see the discussion beginning on p. 355 of La rose dans l'antiquité et au moyen âge: Histoire, légendes et symbolisme by Charles Joret, available at Google Books.

Sub sole nihil perfectum. ~ Note: Compare the English saying, "Nobody's perfect."

Saepe sub nomine pacis bellum latet. ~ Note: You can find this idea invoked in Cicero's Philippics, 12.

Bos semper sub iugo. ~ Note: For an Aesop's fable about the hard-working ox, see the story of the ox and the heifer. Compare the saying in the Adagia of Erasmus, 2.6.74: Bos sub iugum.

Vidi sub sole nec velocium esse cursum nec fortium bellum. ~ Note: The words are from the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes, 9.

Elephantum sub alis celas. ~ Note: Compare the saying in the Adagia of Erasmus, 2.5.56: Citius elephantum sub ala celes.

Mane sub aurora res vertitur ad meliora. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 620.

Rebus tranquillis, metuas adversa sub illis. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 1130. The subjunctive, metuas, is used here to express the idea of a command: you should fear, you must fear. The rhyme, tranquillis-illis, reveals the medieval provenance of this saying.

Invenies multos, mores qui pelle sub agni celant luporum. ~ Note: The proverbial "wolf in sheep's clothing" is transferred to the human world, where people with the character of wolves (mores luporum) are hiding that character in the clothing of a lamb: pelle sub agni.

Sub ovium pellibus lupi. ~ Note: Far more sinister than the donkey in the lion's skin are the wolves in sheep's clothing: the donkey is blustering and pretending to be more than he is, but the wolves are pretending to be harmless - when of course they are not! For more, see this Wikipedia article.

Sub omni lapide scorpius dormit. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings that Erasmus included in his Adagia, 1.4.34.

Sub pondere, sursum. ~ Note: This is a motto of the Porterfield family.

Gallina congregat pullos suos sub alas. ~ Note: This saying is included by Polydorus in his Adagia, B372.

Multae sub tegulis cubant noctuae. ~ Note: This saying is included by Polydorus in his Adagia, A250.

Pelle sub agnina latitat mens saepe lupina. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 877.

Lucerna sub modio. ~ Note: This saying is included by Polydorus in his Adagia, B406.

Quos vult, sors ditat; quos non vult, sub pede tritat. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 1121.

Omnia sub unam Myconum. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings Erasmus included in his Adagia, 2.4.47; it is included by Polydorus in his Adagia, A184.

Disce, et quae discis, memori sub pectore conde. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings of Muretus, sometimes printed with the sayings of Publilius Syrus.

Est requies grata sub cute non lacerata. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 371.

Sub nive quod tegitur, dum nix perit, omne videtur. ~ Note: You can also find the saying in this form: Sub nive quod tegitur, cum nix perit invenietur.

Multa sub ignoto corde venena latent. ~ Note: Cui fidas, videas; non cuivis fidere tutum / multa sub ignoto corde venena latent.


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