Saturday, July 31, 2010

VERUS

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: VERUS.

Verum non dicimus, ne audiamus. Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Publilius Syrus.

Quod verum est, meum est. Note: This is a sentiment expressed by Seneca in his Epistulae Morales, 1.

Quaerimus verum. Note: The neuter adjective verum can be used substantively to mean "the true (thing)," "the truth," etc. This is the motto of Bethany College.

Nihil vero verius. Note: Compare the saying in the Adagia of Erasmus, 4.9.2: Vero verius.

Vi verum vincitur. Note: Here the proverb depends on alliteration: v-v-v. You can find these words in Plautus's Amphitruo.

Non vivere, sed valere vera vita est. Note: This is a variation of a saying you saw earlier - Non vivere, sed valere, vita est - but with even more alliteration: vera vita est.

Vera laus verae virtuti debetur. Note: This is included by André Rouillé in his anthology of Cicero's notable sententiae.

Veri amoris nullus est finis. Note: This is the title John Owen gave to one of his epigrams, which reads: Numquam vera fuit caritas, quae desiit esse; / Nam nullus veri finish amoris erit (12.3). The phrase also appears in the moral sayings of Michael Verinus.

Beatus qui invenit amicum verum. Note: Notice that the antecedent of the relative pronoun is implied but not stated: Beatus (est ille), qui...

Nihil est vera gloria dulcius. Note: This is included by André Rouillé in his anthology of Cicero's notable sententiae.

Multi scire volunt, sed vere discere nolunt. Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 645. You can also find the saying in this form: Omnia scire volunt omnes, sed discere nolunt.

Tempore in adverso veri noscuntur amici. Note: This expresses the same idea but now in terms of true friends, veri amici, rather than true love, verus amor.

Noscitur adverso tempore verus amor. Note: In other words, only in adversity do you discover whether a love is true, or not.

Quis sibi verum dicere ausus est? Note: The verb audeo is called a "semideponent" because it takes active endings in the present system, but in the perfect system there are not active forms. The meaning, however, is still the same. This is a question posed by Seneca in his treatise De Tranquillitate Animi, 1.

In vino verum. Note: This is a variation on the famous saying "In vino veritas." Here the neuter singular, verum, is being used substantively to mean "truth." You can also find the saying in this form: Latet in vino verum, "The truth lurks in the wine."

De vivis nil nisi verum. Note: Compare the saying you saw earlier: De mortuis nil nisi bonum.

Esto pius vere super his qui te genuere. Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 362.

Non omnia quae vera sunt utile dicuntur. Note: The neuter form of the adjective, utile, is being used here adverbially, as so often with the neuter: utile dicunter, "are usefully said, are useful to say."

Utile est amicos veros habere. Note: The complete saying from the Ad Herennium (sometimes attributed to Cicero): Utile est amicos veros habere, habeas enim quibuscum iocari.

Amicus verus, rara avis. Note: Compare the previous proverb; this time the elusive friend is the one who is verus.

Veras divitias eripit nemo. Note: This expresses the same, but without including the goddess Fortuna, she who bestows riches - but not true riches!

Falsum committit, qui verum tacet. Note: This is another juridical principle: although we would not call keeping the truth silent a "lie" per se, this proverb declares it to be something falsum, a falsehood.

Nil melius vere quam cum ratione tacere. Note: Note the use here of the adverbial form, vere, "truly." It has been inserted into the proverb to create an internal rhyme: Nil melius VERE quam cum ratione TACERE. (Internal rhymes are often found in medieval proverbs.)

Iudicis semper est verum sequi. Note: This is included by André Rouillé in his anthology of Cicero's notable sententiae.

Monere et moneri proprium est verae amicitiae. Note: The genitive (verae amicitiae) with an infinitive (monere et moneri) expresses the idea of capability or duty - something like, "It is properly the task of true friendship to warn and be warned." Compare the saying you saw earlier: Ab amicis libenter moneamur.

Amicitia vera, rara avis in terra. Note: Notice the nice rhyme here: vera... terra. Compare the saying you saw earlier: Amicus certus, rara avis.

Fabula, sed vera. Note: A fuller form of the saying is: Non ficta fabula, sed vera historia. Compare this similar saying: Publica fama non semper vana.

Lingua lapsa verum dicit. Note: We use the same metaphor in English: "a slip of the tongue."

Ut mala vitentur, aliquando vera tacentur. Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 1412. Note the internal rhyme: vitentur-tacentur.

Impedit ira animum ne possit cernere verum. Note: This is one of the sayings included in the distichs attributed to the so-called "Cato." Here is the complete distich: Iratus de re incerta contendere noli: / impedit ira animum, ne possis cernere verum.

Ridentem dicere verum: quid vetat? Note: Here you have a gerund in the ablative case, ridendo: "by laughing, with laughter, jokingly."

Ioco vir verum fert aliquando. Note: You can also find the saying in this fuller form: Ludo sive ioco vir verum fert aliquando.

Verus amor odit moras. Note: There is a nice paradox here with the ideas of love and hate combined in a single saying.

Verus amator erit, qui me plus quam mea quaerit. Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 1435.

Sorte patet misera, quae sit dilectio vera. Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 1354: Tempore felici non cognoscuntur amici; sorte patet misera, quae sit dilectio vera.

Finitima sunt falsa veris. Note: This is included by André Rouillé in his anthology of Cicero's notable sententiae.

Verum est, quod pro salute fit, mendacium. Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Publilius Syrus. It expresses an elegantly paradoxical idea: verum est mendacium - with the important caveat about what kind of lie exactly: quod pro salute fit.

Nil manet aeternum, nihil immutabile vere est. Note: The words are from the medieval poem sometimes called the Cella Alcuini.

Consilium verum docet experientia rerum. Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 157.

Vere philosophantes pecuniam contemnunt. Note: The words from the Digesta explain about those less virtuous philosophers, too: vere philosophantes pecuniam contemnunt, cuius retinendae cupidine fictam adseverationem detegunt.

Pueri ac vinum vera profantur. Note: This expands on the idea of "in vino veritas." Compare also the English expression "out of the mouths of babes."

Laudat adulator, sed non est verus amator. Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 591.

Hic offendit herum, qui vult nimis edere verum. Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 496.

Ebrius, insipiens, pueri dicunt tibi verum. Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 1268: Si secretarum seriem vis noscere rerum, / ebrius, insipiens, pueri dicunt tibi verum.

Tutius est vere morsum fugiendo cavere quam prope serpentem procumbere virus habentem. Note: Tutius est vere morsum fugiendo cavere / quam prope serpentem procumbere virus habentem.

Meipsum ames oportet, non mea, si vere amici futuri simus. Note: This is included by André Rouillé in his anthology of Cicero's notable sententiae.

Nos opinionibus vulgi rapimur in errorem, nec vera cernimus. Note: This is included by André Rouillé in his anthology of Cicero's notable sententiae.

Est vere fatuus, qui se reputat sapientem. Note: Est vere fatuus, qui se reputat sapientem, / sum, dixit Salomon, stultissimus ipse virorum.


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