Why Latin?
In its heyday, the Roman Empire stretched far and wide across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Although the empire eventually fell, centuries of occupation left a Roman imprint on the once-conquered lands. One significant legacy was the Latin language, which evolved into the Romance languages of Spanish, French, Romanian, and English. In fact, you might be surprised to learn how many Latin words you hear every day, such as alumni, census, versus, vice versa, alias, etc. (by the way, that's short for the Latin phrase "et cetera"). And then there are all those English words with Latin roots, like bene, meaning "good" (benefactor, beneficial, benign. . .) and terr, meaning "earth" (terrain, terrestrial, subterranean. . .)
Beyond the Basics. . . How Much Latin Legalese Do You Know?
While you're undoubtedly familiar with at least some of the Latin words that have been incorporated into our everyday language, that might not be true of the many obscure Latin phrases that are used in the legal system (unless you're an attorney or a Latin scholar). Think Latin's a dead language? Try telling that to a lawyer. Latin is ubiquitous in the law, from ancient terms still used for legal documents to the colorful linguistic flourishes of some Supreme Court justices (like Antonin Scalia, who sprinkled his opinions with zingers like "Fiat justitia, ruat coelum. Let justice be done, though the heavens may fall"). Is Latin legalese just a pompous badge of exclusivity? Sometimes, to be sure. But after all those years of studying Latin Legalese in law school, who can blame them for the urge to show off their mastery of phrases like non compos mentis ("not of sound mind") or cui bono? ("who benefits?")? Well, some do, and there's a growing plain language movement determined to change the longstanding and widely accepted view within the legal profession that a Latin word or phrase is always preferable to a perfectly good English version.
But for now, Latin legalese is here to stay and this quiz provides a great introduction to some of the essential Latin terms that are still used in the law. Why should the 99.95% of non-lawyers among us bother with it? For one thing, knowing some Latin improves your vocabulary. Furthermore, chances are pretty high that you'll be involved in a legal matter during your lifetime. This quiz will help you make sense of legal documents and what your lawyer or judge says to you. Or maybe you live a life of immaculate righteousness and won't ever step foot in a courtroom. Even so, knowing some Latin legalese is a huge boon if you're just a fan of courtroom dramas like Law and Order and the countless other TV shows and films. And finally, it's just plain fun to drop a little Latin with your friends — or try one on an enemy like this ancient pearl: asinus asinorum in saecula saeculorum ("the greatest jackass in eternity"). Why not get started with this quiz on Latin legalese? Even if you're not a beginner, jump in for a fun refresher on the essential Latin phrases of the law!
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Comments (3)
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The quiz was hard argumentally so.
Cool! I’m amazed by how much Latin I’ve learned. I especially likke Quid Pro Quo
I couldn't concentrate! My other half kept bothering me!!!