Proverbs/Grammar ~ Grammar/Proverbs: Latin Lesson #49: Some more -at verbs

You'll be learning some more -at verbs today; here is a list with all the new ones plus the ones you've already learned:

curat: cares for, cures
delectat: delights, pleases
errat: errs, makes a mistake
excusat: excuses, makes an excuse
obstat: stands in the way, blocks
praestat: stands out, surpasses
sanat: heals, makes healthy
volat: flies, goes quickly

And here is a little slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before:

Here are today's proverbs:

1. Medicus curat, natura sanat.
The doctor cures; nature heals.
ME-dicus curat, na-TU-ra sanat

Latin medicus means "physician, doctor," and you can see this root in English "medical."

The verb curat means "cares for, cures," and it is the root of English "cure" and also "curator" and "curious."

The verb sanat means "heals, makes healthy," and you can see this root in English "sanitize" and "sanitary." The meaning has shifted to mental health in English "sanity" and "insanity."

As you can see, the proverb contrasts the powers of the medicus and natura. The doctor takes care of the patient, curat, but it is nature herself who brings health: sanat. The saying has its own Wikipedia article.

2. Dux vivendi natura est.
Nature is (the) guide of-living.
dux vi-VEN-di na-TU-ra est

The 3rd-declension noun dux, "leader," is a noun that can be either feminine or masculine, depending on context. In this context, dux is feminine; natura, feminine, is the leader. The stem of dux is duc- which gives us English "duke." In English, though, "duke" is masculine and has a separate feminine form, "duchess." Latin dux does double-duty: both masculine and feminine.

The word vivendi is the genitive of vivendum, a verbal noun (remember gerunds?). Vivendum is from the verb vivere, "to live," so it means "living."

This saying echoes the previous saying, respecting the power of nature. We should live "naturally," letting natura be our guide to healthy living.

3. Ignorantia legis non excusat.
Ignorance of-the-law doesn't excuse.
igno-RAN-tia legis non ex-CU-sat

You know all the words in this saying, and it's just a variation on the saying you saw earlier this week: Ignorantia non excusat. The difference: legis, giving you the phrase ignorantia legis: ignorance of-the-law. The word legis is the genitive of lex, "law."

This saying also has its own Wikipedia article.

Compare the English saying: "Ignorance of the law is no excuse."

4. Praestat sero quam numquam.
Late is-better than never.
praestat sero quam numquam

The verb praestat is a compound: prae-stat, "before-stands, out-stands," i.e. "stands out, exceeds, is better." Compare a similar compound you saw earlier this week: ob-stat, "in-the-way stands, blocks."

The adverb sero means "late." It does not have English derivatives, but if you know French, this is the origin of soir, "evening," i.e. late-in-the-day, and likewise Italian sera.

Compare the English saying: "Better late than never."

This is a great saying for anyone out there learning Latin later in life: Praestat sero quam numquam!

5. Dives animus est, non arca.
(The) soul is rich, not (the) coffer.
dives A-nimus est, non arca

The feminine noun arca means a "chest" or "box," and often specifically a box for money, which is why I have translated it as "coffer." Latin arca can also mean "coffin," and I liked the way English "coffer" has a hint of "coffin" about it. (Both those English words come from Latin cophinus, a borrowing from Greek kophinos.)

And yes, Latin arca is the origin of English "ark," as in Noah's Ark and also the Ark of the Covenant, the box containing the tablets given to Moses on Mount Sinai.

The idea behind this saying is that earthly riches, like the money contained in a money-box, are not really riches at all; the true riches are spiritual riches, the riches of the animus, the soul.

The saying appears in the writings of the Roman politician and philosopher Cicero.

Here's a recap: