With Swag from Rome: 10 Cool Latin Phrases to Spice Up Your Vocabulary.

Ever wondered why many institutions of higher learning have Latin slogans? Did you know that many common English expressions have Latin roots? And, are you aware that some of our grandparents studied Latin in school right here in Ghana?

It may be unpopular in our time but the Latin language was once at the heart of Western civilization. In those days, when the Great Roman Empire was at the height of its might, Latin was, to a large extent, the language of the world. 

The ability to speak Latin was the high watermark of the sophisticated mind and the language stood out notably as the chief means by which scholars and philosophers prepared and presented their thoughts to the world. 

Although it is considered by many as a dead language today, remnants of Latinate expressions lie like fossils in the strata of our speech. In fact, we use more Latin expressions than we probably realize. Agenda, alias, memo, vice versa, per diem, status quo and et cetera are all Latin words naturalized in English. 

Guess what? There are still many Latin phrases that are in use today so I picked ten which we can add to our vocabulary. Here they are:

Ad hoc: for a particular end or purpose.

an ad hoc investigating committee was put together following the attack.

De facto: in reality or actually. 

Although not readily obvious, Shadrach is the de facto leader of the group.

Deo volente: God willing. 

I intend to return after a year, Deo volente. 

Ex Animo: From the heart; sincerely.

I do whatever I do ex animo. I either drink deep or taste not.

In absentia: in absence.

The school honoured the professor in absentia. 

In toto: entirely. totally.

The judge rejected the request for appeal in toto.

Magnum Opus: the greatest work especially of an artist or writer.

Chinua Achebe's magnum opus, Things Fall Apart, has been translated into more than fifty languages.

Mea Culpa: a formal acknowledgement of personal fault or error.

The president's mea culpa didn't prevent parliament from impeaching him.

Modus Operandi: means of operation.

After years of tracking the gang, the police discovered their modus operandi and apprehended them one after another. 

Corpus: a body of knowledge or evidence. 

There is a corpus of biblical material known as wisdom books. 

I hope you found this piece refreshing. If you have a Latin repertoire of words and phrases, kindly share a few. I would love to learn them too. 

Cheers.