For a thousand years, the center of Western civilization was Rome. At one point, the Roman Empire stretched from the British Isles to northern Egypt, and all roads truly led to Rome, connecting peoples of many cultures and languages under Roman rule. The official language of Rome was Latin, and even after the fall of the Roman Empire, Latin remained the language used in official proceedings, particularly in the church, in law, in medicine, and in the sciences. Up until the late 19th century, it was common for schools and universities to require the study of Latin, and even today, anyone who wants a career as a doctor, a lawyer, or a scientist needs to have at least a familiarity with Latin, since much of the terminology of those fields remains in the original Latin.

Many words in English have Latin derivation – that is, they are derived from, or have their origins in, a Latin word. For example, the word derivation comes from the Latin word derivare, meaning “from the source”. There are also many Latin words and phrases that remain in the English language unchanged from the days of Julius Caesar. In fact, you may have used them yourself, without realizing the fact that you’re speaking Latin like Lucullus. Here are some common Latin phrases used in everyday English conversation:

terra firma (TEHR-ah FIR-ma): “solid land”
Definition: the ground, the earth
Example: After that turbulent airplane flight, I’m glad to be back on terra firma!

ad nauseam (ad NAW-zee-uhm): “to the point of nausea”
Definition: when something goes on or is repeated until you’re sick of it
Example: Over the holidays, the local radio station played “White Christmas” ad nauseam.

non sequitur (nawn SEH-kwih-ter): “it does not follow” 
Definition: a remark or comment in a conversation that has no relationship to what was said before
Example: “And that’s how I met my future husband. How did you meet your wife?” “I like pie.”

curriculum vitae (kur-IH-kyu-luhm VEE-tay): “course of life”
Definition: your qualifications, experience, awards received, and job history (a résumé, but in more detail)
Example: To help you get the best job, be sure to list your professional certifications on your curriculum vitae.

et cetera (et SET-er-ah): “and the rest” 
Definition: used to shorten a long list, usually abbreviated as “etc.”
Example: The charity shop sells clothes (socks, shirts, etc.) and old books for a good price.

per diem (per DEE-em): “by day” 
Definition: in business, the dollar amount an employee can spend each day as part of his or her travel expenses
Example: The sales budget allows for a $100 per diem in Seattle, and a $150 per diem in Hong Kong.

status quo (STAT-us KWOH): “the state in which”
Definition: what currently exists, or the situation as it presently stands
Example: If we can’t lower the world’s population, we should at least try to maintain the status quo and work towards zero population growth.

What other common Latin phrases do you know? The list goes on ad infinitum!