What Does My Latin Quote Mean? Quiz

Answer: For this purpose

This literal translation means "for this" but it's more commonly used to replace the phrase "for this purpose" when used today. It could best be described as the answer or solution for a particular and specific problem or task only, which cannot be applied to anything else but that problem or task.

Answer: Lamb of God

This term referred to Jesus Christ and the sacrifice of his life that he made for all mankind, as per various Christian church teachings. Early sacrifices of the Israelites and Hebrews usually entailed sacrificing an animal as an offering to the Lord.

A lamb was the little creature usually used for this purpose because it represented innocence without stain. Christians believe that Jesus Christ, in his perfect innocence, came to earth to sacrifice his own blood as an expiation of sin for all mankind, thus negating the need for any further poor little animals to be so sacrificed.

Answer: One from many

"Out of all things one" or "one out of all things" is another way of saying it. The United States is one country that still uses this phrase today on official documents such as its Seal and it is in fact their traditional motto. The symbolism is that out of the many different colonies and states arose one great nation. Obviously the term is much older than the history of the United States though, and can be found in various Latin inscriptions stretching back over several thousand years.

Answer: From the books

This is usually used to stress the ownership of a written work. It is often used in the context of "Ex libris" followed by the name of the person or institution that owns the work. In this case, it is usually translated as "From the books of" (the original Latin phrase would have used the genitive case for the owner's name).

Answer: You must have the body (in court)

This was particularly used in arrest warrants in medieval times. It's an official document sent to anyone with a prisoner in his or her custody, demanding that a court appearance must be made to decide whether the person has been lawfully detained. If not, then the prisoner must be set free. Its purpose is to protect individuals from unlawful arrest.

Answer: In private chamber

Today this is used as a legal term for "In private", court cases or portions thereof to which the public or press are refused admission. Examples of its use can be applied to matters of national security for example, or trade secrets of any organisation, or closed board meetings.

It is then that the decision is made whether or not this should proceed to the open courts, or the information be released to the public.

Answer: In the act of committing an offence

This is a legal expression meaning that someone has been caught in the act of carrying out any wrongdoing. "In a blazing offence" or "With the offence still blazing" are translations of this phrase. Caught with the fingers in the till, in other words - or with one's pants down in a compromising situation.

Answer: By that very fact

This is a term used almost exclusively in the context of legal language. The best way to explain it is that something has been caused as a direct consequence of a specific action, instead of happening as a result of a follow up action. The original act alone creates the consequence. Any guilt attached to a crime, for example, is attached to the act, and is not based on the judgement of any others. Of course, others may judge the appropriate level of punishment based on their interpretation of the facts.

Answer: Mode of operating

This is usually applied to discuss someone's manner of operating something. In police work, for example, it is used to profile the most likely suspect to have carried out a crime, by analysing the methods used to carry out the crime to find similarities between it and other like offences.

There are plenty of criminal shows on television today which feature profilers at work studying a crime from all aspects to find the similar links to other crimes of the same nature. Today it's also commonly used to describe following the instructions for carrying out any particular task involving several steps in order.

Answer: Without charge - for the public good

The full phrase is "Pro bono publico". The term originally meant work that is carried out free of charge to the public by those qualified to do so. It's applied more to work of professional people (such as lawyers or doctors, etc.) who donate their services to the public, rather than straight volunteering, as carried out, for example, by tuckshop mothers or volunteers taking round cups of tea at hospitals (both extremely worthy services in their own right). Legal Aid in this country is a service provided by professional lawyers to low income earners; and the great Australian eye specialist, Fred Hollows, worked for years in third world countries providing free eye care such as cataract removal to the struggling residents of those countries. These are two examples which illustrate the meaning of the term.