I must confess – in camera caritatis – that my Latin is but a dim memory gathering dust somewhere in a cupboard in my mind. However, I have been noticing diverging patterns in the use of Latin expressions in various European languages. When it comes to Italian and English, it is indeed surprising to see how commonly heard or read Latin phrases used in English are simply not used in Italian. And vice versa.
To begin with, in camera caritatis, which is virtually unknown in everyday English, seems to be used quite frequently by Italians. English would say something like ‘between you and me’ or ‘between you, me and the fencepost/gatepost/bedpost’.
Here are a few more that are used in Italian but cannot be kept in English translation:
- errata corrige. Usually ‘correction’ in newspapers. Possibly just ‘errata’ in printed works.
- ex novo. From scratch.
- excursus. This also exists in English but in my experience only in formal writing. Italians tend to use it in conversation.
- ictus. A stroke. Ictus in English is only used in poetry or music – methinks.
- incipit. This is frequently used in Italian to describe the beginning or opening of a book/story. While the word is found in English dictionaries, it seems to me it is quite rare.
- in primis. First and foremost
- iter. Recurrent in Italian. Procedure in English.
- nulla osta. A type of document akin to security clearance or authorization.
- pro capite. Per head
- post mortem. Used as an adverb in Italian, e.g. ‘un’onorificenza post mortem’. In English it’s one word and is synonymous with autopsy.
- tot. Un tot. A tot? No. A certain amount.
- idem. Only used in bibliographies in English. ‘Ditto’ or ‘the same’ is what is used to mean ‘idem’ in spoken English.
- lapsus. ‘Ho avuto un lapsus’ means ‘I blanked it out’. A lapsus can also be a slip of the tongue/pen.
And some English ones that Italian does not seem to resort to.
- ad lib. Used primarily as a verb. ‘Improvvisare’ is what Italians would say.
- bona fide. ‘Vero, genuino. Con le qualifiche e credenziali in regola’.
- affidavit. ‘Atto notorio’. Perhaps ‘Documento giurato’.
Of course the list could go on and on, but suffice it to say that Latin is a source of qui pro quo (in the Italian sense of the phrase, that is). So fortitudine et prudentia to all fellow translators!