Standard Latin Abbreviations & Phrases

Compiled by the U.S. Gov’t Printing Office, as recorded at GPO Access, with some minor alterations by your humble editor.

On the Abbreviations & Phrases

These Latin abbreviations & phrases are a fine way in which to demonstrate advanced learning and dissuade the casual—and hence unworthy—reader. Use them frequently and without concern, for an intelligent reader will understand them and the ignorant do not deserve to. The student should commit them to memory in order to be never in doubt as to a passage’s meaning, and to avoid the potential embarrassment of misusing one.

Robert Uhl, Denver, 2004

a.
annus
year
ante
before
A.A.C.
anno ante Christum
in the year before Christ
A.A.S.
Academiæ Americanæ Socius
Fellow of the American Academy (Academy of Arts and Sciences)
A.B.
artium baccalaureus
bachelor of arts
ab init.
ab initio
from the beginning
abs. re.
absente reo
the defendant ]ed.: thing] being absent
A.C.
ante Christum
before Christ
A.D.
anno Domini
in the year of our Lord
a.d.
ante diem
before the day
ad fin.
ad finem
at the end
to one end
ad h.l.
ad hunc locum
to this place
on this passage
ad inf.
ad infinitum
to infinity
ad init.
ad initium
at the beginning
ad int.
ad interim
in the meantime
ad lib.
ad libitum
at pleasure
ad loc.
ad locum
at the place
ad val.
ad valorem
according to value
A.I.
anno inventionis
in the year of the discovery
al.
alia (alii)
other things (persons)
A.M.
anno mundi
in the year of the world
Annus mirabilis
the wonderful year (1666)
a.m.
ante meridiem
before noon
an.
anno
in the year
ante
before
ann.
annales
annals
anni
years
A.R.S.S.
Antiquariorum Regiæ Societatis Socius
Fellow of the Royal Society of Antiquaries
A.U.C.
anno urbis conditæ
ab urbe conolita
in [the year from] the building of the City (i.e., Rome), 753 B.C.
B.A.
baccalaureus artium
bachelor of arts
B.Sc.
baccalaureus scientiæ
bachelor of science
C.
centum
a hundred
condemno
I condemn
I find guilty
c.
circa
about
cent.
centum
a hundred
cf.
confer
compare
C.M.
chirurgiæ magister
master of surgery
coch.
cochlear
a spoon, spoonful
coch. amp.
cochlear amplum
a tablespoonful
coch. mag.
cochlear magnum
a large spoonful
coch. med.
cochlear medium
a dessert spoonful
coch. parv.
cochlear parvum
a teaspoonful
con.
contra
against
conjunx
wife
C.P.S.
custos privati sigilli
keeper of the privy seal
C.S.
custos sigilli
keeper of the seal
cwt.
c. for centum wt. for weight, thus hundredweight
D.
Deus
God
Dominus
Lord
d.
decretum
a decree
denarius
a penny
da
give
D.D.
divinitatis doctor
doctor of divinity
D.G.
Dei gratia
by the grace of God
Deo gratias
thanks to God
D.N.
Dominus noster
our Lord
D.Sc.
doctor scientiæ
doctor of science
d.s.p.
decessit sine prole
died without issue
D.V.
Deo volente
God willing
dwt.
d. for denarius, wt. for weight, thus pennyweight
e.g.
exempli gratia
for example
et al.
et alibi
and elsewhere
et alii (aliae)
and others
&c.
et cetera
and others
and so forth
et seq.
et sequentes
and those that follow
et ux.
et uxor
and wife
F.
filius
son
f.
fiat
let it be made
forte
strong
fac.
factum similis
facsimile
an exact copy
fasc.
fasciculus
a bundle
fl.
flores
flowers
floruit
flourished
fluidus
fluid
f.r.
folio recto
right-hand page
F.R.S.
Fraternitatis Regiæ Socius
Fellow of the Royal Society
f.v.
folio verso
on the back of the leaf
guttat.
guttatim
by drops
H.
hora
hour
h.a.
hoc anno
in this year
hujus anni
this year’s
hab. corp.
habeas corpus
have the body—a writ
h.e.
hic est
this is
hoc est
that is
h.m.
hoc mense
in this month
huius mensis
this month’s
h.q.
hoc quære
look for this
H.R.I.P.
hic requiescat (requiescant) in pace
here rests (rest) in peace
H.S.
hic sepultus
here is buried
hic situs
here lies
h.s.
hoc sensu
in this sense
H.S.S.
Historiæ Societatis Socius
Fellow of the Historical Society
h.t.
hoc tempore
at this time
hoc titulo
in or under this title
I
Idus
the Ides
i.
id
that
immortalis
immortal
ib.
ibid.
ibidem
in the same place
id.
idem
the same
i.e.
id est
that is
imp.
imprimatur
sanction
let it be printed
I.N.D.
in nomine Dei
in the name of God
in f.
in fine
at the end
inf.
infra
below
init.
initio
in the beginning
in lim.
in limine
on the threshold
at the outset
in loc.
in loco
in its place
in loc. cit.
in loco citato
in the place cited
in pr.
in principio
in the beginning
in trans.
in transitu
on the way
i.q.
idem quod
the same as
i.q.e.d.
id quod erat demonstrandum
what was to be proved
J.
judex
judge
J.C.D.
juris civilis doctor
doctor of civil law
J.D.
jurum (juris) doctor
doctor of laws
J.U.D.
juris utriusque doctor
doctor of both civil and canon law
L.
liber
a book; locus, a place
L.A.M.
liberalium artium magister
master of the liberal arts
L.B.
baccalaureus literarum
bachelor of letters
lb.
libra
pound (singular and plural)
L.H.D.
literarum humaniorum doctor
doctor of the more humane letters
Litt.D.
literarum doctor
doctor of letters
LL.B.
legum baccalaureus
bachelor of laws
LL.D.
legum doctor
doctor of laws
LL.M.
legum magister
master of laws
loc. cit.
loco citato
in the place cited
loq.
loquitur
he, she or it speaks
L.S.
locus sigilli
the place of the seal
l.s.c.
loco supra citato
in the place above cited
l.s.d.
libræ, solidi, denarii
pounds, shillings, pence
M.
magister
master
manipulus
handful
medicinæ
of medicine
m.
meridies
noon
M.A.
magister artium
master of arts
M.B.
medicinæ baccalaureus
bachelor of medicine
M.Ch.
magister chirurgiæ
master of surgery
M.D.
medicinæ doctor
doctor of medicine
m.m.
mutatis mutandis
with the necessary changes
m.n.
mutato nomine
the name being changed
MS.
manuscriptum
manuscript
MSS.
manuscripta
manuscripts
Mus.B.
musicæ baccalaureus
bachelor of music
Mus.D.
musicæ doctor
doctor of music
Mus.M.
musicæ magister
master of music
N.
Nepos
grandson
nomen
name
nomina
names
noster
our
n.
natus
born
nocte
at night
N.B.
nota bene
mark well
ni. pri.
nisi prius
unless before
nob.
nobis
for (or on) our part
nol. pros.
nolle prosequi
will not prosecute
non cul.
non culpabilis
not guilty
n.l.
non licet
it is not permitted
non liquet
it is not clear
non longe
not far
non obs.
non obstante
notwithstanding
non pros.
non prosequitur
he does not prosecute
non seq.
non sequitur
it does not follow logically
O.
octarius
a pint
ob.
obiit
he, or she, died
obiter
incidentally
ob.s.p.
obiit sine prole
died without issue
o.c.
op. cit.
opere citato
in the work cited
op.
opus
work
opera
works
P.
papa
pope
pater
father
pontifex
bishop
populus
people
p.
partim
in part
per
by
for
pius
holy
pondere
by weight
post
after
primus
first
pro
for
p.a.
per ann.
per annum
yearly
pro anno
for the year
p. æ.
partes æquales
equal parts
pass.
passim
everywhere
percent.
per centum
by the hundred
pil.
pilula
pill
Ph.B.
philosophiæ baccalaureus
bachelor of philosophy
P.M.
post mortem
after death
p.m.
post meridiem
afternoon
pro tem.
pro tempore
for the time being
prox.
proximo
in or of the next (month)
P.S.
postscriptum
postscript
P.SS.
postscripta
postscripts
q.d.
quasi dicat
as if one should say
quasi dictum
as if said
quasi dixisset
as if he had said
q.e.
quod est
which is
Q.E.D.
quod erat demonstrandum
which was to be demonstrated
Q.E.F.
quod erat faciendum
which was to be done
Q.E.I.
quod erat inveniendum
which was to be found out
q.l.
quantum libet
as much as you please
q. pl.
quantum placet
as much as seems good
q.s.
quantum sufficit
sufficient quantity
q.v.
quantum vis
as much as you will
quem vide
quam vide
quod vide
which see
qq. v.
quos vide
quas vide
quae vide
which see (plural)
R.
regina
queen
recto
right-hand page
respublica
commonwealth
recipe
take
R.I.P.
requiescat (requiescant) in pace
may he or she (they) rest in peace
R.P.D.
rerum politicarum doctor
doctor of political science
rr.
rarissime
very rarely
R.S.S.
Regiæ Societatis Sodalis
Fellow of the Royal Society
S.
sepultus
buried
situs
lies
societas
society
socius
sodalis
fellow
s.
semi
half
solidus
shilling
s.a.
sine anno
without date
secundum artem
according to art
S.A.S.
Societatis Antiquariorum Socius
Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries
sc.
scilicet
namely
sculpsit
he, or she, carved or engraved it
Sc.B.
scientiæ baccalaureus
bachelor of science
Sc.D.
scientiæ doctor
doctor of science
S.D.
salutem dicit
sends greetings
s.d.
sine die
indefinitely
sec.
secundum
according to
sec. leg.
secundum legem
according to law
sec. nat.
secundum naturam
according to nature
naturally
sec. reg.
secundum regulam
according to rule
seq.
sequens
sequentes
sequentia
the following
S.H.S.
Societatis Historiæ Socius
Fellow of the Historical Society
s.h.v.
sub hac voce
sub hoc verbo
under this word
s.l.a.n.
sine loco, anno, vel nomine
without place, date, or name
s.l.p.
sine legitima prole
without lawful issue
s.m.p.
sine mascula prole
without male issue
s.n.
sine nomine
without name
s.p.
sine prole
without issue
S.P.A.S.
Societatis Philosophiæ Americanæ Socius
Fellow of the American Philosophical Society
s.p.s.
sine prole superstite
without surviving issue
S.R.S.
Societatis Regiæ Socius
Societatis Regiæ Sodalis
Fellow of the Royal Society
ss
scilicet
namely (in law)
S.S.C.
Societas Sanctæ Crucis
Society of the Holy Cross
stat.
statim
immediately
S.T.B.
sacræ theologiæ baccalaureus
bachelor of sacred theology
S.T.D.
sacræ theologiæ doctor
doctor of sacred theology
S.T.P.
sacræ theologiæ professor
professor of sacred theology
sub.
subaudi
understand
supply
sup.
supra
above
t. or temp.
tempore
in the time of
tal. qual.
talis qualis
just as they come
average quality
U.J.D.
utriusque juris doctor
doctor of both civil and canon law
ult.
ultimo
last month (may be abbreviated in writing but should be spelled out in printing)
ung.
unguentum
ointment
u.s.
ubi supra
in the place above mentioned
ut dict.
ut dictum
as directed
ut sup.
ut supra
as above
ux.
uxor
wife
v.
versus
against
vide
see
voce
voice
word
v. — a.
vixit — annos
lived — years
verb. sap.
verbum (satis) sapienti
a word (to the wise) suffices
v.g.
verbi gratia
for example
viz
videlicet
namely
v.s.
vide supra
see above