# Ora et labora



## Otter

*Ciao a tutti,*

*I received an email photo of a Fiat Bulldozer and the title is "Ora et labora".  Perhaps it's a typo but even if "labora" is a typo and the sender meant "lavora", I'm still not sure what the title means.  I don't know 'et' as an Italian word and don't know what "ora" might mean in this context.  Hour? Now?  Or does "Ora et labora" mean something in Italian and I just don't know and can't find "et" and "labora" anywhere?*

*I believe I'm supposed to comment and am not sure if it's going to be an ad for Fiat or art or. . . . ?*

*Any advice would be greatly appreciated.*

*Grazie, grazie.*

*Otter.*


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## Angel.Aura

Ciao Otter,
*Ora et labora* is a latin sentence.
It means Pray (ora) and work (labora).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Latin_phrases_(M-O)#O


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## ToscanoNYC

It's not Italian, it's Latin; it means "pray and work" (Benedictine rule).


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## Otter

*Grazie, Grazie, Toscano e Angel.  *

*Otter.*


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## Otter

*Ciao,*

*I'm sorry to post a second time (Please forgive me, PaulfromItaly - or other monitor) but in "Ora et labora", when speaking, is the emphasis on the first or second syllable of 'labora'? In Spanish, it would be the 2nd; I think in Italian, it would be the first; I don't know latin.*

*Plus, I know this is an Italian forum but I thought it was italian when I received it and posted the query.*

*Grazie.*


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## minoski

*O*ra et lab*o*ra 
c.


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## Otter

*Grazie mille, minoski.

Otter

*


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## Twinmeister

It's a phrase from alchemy... perhaps the car advert was making grandiose gestures... but then I can't imagine that, lol.


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## Otter

*Grazie, Twinmeister. 

What do you mean by "it's a phrase from alchemy".  I have a little background in alchemy - very little.  Pray and work.  hmm. I hope you can give me a little more information.

My favorite phrase is one I was taught is the first rule of alchemy, "That which is essential cannot be destroyed; but it can be driven off".

Thanks.

Otter.*


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## Twinmeister

The phrase is first recorded by Heinrich Khunrath in the "Ora et labora" form, paraphrased from the fourteenth plate of _Mutus Liber_ "Ora, lege, lege, lege, relege, labora et invenies".


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