# Inspiring Latin word/phrase in under seven characters



## Católico

Hi,

I've done quite a bit of research on the web and haven't yet come up with a nice Latin word or phrase I could put on my car's license plate instead of the one the Department of Motor Vehicles would randomly give me.

I've thought of citing Bible passages (such as JN 3 16, LK 1 28, etc.), but I'd rather use phrases or words. I'd really appreciate any suggestions. Please remember, though, that I have only seven characters available, including spaces. I have, however, the option of a half space in addition to those seven characters, in case it's a two-word phrase.

Thanks in advance!


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## Quiviscumque

.........
LAVS.DEO


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## Católico

Suena bien, gracias mil. Voy a ver si está disponible.

Aunque también me interesarían otras posibilidades que hablen del tener fe, esperanza, caridad; que hablen de perdonar, luchar, no al aborto, etc.


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## Católico

Agradecería cualquier otra sugerencia, si alguien la tiene. La que amablemente propuso Quiviscumque ya no está disponible, como tampoco está SEMPER FI (SEMP FI) o PECCAVI.

Solo tengo una opción, y quisera que sea impactante.


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## Católico

I see that PECCTOR (Peccator = Pecador = Sinner) is available, but I'm not too sure it promotes anything good...


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## Quiviscumque

Si eres un poco cristero,

"XTUS.REX"


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## Kevin Beach

I can give you a rude one:

I MICTUM

Literally "Go, urinating"

Otherwise "P*** off"


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## fdb

If you want to be rude, then at least be grammatical about it. (I MINGENS). But that has too many letters.


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## Católico

Quiviscumque said:


> Si eres un poco cristero,
> 
> "XTUS.REX"


¿Cristo Rey? ¿De casualidad no es con "V"? Disculpa mi atrevimiento.

Gracias de nuevo.


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## Católico

Thanks, Kevin and fdb, for your input as well.


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## Quiviscumque

Católico said:


> ¿Cristo Rey? ¿De casualidad no es con "V"?



Sí, mejor: XTVS.REX

Otras opciones menos "politizadas":

PAX.TIBI
LAETARE (¡Alégrate!, muy apropiada para este tiempo de Adviento).
DEVM.AMA (El primer mandamiento).


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## Scholiast

LEX REX

(to settle contretemps with traffic police)


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## Fred_C

fdb said:


> If you want to be rude, then at least be grammatical about it. (I MINGENS). But that has too many letters.



La phrase proposée par Kevin Beach est tout à fait correcte. Peut-être que vous avez oublié l’usage du supin ?
Sententia a Cævino Beach oblata omnino emendata est. Forsitan oblitus sis usus supini ?


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## fdb

Fair enough, but it does not mean "Go, urinating", does it?


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## Católico

Thanks, once again, to all of you guys for your suggestions. I really appreciate them.

P.S. It was also nice seeing a fresh argument in French/Latin rebutted in English.


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## Kevin Beach

The problem about Latin supines is that they do not always have direct English translations. One can say "In those circumstances we would use XXX in English to express what is said as YYY in Latin", but the verbatim meanings are not identical.


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## Scholiast

Greetings

Another possibility with a religious flavour could be:

XPC IHC

Not in fact Latin, but Greek, though the characters, thus written, are common to the Greek and Latin alphabets: these are acronymics - often enough found on e.g. altar-pieces or in stained glass ornamention in Anglican Churches, so presumably in Catholic churches too, for XΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΙΗΣΟΥΣ_, _CHRISTUS JESUS.


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## wandle

An early Christian symbol in the Greco-Roman world was the sign of the fish. 
The Greek word for fish is (in Roman letters) *I CH TH U S*. (In Greek, *CH* and *TH* each make one letter: _chi_ and _theta_.)
These letters were used as an acrostic, that is, as the intial letters of the following phrase:



_Greek_ _Latin__English_ *I*esousJesusJesus*CH*ristosChristusChrist*TH*eouDeiof God*U*iosFiliusSon*S*oterSalvatorSaviour

Putting the English phrase into natural order:

*Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour*.

This acrostic phrase was common knowledge in the Christian community and the image of a fish, in the form of a brooch or pin, for example, was used as a sign by which Christians could recognise each other without making their allegiance known to others: an important feature in the times of persecution.

If this ancient codeword appeals, you could use the Greek word written in the Roman alphabet, thus: *ICHTHUS*


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## langnerd

AMDJ (Jesuit motto - ad maijorem Dei gloriam)
VERITAS (the motto of the Dominican Order)
MISRERE (have to leave out an 'E' to make it 7 letters)
PTRNSTR ('Pater Noster')

I'm trying to help, but I actually like LAVS DEO better than my own suggestions so far.


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## Católico

Thanks for your input, guys! I still have interest in this because I can always get a different plate for me and give the other to someone as a gift. Please keep them coming, if you're so kind. Great options!


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## HermanTheGerman

Here's cheeky one. You could pick NON OLET, which is the second part of "Pecunia non olet" ("money does not stink").
Or how about the second part of "Cogito ergo sum" ("I think, therefore I am"). Both are relatively well-known proverbs.


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## Católico

Too bad many of these great proposals are already taken or just not available. Great ideas though, guys. Thanks!


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## Católico

I wonder if "DEO REX" is understood as "God is King." Hopefully someone can help with this one.

Thanks in advance.


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## Kevin Beach

Católico said:


> I wonder if "DEO REX" is understood as "God is King." Hopefully someone can help with this one.
> 
> Thanks in advance.


It would have to be DEUS REX, because you need the nominative case, as "God" is the subject of the sentence. We already have Christus Rex, of course: Christ the King.

But on its own it would probably be interpreted as "God the King". It could also be misunderstood as "God King" (like the Pharaohs) or "King God".

DEUS REX EST would be the expected formula.


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## Católico

Kevin Beach said:


> It would have to be DEUS REX, because you need the nominative case, as "God" is the subject of the sentence. We already have Christus Rex, of course: Christ the King.
> 
> But on its own it would probably be interpreted as "God the King". It could also be misunderstood as "God King" (like the Pharaohs) or "King God".
> 
> DEUS REX EST would be the expected formula.


Ah, I see. Thanks, though that'd be too long. 

I'm also considering now some sort of a home-made Latin acronym, e.g., DMSEP (Dei Miles, Sancti Et Peccatrice, i.e., God's Soldier, holy and sinful -- according to Google Translate).

<< Deleted at poster's request. >>


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## Kevin Beach

Católico said:


> Ah, I see. Thanks, though that'd be too long.
> 
> I'm also considering now some sort of a home-made Latin acronym, e.g., DMSEP (Dei Miles, Sancti Et Peccatrice, i.e., God's Soldier, holy and sinful -- according to Google Translate).
> 
> << Deleted at poster's request. >>


It just goes to show that Google Translator is a very hit and miss service!

"God's soldier, holy and sinful" would be "Miles Dei, Sanctus et Peccator".


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## Católico

Kevin Beach said:


> It just goes to show that Google Translator is a very hit and miss service!
> 
> "God's soldier, holy and sinful" would be "Miles Dei, Sanctus et Peccator".


Great! I will definitely consider this, trusting that you indeed got it right.

I will most likely go to the Department of Motor Vehicles office tomorrow and hopefully will have reached a decision in regards to the license plate.

Thanks again, Mr. Kev! Happy Holidays!


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## Católico

I just found "IN.BELLO," and it's available. According to two different sources, it means "ON WAR" (which describes the fact that we're all at war). I hope somebody can kindly confirm this. I might just go for this one. 

I'm honestly a little tired of doing this (and probably have tired some of you as well, for which I apologize). The coolest ones (according to me) that I've found are already taken.


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