Thematic Learning
8 themed wordsLatin Borrowings
Unit 97 - Part 5: 8 themed words
ad hoc
/ˌæd ˈhɒk/
Definition:
Formed or used for a particular purpose or for immediate needs.
Example:
The faculty formed an ad hoc committee to deal with the question of First Amendment rights on campus.
Explanation:
*Ad hoc* literally means “for this” in Latin, and in English this almost always means “for this specific purpose.” Issues that come up in the course of a project often require immediate, ad hoc solutions. An ad hoc investigating committee is authorized to look into a matter of limited scope. An ad hoc ruling by an athletic council is intended to settle a particular case, and is not meant to serve as a model for later rulings. If an organization deals with too many things on an ad hoc basis, it may mean someone hasn't been doing enough planning.
ad hominem
/ˌæd ˈhɒmɪnem/
Example:
Presidential campaigns have often relied on ad hominem attacks rather than serious discussion of important issues.
Explanation:
*Ad hominem* in Latin means “to the man”—that is, “against the other person.” The term comes from the field of rhetoric (the art of speaking and writing). If you have a weak argument, one easy way to defend yourself has always been to attack your opponent verbally in a personal way. Since such attacks require neither truth nor logic to be effective, their popularity has never waned.
alter ego
/ˌɔːltər ˈiːɡəʊ/
Definition:
(1) A trusted friend or personal representative. (2) The opposite side of a personality.
Example:
The White House chief of staff is a political alter ego, who knows, or should know, who and what the President considers most important.
Explanation:
In Latin, *alter ego* literally means “second I.” An alter ego can be thought of as a person's clone or second self. A professional alter ego might be a trusted aide who knows exactly what the boss wants done. A personal alter ego might be a close friend who is almost like a twin. *Alter ego* can also refer to the second, hidden side of one's own self. In Robert Louis Stevenson's classic *The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,* Dr. Jekyll is a good- hearted, honorable man; but after taking a potion, his alter ego, the loathsome and diabolical Mr. Hyde, takes over his personality.
de facto
/deɪ ˈfæktəʊ/
Definition:
Being such in practice or effect, although not formally recognized; actual.
Example:
Although there was never a general declaration of war, the two countries were at war in a de facto sense for almost a decade.
Explanation:
Literally meaning “from the fact,” *de facto* in English can be applied to anything that has the substance of something without its formal name. A de facto government is one that operates with all of the power of a regular government but without official recognition. De facto segregation isn't the result of laws, but can be just as real and deep-rooted as legally enforced segregation. The de facto leader of a group is just the one who all the rest seem to follow. (Compare *de jure*.)
quid pro quo
/ˌkwɪd prəʊ ˈkwəʊ/
Definition:
Something given or received for something else.
Example:
He did something very nice for me years ago, so getting him that job was really a quid pro quo.
Explanation:
In Latin, *quid pro quo* means literally “something for something.” Originally, the phrase was used to mean the substitution of an inferior medicine for a good one. Today it often doesn't suggest anything negative; for most people, it just means “a favor for a favor.” But in politics the phrase is often used when, for example, a wealthy corporation gives a lot of money to a candidate and expects to get a big favor in return. In such cases, some of us may prefer to describe the money as a *bribe* and the quid pro quo as a *payoff*.
ex post facto
/ˌeks pəʊst ˈfæktəʊ/
Definition:
Done, made, or formulated after the fact.
Example:
When Carl tells us his “reasons” for why he behaved badly, they're nothing but ex post facto excuses for impulsive behavior.
Explanation:
*Ex post facto* is Latin for “from a thing done afterward.” Approval for a project that's given ex post facto—after the project already has been begun or completed—may just have been given in order to save face. An ex post facto law is one that declares someone's action to be criminal only after it was committed—a procedure forbidden by our Constitution.
modus operandi
/ˌməʊdəs ɒpəˈrændi/
Definition:
A usual way of doing something.
Example:
A criminal who commits repeated crimes can often be identified by his modus operandi.
Explanation:
*Modus operandi* is Latin for “method of operating.” The term is often associated with police work, and it's a favorite of mystery writers. In speech and dialogue, it's often abbreviated to “m.o.” (as in “We're beginning to get a handle on the killer's m.o., but we can't go public with it yet”). But it's not only used in criminal contexts. So a frequent gambler who likes to play the horses may have a particular modus operandi for picking winners. And the familiar modus operandi of a cutthroat retailer may be to undersell competitors, drive them out of business, and then raise prices afterwards.
modus vivendi
/ˌməʊdəs vɪˈvendi/
Definition:
(1) A practical compromise or arrangement that is acceptable to all concerned. (2) A way of life.
Example:
During the budget crisis, the Democratic governor and the Republican legislature established a good working modus vivendi.
Explanation:
*Modus vivendi* literally means “manner of living” in Latin, and it sometimes has that meaning in English as well. Usually, though, a modus vivendi is a working arrangement that disputing parties can live with, at least until a more permanent solution can be found. Typically, a modus vivendi is an arrangement that ignores differences and difficulties. So, for example, two people going through a bitter divorce may be able to arrive at a modus vivendi that allows them to at least maintain an appearance of civility and dignity. ```