February 15, 2011

Amat victoria curam


Recording also available at iPadio using this link.

Today's saying is Amat victoria curam. In English: "Victory loves carefulness."

This is one of those brief Latin sayings that sounds great in Latin but doesn't sound quite right in English no matter what you do with it. The idea is simple: if you want to emerge victorious, you need to be careful in everything you do. Victory, personified, will love you if you are diligent in your preparations for the contest, whatever that contest may be. Unfortunately, in today's fast-paced, multitasking society, there is not a lot of emphasis on being careful and painstaking in your work. One of the biggest tasks I face with my students is getting them to slow down so that they can really pay attention to what they are doing, being careful and diligent so that they will emerge as winners in the learning game: "Victory loves carefulness," Amat victoria curam.

In terms of Latin, this word cura is a two-edged sword. In its positive sense, it has the meaning of taking care, showing concern, being diligent, etc.. In a more negative sense, however, it suggests trouble, worry, anxiety, etc. So, each time you encounter this Latin word, you need to look at the context to see just what meaning is required!

For those of you who are fans of macrons, here is the Latin written with macrons:

Amat victōria cūram.



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