festina lente [fɛsˈtinɑ ˈlɛntɛ] v. phr. (imper.)
1.) Make haste slowly, do not be impetuous (Dictionary of Foreign Words, Adrian Room (ed.), 2000).
Etymology: Latin, lit. "hasten slowly", from festina, imperative of festinare to hasten + lente, slowly. The phrase was originally a Greek proverb, quoted by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus in De vita Caesarum as a favorite motto of Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus.
"And thus also must that picture be taken of a dolphin clasping an anchor; that is, not really, as is by most conceived out of affection unto man, conveying the anchor unto the ground; but emblematically, according as Pierius hath expressed it, the swiftest animal conjoined with that heavy body, implying that common moral, festina lente: and that celerity should always be contempered with cunctation" (Pseudodoxia Epidemica, Thomas Browne, 1646).
This one in honor of HYDRIOTAPHIA. Also, it's nice to get back to the good old Ancient Greek and Roman foundations. Thanks for reading!
20 comments:
sounds Latin ^_^
okay..it is Latin..hahaha!
It sounds Italian to me. I see someone bringing me a plate of spaghetti and telling them "festina lente!" even though it makes no sense.
Good vocab and life lesson.
As soon as I saw the word I thought of sending you the quote but you anticipated me ! Email me E for a big list of Brunonian neologisms for your perusal and occasional use.
Hasten slowly? Okay, I think I understand. Actually, it seems a rather interesting. (I feel like I am forever saying interesting. I think I may need to expand my vocab even further.)
Is it just me or is this a classic oxymoron?
It's JUST like you to choose a word that sounds/looks like that. I cringe just looking at it. ):
ABFTS is right. Aaand yep, it's definitely latin.
Useless fact of the day: there is a shitty watches brand called festina.
Sounds like an oxymoron. Haste slowly?
Well, it is Latin. That is a pretty cool quote from 1646.
I love it!
I'm pretty sure you're just making up words now.
don't you just love oxymorons!
I agree with AllenTesch
hahahaha, today's comments are funny. Basically, increase acceleration slowly, right?
I festino through life. Should add a bit of lente every now and then. You know, to loosen up a little.
Anyhow, I've always thought this was an interesting one. Thanks for adding it to your list.
nice one, Edmund, love the painting too!
LOL Michael Westside's comment made me LOL.
Festina lente always strikes me as particularly good advice. It was the motto of my school, for some reason. Wonder why. I never thought to ask at the time.
I love this one. I'm going to do a blog post around it. I'll share the post when it's published.
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