Latin 101

Often while in class, while doing research, or writing papers, you will discover exactly how much the Latin language is intertwined with our academic tradition. Latin abbreviations are used everywhere and are not always well understood--even by those who use them. Few people can point out the exact difference between e.g. and i.e. but most of your professors can. So keep this around for easy reference and avoid looking like a chump.

cf.

cp.

e.g.

et al.


etc.

ibid.



i.e.

[sic]


n.b.

v.i. and v.s.

confer, compare

compara, compare

exempla gratia, for the sake of example

et alii/alia, and others, most commonly used to abbreviate a list of authors

et cetera, and others (of things)

ibidem, in the same place, in foot notes and bibliographies to refer to the same book, chapter, article, or page which was previously cited just before

id est, that is, an explanation

sic, thus; so, used to indicate than an unexpected fact is not a mistake and is to be read as it stands, usually to preserve mistakes (spelling or factual) in quotation

nota bene, note carefully

vidi infra and vidi supra, see below and see above