Saturdays are perfect days for inspirational surprises. Surprise—we’re talking about the famous phrase “Veni, vidi, vici” today!
The fact that so many English words are based on Latin roots would be a lot more helpful when trying to decode unfamiliar vocabulary if more people actually knew Latin! Fortunately, you probably know more Latin–and consequently useful word roots–than you think in the form of famous phrases.
Veni, vidi, vici – I came, I saw, I conquered
This concise claim of conquest is famously attributed to one of history’s most iconic imperators Julius Caesar in a letter he sent to the Roman Senate after achieving a swift, conclusive victory over Pharnaces II of Pontus at the Battle of Zela in modern-day Turkey.
Veni, vidi, and vici are first person singular active forms of Latin verbs that, in the form of classical roots, inspired a slew of important English words:
VEN- is a root meaning to come in words like convene, intervene, and venture, as well as the following:
circumvent (verb) - to bypass, often through cleverness or guile; to avoid by passing around; to surround and trap [sur-kuhm-vent]
BREAKDOWN: CIRCUM- (around) + VEN- (to come)
contravene (verb) - to go against, defy, or violate; oppose; to breach or infringe [kon-truh-veen]
BREAKDOWN: CONTRA- (against) + VEN- (to come)
coven (noun) - a formal assembly of witches; a meeting of any group with similar interests or activities [kuhv-uhn]
BREAKDOWN: CO- (together) + VEN- (to come)
misadventure (noun) - an accidental mishap or misfortune
BREAKDOWN: MIS- (wrong, bad) + AD- (to) + VEN- (to come) + -URE (act or state)
parvenu (noun) - someone who has risen in social class without the background or qualifications for the new status; nouveau riche [pahr-vuh-noo]
BREAKDOWN: PER- (through) + VEN- (to come)
revenant (noun) - someone who comes back after an absence or after death; a ghost
BREAKDOWN: RE- (back) + VEN- (to come) + -ANT (one who)
VID- and VIS- are roots meaning to see in words like evident, invidious, and vista, as well as the following:
provident (adj) - having foresight; acting with care and consideration for the future; making provision; frugal [prov-i-duhnt]
BREAKDOWN: PRO- (before) + VID- (see) + -ENT (inclined to)
visage (noun) - face, countenance, or appearance [viz-ij]
BREAKDOWN: VIS- (see) + -AGE (state of)
VIC- and the related VINC- are roots meaning to conquer or overcome in words like convince, invincible, and victorious, as well as the following:
evince (verb) - to show or demonstrate convincingly; to prove [ih-vins]
BREAKDOWN: E- (out) + VINC- (overcome)
Veni, vidi, velcro – I came, I saw, I stuck around. 😂
Love this! I shall be yelling it into the forests when walking my Red Tri - Toy Australian Sheepdog Rubicon. “No turning back” ⚡️❤️🩹💜💙⚡️