A Guide for the Perplexed

Translations of All Non-English Phrases in Patrick O'Brian's Sea-Tales

1^st Alphabetic Edition

edited by

Anthony Gary Brown

© 1996, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 (3^rd August 2005)

Click Here for the Classic Page-by-Page Version of Perplexed

and

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The Chief Translators

The work of translating has been a cooperative effort, and relatively little is the work of a single hand. The translators, with their special expertises, are:

David Bird
Latin, Greek

Gary Brown
French, Italian, Latin; Editor

Anna Ravano
Italian, Latin, French, Spanish

and

Francis Miles
a multi-linguist who contributed extensively to the 2002 revision of the 1996 original

In addition, the 2002 revision could not have proceeded without the extensive research help of the following: E.K.B., Jeffrey Charles, Susan Wenger, Isabelle Hayes, Bruce Trinque, Adam Quinan, Rowen84, Lois Montbertrand, and Samuel Bostock

Introduction

If you've ever been perplexed by Patrick O'Brian's flow of Latin, French, Irish, Greek, and Spanish (not to talk of Catalan, Turkish, Polynesian and a few other tongues) then here, we hope, is your essential vade mecum. Accurate translations of all - well, almost all - the 'foreign' in O'Brian, easy as kiss-my-hand.

The entries are arranged in strict alphabetic order (so all groups of words are treated as if spelled as one: hence afflatus precedes a fortiori) and are given as written by O’Brian (so la garce is in the ‘l’ section, not under ‘g’). The page references are all to the Norton first USA editions (which are identical to all but the earliest UK Collins / Fontana first editions). We've included all 20 Aubrey / Maturin books, from Master and Commander through to Blue at the Mizzen, and added the early sea-tales The Golden Ocean and The Unknown Shore at the end.

Our General Guidelines:

We have attempted literal, even pedantic, accuracy rather than literary elegance (which we happily leave to O'Brian). We believe that whilst O'Brian's readers may occasionally need assistance with the words themselves, they seldom need assistance with the wider meaning. To this end we have tried to provide English translations that follow the word order of the foreign original, even at the risk of some stiffness of expression. However we have occasionally made notes on the context of the phrase where a literal translation either remains obscure or has proved impossible

We have omitted most medical and botanical terms, where literal translation is so often unhelpful even when possible. Kerry Webb maintains an informative and enjoyable guide - Maturin's Medicine - to all the medical terms found in O’Brian.

We have omitted most single 'foreign' words that can be found in a decent English dictionary
Almost all ‘foreign looking’ words that you cannot find here in ‘Perplexed’ are in fact archaic English and can thus be found in decent dictionaries

We have translated even those passages that O'Brian himself translates, in these cases being particularly literal in our contribution

Where we don't know the meaning for sure, we have tried to avoid guesswork. We rely on you to help us out!

We have not attempted to draw attention to every single typo in the published novels, although they are common in the 'foreign'. However many of Aubrey's errors are, of course, both deliberate and witty on O'Brian's part - we have usually drawn attention to these. Also, note that O'Brian's French is often highly idiomatic, with the spelling itself capturing how everyday, rapid and casual French is spoken. [Note: Larry Breed has started a new project identifying slips and typos in the printed O’Brian works: Errata in the Aubrey / Maturin Canon. Larry welcomes contributions from readers.]

If you want even more information or discussion than we've provided in our Guide for the Perplexed, then you can find civilized, witty and erudite conversation about O'Brian's finer points in the Patrick O'Brian Archive . And if you want to know how to pronounce the Latin in the Roman rather than the English Style, and perhaps even learn a little about how Latin is constructed, then mure hic stimulate precor .

There are also other entertaining and informative web sites relating to Patrick O'Brian that you may care to visit: Gibbons Burke hosts pages that are a virtual cornucopia of POBiana , including one detailing all the many musical references in the Aubrey / Maturin series; Ian Rowan hosts an excellent non-fiction bibliography of works pertaining to sailing, warfare and the early 19th century. Anna Ravano has added a fun site – POB’s Riches – listing all the various literary quotations in O’Brian. Enjoy!

Abbreviations

L ..........Latin
F .........French
E .........English
S .........Spanish
It .........Italian
Ir .........Irish Gaelic
Scots...Scots Dialect
Gk .......Greek
Lit: …...Literally

The Books

M&C                      Master and Commander (1969)
PC                          Post Captain (1972)
HMS                       HMS Surprise   (1973)
TMC                       The Mauritius Command (1977)
DI                            Desolation Island (1978)
FW                          The Fortune of War (1979)
SM                          The Surgeon’s Mate (1980)
IM                           The Ionian Mission (1981)
TH                           Treason’s Harbour (1983)
FSW                        The Far Side of the World (1984)
RM                          The Reverse of the Medal (1986)
LM                          The Letter of Marque (1988)
TGS                        The Thirteen Gun Salute (1989)
NC                          The Nutmeg of Consolation (1991)
C/T                         Clarissa Oakes (UK title) / The Truelove (USA title) (1992)
WDS                       The Wine Dark Sea (1993)
COM                      The Commodore (1994)
YA                           The Yellow Admiral (1996)
HD                          The Hundred Days (1998)
BM                          Blue at the Mizzen (1999)
’21’                         21: The Final Unfinished Voyage (2004 fragment)

GO The Golden Ocean (1956)
US The Unknown Shore (1959)

Don't forget that most net browsers have a 'find' or 'search' option on the menu bar. So you can just look up particular phrases or words that are just rattling round in your minds or which you've heard on the several complete audio recordings of O'Brian, for example those produced by Books on Tape .

There are certain to be omissions and errors in our work; these are undoubtedly due to the sloth, ignorance, fecklessness and misspent youth of your Editor. But please do let me know of any gaps in our labours. If you are genteel enough to pretend that you are pointing out a very mere slip of pen or attention, then you will be entered on the 'Roll of Honour' of those who have helped better the final document. We intend to publish revised editions from time to time, so contributions are always welcome. Don't forget: even if you have no idea what a 'foreign' phrase we've missed out means in English, please send it to us for translation and inclusion.

If you have comments, please e-mail me direct.

Folks Who Have Helped Out: Roll of Honour

(Occasional Contributors, Correctors and Omission-Spotters, in random order)

Gibbons Burke (with especial thanks for his expertise and labour in attending to the HTML code for this site); Cathal O'Brien; Richard Ellis; Ed Kane; Allan Janus; Jack Merton; Randy Johnson; Deborah Whitman; Scott Powell; Philip Anderson; Adam Quinan; Richard Benedict; Elisabeth Shields; Gerry Strey; Eldad Ganin; Rafael Landin; Ema Nemes; Tim Sterrett; Don Goyette; Donal O'Sullivan; Richard Ward; Alex Frakt; Eric Raymond; David Van Baak; Roger Giner-Sorolla ; Richard Ward; Bob Frewen; Andy Evans; Pierangelo Celle; Mary Stolzi; Chris Moseley; Francis Miles; Bob Bridges; Juan Francisco Castilla Conejo; Don Seltzer; Lindsay Hubert; John Blumel; Jim Whiting; Brian Tansy; Patrick Cullinan; Patrick McGinness.

**In addition, the following helped out greatly with the 2002 revision of the site; indeed Your Editor could not have proceeded without them – E.K.B., Jeffrey Charles, Susan Wenger, Isabelle Hayes, Bruce Trinque, Adam Quinan, Rowen84, Lois Montbertrand, Samuel Bostock, Bill Nyden.

aetat [SM 316]

at the age of (L)

afflatus [IM 208, 273]

lit.: a breeze; inspiration (L)

a fortiori [TMC 210, FW 98, IM 328]

even more so (L)

a gauche, je te dis [FW 240, 241]

to the left, I tell you (F)

âge ingrat [NC 93]

that awkward age (F)

agent provocateur [FW 181, SM 150, 352]

one who acts to provoke (F; a secret agent who induces his enemies to commit an illegal or revealing act)

agnus [TH 59]

lamb (of God) (L)

a gradh [GO 25, 34, 49, 81, 153, 197, 199, 244]

my dear (Ir)

agricolas [PC 154]

farmers (L)

aguardiente [M&C 265; PC 492, BM 225]

brandy (Sp; lit.: burning water)

a haon, a dó, a trí, a ceathir, a cúig, a sé, a seacht, a horcht, a naoi, a deich, a haon déag, a do dhéag [COM 62]

numbers 1 - 12 (Ir)

Ah tutti contenti saremo cosí [LM 240, 284]

Ah, then we shall all be happy (It; the final chorus of Mozart's Marriage of Figaro)

aid de con [BM 150]

an attempt at aide de camp, lit: an assistant in the camp, the assistant to a senior officer (F; con means idiot, though it’s now often used as a rather more vulgar insult)

aide-memoire [FW 231]

a memory aid (F)

aides-de-camp [NC 92]

lit.: assistants in the camp; assistants to a senior officer (F)

aiguillettes [COM 160]

slivers (F)

akvavit [LM 265]

lit.: water of life (Danish; distilled liquor)

al fresco [GO 173]

outdoors; lit.: in the fresh air (It)

aliquid amari [M&C 32]

something bitter (L; from Lucretius, De Rerum Natura: medio de fonte leporum surgit aliquid amari quod in ipsis floribus angat, 'from the very centre of a fountain of delights arises something bitter that chokes us in our prime [lit: in our very flowering]’)

allegro [WDS 63]

lit: merry; musically, quick and lively (It)

allegro vivace [WDS 228]

merry and lively (It; musical term for a brisk and lively beat)

alley-tor [GO 133]

a marble, the children’s game of marbles (archaic Eng.; perhaps derived from ‘alabaster’, of which ‘marbles’ may once have been made)

allez, allez! [FW 240, 241]

go, go! (F)

altiplano [WDS 204]

the high plateau (Sp; land above c. 12,000 ft)

a luggit corpis sweenie [M&C 144]

(perhaps Scots, but perhaps simply an O'Brian joke: many correspondents have hazarded translations – usually involving ears, epaulettes, bodies and pigs – but AGB remains unconvinced by their admittedly inspired guesswork)

amitié amoureuse [TH 237]

a loving friendship (F)

amor vincit omnia [SM 339]

love conquers everything (L; properly omnia vincit amor, Virgil Eclogues)

amo amas amat [YA 25]

I love, you love, s/he loves (L; often the first words of Latin learned at school)

amour [DI 23]

love affair (F)

ampullae [SM 334]

little glass bottle (L)

anan [PC 419, HD 119]

say again? (Archaic English slang)

ancien régime [HMS 80]

the old system (ie: pre-revolutionary France) (F)

andante [TGS 163, WDS 20]

at a walking pace (It; musical term)

Angustam, amici, pauperiem pati Robustus acri militia puer Condiscat [GO 124]

My friends, let a robust young man thoroughly learn to endure gripping poverty by means of keen military service (Horace Odes III)

anno domini [IM 111, RM 22]

in the year of the lord; ie, advancing age (L)

An, si quis atro dente me petiverit inultus ut flebo puer? [GO 92]

If someone attacks me with malevolent ill-will [lit: 'black tooth'], shall I wail like a frustrated child? (L; Horace Epodi 1)

apparatus [TH 279]

serving dishes (a reference to Horace Odes I: persicos odi puer apparatus, ‘I don't like fancy Persian food, boy’)

appropriatissimo [C/T 216]

very apt, very appropriate (It)

à propos [DI 321, SM 374]

exactly to the point; with particular regard to (F)

aqua regia [HMS 100]

royal water (L; a 50-50 mix of nitric and sulphuric acids)

aqua vitae [GO 218]

the water of life (L; a common way of referring to strong distilled liquors, eg, Irish whiskey, Scandanavian akavit, French clear grape spirit)

Arabia Felix [PC 344, FW 21]

Fortunate Arabia (L; the ancients knew of the bountiful coasts and inland oases of the Arabian peninsular; these days the phrase usually applies to modern Yemen)

arbutus [YA 10]

the wild strawberry bush (L; not related to the edible strawberry)

arcades ambo [FW 54]

[they are] both Arcadians (L; Virgil, Eclogues, VII, where it is used to describe two perfect, almost identical youths from the idealised rustic province of Arcadia, sometimes known as the 'Greek Switzerland'. The phrase came to mean 'much of a muchness')

arcus senilis [HMS 184]

old man's ring (L; the pale ring that appears around the eye’s iris in the elderly)

arma virumque cano [PC 255, HMS 359]

of arms (i.e. weapons) and the man I sing (L; the opening line of Virgil's Aeneid)

arré [FW 240, 241]

the word used to get a horse moving (F; usually arrí)

As a wee bairn McLean first skelpit a mickle whaup his daddie has whangit with a stane, and then ilka beastie that came his way [FW 61]

As a young boy McLean first skinned a whimbrel his father had hit with a stone, and then any creature that came his way (Scots: a whimbrel is a small bird; skelpit usually means 'hurried' but O'Brian presumably thinks it a word for 'scalped'.)

Asperges me, Domine, hyssopo.... Hyssopo et super nivem dealbabor.' [HMS 188]

Full quote: Asperges me, Domine, hyssopo, et mundabor: lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor. 'Sprinkle me with the hyssop twigs, and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.' (L; Psalms 51:7)

ast illi solvuntur frigore membra vitaque cum gemitu fugit indignata sub umbras [HMS 360]

...but his limbs became numb with the cold and his life, distaining to bear this, fled down into the shadows with a sigh. (L; the final two lines of Virgil's Aeneid)

ataraxy [HMS 374]

indifference (Gk)

athesphatos oinos [HD 85]

wonderful wine (Gk; Homer Odyssey)

attaché [NC 55]

lit.: attached; a member of a diplomatic staff (F)

au courant [HMS 93, TMC 102]

up to date (F)

auctor [WDS 46]

author, originator (L)

aurora australis [DI 324]

the southern lights (L)

automata [C/T 218]

self-moving machines (Gk)

autos, autee, auto ... kyrie eleison [FSW 109]

he, she, it (Gk; beginning of a declension learned quite early in Greek study) ... Lord, have mercy (Gk; the most common snippet of ecclesiastical Greek in the Latin Mass)

autres pays, autre merde [HMS 206]

other countries, other shit (F; Aubrey intends ... autres moeurs, ie, 'other customs'.)

Ave Maria [TH 249]

Hail Mary (L)

aviso [YA 193, GO 267]

a small messenger-boat (It, Sp)

babirussa [NC 12]

boar-deer (Malay; a wild boar with a pair of horn-like tusks)

bach [M&C 345]

my dear (Welsh; lit.: 'little')

bagnio [PC 458, TH 189]

bath-house or Turkish Bath (It; correct is bagno)

bahadur [HMS 214]

sir / lord (Hindi)

balsa [WDS 222]

raft (Sp)

bandito [LM 130]

a bandit / outlaw (It)

bannière de partance [HMS 50]

departure flag; ie the 'Blue Peter' (F)

banyan [C/T 44]

meatless (naval expression derived from Hindi Banyan / Banian, a name for a sect of vegetarian traders)

baraka [HMS 76]

an innate, God-given, spiritual force (Arabic)

bar mitzvah [PC 165]

lit.: Son of the Commandment - the ceremony marking the 13th birthday of a Jewish boy (Hebrew)

bas blue [C/T 94]

a blue-stocking (F)

bashi-bazouk / s [IM 340, HD 21]

lit.: wild head; soldiers in an irregular unit (Turkish)

basso profundo [BM 235]

lowest bass (It)

beau [RM 147]

lit.: fine, handsome; an admirer, boyfriend (F)

begar [FSW 252]

by God (Anglo-Irish slang)

béguin [PC 55]

a fancy (F)

Belle Poule [HMS 7, 158]

Pretty Hen (F; poule also means 'a racy girl')

bello soleil [M&C 16]

beautiful sun (bello is It; soleil is F)

bhang [HMS 194]; bhang; betel; qat [COM 188]

hashish (Hindi); hashish (Hindi); a nut, mildly stimulative when chewed (Hindi); a mildly stimulative leaf, very commonly chewed in Yemen (Arab.)

bidpai chhatta [HMS 221]

? (Hindi; chaat is a term for various types of spicy appetizers, eg aloo chaat - potato, murgh chaat, chicken; Bidpai is a Hindi word for the author of a set of Persian fables, and usually has no food associations)

bien, Monsieur [WDS 30]

very well, Sir (F)

billets doux [DI 141, FW 28]

lit.: sweet notes; love letters (F)

bisque [IM 19, YA 199]; ... de hommard [FW 204]

a rich seafood soup; ... of lobster (F)

bistouries [PC 436, COM 12]

small surgical knives, often folding (F)

bitchady pawdle [DI 106]

sent across the sea (Romany)

blanquette de veau [TMC 22]

veal in white sauce (F)

blateroon [SM 316]

a blow-hard (Anglo-Irish)

boletus [PC 110]; ... edulis [M&C 35]

fungus / mushroom; ... edible f. (L; a mushroom known as the cèpe in F, the 'penny bun' in Eng. and funghi porcini in It and American English )

bombe glacée [IM 21]

an ice-cream dish made in a bombe, which is the traditional rounded pudding-bowl (F)

bona creatura [M&C 341]

pretty creature (Minorcan Catalan dialect)

bon cop de falç [SM 278]

a good stroke of the sickle (Catalan; forming part of the refrain of the Catalan national anthem Els Segadors [The Reapers]: bon cop de falç, bon cop de falç, defensors de la terra [a good stroke of the sickle .... defenders of the land.)

bonheur du jour [YA 190]

a small dressing-table with many compartments and folding mirrors (F)

bonjour, mademoiselle [TMC 223]

good day, Miss (F)

bon mot [IM 120]

lit.: good word; a witticism (F)

bonne mot [HMS 41]

lit.: good word, a witticism (F; should be bon mot)

bonne bouche [TMC 162]

lit.: good mouth; ie, final touch / little extra (F)

bonnehomme [IM 293]

chap, fellow (F)

bonny-clabber [IM 80]

sour cream (Anglo-Irish)

bonus nullius [HMS 195]

a piece of property belonging to no-one (L)

borda [WDS 175]

shepherd’s hut (Basque, but common in Sp and French)

Boreas [LM 27]

the north-east wind (Gk; Boreas is often depicted as a horse)

boreen [NC 73]

a country lane (Ir)

bothies [GO 161]

cottages (Ir)

bouillabaisse [LM 167]

a rich fish stew (F)

brawly feckit [HMS 253]

bravely done (Scots)

Buidhe Connail [NC 75]

The Connail Yellow (Ir., usually translated as ‘the yellow plague’, but more properly meaning ‘the yellowness that came from Tir-Connail’, i.e. modern Donegal)

buldoo-panee [PC 122]

?-water (Hindi pani / panee is 'water'; buldoo looks like a Tamil word, but we cannot ascertain its meaning in this context)

ca'hoopit [PC 394]

? (Scots)

Cacafuego [M&C 204 and many subsequent references]

shit-fire (Sp; quite often used as an actual ship's name by the Spanish)

cacothymia [PC 156]

bad spirit, malevolence (Gk)

calculus / calculi [COM 216, US 234]

a build up of minerals, producing a stone or surface film / stones (L)

calidarium [YA 260]

the hot bath room (L; also caldarium)

Calle de los Mercadores [WDS 146]

Street of the Merchants (Sp)

Casa de la Inquisición [WDS 143]

House of the Inquisition (Sp)

casus belli [PC 464; ‘21’ 32]

the opportunity / justification for war (L)

catastrophié [LM 261]

devastated (F)

causse [PC 107]

limestone ridge (F)

ceilidhe [GO 24]

a country dance party (Ir.)

cepas [M&C 35]

a mushroom (Catalan; known as the cèpe in F, the 'penny bun' in E, and funghi porcini in It. and American English)

chaconne [IM 155]

a slow dance (F; orig. Basque)

chamade [TMC 232]

a drum call for a parley (F)

chance [PC 92]

luck (F)

chasse-marées [PC 140, 153; LM 116; BM 70]

lit.: chase-tides; usually coastal privateers, often rigged as a luggers, but can just refer to similar fishing vessels (F)

chéri [IM 14]

my dear (F)

chez le Colonel [HMS 72]

at the Colonel's house / with the Colonel (F)

chienne [SM 314]

bitch (F)

chimaera [TMC 327]

a fabled monster (L + Gk - originally meant a she-goat)

chit [HMS 217]

a piece of paper (Hindi)

chocolato [PC 492]

chocolate (Sp)

cholera morbus [RM 180]

the deadly plague cholera (L)

Christe eleison ... kyrie eleison [M&C 54, WDS 116; also see FSW 109]

Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy (Gk; from the Latin Mass)

cicindelidae [RM 272]

tiger beetles (L)

cinco platos [M&C 34]

five courses (Sp)

cingulum colchicum [US 139]

lit..: a bandage made of a poisonous plant (L; either invented or facetious)

cingulum [C/T 200]

lit.: a belt (L; medical for a tightly-wound bandage)

ciotóg [YA 113]

a left-hander (Ir)

cithogue [GO 161]

presumably a version of ciotóg, a left-hander (Anglo-Ir., based on Ir)

Città Vecchia [TH 303]

Old Town(It)

civet de lapin [SM 332]

rabbit stew (F)

claddach [GO 19]

perhaps a drained and cleared peat-bog (Ir., Scots Gaelic)

clo-, clo-, clo [COM 36]

presumably an English stammer - ‘clo- close’ - rather than an Irish one for Padeen in this case

cloisonné [COM 16]

partitioned off (F)

cochons [HMS 73]

pigs (F)

cogit amare jecur [C/T 17]

the liver knows how to love (L; for the Romans the liver was the seat of affections and emotions; Lactantius Divine Institutes)

cognoscento [PC 173]

a person of discernment (It, properly cognoscente)

coitus interruptus [LM 17]

interrupted copulation (L; interrupted by male withdrawal)

coleoptera [LM 124]

beetles (L)

Coll'astuzia, coll'arguzia col giudizio, col criterio ....

Con un equivoco, con un sinonimo qualche garbuglio si troverà [SM 130]

With cunning, with wit, with judgment, with discernment...

With a quibble, with a well chosen word [lit.: 'synonym'] I'll be able to concoct some sort of plot.

(It; Dr Bartolo in Mozart's Marriage of Figaro Act I)

collops [NC 58]

slices of meat, cut across the grain; usually veal or venison (Scots dialect; derived from F escallope)

compassé [HMS 338]

formal or stiff (F)

compline [IM 327]

final (derived from Latin and French: part of the cycle of monastic daily prayer as laid down by the rule of St Benedict)

confectio Damocritis [C/T 143]

Damocritis’ preparation (L; the reference is obscure)

conjugo [SM 69]

I join (L, the key word in the Latin marriage ceremony)

Conn Céad Cathach [NC 297]

Conn of the Hundred Battles (Ir; an ancient Irish king after whom County Connaught is named.)

consuetudo loci est observanda [YA 32]

the custom of the place must be observed (L)

Contessa perdono ... perdono [LM 240, 266]

Countess, forgive me ... forgive me (It; Count Almaviva in Mozart's Marriage of Figaro)

continuo [NC 119]

continuous (It.; abbreviation of basso continuo, continuous bass, an improvised accompaniment around a simple written bass line. It can be played on a variety of instruments)

contre-coup [FW 245]

lit.: repercussion (F; in English medical usage, this refers to brain damage on the opposite side to where an injury occurred, caused by the impact of the moving brain tissue on the inside of the hard skull)

copito; aguardiente [M&C 265]

large glass; 'burning water', i.e. brandy (Sp)

coq / côq au vin [PC 96, FW 137]

cock / chicken in wine (F; usually no accent over the 'o')

corpo di Baccho [TH 65]

by the body of Bacchus! (It; correct would be Bacco)

corpus vile [TMC 91]

foul / dirty body (L; often means 'the body as a mere object', derived from the early Christian equation of physicality with filth.)

cosare [M&C 14]

sew (bad S; correct is coser)

cosí [NC 121]

cousin (Catalan)

coup de filet [TH 75]

a round up (F; lit.: cast of the net)

coup de main [TMC 137, FW 224]

punch, slap; a decisive blow; can also mean ‘a surprise attack’ (F; lit.: blow of the hand)

coup d'état [LM 122, NC 73]

lit.: 'blow against state'; an overthrow of the government (F)

court-bouillon [PC 90]

lit.: short broth (F; a light fish or vegetable stock, with herbs)

crackit gaberlunzie [TH 11]

a half-witted beggar (Scots; gaberlunzie carries the slightly affectionate sense of 'a ne'er-do-well')

crapula [HD 160]

in Greek usually a hangover-headache; in Latin usually severe drunkenness itself (Gk, L)

craubeen [GO 23]

pig’s foot (Ir., usually crubeen)

creta alba [M&C 229]

white chalk (L)

crim. con. [COM 60]

‘criminal conversation’, an English legal term for an illicit sexual relationship

critici [‘21’ 34]
critical cases / symptoms (medical L)

croagh [GO 105]

crag, mountain (Ir)

croutons [LM 168]

small pieces of bread, fried or roasted to a crisp (F; also just means ‘bread-crusts)

crubeens [NC 14]

pig’s feet, cooked or pickled (Ir)

crux [HD 10]

a cross; fig. trouble or torment; an important or puzzling point (L)

cuatro groupos, cinco minutos [HMS 69]

four groups, five minutes (Sp)

cuisine bourgeoise [SM 332]

home cooking (F)

curragh / s [GO 34, 66, 73]

very small fishing boat / s (Ir)

Danneborg [M&C 260]

the Danish flag (Danish)

darse [PC 95]

a sheltered dock or mooring area (F)

Dato [NC 63]

tribal chief (Malay)

datura stramonium [YA 24]

the toxic ‘jimsonweed’ (L)

davy [‘21’ 78]
affidavit (English slang for legal Latin)

debellare superbos [LM 129, 130]

to tame the proud (L; Virgil Aeneid, VI 853) The reference is to public duty: "Remember, Roman, these will be your arts: to teach the ways of peace to those you conquer, to spare defeated peoples, to tame the proud." (as translated by Allen Mandelbaum)

décolletés [NC 96]

lit.: without collars; dresses cut low to reveal neck and shoulders (F)

De Consolatione Philosophiae [FSW 249]

On the Consolation of [provided by] Philosophy (L; a work by Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, c. 480-524 CE; one of the most popular works during the Medieval period.)

defecator [IM 54]

impurity-remover (L)

deformes [‘21’ 34]
cripples (medical L)

dégagé / e [DI 119, US 66]

relaxed, loose-limbed, free moving (F; can also mean ‘unobstructed’, an in a view)

Deh vieni [M&C 76, 302]; Deh vieni, non tardar [HMS 54]

Do come

Do come, do not delay. (It; sung by Susanna in Act IV of Mozart's Marriage of Figaro)

déjà-vu [PC 433]

lit.: already seen (F)

de jure [FSW 361]

from a legal point of view (L)

delirium tremens [DI 215]

the shaking fever (L; medical term for the effects of withdrawal from chronic alcoholic poisoning)

de lue venera [C/T 76]

concerning Venus' plague (L; ie, syphilis)

demi-lune [TMC 232]

half- moon (F; a detached outwork built by a besieged army)

demonios [BM 220]

devils (Sp)

de non apparentibus et non existentibus eadem est ratio [RM 251]

our reasoning is identical as regards what does not appear and and what does not exist (L)

dénouement [TH 83]

outcome (F)

de ossibus [DI 85]

concerning bones (L)

désirer [M&C 14]

want, desire (F)

diga me [M&C 341]

tell me (Sp)

de situ orbis [COM 238]

Concerning the Description of the Globe (L; a work by Pomponius Mela, a 1st c. AD geographer)

désolé / e [TMC 140, SM 47, TGS 216]

extremely sorry (F)

deus ex machina [PC 461, 462; RM 258]

a god from the overhead crane (L; refers to the practice in ancient drama of all problems being finally resolved by the appearance of a God, lowered in on a crane [Gk mechane] from what we now call the Fly Tower, or Flies, above the visible stage area.)

Devin du Village [WDS 89]

The Village Soothsayer (F; a short opera written by the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, first performed in 1752)

Dies Irae [LM 254]

The Day of Wrath (L; title and opening of Mediaeval Latin hymn on Judgment Day; see also The Hundred Days, p 139)

digitalis [YA 226], digitalis purpurea [YA 197]

foxglove

purple foxglove (L)

dilletanto [COM 76]

an art lover (It; correct is dilettante)

Director Supremo [BM 210]

Supreme Director (Sp)

doldrums [BM 143]

depression / dullness; a weather depression (Eng; an invented word probably based on ‘dull’, and mimicking ‘tantrum’)

dolorosa [‘21’ 34]
pains (medical L)

Domestique, monsieur [M&C 217, PC 91]

Your (domestic) servant, Sir (F. Aubrey's approximate French leads him to choose the wrong one of two words for servant: polite 18^th C. usage was Votre serviteur)

Don; Cosí [NC 121]

Lord / Sir; Cousin (Sp.; Catalan)

dona nobis pacem [TH 59]

give us peace (L)

douanniers [PC 114]

customs men (F)

douceur / s [M&C 24; NC 85, 269; COM 34]

lit.: a sweetener; a bribe or gratuity (F)

drabogues [FW 224]

sluts, whores (Ir)

droit de seigneur [YA 35, 37]

the right of the lord (F; usually means the mythical right to copulate with local brides on the wedding day)

Droits de l'Homme [YA 108]

The Rights of Man (F)

ducat [COM 7]

a Venetian gold coin (It.)

duces tecum [SM 147]

bring it with you (L; a writ ordering a party to 'bring with you' a document at the next court hearing)

ductus choledocus communis [NC 16]

common bile duct (L; choledochus is more usual)

dudong [NC 48]

a sea-cow (Malay)

dulce loquentem, dulce ridentem [HMS 221]

full quote: dulce ridentem Lalagen amabo dulce loquentem, 'I shall love Lalage, who laughs and talks so sweetly' (L; Horace, Odes I)

dum sola et casta fuerit [TMC 165]

while she will have been alone and chaste (L)

duodecimpunctatus [RM 272]

twelve-spotted (L)

dura mater [M&C 138]

lit.: hard mother (L; ie, the outer coating of the brain)

dyak [NC 26]

a native of Borneo (Malay; lit.: ‘untamed’)

eau-de-vie [GO 218]

the water of life (F; a common way of referring to strong distilled liquors, eg, Irish whiskey, Swedish aquavit, French clear grape spirit)

éclaircissement [SM 123]

elucidation (F)

éclat [FW 206, WDS 77]

a burst of noise or light; an outburst or sharp disturbance (F)

égards [DI 57]

special considerations (F)

eh bien [PC 104]

oh well (F)

eh, pardi [M&C 224]

you don't say! (F, colloquial for pas dire; note Alexandre Dumas' use of this phrase as a common exclamation)

eh, parlez .... [PC 280]

so, call for.... (F)

élan [TMC 170]

dash, enterprise (F)

elevato in grado [TH 273]

raised in rank (It)

Els Set Dolors [IM 198]

The Seven Sorrows (Catalan; ie, the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary)

embarras de choix [C/T 94]

an embarrassment [surfeit] of choice (F)

emigrés [C/T 165]

emigrants (F; refers generally to supporters of the former Royalist regime who left France)

en clair [FW 35]

in clear / uncoded [language] (F)

en flute [SM 180]

in the manner of a flute (F; ie, with few or no guns [in order to free up deck space], so that, like the keys of a flute, the gunports have only air behind them)

engouement [HMS 80]

sudden passion (F)

En Maragall, valga'm Deu [HMS 72]

Maragall, Sir, my God! (Catalan)

en route, en route, les prisonniers! [PC 105]

on our way, on our way, prisoners! (F)

epergne [LM 130]

an elaborate dining-table center-piece, often fitted with dishes for fruits and sweets (F)

epocha [PC 301, IM 96]

a fixed moment in time, or 'turning point' (Gk)

Eratosthenes redivivus [M&C 361]

Eratosthenes come back to life (L; Maturin is saying that the Latin author Strabo had merely copied the subsequently lost works of the Greek philosopher Eratosthenes)

Erin go bragh [HMS 114]

Ireland for Ever (Ir)

escota [WDS 223]

sheet (Sp; i.e., nautical term for a rope attached to the bottom of a sail)

espèce de fripouille [HMS 154]

you silly cad (F; espèce is lit.: 'type', but espèce d'idiot is 'silly idiot')

est summum nefas fallere [IM 73]

it is the most wicked thing to deceive (L)

état d’âme [BM 165]

state of mind [lit. ‘soul’] (F)

ethos [BM 49]

character, or the distinctive spirit of a community (Gk)

Eupator Ingens [NC 247, COM 30]

lit.: the great / distinguished Eupator; ie, some sort of beetle (Eupator is a Greek noble surname; ingensis L)

evacuatorii [‘21’ 34]
vomiters (medical L)

ex Africa surgit semper aliquid novo,- novi [TMC 104]

there's always something new coming from Africa (L; Pliny the Elder, Historia Naturalis 5. ‘novi’ is correct.)

Examen de Pyrrhonisme [COM 9]

An Investigation of Scepticism (F; Phyrrho of Elis, a contemporary of Aristotle, founded the sceptical school of philosophy)

exanthematici [‘21’ 34]
skin eruptions (medical L)

excellentissimo [BM 252]

most excellent (haphazard Sp)

ex gratia [HMS 26]

out of grace, without obligation (L)

Expeditio in Sinas [US 194]

Expedition to Sinae (L)

exulans [NC 118]

wandering, exiled (L)

facies [M&C 275, SM 42]

face; ie, outward appearance, revealed character (L)

fait accompli [TMC 327, FW 248, IM 261, WDS 168, US 24]

a done deed (F)

faldetta [TH 308]

a hooded black cape worn by Maltese women (Maltese)

falsum in uno, falsum in omnibus [PC 268]

false in one instance, [therefore] false in every instance (L)

Familles Naturelles des Plantes [RM 107]

The Natural Families of Plants (F)

farden skiff [US 51]

a farthing skiff; i.e. a small river boat that can be hired for a farthing (Archaic Eng.)

fas and nefas [C/T 88]

right and wrong (L)

faubourg [SM 138]

suburb (F)

faukit [NC 58]

perhaps intended as Scots pronunciation of ‘fucking’?

faute de mieux [TMC 159]

for lack of anything better (F)

fedais [HD 21]

the devoted ones (Arabic)

felix [M&C 266]

happy (L; he means 'feliz', Sp)

fenum habent in cornu [M&C 344]

lit.: they have hay on the horn (L; Horace, Satires 1. The hay was used on oxen inclined to gore people, as both a padding and visible 'danger sign'; Horace uses the phrase (with the singular habet) to mean 'he's a dangerous man'. Maturin's use of this quotation is also a clever pun on the 'cuckold's horn' in respect of Admiral Harte.)

festino lente [SM 289]; festino lento [DI 131]

make haste slowly (L; should be festina lente. Suetonius Divus Augustus)

fiamme [TH 84]

flames (It)

fianna Eirion [C/T 211]

the forces of the Nation of Ireland (Ir)

fibula [HMS 194]

lit: a brooch or clasp; here meaning that a fastener has been used to close Dil’s sexual organs, to ensure her chastity (L)

filibeg [LM 60]

little kilt (Gaelic)

filioque [WDS 43]

and the son (L; the reference is to the profound and continuing argument between Roman and Orthodox Christians as to whether the Holy Ghost proceeds from God the Father and his son Jesus considered as a single divine entity [the Roman position], or whether the Holy Ghost proceeds from God the Father alone, as does His son Jesus [the Orthodox position])

finis [SM 59]

end (L)

firbolgs [GO 73]

in myth, the original inhabitants of Ireland (Ir.)

firman [IM 261]

an edict issued by the Sultan of Turkey (Persian)

flambeaux [PC 159]

flaming torches (F)

flauto d'amore [TH 78]

lit.: flute of love (It)

flèche [FW 16]

arrow (F)

flocci-nauci-nihili-pilification [M&C 302]

setting something at a minimal value (English but based on L, following a humorous literary practice of long, compound words. Flocci = pieces of straw; nauci = trifles; nihil = nothing; pili = pieces of hair; fication based on L facere = to make)

flora and fauna [PC 350; NC 74]

plants and animals (L)

Flora Peruvianae et Chilensis [WDS 201]

The Flowers of Peru and Chile (L)

fluor albus [C/T 76]

the white flux (L)

foch [HMS 69]

fire (Catalan)

foeda est in coitu et brevis voluptas [C/T 165]

there is a dirtiness in copulation, and [only] a quick pleasure (L; Petronius Carmina)

foie gras [SM 315]

lit.: fat liver; the liver of force-fed geese (F)

folie circulaire [FW 148]

recurring madness (F; ie, manic depression)

fons et origo [TMC 91]

the spring and the source (L)

force majeure [FSW 14]

lit.: superior force; usually means that usual arrangements are overridden by more compelling circumstances or orders (F)

force hyperméccanique [TGS 189]
lit: a beyond-mechanical force (F; the ‘vital force’ of the 18^th century ‘Vitalists’, a force existing beyond both mind, body and spirit)

formatge duro [HD 104]

hard cheese (Minorcan Catalan)

fornicatores [COM 75]

fornicators (L)

fortissimo [IM 344]

as loudly as possible (It)

fortunatos nimium..... [IM 20]

lit.: 'happy to an excessive degree...'. (L; full quote is O fortunatos nimium, sua si bona norint, agricolas, 'O how very happy farmers could be, if only they would count their blessings [lit.: know their possessions]! (L; Virgil, Georgics II)

fouette; fouette, toujours [FW 240, 241]

crack the whip! keep whipping (F)

fragilis ratis [FW 23]

a fragile craft (L; Horace, Odes passim)

francus bancus [TMC 165]

free seat (dog L)

fu-fu [COM 270]

a glutinous preparation of crushed roots, either yam, plantain or cassava (Ghanaian)

fui non sum non curo [PC 449]

I did exist; I don't exist now; I care not. (L; [nb should probably be non fui, 'I didn't exist': see M&C 232] a common tomb inscription [in the non fui version] with the sense of 'I came from nowhere, and now I've gone - what does such a fleeting life matter anyway?')

furcula; carina; ramus / i; scapula [WDS 87]

lit.: a forked prop; keel-like part; branching part / s; shoulder blade (L)

furor uterinus [PC 58]

lit.: frenzy of the uterus (L)

ganger [GO 106]

a foot-traveller (archaic Eng.)

garçon manqué [HMS 194]

would-be boy; a 'tom-boy' (F)

garde impériale [TH 59]

imperial guard (F)

gastrocnemius [YA 123]

belly-leg (Gk; the bulging calf muscle)

generale [NC 105]

the general call to arms (It)

ghee [HMS 319]

clarified butter (Hindi)

gigot en croûte [PC 90]

lit.: leg of lamb in a [pastry] crust (F)

gingall [NC 35]

a big musket or small cannon, swivel-mounted on a portable rest (Hindi; also gingal, jingal)

glacis [HMS 220]

a sloping apron built at the foot of a fort wall (F, Eng)

glauk eis Athenas [TMC Dedication, printed in Greek script]

An Owl to Athens (Gk; The phrase means 'an insignificant addition to an already great amount', rather like the English saying, 'Carrying Coals to Newcastle') See also The Hundred Days, p197 for a reference to this phrase.

gluteus maximus [COM 86]

the largest buttock-muscle (L)

gnosce teipsum [PC 198, SM 63]

know yourself (L; translates the Greek gnothi seauton which was famously inscribed upon the temple of Apollo at Delphi)

gombeen-man [GO 26]

middle-man, or local moneylender (Ir.; often means a local trader who controls both the supply and distribution of necessary goods, and thus the price)

gralloch [NC 13]

the guts; to eviscerate (Ir; Scots Gallic)

grande nation [SM 317]

a great nation (F)

gratin [SM 315]

traditionally = topped with breadcrumbs; often = a cooked cheese topping (F)

gratis pro Deo [NC 75, WDS 2]

free, for the sake of God (L)

gregale [M&C 349]

north east wind (It)

grego [YA 213]

a hooded jacket (Portuguese, derived from ‘Greek’, the supposed origins of the garment)

grosso modo [LM 44]

in a general way (It)

guacharo [WDS 177]

the oilbird (Sp)

guano [BM 189]

naturally composted excrement, usually of birds or bats (Quichua / Sp)

guerilleros [BM 214]

irregular warriors (Sp)

gummata [PC 335, TMC 189]

lesions, usually associated with syphilis (L)

gymnosophist [HMS 194]

naked sage (Gk)

habeas corpus [IM 269]

lit.: you may have the body; a writ releasing somebody from custody (L)

Halte là. Qui vive? Le docteur Ralph [IM 219]

Stop there. Who is it [lit.: who lives]? Doctor Ralph (F)

hammam [TH 189]

Turkish bath (Arabic)

hapax phenomenon [SM 268]

a unique event (Gk)

harmattan [COM 255, 257]

a hot wind, originating in the deserts of northern West Africa (Arab.)

haud crede colore [HMS 285]

don't trust the colour (L)

hauteur [HMS 156]
haughtiness (F)

haut relievo [HMS 39]

a good tang or savor (F+I; lit.: 'high relief')

Heautontimoroumenos [HMS 265]

The Self-Tormenting One (Gk; the title of a Latin play by Terence, an adaptation of an earlier Greek work)

hein [FW 132]

eh?, what? (F)

Heisa, heisa vorsa, vorsa vou, vou [TGS 28]

a chant from a sea-shanty (perhaps Old E or Norse; the words may be meaningless - a mid-16th century version, heard by a lowland Scot being sung on an English vessel, runs: heisa, heisa; vorsa, vorsa; vou, vou; one long pull, more power, young blood, more mud...... However, the words also bear some similarity to colloquial Italian, issa, issa; forza, forza; su, su, which means heave, heave; come on, come on; up, up)

helot [FSW 256]

a serf (from L and Gk; specifically, the peasant class among the Spartans who had absolutely no rights.)

hemi-demi [COM 39]; hemi-demi-semi [LM 44, NC 72]

cumulative repetitions of ‘half’ (the prefixes all occur in various Greek and Latin derived forms; in music a hemi-demi-semiquaver is a 64^thnote)

hemicrania [LM 55]

severe headache, migraine (Gk /L)

herético pálido [WDS 189]

pale heretic (Sp)

heuch / heugh [TH 74, HD 11]; heuch, ablins [TH 12]

well ; well, perhaps (Scots)

hiburan buah pala [NC 80]

the nutmeg of consolation (Malay; as translated by Maturin)

hic, haec, hoc [FW 224, FSW 61, 108, 109]

this (L; masculine, feminine and neuter inflexions, respectively. A common piece of early rote learning.)

hic, hac, horum [GO 15]

this [masc], this [fem], of these (L)

hijos de puta [HMS 65]
sons of a whore (Sp)

histiophori pulchellus [C/T 88]

the beautiful little marlin (L)

Histoire Générale des Voyages [FW 49]

A Complete History of Voyages (F)

Ho aia-owa [C/T 157]

homo hominis lupus [WDS 95]

man is a wolf to man (L; a comon proverb, often given in this form though strictly hominis should be homini)

homoiousian ... homoousian [TH 130]

of like essence ... of similar essence (Gk)

honi soit qui mal y pense [RM 48]

shame to him who thinks evil of it (old F; the motto of the English Order of the Garter)

Honneur and Patier [HMS 53]

intended to be 'honneur and patrie', i.e. French for Honour and the Fatherland

horchata [YA 41, HD 32]

a drink made from water and chufa (tiger) HD nuts in Spain or water, rice and nuts in South America (Sp)

hortus siccus [M&C 180, TH 113, COM 61]

a dried garden (L; ie a collection of dried plants and flowers)

Hôtel [SM 139]

mansion / hall (F)

Hôtel-Dieu [DI 85, SM 330, WDS 63]

lit.: Mansion of God (F for hospital)

houario [HD 155]

a type of ship (Arabic)

huachua [WDS 181]

Andean goose (Sp / Quichua)

huitième [RM 216, TGS 274]

eighth (F)

hula [C/T 253]

a folk dance (Hawaiian)

hummums [PC 458]

Turkish baths (E, from Arabic hammam, hot)

hunes de perroquet [HMS 50]

lit.: tops of the topgallants (F; presumably the cross-trees at the junction of the topmast and topgallant masts; perroquetis literally ‘little parrot’, but is a t’gallant in nautical parlance)

hybris [TGS 273]

overweening pride (Gk; often transcribed as 'hubris')

hydropericardium [YA 196]

fluid in the cavity around the heart (mixed Gk and L)

Ile des Cygnes [SM 137]

Island of Swans (F)

il faut que le prêtre vive de l'autel [C/T 75]

the priest must live off his altar (F; ie, 'a priest should be provided for by his parishioners'.)

il faut souffrir pour être beau [FSW 298]

one must suffer in order to be beautiful (F)

Illi robur et aes triplex circa pectus erat,

qui fragilem truci commisit pelago ratem primus -- [GO 54]

there was both oak and a triple layer of bronze around the heart

of he who first launched a frail craft on the savage open sea

(L; Horace Odes 1) See also The Hundred Days, p 86 for a reference, in English, to this verse.

impostumes [NC 157]

cysts, abscesses (Old F, Medical Eng)

indisposèe [M&C 270]

indisposed (F; ie, a reference to her period)

in omnium [RM 130]

in total (L; should be in omnia)

in posse [HMS 37]

potentially (L)

Institute de France [SM 35]

The Institute of France (F)

intermissa, Venus diu, rursus bella moves [FW 53]

Venus, again you provoke wars long since abandoned (L; Horace, Odes VI. Nb: the comma after diu is misplaced, and should instead follow Venus. The line precedes parce, precor, precor quoted in SM 176)

intermittance de coeur [FW 199]

irregular heartbeat (F)

in terrorem [TMC 210]

in fear (L)

koekjes [FW 11]

little cakes (Dutch)

krees [NC 26]

a dagger, often with a wavy edge and wavy (ie damascene) decoration (Malay; often seen as kris)

kreng [WDS 95]

carcass (Dutch)

la bêtise c'est de vouloire conclure [NC 256]

it's stupid to want to bring things to a conclusion (F; from Gustav Flaubert’s Correspondence)

la casa [IM 200]

the house (It, Sp, Catalan)

La Clemenza di Tito [TGS 110]

Tito's Mercy (It; Mozart's last opera)

lacuna [DI 179]

gap (L)

la garce [FW 247]

the bitch (F)

langouste [PC 90]

spiny lobster (F)

lapilli [C/T 178]

pebbles (L)

lapis lazuli [HMS 221]

lit.: stone of azure (L)

lapsus calami [TGS 138]

a slip of the pen (L)

lapsus linguae [DI 192]

a slip of the tongue (L)

larvae; calliphora [YA 97]

grub; fly (L; Gk)

La Sublime Porte [IM 336]

The Heavenly Gate [the centre of Turkish administration in Constantinople] (F)

latibule [DI 130]

hiding place (L)

leanaí sídhe [COM 65]

child fairies (Ir)

Le Astutzie Femminili [PC 466, PC 469]

Women's Wiles (It)

le club des lions [HD 189]

the lion’s club (F; ‘den’ is repaire)

legato arpeggio [DI 180]

a smoothly connected chord played as a 'run' (It)

Le monsieur est touché.

Mauvaisement blessay?

Sais pas, commandant. Il parle plus: je crois bien que c'est un macchabée à présent. Y a du sang partout.

Vous voulez pas me faire passer une élingue, commandant? [PC 280]

The gentleman is hit.

Badly wounded?

Don't know, skipper. He's stopped talking: I'm pretty sure he's a stiff now. There's blood everywhere.

Won’t someone pass me a line, skipper?' (F; a mix of colloquial and bad)

Le Nozze di Figaro [LM 240]

The Marriage of Figaro (It; the title of an opera by Mozart)

le perfide Sir Blaine [HMS 81]

the faithless Sir Blaine (F)

lepidoptera [M&C 36]

lit.: dainty wings; i.e. butterflies and moths (Gk)

le pork inentamé [SM 153]

the pig not yet cut up (F)

le pot au noir [BM 143]

lit.: pot / jug for black stuff (F)

les agissements néfastes de Sir Blaine [HMS 81]

the wicked machinations of Sir Blaine (F)

les bout-dehors des bonnettes du petit perroquet [WDS 80]

lit.: the extreme outside ends of the little caps of the little parrot (F; Maturin is absolutely correct in his use of these marine French terms-of-art: bout-dehors = boom; bonnette = stun’sail; petit perroquet = t’gallant sail)

Les Deux Frères [YA 159]

The Two Brothers (F)

lèse-majesté [LM 208]

high treason (F; lit. ‘encroachment upon royal authority’)

Les hommes, c'est difficile de s'endormir sans [COM 53]

Men! It's difficult to fall asleep without them (F)

les plus sages [FSW 151]

the most wise [people] (F)

levator anguli scapulae [TH 278]

lit.: the raiser of the corner of the shoulder-blades (L)

levee [HD 114]

lit.: a getting-up; in French, a morning assembly; but in English an afternoon assembly for men only hosted by the Sovereign or a Prince (F)

le voilà [FW 239]

there he is (F)

libeccio [M&C 110]

south-west wind (It)

Libellus de Natura Scorbuti [M&C 67]

A Pamphlet on the Characteristics of Scurvy (L)

lictor [DI 267]

a Roman official armed with a ceremonial rod (L)

lieutenant de vaisseau [TMC 52]

first lieutenant (F)

lignum vitae [WDS 49]

lit.: wood of life (L; an exceptionally dense hardwood, black in colour)

lingua franca [HMS 126; IM 155, 312; HD 117, 119, 217]

a common tongue (L; an everyday mix of F, Sp, It and other Mediterranean languages)

liquor ammoniae acetates [IM 208]

solution of ammonium acetate (L)

listie [TH 74]

little list (Scots)

litera scripta manet [TH 253]

the written word endures (L)

livré [PC 91]

an attempt by Aubrey at 'booked' (F; livrer, delivered / surrendered / betrayed; also livrer la bataille, 'to join battle'; Aubrey is thinking of livre, 'a book')

lizardi percalidi [DI 124]

Aubrey's attempt at 'very hot lizards' (L; percalidus could certainly mean 'very hot'; a lizard is lacerta in L: hence lacertae percalidaewould have been more accurate)

llipta [WDS 132]

a hard paste of burnt bone, herbs and spices, often mixed with sugar or salt (Sp)

los perros Ingleses [GO 190]

the English dogs (Sp)

louis d'or [SM 352, COM 7]

a golden louis [coin] (F)

lucus a non lucendo [RM 180]

[called] a grove for being unlit (L; more or less impossible to translate, but meaning 'a contradiction in terms, often with facetious intent'; often attributed to Quintilian, who quotes the phrase as already well-known) The word lucus ('a grove', i.e. that part of a wood where dappled sunlight breaks dimly through) is derived from the verb lucere, 'to light', from which lucendo is also derived. The force of the phrase is "it is called 'a bright place', though usually pretty dark", or in the O'Brian, "it is called a rose garden though it usually has no roses"

lues venera [DI 178]

the plague of Venus (L; ie, syphilis)

lupus [HMS 119]

skin disease (L; lit.: 'wolf')

lustra decem [SM 176]

ten five-year religious cycles (L; ie, 50 years)

Mac na h'Oighe slan [FW 299]

Hail to the Son of the Maiden (Ir)

Madam Chose [SM 33]

Mrs Thing / What's-her-name (F)

magma [HMS 139]

thick ointment (Gk)

main forte [PC 467]

brute force (F; lit.: 'strong hand')

mais, qu'est-ce qui se passe? [LM 194]

but, what's going on? (F)

Mala soluta navis exit alite

ferens olentem Maevium

ut horridus utrumque verberes latus

auster, momento fluctibus

niger rudentes Eurus, inverso mari,

fractosque remos differat....

O quantos instat [navitis] sudor tuis

tibique pallor luteus

et illa non virilis ejulatio

preces et adversum ad Jovem [GO 178, 179]

An evil, winged omen is unleashed, and the ship bearing the foul Maevius sets out.

O South Wind, make sure you pound her on both her sides with savage waves!

May the black North Wind, with the sea in a turmoil, carry away her rigging and smashed oars! [4 couplets omitted]

Oh, what a sweat there will be on your sailors!

For you what a bilious-yellow pallor and such an unmanly yowl, with prayers to the hard-hearted Jupiter! (L; Horace Epodi 10. Maevius was a wretched poetical contemporary of Virgil. In line 3 O'Brian's horridus should be horridis; in line 7 the word navitis is missing. In the final line adversum is lit. 'unregarding'.)

malleolus [NC 54]

the protruding ankle bone (L; lit. a small hammer, or the tongue of a shoe buckle)

mammalia [NC 313]

the class of mammals (L)

mammothrept [M&C 275]

brought up by a grandmother (Gk; ie, 'mummy's boy')

manger [M&C 14]

to eat (F)

mangiare [M&C 14]

to eat (It)

marelle [SM 137]

hopscotch (F)

mari complaisant [LM 279]

an indulgent husband (F)

Mariae Duodecies Sacrum [LM Dedication]

Dedicated Twelve Times Over to Mary (L; Letter of Marque is the 12th book of the series)

Mariae lembi nostri duci et magistrae do dedico [M&C Dedication]

I present and dedicate [this book] to Mary, the commander and mistress of our yacht (L)

Mariae Sacrum [SM, IM, TH, NC Dedications]

Dedicated to Mary (L)

mariage blanc [FW 213]

lit.: white marriage; a marriage in name alone (F)

Marlbrouk s'en va-t-en guerre,

mironton, mironton, mirontaine

Marlbrouk ne revient plus [FW 263]

Marlborough is off to war,

mironton etc.

Marlborough is never coming back

(F; mironton is a nonsense word, perhaps imitating a drum-roll; apparently sung to the tune of 'For he's a jolly good fellow')

marque [LM 57]

mark, sign of authority (F; originally, privateers’ enabling documents were known either as ‘letters of marque [authority]’ or ‘letters of reprisal’, ie a document enabling seizure of enemy vessels. Gradually the document became known as a ‘Letter of Marque and Reprisal’, a somewhat unhandy phrase that incorrectly suggests that ‘marque’ and ‘reprisal’ are two different paths of action.)

marrano [WDS 189]

pig (Sp; usually a reference to Jews who adopted Christianity either under duress or for commercial convenience)

más mató la cena que curó Avicena [US 234]

the supper-table killed more men than Avicena ever cured (Sp; Avicenna was an 11th C Arab physician and philosopher)

mate [WDS 176, BM 194]

herb tea (South Am. Sp., from local Quichua language term for the gourd from which it is traditionally drunk)

matins and lauds; prime; terce; sext; nones; vespers; compline [IM 327]

morning and praise; first hour; third hour; sixth hour; ninth hour; evening; final

(All derived from Latin and French: the cycle of monastic daily prayer as laid down by the rule of St Benedict)

mea culpa, mea maxima culpa [C/T 216]

my fault, my grievious fault (L; from the Roman Catholic Act of Confession)

medang [NC 48]

a type of tree (Malay; used for a large variety of species, with the meaning depending on location)

megrims [BM 157]

depression (Archaic Eng. slang)

melée [PC 214; TMC 226; NC 35; WDS 118; COM 148, 264; YA 67]

general fight (F)

membrum virile [M&