English → Latin
“proverb” in Latin
The English word proverb itself goes back to Latin verbum, through proverbium.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
proverb
proverbium (the proper word): verbum: ☞ adagio, adagium never occur in classical prose. To pass into a proverb, in proverbium or in proverbii consuetudinem venire; in proverbium cedere; proverbiis eludi (to be the subject of a jesting proverb; Scytharum solitudines Graecis proverbiis eluduntur, Curt.). To be a common proverb, proverbio increbuit, with accusative and infinitive (e.g., rem ad triarios rediisse - proverbio increbuit, Liv.): proverbii locum obtinere; aliquid in communibus proverbiis versatur. This has passed into a proverb among the Greeks, hoc Graecis hominibus in proverbio est: as the proverb says (or has it), ut in proverbio est; quod proverbii loco dici solet; also, quod ajunt; ut ajunt; ut dicitur (as people say): there is an old proverb, which, etc., est vetus proverbium; est vetus verbum; vetus verbum hoc quidem est: according to the old proverb, veteri proverbio.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for proverb?
- The usual Latin words for “proverb” are prōverbium, verbum. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.