phrase · neuter

pecūnia nōn olet

Classical[pɛˈkuː.ni.a ˈnoːn ˈɔ.ɫɛt]Ecclesiastical[peˈkuː.ni.a ˈnɔn ˈɔː.let]

Meaning

money does not smell (the value of money is not affected by the business it comes from, even from the most unpleasant one)

Origins

According to Suetonius, this sentence was Vespasian's reply to his son Titus, who was complaining about the urine tax he had imposed.

Descendants

Englishmoney does not smell
Frenchl'argent n'a pas d'odeur
GermanGeld stinkt nicht
Dutchgeld stinkt niet
Finnishraha ei haise
Russianде́ньги не па́хнут

Quick answers

What does pecūnia nōn olet mean in Latin?

pecūnia nōn olet, a phrase, means “money does not smell (the value of money is not affected by the business it comes from, even from the most unpleasant one)”.

How do you pronounce pecūnia nōn olet?

In classical Latin, [pɛˈkuː.ni.a ˈnoːn ˈɔ.ɫɛt]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [peˈkuː.ni.a ˈnɔn ˈɔː.let].