Glossary entry

Latin term or phrase:

Usum non tollit abusus

English translation:

abuse does not exclude use

Added to glossary by Vassyl Trylis
May 9, 2005 06:13
19 yrs ago
Latin term

Usum non tollit abusus

Latin to English Other Other maxima
just translation needed
thank you

Discussion

Non-ProZ.com May 9, 2005:
I could not expect such a "symmetry" of the phrase! Whoever interested in context has to find it (twice) in Newman's "Grammar of Assent". A XIX century Latin :-).

Proposed translations

+12
18 mins
Selected

the abuse (of a law) does not exclude/remove/eliminate (its) usage

Hello!

This is a legal expression which means that abusing a law does not imply necessarily the ban or cut or removal of that law, but it says that that very law must be respected to certain limits.

Hope this helps!

Frases Latinas (Zanoner)


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Note added at 1 hr 9 mins (2005-05-09 07:22:51 GMT)
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Depending on the context, you can leave it untranslated as well, of course :)

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Note added at 1 hr 59 mins (2005-05-09 08:12:26 GMT)
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\"Usum\" is clearly the object here, despite its first place in the sentence - abusus, nominative, works as a subject. Why should it be wrong? I have seen this maxim both ways, both directions, but always \"abusus\" and \"usum\". And that would be the correct Legal maxim... why complicate it?

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Note added at 2 hrs 32 mins (2005-05-09 08:45:38 GMT)
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I would also add that \"usum non tollit abusus\" and \"abusus non tollit usum\" have exactly the same meaning, only with a slight difference of emphasis

Usum non tollit abusus: It is usage what abuse does not exclude.
Abusus non tollit usum: Abuse does not exclude usage
Peer comment(s):

agree Pierre POUSSIN
2 mins
agree Michel A.
21 mins
agree Saifa (X)
34 mins
agree kaydee
50 mins
agree Krisztina Lelik
1 hr
agree Elizabeth Rudin : ... In the Asker's sentence the sense of the maxim seems to be reversed, although not in a grammatically correct way...// As we now have the context, it is clear that you are right - the standard version applies!
1 hr
What can I say, dear Elizabeth: I am translating what the asker wants: and he clearly writes "usum" (accusative). As you know, Latin is more flexible regarding word order. Usum is clearly the object here, with an emphasis on it being the first word.
agree Deschant
1 hr
agree Valentini Mellas
1 hr
agree Joseph Brazauskas : Perfect.
4 hrs
Gratias tibi ago! :-)
agree Dr. Linnea Franssen
6 hrs
agree Alfa Trans (X)
21 hrs
agree Maria Ferstl
2 days 3 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you, Flavio - for your help and very nice performance. Thanks to all participants!"
-1
9 mins

abuse did not tolerate use

did not endure
Peer comment(s):

disagree Flavio Ferri-Benedetti : Watch out :) "tollit" is not a past tense (that would be "sustuli" - also "tollo" means "to remove", "to take away", not "to tolerate" - Best wishes :)
10 mins
sure, you are right, sorry
Something went wrong...
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