veni, vidi, vici
English
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin vēnī vīdī vīcī; literally: I came, I saw, I conquered. From vēnī (“I came”), the first person perfect tense form of veniō (“I come”) + vīdī (“I saw”), the first person perfect tense form of videō (“I see”) + vīcī (“I conquered”), the first person perfect tense form of vincō (“I conquer, I defeat”).
Coined by Roman general and consul Julius Caesar in 47 BC as the full text of his message to the Roman senate describing his recent victory over Pharnaces II of Pontus in the Battle of Zela.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈveɪniː ˈviːdiː ˈviːt͡ʃiː/, (Latinistic) /ˈweɪniː ˈwiːdiː ˈwiːkiː/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈvɛni ˈvidi ˈvit͡ʃi/
Quotations
- For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:veni, vidi, vici.
Latin
Etymology
From vēnī (“I came”) the first person perfect tense form of veniō (“I come”) + vīdī (“I saw”) the first person perfect tense form of videō (“I see”) + vīcī (“I conquered”) the first person perfect tense form of vincō (“I conquer, I defeat”). Coined by Roman general and consul Julius Caesar in 47 BC as the full text of his message to the Roman senate describing his recent victory over Pharnaces II of Pontus in the Battle of Zela.
Pronunciation
- (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈweː.niː ˈwiː.diː ˈwiː.kiː/