Latin Phrase: I Made This

by John
(Denver, CO)

Dear Latin Teacher,

Is there a single word that means 'I made this' or 'I created this'? What about with a plural object, i.e., 'I made these' or 'I created these'?

Thanks, John


Dear John,

It can't be said easily with a single word in Latin, but for centuries artists have used a simple Latin phrase as a signature to their paintings and sculptures: (Artist's name) fecit or even (Artist's name) me fecit. The former means "John Doe made", the latter "John Doe made me".

To change this phrase to the first person, meaning "I made this", use hoc feci. In the plural it becomes haec feci, "I made these".

The single word feci means "I made", and could be used without an expressed direct object. Just make sure the context in which you use it makes it clear what, exactly, has been made.

Hope this helps, and thanks for asking a Latin teacher.

Sincerely,

John

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