Latin Phrase: So that others may live

by Alex
(Austin, TX)

Hey,

I'm a firefighter looking to get a tattoo, and I want to put the Latin phrase for "so that others may live." I've looked all over the internet looking for a good translation, but have run into a lot of variants. I don't want to mess up and tattoo the wrong phrase, they can be very unforgiving that way... Can you help with the translation?

Thanks,
Alex
Austin, TX


Dear Alex,

The simplest that comes to mind is this: Ut Alii Vivant.

Ut = so that

Alii = others, as in other people

Vivant = present subjunctive of vivunt, meaning they may live or may they live.

If you like the look and sound, you may change to the word order to Ut Vivant Alii.

Hope this helps and thanks for asking a Latin teacher. I don't often answer tattoo questions, but yours seems honest, sincere, and simple enough.

Now go save some lives!

Sincerely,

John

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