Verba volant, scripta manent explained

Verba volant, scripta manent is a Latin proverb, which translates as "(spoken) words fly away, written ones remain". Other versions include verba volant, (sed) littera scripta manet, "(spoken) words fly away, but the written letter remains".^{[1] [2]}

Origin and meaning

The authorship of this proverb is, as with many others, unknown, but it was well-known by the seventeenth century, when it was used in Francis Turretin's "De Libro Vitae".^[3]

The general meaning is that spoken words are ephemeral, and easily forgotten or disputed, but writing can be relied on to prove what was said or agreed to. Applied in a legal context, it means that if people wish to establish a formal agreement, it is best to put it in writing, in order to avoid the disputes that may arise from an oral agreement.

See also

• List of Latin phrases
• Common knowledge

Notes and References

1. Rev. James Wood (ed.), Dictionary of Quotations from Ancient and Modern, English and Foreign Sources, Frederick Warne and Co., London and New York (1893), p. 512.
2. John G. Robertson (ed.), Words for a Modern Age: A Cross Reference of Combining Latin and Greek Elements, Senior Scribe Publications (1991), Appendix 'N', p. 253.
3. "De Libro Vitae", in Francisci Turrettini Opera (works of Francis Turretin), John D. Lowe, Edinburgh, vol. IV, p. 212 (1687, 1848).