Causarum enim cognitio cognitionem eventorum facit
“Knowing the causes produces knowledge of what will happen.”
Cicero, Topica 67
What does “Causarum enim cognitio cognitionem eventorum facit” mean?
Causarum enim cognitio cognitionem eventorum facit translates as “Knowing the causes produces knowledge of what will happen.”
If you understand why things happen, you can foresee results.
“Causarum enim cognitio cognitionem eventorum facit” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Causarum | of causes | genitive plural of causa, “cause, reason”; it depends on cognitio (“knowledge of the causes”) |
| enim | for, indeed | a connecting particle, here giving the reason for what came before; it never stands first in its clause, hence its place in second position |
| cognitio | knowledge | nominative singular (feminine) of cognitio, “knowledge, understanding”; the subject of facit |
| cognitionem | knowledge | accusative singular of cognitio; the object of facit |
| eventorum | of outcomes | genitive plural of eventus, “outcome, result, what happens”; it depends on cognitionem |
| facit | makes, produces | third person singular present indicative active of facio, “I make, I do” |
How to pronounce “Causarum enim cognitio cognitionem eventorum facit”
In Classical Latin c is always hard and v sounds like w; in Church Latin ti before a vowel becomes tsee and c before i becomes ch. Stress falls on the second-to-last syllable of causarum, cognitionem and eventorum, and on the third-to-last of cognitio.
The story behind it
Word for word the sentence says that knowledge of causes makes knowledge of outcomes. The idea is that to know why things happen is to know what will follow.
It comes from Cicero’s Topica, a short handbook on finding arguments, written in the first century BC. In the part on arguments from cause, Cicero treats causes as a source of proof: if you can name what produces an effect, you can reason about the effect itself.
The thought has had a long afterlife. It echoes the ancient ideal of knowing things through their causes, and it is often quoted today in connection with science, study and forecasting.
How to use “Causarum enim cognitio cognitionem eventorum facit”
It suits a study motto, a line for a teacher, scientist or analyst, a graduation card, or an essay on causation, science or learning. It also works as a tattoo for anyone who values understanding over guesswork.
- Latin
- Causarum enim cognitio cognitionem eventorum facit
- English
- Knowing the causes produces knowledge of what will happen.
- Source
- Cicero, Topica 67
- Era
- Classical
- Theme
- Learning
Common mistakes
- It does not promise certainty: the Latin says knowledge of causes produces knowledge of outcomes, and Cicero is making a point about argument, not about fate.
- The word enim cannot open a sentence in Latin; if you rearrange the words, keep it in second position.
- Eventus means “outcome” or “result”; do not confuse it with the English “event” in the sense of an occasion.
- If you quote only “Causarum cognitio”, you lose the second half and with it the point about outcomes.
Questions about “Causarum enim cognitio cognitionem eventorum facit”
What does “Causarum enim cognitio cognitionem eventorum facit” mean?
It means “Knowing the causes produces knowledge of what will happen.” Literally: for knowledge of causes makes knowledge of outcomes.
Who said “Causarum enim cognitio cognitionem eventorum facit”?
It is from Cicero’s Topica, section 67, a work on how to find arguments. Cicero wrote it in the first century BC.
How do you pronounce “Causarum enim cognitio cognitionem eventorum facit”?
In Classical Latin: kow-SAH-room EH-nim kog-nee-tee-OH kog-nee-tee-OH-nem eh-wen-TOH-room FAH-kit. The Church pronunciation differs mainly in the soft c and the ti sound.
What does “enim” do in this sentence?
It means “for” or “indeed” and links the sentence to what came before it in Cicero’s text. Standing alone, you can read it as a mild “for” or leave it untranslated in English.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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