Ex ungue leonem
“From the claw, the lion.”
Latin proverb (from Greek)
What does “Ex ungue leonem” mean?
Ex ungue leonem translates as “From the claw, the lion.”
You can know the whole from a small part. A little evidence reveals a great talent.
“Ex ungue leonem” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Ex | from, out of | preposition that takes the ablative case |
| ungue | claw, nail | ablative singular of unguis, “nail, claw”; the case required after ex |
| leonem | lion | accusative singular of leo, “lion”; the object of a verb left unspoken, such as “we recognize” |
How to pronounce “Ex ungue leonem”
The two systems sound the same here. In ungue the u after n is pronounced, as in “gw”. Stress the first syllable of ungue and the second of leonem.
The story behind it
Word for word the phrase says “from the claw, the lion”. It is short for something like “from the claw we recognize the lion”, with the verb left out.
The saying is a Latin form of an ancient Greek proverb about a lion known by its claw. Greek writers on the proverbs of antiquity connect it to the sculptor or mathematician who is said to have worked out the size of Hercules from the length of his footprint at Olympia.
In Latin the phrase became a common way to say that one small sample can show the whole. It is still used for a short piece of work that reveals the skill of its maker.
How to use “Ex ungue leonem”
A neat caption for a portfolio sample, a first chapter, a single sketch or a short demo that shows what you can do. It also suits an essay on drawing large conclusions from small evidence.
- Latin
- Ex ungue leonem
- English
- From the claw, the lion.
- Source
- Latin proverb (from Greek)
- Era
- Classical
- Theme
- Wisdom
Common mistakes
- The lion is not the claw. The claw is the evidence, and the lion is what it reveals.
- Do not read it as “the lion’s claw”. The words ex and ungue show the claw is the starting point, not the owner.
- Leonem is accusative because the verb is left unspoken. Changing it to leo or leonis would break the idiom.
- It is not a boast about being a lion. It describes how others judge by a small sign.
Questions about “Ex ungue leonem”
What does “Ex ungue leonem” mean literally?
“From the claw, the lion”. The full sense is “from the claw we recognize the lion”, meaning you can judge the whole from one small part.
Where does “Ex ungue leonem” come from?
It is a Latin form of an old Greek proverb. It has no single known Latin author, so it is best described as a proverb from the Greek tradition.
How do you pronounce “Ex ungue leonem”?
Say it eks OON-gweh leh-OH-nem. The u in ungue sounds like “oo”, and the ng-u combination is pronounced “ngw”.
Is “Ex ungue leonem” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes. It is a well-known idiom, and the grammar is sound: ex with the ablative, and the accusative leonem.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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