Non teneas aurum totum quod splendet ut aurum
“Do not take as gold all that shines like gold.”
Medieval Latin proverb
What does “Non teneas aurum totum quod splendet ut aurum” mean?
Non teneas aurum totum quod splendet ut aurum translates as “Do not take as gold all that shines like gold.”
Appearances can deceive; not everything attractive is valuable. It is the Latin forerunner of "all that glitters is not gold".
“Non teneas aurum totum quod splendet ut aurum” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Non | not | negative adverb; with the subjunctive it expresses a prohibition or warning |
| teneas | you should hold / take | present subjunctive, 2nd person singular, of teneo, “I hold”; used as a prohibition, so “do not hold” |
| aurum | gold | accusative singular neuter of aurum, “gold”; direct object of teneas |
| totum | all, entire | accusative singular neuter of totus, “whole, all”; agrees with aurum |
| quod | that, which | nominative singular neuter relative pronoun (qui, quae, quod); subject of splendet |
| splendet | shines | present indicative, 3rd person singular, of splendeo, “I shine, gleam” |
| ut | like, as | conjunction meaning “as” or “like” in comparisons |
| aurum | gold | nominative singular neuter of aurum, “gold”; the thing compared to, with splendet understood: “as gold shines” |
How to pronounce “Non teneas aurum totum quod splendet ut aurum”
The two systems sound the same here, since the quote has no c or g before e or i, no v and no ae. The stress falls on the first syllable of teneas, aurum and totum, and on the first syllable of splendet.
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “you should not hold as gold everything that shines like gold”. The verb teneo, “to hold”, is used here in the sense of regarding or taking something as genuine.
It is a medieval Latin proverb, found in the Liber parabolarum, a collection of moral sayings attributed to Alan of Lille in the twelfth century. Alan was a French scholar and poet, and such collections were widely used to teach Latin and morals to students.
The verse is an early relative of the English saying “all that glitters is not gold”. Similar warnings about appearances turn up in many later European languages, and the thought itself is much older than this wording.
How to use “Non teneas aurum totum quod splendet ut aurum”
It suits an inscription on a jewellery box, an investor’s or a student’s notebook, or a speech or essay about appearances against reality. As a tattoo or motto it works for anyone who wants a reminder to judge by substance rather than show.
- Latin
- Non teneas aurum totum quod splendet ut aurum
- English
- Do not take as gold all that shines like gold.
- Source
- Medieval Latin proverb
- Era
- Middle Ages
- Theme
- Wisdom
Common mistakes
- It does not say gold is worthless. It warns that not everything gold-coloured is real gold.
- Do not treat it as a classical Roman line. It is a medieval proverb, and the attribution to Alan of Lille is traditional rather than certain.
- Non teneas is a prohibition with the subjunctive. Do not swap in the indicative non tenes, which would just state a fact (“you do not hold”).
- The two aurum are different cases (accusative, then nominative), even though they look identical. Do not drop the second one when shortening the line.
Questions about “Non teneas aurum totum quod splendet ut aurum”
What does “Non teneas aurum totum quod splendet ut aurum” mean?
It means “Do not take as gold all that shines like gold”. Not everything that looks valuable really is, so do not trust appearances alone.
Is this the origin of “all that glitters is not gold”?
It is an early Latin forerunner of that saying, found in a medieval collection of proverbs. The English wording developed separately over the following centuries.
Who wrote “Non teneas aurum totum quod splendet ut aurum”?
It is a medieval Latin proverb, found in the Liber parabolarum attributed to Alan of Lille in the twelfth century. The exact authorship is traditional rather than certain.
How do you pronounce “Non teneas aurum totum”?
In classical Latin: nohn TEH-neh-ahs OW-room TOH-toom. The church pronunciation sounds the same for these words.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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