Sit haec lectio brevis, sed nullum vocabulum neglegatur.

Let this lesson be brief, but let no word be neglected.

Breakdown of Sit haec lectio brevis, sed nullum vocabulum neglegatur.

• esse: to be
• sed: but
• hic: this
• nullus: no

Questions & Answers about Sit haec lectio brevis, sed nullum vocabulum neglegatur.

Why does the sentence use sit and neglegatur instead of est and neglegitur?

Because this sentence is giving a kind of wish, exhortation, or command, not just stating a fact.

Latin often uses the present subjunctive for this, especially in the third person:

• sit = let it be / may it be
• neglegatur = let it be neglected / in context with nullum, let no word be neglected

This is called the jussive subjunctive. English usually translates it with let ... or sometimes may ....

So:

• haec lectio brevis est = this lesson is brief
• sit haec lectio brevis = let this lesson be brief

What exactly is haec doing here?

Haec means this and is a demonstrative adjective here.

It agrees with lectio in:

• gender: feminine
• number: singular
• case: nominative

So haec lectio means this lesson.

Because lectio is feminine singular nominative, the correct form is haec.