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iacta

Ia cta is the feminine singular perfect passive participle of the Latin verb iacio, meaning “having been thrown” or “cast.” It is most commonly seen in the phrase alea iacta est, where iacta modifies the feminine noun alea (die).

Etymology and grammar: iacta comes from iacio, with the standard perfect passive participle formation. As a

Historical context and the famous phrase: alea iacta est is traditionally attributed to Julius Caesar, uttered

Modern usage and impact: In contemporary language, the phrase and the word iacta are often invoked to

See also: alea, iacio, Latin participles, A​lea iacta est.

Note: The standard Latin phrase is alea iacta est; iacta functions as the participle modifying alea.

participle,
it
agrees
in
gender
and
number
with
the
noun
it
modifies;
in
alea
iacta
est
it
agrees
with
alea
(feminine
singular).
In
other
contexts
the
masculine
and
neuter
forms
would
be
iactus
and
iactum,
respectively.
as
he
crossed
the
Rubicon
with
his
legion
in
49
BCE.
The
exact
wording
is
known
from
later
sources,
and
the
phrase
has
since
become
a
proverbial
expression
meaning
that
a
decisive,
irreversible
action
has
been
taken.
symbolize
a
point
of
no
return
or
a
bold,
irreversible
decision.
The
expression
appears
in
literature,
journalism,
and
politics
as
a
quotation
or
allusion
to
Caesar’s
moment.
Ia​​​​cta
itself
is
generally
encountered
within
Latin
phrases
or
grammatical
explanations
rather
than
as
a
standalone
term
in
English
prose.