An award is given ex aequo to two people with equal merit.
The Latin phrase ex aequo literally translates as “on an equal footing.” The expression is usually used in contests and competitions to refer to participants who share the same position or distinction .
Same recognition
If an award has two winners ex aequo , it means that the two winners achieved the same recognition . In other words, the winners shared the award in question.
In literary competitions
It is common for the idea of ex aequo to appear linked to literary competitions. Take the case of the Jaime Gil de Biedma Poetry Prize , awarded by the Provincial Council of Segovia ( Spain ). In its first edition, which took place in 1991 , it was awarded ex aequo to José Pérez Olivares for “Examen del Guerrero” and Luis Javier Moreno Madroño for “The End of Contemplation” .
The 2020 edition of the Francisco de Aldana International Prize for Poetry in the Spanish Language , meanwhile, was awarded ex aequo to Gloria Fernández Sánchez and Boris Rozas . This means that both authors captivated the jury equally.
Rules of use
It should be noted that the Urgent Spanish Foundation ( Fundéu BBVA ) indicates that ex aequo is written with both components separated ( ex and aequo ). In other words, joining them with a hyphen ( ex-aequo ) or writing them together ( exaequo ) constitutes an error . Furthermore, as with all other Latin phrases, it is necessary to write it in italics, as we have done throughout this article.
Beyond these rules when including it in a text in Spanish, let's take a look at the grammatical issues that we must take into account to combine it with our words and structures. Generally, it is inserted after the noun that represents the award or the verb that evokes it implicitly: "they gave the prize ex aequo " or "they awarded it to them ex aequo ." If we were only guided by its meaning, "with equal merit to receive a distinction", we would not be able to put together these sentences in the same way.
The pronunciation of this Latin phrase generates a certain degree of confusion, as well as many others that also come from the same dead language. Two options are recommended: eksékuo (i.e., omitting the A sound) or eksaékuo ; in both cases, accentuating the letter E. The problem is not as simple as resorting to a single dictionary, since Latin had variations in its pronunciation even when it was in force: throughout the Roman Empire, each people contributed different condiments, specific to their language. Today these differences are accepted at an academic level , so an Italian is not expected to pronounce Latin like an American or an Argentinian.
ex aequo et bono
The phrase ex aequo et bono , on the other hand, is used in the legal field to refer to the power of a court to decide the resolution of a dispute with the measure that it considers most equitable in a specific case.
Ex aequo et bono is the power to resolve a dispute in the most equitable manner.
This principle is recognized in the statute of the International Court of Justice , for example, in its article 38.2, which indicates that the Court has this power as long as the parties accept it by common agreement.
This statute is part of the Charter of the United Nations , in its chapter XIV, and consists of five chapters throughout which deals with topics such as the organization and powers of the Court.
With respect to the Central American Court of Justice , which was put into operation in 1994 in Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, the possibility of resolving a case in this way is also established if the interested parties so agree.