Caveat emptor as 'information asymmetry'. Defects in the good or service may be hidden from the buyer, and only known to the seller. A common way that information asymmetry between seller and buyer has been addressed is through a legally binding warranty, such as a guarantee of satisfaction. But without such a safeguard in place the ancient rule applies, and the buyer should beware. Under the principle of "caveat emptor", the buyer could not recover damages from the seller for defects on the property that rendered the property unfit for ordinary purposes. The only exception was if the seller actively concealed latent
Latin syntax like the following, there is potential for confusion, since the "quīn" clause, though positive in Latin, is translated in English with a negative: In the following context, the words after "quīn" express not what actually happened but what very nearly happened: The pronoun "quī" 'who' or 'which', when followed by a subjunctive, can mean 'a person such as' (generic): It can also mean 'in order to' (purpose): Another meaning is 'in view of the fact that' (giving an explanation), as in the following example, said jokingly of a consul who was elected on the last day of the year: Another