List of Latin words with English derivatives

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This is a list of Latin words with derivatives in English (and other modern languages).

Note that ancient orthography did not distinguish between i and j or between u and v. Many modern works distinguish u from v but not i from j. In this article both distinctions are shown as they are helpful when tracing the origin of English words. See also Latin spelling and pronunciation.

Nouns and adjectives

The citation form for nouns (the one normally shown in Latin dictionaries) is the nominative singular, but this typically does not exhibit the root form from which English derivatives from Latin nouns are generally derived.

Latin Nouns and Adjectives
Citation form Root form Meaning English Derivative
alius alio-<td>other alien
bonus
– melior
– optimus
bono-
– melior-
– optimo-
good
– better
– best
bonus
ameliorate
optimist
bōs bov- cow bovine
canis can- dog canine
cīvis civ- citizen civil
civilian
diēs diē- day diet
dominus domino- lord dominion
domus domu- house domestic
fēmina fēmina- woman feminine
homō homin- man (human being) hominid
lex lēg- law legal
lūna lūna- moon lunar
lupus lup- wolf lupine
magnus
– mājor
– maximus
magno-
– mājor-
– maximo-
big
– bigger
– biggest
magnitude
major
maximum
mare mar- sea marine
māter mātr- mother matron
maternal
nihil, nīl nihil nothing nil
nihilism
onus oner- load exonerate
onus
opus oper- work operation
opera
pater patr- father patron
paternal
rex rēg- king regal
rūs rūr- farm rural
rustic
terra terra- land terrestrial
urbs urb- city urban
villa villa- country house village
villa
vir viro- man (male person) virile
vīrus vīro- slime, poison virus
viral
vulpa vulpa- fox vulpine

Verbs

The citation form for verbs is the first person singular, present indicative active, for instance sum meaning I am. English derivatives from Latin verbs are generally based on the present stem or the past stem. Many Latin verbs change the vowel of the first paragraph when combined with a preposition, as shown in the examples given below starting with a hyphen. For instance the word capiō (take) when combined with the preposition in gives the compound verb incipiō. In some cases the compound forms show features lost from the simple verb, for instance the initial consonant cluster gn was simplified in the Latin verb gnōscō just as the k is no longer pronounced in the English equivalent know.

Latin Verbs
Citation form Present stem Perfect stem Meaning Typical derivative
agō ag- āct- do agent, action
audiō aud- aud- hear audible
capiō
-cipiō
capi-
-cipi-
capt-
-cept-
take capable, captive
recipient, reception
cēdō cēd- cess- yield, depart recede, recession
claudō
-clūdō
claud-
-clūd-
claus-
-clūs-
close conclude, conclusive
faciō
-ficiō
faci-
-fici-
fact-
-fect-
make efficient, effective
ferō fer- lāt- bring reference, relation
fīgō fīg- fīx- fix crucifixion
fingō fing- fict fashion, invent fiction
gradior
-gredior
gradi-
-gredi-
gress-
-gress-
step ingredient, progressive
jaciō
-(j)iciō
jaci-
(j)ici-
jact-
-ject-
throw projectile
lūdō lūd- lūs- play collude, collusion
mergō merg- mers- dip emerge, immerse
mittō mitt- mīs- send commit, missive
nōscō
-gnōscō
nōsc-
-gnōsc-
nōt-
-gnōt-, -gnit-
know notable
cognitive
pōnō pōn- posit- put component; position
premō prem- press- push pressure, oppress
rumpō rump- rupt- break rupture
scrībō scrīb- scrīpt- write scripture
sequor seq- seq- follow sequence
sum es- fut- be essence, future
vertō vert- vers- turn reverse
videō vidē- vīs- see vision
volvō volv- volūt- roll revolve, revolution

Prepositions used to form compound words

Latin Preposition
Latin word Meaning Compound Form
ā, abfromab-
adup to, nearad-, ac-, ar-, al-
antebeforeante-
cumwith, togethercon-, coll-
down from, aboutde-
ē, exout ofex, e-, ec-
inin, intoin-, im-, ill-
interbetweeninter-, intell-
juxtānear, close tojuxtā
obtowardsob-, occ-
praebeforeprae-(pre-)
reagainre-, red-
seaway fromsē-
prōin front of, on behalf ofprō-
postafter, behindpost-
subundersub-, sus-, succ-
superabove, on top ofsuper-
trānsacrosstrāns-

Other parts of speech

Latin Nouns and Adjectives
Latin word Meaning
cur? why?
et and
in in, on
is he, she, it
id it, that
quis who
quid what

Useful Latin Words and Phrases Vocabulary

  • ab
  • ac (conj.)
  • ad huc
  • ad modum
  • aliquam
  • aliquando
  • aliqui -qua -quod
  • aliquis -qua -quid
  • aliquotiens
  • antea
  • at (form of ad= in addition to)
  • atque
  • atque...atque
  • atqui
  • aut
  • aut...aut
  • autem
  • circum
  • contra
  • coram
  • cotidie
  • cur
  • dehinc
  • deinde
  • demum
  • denique
  • diu
  • diuturnus, a, um
  • donec
  • dum
  • e, ex
  • enim
  • eo quod
  • et
  • etenim
  • etiam
  • etsi
  • extra
  • facile
  • fortasse
  • forte
  • frustra
  • hodie
  • huc
  • iam
  • ibi
  • idcirco
  • ideo
  • igitur
  • illuc
  • immo
  • in
  • inde
  • interdum
  • interea
  • ita
  • ita vero
  • ita...quomodo
  • ita...ut
  • itaque
  • iterum
  • iuxta
  • licet
  • minime
  • modo
  • modo demum
  • mox
  • nam
  • necnon
  • nempe
  • neque...neque
  • nihil
  • non
  • non numquam
  • nondum
  • nonne
  • nonnullus, -a -um
  • numquam
  • nunc
  • nuper
  • nusquam
  • ob
  • ob rem
  • olim
  • omnis
  • opportune
  • optime
  • paene
  • paulatim
  • paulisper
  • per
  • post
  • postea
  • postmodum
  • postquam
  • postremo
  • postridie
  • praeterea
  • primo
  • prior
  • pro
  • prope
  • quae
  • quam ob rem
  • quamquam
  • quid
  • quidnam
  • quo modo
  • quod
  • quoque
  • saepe
  • sed
  • semper
  • si
  • sicut
  • simulac, simulatque
  • sine
  • statim
  • sub
  • subito
  • tam
tamen 
(adv.) nevertheless, yet
tandem 
(adv.) at length, at last, finally, in the end
tot 
(v) determine the sum of ; Synonyms: total, tot up, sum, sum up, summate, tote up, add, add together, tally, add up
tum 
(adv.) then
ubi 
(interrogative) "Where?"; (relative) "When" or "where"
unde 
(adv.) whence, from where
ut 
that, so that, in order to, in order that

External links

See also