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	Genative Form (Declining Form)	Meaning	English Derivative
alius	alio-	other	alien
annus	anni-	year	annual
aqua	aqua-	water	aquamarine
avis	avis-	bird	avian aviary
bellum	belli-	war	bellicose
bonus – melior – optimus	boni- – melior- – optimo-	good – better – best	bonus ameliorate optimum
bōs	bov-	cow	bovine
canis	canis-	dog	canine
cīvis	civis-	citizen	civil civilian
coniunx	coniug-	spouse	conjugal
deus	dei-	god	deity
diēs	diē-	day	diet
discipulus	discipuli-	student	disciple
dominus	domini-	lord	dominion dominate
domus	dom-	house	domestic domicile
fēmina	fēmin-	woman	feminine
filius	fili-	son	filial
forma	form-	form, shape, beauty	form
genus	gener-	birth offspring	generation
homō	hominis-	man (human being)	hominid
iudis	iudic-	judge	judge judicial abjudicate
ius	iur-	right law	justice
lachryma	lachrym-	tear	lachrymose
lex	lēgis-	law	legal
lūna	lūn-	moon	lunar
lupus	lup-	wolf	lupine
magister	magistri-	master	magistrate
magnus – mājor – maximus	magno- – mājor- – maximo-	big – bigger – biggest	magnitude major maximum
manus	man-	hand band of men	manual
mare	maris-	sea	marine
māter	mātris-	mother	matron maternal
nihil	nihil	nothing	nil nihilism annihilate
nox	noctis-	night	nocturnal
onus	oner-	load	exonerate onus
opus	oper-	work	operation opera
pater	patris-	father	patron paternal patriarch
pavimentum	paviment-	ground	pavement
pulchra	pulchri/ae-	beauty	pulchritude
rex	rēgis-	king	regal
rūs	rūr-	farm	rural rustic
terra	terrae-	land	terrestrial terrain
urbs	urbis-	city	urban
veritas	veritatis-	truth	veracity verify
villa	villae-	country house	village villa
vir	viri-	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	Participial stem	Meaning	Typical derivative
agō	ag-	eg-	āct-	do	agent, action
amo	am-	amav-	amat-	like love	enamor
audiō	aud-	audiv-	audit-	hear	audible
capiō -cipiō	cap-	cepi- -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	fac-	feci- -fici-	fact- -fect-	make	efficient, effective
ferō	fer-	tul-	lāt-	bring	reference, relation
fīgō	fīg-	fīx-		fix	crucifixion
fingō	fing-		fict	fashion, invent	fiction
gradior -gredior	gradi- -gredi-	gress- -gress-	none	step	ingredient, progressive
jaciō -(j)iciō	jac-	jaci- (j)ici-	jact- -ject-	throw	projectile inject
laudo	laud-	laudav-		praise	laud applaud laudable
lūdō	lūd-		lūs-	play	collude, collusion
mergō	merg-	mers-		dip	emerge, immerse
mittō	mitt-	mīs-	miss-	send	commit, missive
moveo	mov-	mov-	mot-	move	move motor motive
nascor	nasci	natus	none	to be born	natal prenatal
nōscō -gnōscō	nōsc- -gnōsc-	nosc-	nōt- -gnōt-, -gnit-	know	notable cognitive
nuntio	nunt-			bring news of, announce	announce
peto	pet-	petiv-		seek attack	petulant
pōnō	pōn-	ponu-	posit-	put	component; position
premō	prem-		press-	push	pressure, oppress
pugno	pugn-	pugnav-	pugnat-	fight	pugnatious
puto	put-	putav-	putat-	think	compute putative
relinquo	relinqu-	relinquav-		abandon	relinquish
rumpō	rump-	rupt-		break	rupture
scrībō	scrīb-	scrips-	scrīpt-	write	scripture
sequor	seq-	seq-	none	follow	sequence
sum	es-	fu-	fut-	be	essence, future
vertō	vert-	vers-		turn	reverse
videō	vidē-	vid-	vīs-	see	vision
volo	vell-			wish	volition malevolent benevolent
volvō	volv-		volūt-	roll	revolve, revolution

Prepositions used to form compound words

Latin Preposition
Latin word	Meaning	Compound Form
ā, ab	away from, by	ab-
ad	to, toward	ad-, ac-, ar-, al-
ante	before, in front of	ante-
cum	with, together	con-, coll-
dē	down from, about	de-
ē, ex	out of	ex, e-, ec-
in	in, into	in-, im-, ill-
inter	between	inter-, intell-
juxtā	near, close to	juxtā
ob	in front of, on account of	ob-, occ-
prae	before	prae-(pre-)
re	again, back	re-, red-
se	away from	sē-
per	through	per-
prō	for, in front of, on behalf of	prō-
post	after, behind	post-
sub	under	sub-, sus-, succ-
super	above, on top of	super-
trāns	across	trāns-

post = after

Other parts of speech

Latin word	meaning
cur?	why?
et	and
in	in, on
is	he, she, it
id	it, that
paene	almost	pen-, peninsula
quis	who
quid	what
quo	where
ubique	from all sides	ubiquitous

External links

• http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/resolveform?lang=Latin

See also

• Classical compound
• Dog Latin
• Greek and latin roots
• Latin
• List of Greek words with English derivatives
• List of Latin phrases
• List of Germanic and Latinate equivalents
• List of French phrases
• List of French proverbs
• List of Greek phrases
• List of German expressions in English
• List of German words and phrases
• French phrases used by English speakers
• List of Spanish expressions in common English
• Living Latin
• New Latin

 

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