List of Latin words with English derivatives

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.

This list is incomplete.

Contents

1 Nouns and adjectives

2 Verbs

3 Prepositions used to form compound words

4 Some examples of compound words

5 Other parts of speech

6 External link

7 See also

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
civis	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
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

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
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, ab	from	ab-
ad	up to, near	ad-, ac-, ar-, al-
ante	before	ante-
cum	with, together	con-, coll-
dē	down from, about	de-
ē, ex	out of	ex, e-, ec-
in	in, into	in-, ill-
inter	between	inter-, intell-
juxtā	near, close to	juxtā
ob	towards	ob-, occ-
prae	before	prae-(pre-)
re	again	re-, red-
se	away from	sē-
prō	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-

Some examples of compound words

The boundary between the prefix and verb is sometimes unclear to English speakers unfamiliar with linguistics and Latin. For example, for a long time, "descend" (de- + scend) was thought to be made of des- and cend, hence it was also spelled dis- and dys-.

Due to assimilation, the roots of some of the English verbs listed here are difficult to recognize. For example, ad- + ludo ("play") results in allude rather than *adlude. On the other hand, once a learner knows the rule they are less likely to make spelling mistakes: that the word aggressive is spelt with gg is due to the fact that it derives from ad + gredior, with -dg-, as it is more difficult to pronounce, having been turned into the easier -gg- (so that *agressive must be considered wrong).

	fero	mitto	pono	premo	scribo	volvo
a(b)-	ablative	---	---	---	---	---
ad-	---	admit admission	---	---	ascribe	---
con-	confer conference collation	commit commission	compose composition	compress compression	conscribe conscription	convoluted convolution
de-	defer deference	---	deponent depose deposition	depress depression	describe description	devolve devolution
e(x)-	---	emit emission	exponent expose exposition	express expression	---	evolve evolution
in-	infer inference	---	impose	impress impression	inscribe inscription	involve involvement
inter-	interfere interference	intermittent	interpose	---	---	---
iuxta-	---	---	juxtapose juxtaposition	---	---	---
ob-	offer	omit omission	oppose opposition	oppress oppression	---	---
prae-	prefer preference	---	preposition	---	prescribe prescription	---
pro-	---	---	propenent propose proposal	---	proscribe proscription	---
re-	refer relate	remit remission	repose	repress repression	---	revolve revolver, revolution
se-	---	---	---	---	---	---
sub-	suffer	submit submission	suppose supposition	suppress suppression	subscribe subscription	---
trans-	transfer translate	transmit transmission	transpose transposition	---	transcribe transcription	---

Other parts of speech

Latin word	meaning
cur?	why?
et	and
in	in, on
is	he, that
id	it, that
quis	who
quid	what

External link

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

List of Latin words with English derivatives

Nouns and adjectives

Verbs

Prepositions used to form compound words

Some examples of compound words

Other parts of speech

External link

See also

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