It’s guaranteed that you have or will run into some of these Latin terms in anything including the lightest reading. That’s because they’re everywhere. In newspapers, textbooks, manuals, et cetera. They are used in, inter alia, academic writing, text messaging, and, quite extensively, law documents. So, they are, ipso facto, very important to know. Ergo, we thought it’s a good idea to combine these Latin words and phrases in one place and explain what they mean so that when you run into some of them next time, you go like, ha! I have seen this word somewhere and I know what it means. So, let’s get down to it.
1. a priori
A belief or conclusion based on assumptions or reasoning of some sort rather than actual experience or empirical evidence. Before actually encountering, experiencing, or observing a fact.
2. a posteriori.
A fact, belief, or argument that is based on actual experience, experiment, or observation. After the fact.
3. ad astra.
To the stars.
4. ad hoc.
For a particular situation, without planning or consideration of some broader purpose or application.
5. ad hominem.
Directed to a particular person rather than generally, such as an attack on a person rather than a position they are espousing.
6. ad infinitum.
Repeat forever.
7. ad lib
Short for ad libitum. As you desire, at one’s pleasure. To speak or perform without preparation.
8. ad nauseam.
Repetition that has become annoying or tiresome.
9. affidavit.
He has sworn. Sworn statement.
10. alma mater.
Nourishing, kind, bounteous mother. School from which one graduated.
11. alias.
Also known as. Otherwise known as. Less commonly as the proper meaning of at another time, otherwise.
12. alibi.
In another place. Elsewhere. Reason one couldn’t have been in a location where an act was committed.
13. alter ego.
Other self. Another side of oneself.
14. A.D.
short for anno Domini. In the year of our Lord. Number of years since the birth of Jesus Christ.
15. a.m.
Short for ante meridiem. Before midday (noon.) Morning.
16. animus.
Spirit, mind, courage anger. Animosity. Intense opposition and ill will towards something, somebody, or some social group, commonly emotional, passionate, and mean-spirited. Hatred.
17. ante.
Before. Earlier. In a Supreme Court opinion, ante refers to an earlier page of the same opinion.
18. ante bellum.
Before the war.
19. ante mortem.
Before death.
20. bona fide.
Genuine. Real. With no intention to deceive.
21. c. / ca. / or cca.
Short for circa. Around. About. Approximately. Relative to a certain year.
22. carpe diem.
Seize the day or moment. Make the best of the present rather than delay or focus on the future.
23. caveat.
Warning, caution, disclaimer, or stipulation.
24. cf.
Short for confer. Compare to. In reference to, as a comparison.
25. cogito ergo sum.
I think, therefore I am — Descartes.
26. consensus.
Agreement. General or widespread agreement.
27. corpus.
Body, especially of written or textual matter such as books and papers.
28. curriculum.
Race. Course of a race. Path of a race. Subjects comprising a course of academic study.
29. CV
Short for curriculum vitae. The course of one’s life. Resume. List of significant academic and professional accomplishments, achievements, awards, education, and training.
30. de facto.
True or matter of fact as it is, regardless of intent, good reason, authority, or official reason for being such.
31. dictum.
Something said. Noteworthy, authoritative statement or principle. Common wisdom.
32. doctor.
Teacher. Learned person. Doctor.
33. ergo.
Therefore.
34. et al.
Short for et alia (neuter plural) or et alii (masculine plural) or et aliae (feminine plural). And others. And all of the others.
35. etc.
Short for et cetera.
36. e pluribus unum.
— Out of many, one — U.S. motto.
37. ex post.
After.
38. ex post facto.
After the fact.
39. e.g.
Short for exempli gratia. For the sake of example. For example.
40. ibid.
Short for ibidem or ib idem. In the same place. For a citation, indicates that it is from the same place as the preceding citation.
41. id.
short for idem. From the same source. For a citation, indicates that it is from the same source, but not from the same location in that source. In contrast to ibidem (ibid.) which means the same location or place in the same source as the preceding citation.
42. i.e.
Short for id est. That is. In other words.
43. in absentia.
Conducted in the absence of.
44. in camera.
In chambers. In private, commonly for legal proceedings, in the judge’s office (chambers.) before digital photography cameras were little “chambers.”
45. in situ.
In position. In place.
46. in toto.
As a whole. Entirely. All of it.
47. incognito.
Unknown. With one’s identity concealed. This is actually an Italian word, derived from the Latin word incognitus.
48. inter alia.
Among others. Among other things.
49. innuendo.
By nodding. Implied. Indirectly implied. Suggested. Oblique allusion.
50. intra.
Within. In a Supreme Court opinion, refers to a decision of another court, typically an appeals court.
51. ipso facto.
By that very fact or act. Therefore.
51. lingua franca.
Common language in a multi-language environment. Technically, it’s Italian.
52. magnum opus.
Great work. Greatest work. Masterpiece.
53. M.O.
short for modus operandi. Mode or method of operation. How you do things.
54. n.b. or N.B.
short for nota bene. Note well. It is worth noting that.
55. per capita.
Per person, for each person, of a population. Individually, but not for any particular person.
56. per cent.
or percent short for per centum. For each one hundred.
57. per se.
By itself. Intrinsically. Specifically.
58. p.m. / PM
short for post meridiem. After midday (noon.) Afternoon.
59. post.
After. Later. In a Supreme Court opinion, post refers to a later page of the same opinion.
60. post mortem.
After death.
61. prima facie.
On its face. Accepted on its face. Accepted as true based on initial impression. Accepted as true unless proven false.
62. PS.
short for post scriptum. Written after. After what has been written. In addition to what has been written. In addition.
63. quasi.
As if. As though. Resembling. Similar but not quite exactly the same. Having many but not all the features of.
64. quid pro quo.
This for that. An exchange of goods or services. A barter transaction. Any contractual transaction.
65. sic
or [sic]. So, this. The previous word should be taken literally even if it is not correct or appropriate.
66. stat.
or stat short for statim. Immediately. Now. without delay.
67. status quo.
The existing state of affairs. As it is. As things are.
68. stricto sensu
or sensu stricto. In a narrow, tight, or strict sense. Strictly speaking.
69. sui generis.
Of its own kind. Unique. Outside of existing categories. In law, outside of existing law.
70. supra.
Above. From the previous cited source.
71. tabula rasa.
Clean slate. Blank slate. Absence of any preconceived notions, ideas, goals, or purpose.
72. veni, vidi, vici.
I came, I saw, I conquered.
73. verbatim.
The same exact words. Literally.
74. vs.
short for versus. Against. In opposition to. As opposed to. In contrast to.
75. veto.
I forbid. Reject.
76. vice versa.
As well as the two immediately preceding subjects of a statement reversed. The same either way. The other way around.
77. viz.
short for videre licet or videlicet. Namely. That is.
You’ve reached the end of the article. Please share it if you think it deserves.
Interested in increasing your vocabulary? Here are some English words from Latin directly or from Latin via French or Spanish. These words are thought to have come from newspaper articles from around 1923. One of the words on the list, mattoid, does not appear to be used any longer, so it is not included.
- acumen — ability to make good judgments
- agenda — list of things to be done
- altruism — selfless concern for others
- ambiguous — having a double meaning
- aplomb (Fr.) — self-confidence
- atrocity — cruel act
- avarice — greed
- bibulous — excessively fond of drinking alcohol
- celibate — abstaining from sex or marriage
- chivalrous (Fr.) — gallant
- condign — worthy, appropriate
- conglomerate — parts put together to form a unit while remaining separate identities
- crepuscular — pertaining to twilight
- cull — select from a variety of sources
- debilitate — weaken
- dirigible — capable of being guided
- facsimile — exact copy
- ferrous — made of iron
- flux — in the process of flowing
- futile — in vain
- garrulity — loquaciousness
- impecunious — poor
- incalculable — too great to be counted
- incommunicado (Sp.) — not in communication with others
- indefatigability — tireless
- insipid — lacking flavor
- introspection — looking within at one’s mental or emotional state
- languid — slow, relaxed
- lucubration — meditation
- malfeasance (Fr.) — wrongdoing
- modicum — small amount
- moribund — near death
- mundane — worldly as opposed to spiritual
- naive — exhibiting lack of experience
- obeisance — respect
- obvious — clear (from the Latin for «in the way»)
- parvenu — celebrity from obscure origins
- perpetuate — preserve
- perturb — make anxious
- plausible — probable
- precarious — uncertain
- puerile — childishly silly
- pulchritude — beauty
- pusillanimity — showing a lack of courage
- rapport — close relationship
- rapprochement (Fr.) — establishment of a harmonious relationship
- recalcitrant — obstinate
- renegade — a rebellious person
- reprisal — retaliation
- sacrosanct — very important or holy and not to be messed with
- simulacrum — image
- stipend — fixed allowance
- stultify — make appear foolish, cause to loose enthusiasm
- succumb — fail to resist
- taunt (Fr.) — provoke
- tentative — provisional
- turpitude — depravity
- ubiquity — found everywhere
Source: «Learn a Word Every Day» by Lillian B. Lawler. The Classical Journal, Vol. 18, No. 5. (Feb. 1923), pp. 299-301.
Although English is a Germanic language, it has Latin influences. Its grammar and core vocabulary are inherited from Proto-Germanic, but a significant portion of the English vocabulary comes from Romance and Latinate sources. A portion of these borrowings come directly from Latin, or through one of the Romance languages, particularly Anglo-Norman and French, but some also from Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish; or from other languages (such as Gothic, Frankish or Greek) into Latin and then into English. The influence of Latin in English, therefore, is primarily lexical in nature, being confined mainly to words derived from Latin and Greek roots.
Early Middle AgesEdit
The Germanic tribes who later gave rise to the English language traded and fought with the Latin speaking Roman Empire. Many words for common objects therefore entered the vocabulary of these Germanic people via Latin even before the tribes reached Britain : anchor, butter, camp, cheese, chest, cook, copper, devil, dish, fork, gem, inch, kitchen, mile, mill, mint (coin), noon, pillow, pound (unit of weight), punt (boat), sack, wall, street, wine.
Christian missionaries coming to Britain in the 6th or and 7th century brought with them Latin religious terms. Some of these words are ultimately of Greek origin, as much of the technical language of Christianity developed from the Greek of the New Testament and the works of those Fathers of the Church who wrote in Greek.
During this time, the Catholic monks mainly wrote or copied text in Latin, the prevalent Medieval Lingua Franca of Europe. However, when monks occasionally wrote in the vernacular, Latin words were translated by finding suitable Old English equivalents. Often, a Germanic word was adopted and given a new shade of meaning in the process. Such was the case with Old English gōdspell («gospel») for Latin Evangelium. Previously, the Old English word simply meant «good news,» but its meaning was extended in Old English to fit a religious context. The same occurred for the Old Germanic pagan word blētsian, which meant «to sacrifice, consecrate by shedding blood». It was adapted by Old English scribes and christened to become the word bless. Similarly fullwiht
(literally, «full-being») and the verb fullian came to mean «baptism» and «to baptise» respectively, but probably originally referred to some kind of rite of passage.
Whenever a suitable Old English substitute could not be found, a Latin word could be chosen instead, and many Latin words entered the Old English lexicon in this way. Such words include: «biscop» «bishop» from Latin «episcopus», Old English «tepid»»carpet» from Latin «tapetum», and Old English «sigel»»brooch» from Latin «sigillum»»culcer» and «læfel»»spoon» from Latin «coclearium»and «labellum» beside Old English «spōn» and hlædel (Modern English ladle); Old English forca from Latin furca «fork» next to Old English gafol; Old English scamol «chair, stool» from Latin scamellum beside native stōl, benc and setl. All told, approximately 600 words were borrowed from Latin during the Old English period.[1] Often, the Latin word was severely restricted in sense, and was not widespread in use among the general populace. Latin words tended to be literary or scholarly terms and were not very common. The majority of them did not survive into the Middle English Period.
Middle AgesEdit
The Norman Conquest of 1066 gave England a two-tiered society with an aristocracy which spoke Anglo-Norman and a lower class which spoke English. From 1066 until Henry IV of England ascended the throne in 1399, the royal court of England spoke a Norman language that became progressively Gallicised through contact with French. However, the Norman rulers made no attempt to suppress the English language, apart from not using it at all in their court. In 1204, the Anglo-Normans lost their continental territories in Normandy and became wholly English. By the time Middle English arose as the dominant language in the late 14th century, the Normans had contributed roughly 10,000 words to English of which 75% remain in use today. Continued use of Latin by the Church and centres of learning brought a steady, though dramatically reduced, influx of new Latin lexical borrowings.
RenaissanceEdit
During the English Renaissance, from around 1500–1650, some 10,000 to 12,000 words entered the English lexicon, including the word lexicon. Some examples include aberration, allusion, anachronism, democratic, dexterity, enthusiasm, imaginary, juvenile, pernicious, sophisticated. Many of these words were borrowed directly from Latin, both in its classical and medieval forms. In turn, Late Latin also included borrowings from Greek.
Industrial AgeEdit
The dawn of the age of scientific discovery in the 17th and 18th centuries created the need for new words to describe newfound knowledge. Many words were borrowed from Latin, while others were coined from Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes, and Latin word elements freely combine with elements from all other languages including native Anglo-Saxon words. Some of the words which entered English at this time are: apparatus, aqueous, carnivorous, component, corpuscle, data, experiment, formula, incubate, machinery, mechanics, molecule, nucleus, organic, ratio, structure, vertebra.
Consequences for EnglishEdit
In addition to a large number of historical borrowings and coinages, today Latinate words continue to be coined in English – see classical compounds – particularly in technical contexts. A number of more subtle consequences include: numerous doublets – two or more cognate terms from both a Germanic and Latinate source (or Latinate sources), such as cow/beef; numerous cases of etymologically unrelated terms for closely related concepts, notably Germanic nouns with a Latin adjective, such as bird/avian or hand/manual; complicated etymologies due to indirect borrowings (via Romance) or multiple borrowings; and usage controversies over the perceived complexity of Latinate terms.
Noun/adjective doubletsEdit
As with Germanic/Latinate doublets from the Norman period, the use of Latinate words in the sciences gives us pairs with a native Germanic noun and a Latinate adjective:
- animals: ant/formic, bee/apian, bird/avian, crow/corvine, cod/gadoid, carp/cyprine, fish/piscine, gull/larine, wasp/vespine, butterfly/papilionaceous, worm/vermian, spider/arachnid, snake/anguine, tortoise (or turtle)/testudinal, cat/feline, rabbit/cunicular, hare/leporine, dog/canine, deer/cervine, reindeer/rangiferine, fox/vulpine, wolf/lupine, goat/caprine, sheep/ovine, swan/cygnean, duck/anatine, starling/sturnine, goose/anserine, ostrich/struthious, horse/equine, chicken/gallinaceous, ox/bovine, pig/porcine, whale/cetacean, ape/simian, bear/ursine, man/human or hominid (gender specific: man/masculine, woman/feminine) these words can also be altered informally by adding «-like» as a suffix to the Germanic prefix.
- physiology: head/capital, body/corporal, ear/aural, tooth/dental, tongue/lingual, lips/labial, neck/cervical, finger/digital, hand/manual, arm/brachial, foot/pedal, sole of the foot/plantar, leg/crural, eye/ocular or visual, mouth/oral, chest/pectoral, nipple/papillary, brain/cerebral, mind/mental, nail/ungual, hair/pilar, lung/pulmonary, kidney/renal, blood/sanguine.
- astronomy: moon/lunar, sun/solar, earth/terrestrial, star/stellar.
- sociology: son or daughter/filial, mother/maternal, father/paternal, brother/fraternal, sister/sororal, wife/uxorial.
- other: book/literary, edge/marginal, fire/igneous, water/aquatic, wind/vental, ice/glacial, boat/naval, house/domestic, door/portal, town/urban, sight/visual, tree/arboreal, marsh/paludal, sword/gladiate, king/regal, fighter/military, bell/tintinnabulary, clothes/sartorial.
Thus Latin constitutes a linguistic superstratum for English just as Japanese has a Chinese superstratum and Hindustani has a Persian superstratum.
Indirect influenceEdit
It is not always easy to tell at what point a word entered English, or in what form. Some words have come into English from Latin more than once, through French or another Romance language at one time and directly from Latin at another. Thus there are pairs like fragile/frail, army/armada, corona/crown, ratio/reason, and rotund/round. The first word in each pair came directly from Latin, while the second entered English from French (or Spanish, in the case of armada). In addition, some words have entered English twice from French, with the result that they have the same source, but different pronunciations reflecting changing pronunciation in French, for example, chief/chef (the former a Middle English borrowing and the latter modern). Multiple borrowings explain other word pairs and groups with similar roots but different meanings and/or pronunciations: canal/channel, poor/pauper, coy/quiet, disc/disk/dish/desk/dais/discus.[2]
Sociolinguistical consequencesEdit
David Corson in The Lexical Bar (1985) defended the thesis that academic English, due to its large portion of Greco-Latinate words, explains the difficulties of working class children in the educational system. When exposed at home mainly to colloquial English (the easier, shorter, Anglo-Saxon words), the differences with children who have more access to academic words (longer, more difficult, Greco-Latinate) tend not to become less by education but worse, impeding their access to academic or social careers. In various experiments and comparative studies Corson measured fewer differences between 12 year olds than 15 year olds due to their unfamiliarity with Greco-Latinate words in English and the way teachers deal with them.
Corson’s views were not always represented correctly. In his totally revised Using English Words (1995) the linguistic, historical, psychological and educational aspects have been integrated better.
See alsoEdit
- English words of Greek origin
- List of Latin words with English derivatives
- List of English words of French origin
- Classical compound
- Hybrid word
- List of Greek and Latin roots in English
- List of Latin phrases
- Latin mnemonics
- Latin school
- List of Latin abbreviations
- List of Latin and Greek words commonly used in systematic names
- List of Latinised names
- List of legal Latin terms
- Medical terminology
- Romanization (cultural)
- Toponymy
- Help:IPA/Latin
ReferencesEdit
- Bryson, Bill. The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way. New York: Avon, 1990.
- Corson, David. The Lexical Bar Oxford: Pergamon, 1985.
- Corson, David. Using English Words Dordrecht: Kluwer, 1995.
- Hughes, Geoffrey. Words in Time. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1988.
- Kent, Roland G. Language and Philology. New York: Cooper Square, 1963.
- McCrum, Robert, William Cran, and Robert MacNeil. The Story of English. New York: Elisabeth Sifton, 1986.
NotesEdit
- ^ Lounsbury, History of the English Language, page 42.
- ^ With disc/disk some computing scientists make the distinction between disc and disk as being that the former is optical, such as: CD or DVD, and the latter is magnetic, such as a hard disk.[1]
English is a Germanic language, with a grammar and a core vocabulary inherited from Proto-Germanic. However, a significant portion of the English vocabulary comes from Romance and Latinate sources. A portion of these borrowings come directly from Latin, or through one of the Romance languages, particularly Anglo-Norman and French, but some also from Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish; or from other languages (such as Gothic, Frankish or Greek) into Latin and then into English. The influence of Latin in English, therefore, is primarily lexical in nature, being confined mainly to words derived from Latin roots.
Many English speakers may not realize how often English words are actually taken, verbatim, from both ancient and modern languages. Latin, in particular, has been extremely influential not only on the romance languages, such as French, Portuguese, Spanish and Italian, but also on today’s English. It may come as a surprise to learn that English speakers use common Latin phrases every day, most recognizably in the sciences.
A Latinism therefore (from Medieval Latin: Latinismus) is a word, idiom, or structure in a language other than Latin that is derived from, or suggestive of, the Latin language. The Term Latinism refers to those loan words that are borrowed into another language directly from Latin (especially frequent among inkhorn terms); English has many of these, as well. There are many Latinisms in English, and other (especially European) languages.
As a matter of fact many words that we still use nowadays comes from the latin language; let’s take VIRUS for example, it was used in the 18th and early 19th centuries for “any agent that causes infectious disease.” The word originally derived from the Greek, ios. As well as meaning a poisonous secretion by snakes, it was also used in Latin to mean a poisonous emanation from a plant, a poisonous fluid, a nasty manner of speech or disposition, an acrid juice or a magic potion.
From figurative senses of VIRUS in the old “poison” meaning we get words like VIRULENT and VIRULENCE. These were used earlier in medicine, in reference to wounds or ulcers that were “full of corrupt or poisonous matter.” The figurative senses seem to date from c. 1600.
VIRAL is a 20th century word, originally “of the nature of, or caused by, a virus.” The internet sense of “become suddenly widely popular through sharing” seems to be from the 1990s, originally in the jargon of marketing, and is based on the spread of a computer virus.
CORONA is the Latin word for “a crown, a garland,” in ancient Rome especially “a crown or garland bestowed for distinguished military service.” Our English CROWN is just the same Latin word passed through French, which beat a few sounds out of it.
Since it left Latin it has acquired many extended senses in botany, anatomy, cigars, beers, etc. A CORONAVIRUS is so called for the spikes that protrude from its membranes and resemble the tines of a crown or the corona of the sun. When I wrote that entry probably very few people had seen a representation of one. Now, probably, all of you have.
HOSPITAL is the same word as HOTEL (and HOSTEL, and, partly, HOSPICE), and is related to both GUEST and HOST, and to HOSPITALITY and HOSTILITY. It’s one of the word-groups that takes you into the deepest trenches of language history and gives you a whiff of the ancestral homelands.
HOSPITAL – mid-13c., “shelter for the needy,” from Old French hospital, ospital “hostel, shelter, lodging” (Modern French hôpital), from Late Latin hospitale “guest-house, inn,” noun use of neuter of Latin adjective hospitalis “of a guest or host” (as a noun, “a guest; the duties of hospitality”), from hospes (genitive hospitis) “guest; host.”
INOCULATION and VACCINATION now are generally used interchangeably for “artificial induction of immunity against various infectious diseases.” There’s a difference, but it’s mostly historical.
INOCULATION describes the older form of the process that was used to protect against smallpox. Another word for it in 18th century English was VARIOLATION, from VARIOLA, the medical Latin word for “smallpox,” which is a diminutive of Latin varius “changing, various,” in this case “speckled, spotted” (related to VARY and VARIOUS).
Other famous words that come from Latin are the following ones:
acumen = ability to make good judgments
agenda = list of things to be done
altruism = selfless concern for others
ambiguous = having a double meaning
aplomb (Fr.) = self-confidence
atrocity = cruel act
avarice = greed
bibulous = excessively fond of drinking alcohol
camp = a place where tents, huts, or other temporary shelters are set up, as by soldiers, nomads, or travelers.
celibate = abstaining from sex or marriage
certain = determined, fixed from Certus, determined
chivalrous (Fr.) = gallant
condign = worthy, appropriate
conglomerate = parts put together to form a unit while remaining separate identities
corona = a faintly colored luminous ring or halo appearing to surround a celestial body
crepuscular = pertaining to twilight
cull = select from a variety of sources
debilitate = weaken
dirigible = capable of being guided
facsimile = exact copy
ferrous = made of iron
flux = in the process of flowing
fort = a fortified place occupied by troops; an army post.
futile = in vain
garrulity = loquaciousness
hospital = A facility that provides emergency, inpatient, and usually outpatient medical care for sick or injured people.
interred = placed or buried in the earth
hotel = An establishment that provides lodging and usually meals and other services for travelers and other paying guests.
hospice = A shelter or lodging for travelers, pilgrims, foundlings, or the destitute, especially one maintained by a monastic order.
hospitality = Cordial and generous reception of or disposition toward guests.
hostile = warlike, aggressive: a hostile takeover; adverse, contrary, unsympathetic: a hostile response
impecunious = poor
incalculable = too great to be counted
incommunicado (Sp.) = not in communication with others
indefatigability = tireless
inoculation = The act or an instance of inoculating, especially the introduction of an antigenic substance or vaccine into the body to produce immunity to a specific disease.
inocultate = to introduce a serum, vaccine, or antigenic substance into a body
insipid = lacking flavor
introspection = looking within at one’s mental or emotional state
languid = slow, relaxed
latinism = a mode of expression derived from or imitative of Latin.
lucubration = meditation
malfeasance (Fr.) = wrongdoing
medicine = from Latin medicina, the healing art, medicine; a remedy,” also used figuratively.
Mediterranean = a sea in the midde of two lands
modicum = small amount
moribund = near death
mundane = worldly as opposed to spiritual
naive = exhibiting lack of experience
obeisance = respect
obvious = clear (from the Latin for “in the way”)
parvenu = celebrity from obscure origins
perpetuate = preserve
perturb = make anxious
plausible = probable
precarious = uncertain
puerile = childishly silly
pulchritude = beauty
pusillanimity = showing a lack of courage
quarantine = A condition, period of time, or place in which a person, animal, plant, vehicle, or amount of material suspected of carrying an infectious agent is kept in confinement or isolated in an effort to prevent disease from spreading
rapport = close relationship
rapprochement (Fr.) = establishment of a harmonious relationship
recalcitrant = obstinate
renegade = a rebellious person
reprisal = retaliation
sacrosanct = very important or holy and not to be messed with
sane = Of sound mind; mentally healthy.
sanity = The quality or condition of being sane; soundness of mind.
simulacrum = image
stipend = fixed allowance
stultify = make appear foolish, cause to loose enthusiasm
succumb = fail to resist
taunt (Fr.) = provoke
tentative = provisional
terrace = flat earth with sloping sides
Terrier = a breed et dog that burrows into the earth for game
turpitude = depravity
ubiquity = found everywhere
vaccination = Inoculation with a vaccine in order to protect against a particular disease.
vaccine = a preparation of a weakened or killed pathogen
virulent = Characterized by, causing, or promoting the rapid onset of severe illness.viral = Of, relating to, or caused by a virus
virus = any of various submicroscopic agents that infect living organisms
Did you know when you say this, it’s Latin?
Common Latin roots and its derived English words.
| LATIN ROOT | MEANING | EXAMPLES |
| -dict | to say | contradict, dictate, diction, edict, predict |
| -duc | to lead, to bring, to take | deduce, produce, reduce |
| -gress | to walk | digress, progress, transgress |
| -ject | to throw | eject, inject, interject, project, reject, subject |
| -pel | to drive | compel, dispel, impel, repel |
| -pend | to hang | append, depend, impend, pendant, pendulum |
| -port | to carry | comport, deport, export, import, report, support |
| -scrib -script |
to write | describe, description, prescribe, prescription, subscribe, subscription, transcribe, transcription |
| -tract | to pull, to drag, to draw | attract, contract, detract, extract, protract, retract, traction |
| -vert |
to turn | convert, divert, invert, revert |
| LATIN PREFIX | MEANING | EXAMPLES |
| co- | together | coauthor, coedit |
| de- | away, off; in English, generally indicates “reversal” or “removal” | deactivate, debone, defrost, decompress, deplane |
| dis- | no, not any | disbelief, discomfort, discredit, disrepair, disrespect |
| inter- | between, among | international, interfaith, intertwine, intercellular, interject |
| non- | not | nonessential, nonresident, nonviolence, nonskid, nonstop |
| post- | after | postdate, postwar, postnasal, postnatal |
| pre- | before | preconceive, preexist, premeditate, predispose |
| re- | again; back, backward | rearrange, rebuild, recall, remake, rerun, rewrite |
| sub- | under | submarine, subsoil, subway, subhuman, substandard |
| trans- | across, beyond, through | transatlantic, transpolar |
| LATIN SUFFIX | FUNCTION | EXAMPLES |
| -able, -ible |
forms adjective and means “capable or worthy of” | likable, flexible, unbelievable, unable, |
| -ation | forms nouns from verbs | creation, civilization, automation, speculation |
| -fy, -ify |
forms verbs and means “to make or cause to become” | purify, acidify, humidify |
| -men | forms nouns from verbs | entertainment, amazement, statement, banishment |
| -ty, -it |
forms nouns from adjectives | subtlety, certainty, cruelty, loyalty, eccentricity, electricity, similarity, technicality |
Learn more visiting these useful websites:
https://www.latin-english.com Latin English Dictionary
https://www.etymonline.com Online Etymology Dictionary
You can download the following books on Latin at this page:
Latin Language: Bennett, Charles E.: New Latin Grammar;
D’Oogle, Benjamin L.: Latin for beginners;
Wine, women and songs. Medieval Latin Student’s Songs, including translation and commentary by John Addington Symonds.
Carl William Brown
Surrealist, humorous, nihilistic and romantic character. In tristitia hilaris, in hilaritate tristis.
Who actually speaks Latin, anyway? It’s definitely not one of the easiest languages to learn.
But what if we told you that you already know some Latin? That’s right: Chances are that you’ve unknowingly used Latin when speaking English!
As it turns out, there are actually many Latin words used in English today. In this post, we’re going to go through some of the most common Latin words and phrases used in English—some that you may have suspected, and others that might surprise you.
Let’s take a look at some interesting etymology!
- 1. Ad hoc
- 2. Agenda
- 3. Alibi
- 4. Altruism
- 5. Bona fide
- 6. Carpe diem
- 7. Ergo
- 8. Et cetera
- 9. Facsimile
- 10. Impromptu
- 11. Mundane
- 12. Obvious
- 13. Per diem
- 14. Per se
- 15. Vice versa
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What it means: Done or created when needed or necessary
Latin roots: The word ad hoc comes from the Latin words ad (“to/for”) and hoc (“this”), which translates to “for this” or “for this situation.”
Example: If we find that we don’t have enough employees to finish the project on time, we can hire more on an ad-hoc basis.
2. Agenda
What it means: A list or plan of items to be discussed or accomplished, usually in a meeting
Latin roots: This word comes from the Latinlatin word agenda, meaning “things to be done.” Its plural form in Latin is agendum.
Example: I wanted to discuss the traffic problem at our city council meeting, but it wasn’t on the agenda. I’ll have to wait until the next meeting.
3. Alibi
What it means: A piece of evidence showing you were somewhere else when a crime was committed
Latin roots: Coming from the Latin alibi, this word means “elsewhere.”
Example: The judge couldn’t accuse the woman of robbery, as she had a great alibi: She was on vacation in Mexico when the crime was committed.
4. Altruism
What it means: Caring about others and selflessly doing things to help them
Latin roots: Altruism comes from the Latin word alter, meaning “other.”
Example: Altruism is very important to me. I want to make the world a better place by helping others.
5. Bona fide
What it means: Genuine; sincere
Latin roots: Bona fide comes from the Latin word of the same spelling, meaning “in good faith” (with no fraud or deceit). The opposite of bona fide in Latin is mala fide (“in bad faith”).
Example: My neighbor has a bona fide piece of jewelry from Ancient Egypt—he showed me the certificate of authenticity!
6. Carpe diem
What it means: Most commonly translated as “Seize the day,” this expression is used to encourage a person to make the most of the present day and not to wait for the future.
Latin roots: The Latin term carpe diem literally translates to “Pluck the day.” Carpe means “pluck” and diem is “day.”
Example: I really shouldn’t spend so much money on one night out, but oh well—carpe diem!
7. Ergo
What it means: Therefore
Latin origins: Ergo as we know it is derived from the same word in Latin, which means “therefore.” It’s possible that ergo stems from the Latin word regere (“to guide or direct”). It’s also thought to be a possible contraction of *e rogo, or “in the direction of.”
Example: I worked out at the gym for two hours this morning; ergo, I deserve that piece of cake!
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8. Et cetera
What it means: And other similar things; abbreviated to “etc.”
Latin roots: This one is a combination of two Latin words: et, meaning “and,” plus cetera, or “the rest.”
Example: When you go camping, you need a sleeping bag, tent, camp stove, et cetera.
9. Facsimile
What it means: An identical copy; abbreviated to “fax”
Latin roots: Facsimile comes from two words: fac (the imperative form of facere) which means “make,” and simile, which is “like” or “similar.”
Example: You don’t need to provide the original copy of your birth certificate, but you should send us a facsimile for our records.
10. Impromptu
Latin roots: English actually borrowed the word impromptu from French. However, the French got it from the Latin words in promptu, meaning “in readiness.”
Example: We had a big problem with a client today, so we had an impromptu meeting to figure out what we should do.
11. Mundane
What it means: Dull; ordinary
Latin roots: Mundane is derived from the Latin word mundus, meaning “world.” This translates to “of the world,” as in not heavenly.
Example: After being on vacation in Hawaii for two weeks, it’ll be hard to go back to our mundane lives.
12. Obvious
What it means: Clear; easily noticed or understood
Latin roots: Obvious, as we use it in English, is derived from the Latin obvius, which, itself, comes from obviam, meaning “in the way.”
Example: It’s obvious that you like him; you won’t stop talking about him!
13. Per diem
What it means: An allowance given each day
Latin roots: Per diem is a combination of two Latin words: per, which means “through,” “during,” or “by means of,” and diem (“day”).
Example: When I go on business trips, my company gives me a per diem of $100 for my meals.
14. Per se
What it means: By himself, herself or itself; essentially
Latin roots: This expression is taken directly from the Latin per se, meaning “by itself,” “it itself” or “of itself.”
Example: Potato chips aren’t bad for you, per se; it’s when you eat too many of them that they become unhealthy.
15. Vice versa
What it means: Indicates that the reverse of what you’ve just said is also true
Latin origins: This word stems from vicis (“change” or “alternate order”) and versus (“to turn”).
Example: When I need my sister, she’s there for me, and vice versa.
Look into Latin words used in everyday English
As you might be starting to realize after reading the words listed above, Latin has a very strong influence on the English language—in fact, about two-thirds of English words are borrowed from the ancient language. To understand English better, from the structure of words to their meanings, look into Latin!
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Andrea is a Canadian freelance writer and editor specializing in English, e-learning, EdTech, and SaaS. She has a background as an ESL teacher in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia. In her free time, Andrea loves hanging out with her husband and children, creating recipes in the kitchen, and reading fiction. She also loves camping and jumping into lakes whenever possible. Learn more about Andrea on LinkedIn or check out her website.