Latin Derivative English Words – Stage 23
(Words in English that come to us from Latin)
Let’s start by looking at our vocabulary checklist first, and see what sort of English words we get from some of our chapter’s Latin
root words.
Verbs
st
st
Latin word (1 s. present, infinitive, 1 s. perfect, perfect participle)
English meanings
Some English derivatives (if any)
administro, administrare, administravi, administratus
to manage
administrator, administration
cedo, cedere, cessi, cessus
to give in, give way
cede, secede
commemoro, commemorare, commemoravi,
to mention, recall
commemorative
commemoratus
erro, errare, erravi, erratus
to make a mistake
error, erratic, err
gero, gerere, gessi, gestus
to wear
gird, girdle
iacio, iacere, ieci, iactus
to throw
eject
orno, ornare, ornavi, ornatus
to decorate
ornate
pareo, parere, parui, paritus (+ DAT)
to obey
scio, scire, scivi, scitus
to know
science, conscious
Nouns/Pronouns
English meanings
Latin word (Nom. s., Gen. s, gender.)
Some English derivatives (if any)
care
cure, curative
honor
honor
character (not in a story)
instruction, order
mandate
manner, mode, way
mode
poison
venom, venomous
mercy
venial
cura, curae (f)
honor, honoris (m)
ingenium, ingenii (n)
mandatum, mandati (n)
modus, modi (m)
venenum, veneni (n)
venia, veniae (f)
Adjectives
English meanings
Latin word (masc., fem., neut.)
Some English derivatives (if any)
well known, famous
clarity
having caught sight of
conspicuous
still, motionless
immobile
having spoken
interlocutor, loquacious
powerful
potent, potential
evil
having returned
regression
such
clarus, clara, clarum
conspicatus, conspicata, conspicatum
immotus, immota, immotum
locutus, locuta, locutum
potens, potens, potens
pravus, prava, pravum
regressus, regressa, regressum
talis, talis, tale
Adverbs
Latin word
magnopere
magis
maxime
nimium
English meanings
greatly
more, rather
very greatly, most of all
too much
Some English derivatives (if any)
maximum, maximize
Conjunctions
Latin word
enim
tamquam
umquam
English meanings
for
as, like
ever
Some English derivatives (if any)
English via Latin – Latin’s Influence on English
Some common Latin-based Science words used in English : Biology & Chemistry
Many of our words used in the sciences come from Latin (in fact, the very word “science” comes from the Latin noun scientia
(knowledge). During the Renaissance in Europe and into later centuries, the fathers and mothers of modern science looked back to the
knowledge from the ancient world (which was just becoming “rediscovered” by intellectuals of the time) as models of their new
scientific disciplines. Thus many scientific words come from Latin (as well as ancient Greek). There are literally thousands upon
thousands of these words, but we will just look at a few regarding the science of Chemistry and Biology. The Periodic Table is the
listing of all known elements, and many of these elements get their names from Latin. All animals, plants, and assported living
organisms all have an official Latin name for classification purposes: These are only a sample of thousands and thousands of
examples of Latin words in the sciences...
Chemistry Element
Periodic Table Symbol
Latin Name of Element
Antimony
Sb
stibium
Copper
Cu
cuprum
Gold
Au
aurum
Iron
Fe
ferrum
Lead
Pb
plumbum
Mercury
Hg
hydragyrum
Potassium
K
kalium
Silver
Ag
argentum
Sodium
Na
natrium
Tin
Sn
stannum
Tungsten
W
wolfram
Biology word in English
aquatic - living or growing in water
terrestrial – living or growing on land
Latin word it comes from
aqua – water
terra – earth, ground, land
arboreal – pertaining to trees; living in trees
arbor - tree
aerial – living or thriving in the air
aerius – of the air
avian – having to do with birds
avis – bird
canine – having to do with dogs
canis – dog
lupine – having to do with wolves
lupus – wolf
equine – having to do with horses
nocturnal – being active at night
equus – horse
noctus – night
diurnal – being active during the day
diurnus – daily (from dies – day)
biped – an animal capable of walking on two legs
bis – twice + pes – foot
quadruped – an animal that walks on four legs
quattor – four + pes - foot