|
Latin Loan Words in English
English has borrowed the following Latin words with little or no change in form (morphology), but note how the original
meaning of the Latin word sometimes differs from the English meaning (semantic change). The plurals of such loan
words in English are usually based upon the Latin plural; therefore, both singular and plural Latin noun forms are listed.
Can you add any words to this list? What parts of speech do these words become in English? Compare the meaning of
the Latin words to their current English meanings.
Latin Nouns alumnus, alumni: foster-son alumna, alumnae: foster-daughter antenna, antennae: sailyard apex, apices: top summit apparatus, apparatus: preparation, preparing appendix, appendices: appendage, addition arena, arenae: sand, an area covered with sand cactus, cacti: thistle campus, campi: field circus, circi: circle corpus, corpora: body crux, cruces: cross curriculum, curricula: running course dictator, dictatores: dictator, absolute ruler effluvium, effluvia: a flowing out, an outlet finis, fines: end fervor, fervores: boiling focus, foci: a fireplace, hearth formula, formulae: diminutive of "form"; a set form genus, genera: birth, descent, origin, race, stock gratis: for nothing index, indices: forefinger, indicator medium, media: the middle matrix, matrices: the womb modus, modi: way prospectus, prospectus: an outlook, view, prospect ratio, rationes: reason series, series: row, succession species, species: a seeing, view, shape, form, kind stimulus, stimuli: goad terminus, termini: end ultimatum, ultimata: the last thing vertigo, vertigines: a whirling around via, viae: road virus: poison vortex, vortices: a whirl
Latin Verbs audit: he hears debit: it is lacking credit: he believes credo: I believe datum, data: that which is given deposit: he places down dictum, dicta: that which is said emeritus, emeriti: one who has served his time emerita, emeritae: one who has served her time fiat: let it happen floruit: he flourished placebo: I will please posse: to be able stratum, strata: that which is stretched out tenet: he holds
In Latin the inflected forms -ndum (singular) and -nda (plural) often express necessity; thus: addendum, addenda: that which must be added agendum, agenda: that which must be done corrigendum, corrigenda: that which must be corrected memorandum, memoranda: that which must be remembered propagandum, propaganda: that which must be increased referendum, referenda: that which must be carried out
"one who does" words: actor: one who does doctor: one who teaches gladiator: one who holds a sword orator: one who speaks
Latin Adjectives neuter: neither of two inferior: lower iunior (junior): younger minor: lessor minus: less bonus: good pauper: poor superior: higher senior: older maior (major): greater plus: more
Other parts of speech: interim: meanwhile omnibus: for all, everything regalia: royal, kingly verbatim: word for word seriatim: in a series
Psychology: ego: I alter ego: another I super ego: "above the I." This term is actually a poor derivative; it could not have existed as written in Latin. id: that which
CLAS224 Word Elements. Monmouth College Monmouth, Illinois Instructor: Thomas J. Sienkewicz (toms@monm.edu)
|