6.1 Words
The following activity will enable to you explore the links between some Latin and English words.
Activity 29
Try to find at least one English word derived from the vocabulary used in the passages of Pliny and Catullus (listed in tables 13 and 14 below). Write down your answers in the box provided.
| Latin words |
|---|
| petō – ‘I seek, ask’ |
| auunculus – ‘uncle’ |
| exitus – ‘departure’, ‘death’ |
| scrībō – ‘I write’ |
| uērus – ‘true’ |
| trādō – ‘hand over’, ‘transmit’ |
| posterī – literally ‘those who come later’, i.e. ‘future generations’ |
| possum – ‘I can’ |
| Latin words |
|---|
| dōnō – ‘I give’, ‘I present’ |
| nouus – ‘new’, ‘novel’ |
| āridus – ‘dry’ |
| modo – ‘recently’ |
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Answer
The list below is not complete, but covers some of the most obvious derivations.
| Pliny | English derivations |
|---|---|
| petō – ‘I seek, ask’ | petition |
| auunculus – ‘uncle’ | avuncular |
| exitus – ‘departure’, ‘death’ | exit |
| scrībō – ‘I write’ | scribe, script |
| uērus – ‘true’ | veracity, verify, veritable |
| trādō, ‘hand over’, ‘transmit’ | tradition |
| posterī, literally ‘those who come later’, i.e. future generations | posterity |
| possum, ‘I can’ | possible |
| Catullus | |
|---|---|
| dōnō, ‘I give’, ‘I present’ | donate |
| nouus, ‘new’, ‘novel’ | novel |
| āridus, ‘dry’ | arid |
| modo, ‘recently’ | modern |
The study of Latin vocabulary can also help your understanding of English words. Look, for example, at the abstract English nouns in Table 15 below, which each derive from a Latin word whose meaning is quite specific.
| English | Latin |
|---|---|
| equality | aequus – ‘flat’, ‘level’ |
| essence | esse – the Latin verb ‘be / is’, i.e. the ‘is-ness’ of a thing |
| humility | humilis – ‘low’ (also ‘humus’, ‘ground’) |
| quantity | quantus – ‘how much?’ |
| quality | quālis – ‘of what kind?’ |
| ubiquitous | ubīque – ‘everywhere’ |