SIMPLE CHANGES FOR FORMING ENGLISH NOUNS AND ADJECTIVES FROM LATIN

1. No change: many words, especially nouns and adjectives, can be found in both English and Latin dictionaries. These are called direct entries.

• augur [augur, soothsayer]: augur
• codex [tree trunk > block > book]: codex [book] and code
• focus [fireplace]: focus bonus [good, a good man]: bonus
• opus [work]: opus (pl. opera; cf. magnum opus]
• materfamilias [mother of the family, lady of the house]: materfamilias

a. The base alone: the base of a Latin word may become an English word.

• fundus [bottom, landed property]> fund
• immanens (base: immanent- remaining/abiding in)> immanent

b. The base with silent -e added.

• effetus [worn out by child-bearing]> effete
• libertinus [freed, a freed person]> libertine (a person of loose morals)

c. A c at the end of the Latin base often becomes k and double letters are sometimes reduced to single letters.

• arca [chest]> ark libellus [little book]> libel

a. -ia becomes -y calumnia [false accusation] > calumny

b. -ium becomes -y augurium [prophecy] > augury

c. -tas becomes -ty quidditas [whatness] quiddity (the essence of a thing)

d. -tia, -tius, -tium; -cia, -cius, -cium become -ce or -cy

• silentium [stillness] > silence
• potentia [power] > potency

e. -gium becomes -ge, -gy

• collegium [association in office] > college
• prodigium [portent, monster] > prodigy

f. -us [adjective ending] often becomes -ous

• querulus [complaining] > querulous

g. -tudo becomes -tude

• lassitudo [fatigue] > lassitude

• decanus [in charge of ten] > dean, adj. decanal
• pars [quae pars orationis, what part of speech?] > parse
• gallica solea [Gaulish shoes] > galoshes

• Note that Latin ae usually becomes English e

• praeceptum [a teaching, warning] > precept