PART I: REVIEW OF BASIC VOCABULARY

Fascicle 1:  A-C

 

Based on Wheelock and Colby

 

Assignment: go over these words. Try to think of an English derivative or find a Latin phrase using each. Try to read the phrases provided with certain of the entries. Know meanings of all words; be able to recognize the principal parts of verbs and nominative and base of nouns and adjectives. In general this list is made up of simple words. Only those compounds are given which are difficult to understand from their parts or which do not have uncompounded forms. 

Fill in derivative/phrase

 

A

a/ab (+ abl.) away from ab ovo

accuso (1) accuse [< ad + causa]

acer, acris, acre * sharp, keen         * From the root AK- (sharp)

acerbus, -a, -um *1 bitter, harsh

acies, -ei (f) *1 line of battle, keen edge, sharpness of vision

acuo (cf. acer), make sharp

acuere (3), acui, acutum*

ad (+ acc.) to, against ad Kalendas Graecas         "Until the twelfth of never": because the Greeks did not have Kalendae.

admodum [adv.] quite, very [ad +modum] hominem nobilem, sed admodum stultum Cic.

adultus, -a, -um grown up, mature

aedes, aedis (f) temple; pl. house > edifice, edify       Latin ae usually becomes e in English derivatives.

aeger, aegra, aegrum sick (aegre, with difficulty) aegra corpora, Vergil

aequus, -a, -um level, even

aes, aeris (n) copper, bronze exegi monumentum aere perennius, Horace

aestas, aestatis (f) summer > estivate

aestus, -us (m) heat, tide

aetas, aetatis (f) life, age, time > eternity   *

aevum, -i (n)  time, age, lifetime > medieval, primeval *     *From the root AIW- (life force, long life); cf English ever.

ager, agri (m) field, farm

agger, aggeris (m) mound, heap > exaggerate

ago, agere (3), egi,actum drive, do (-ig-) This is the reduced form of the stem, found when there is a prefix added as in exigo.

ait, aiunt she/he says, they say             quis id ait?

alacer, alacris, alacre eager, brisk

alius, -a, -ud I other, another            et al.    From the root AL- "beyond"; ille is from the same root.

alter, altera, alterumI the other alter ego

alo, alere (3),alui, altum nourish, support, increase

altus, -a, -um high, deep  

From the root AL-2 "grow"; from the same root come English old, elder, alderman and Latin proles, "offspring" > prolific, proletarian.

amo (1) love

amplus, -a, -um full, spacious, distinguished

an or an audivisti? Plautus

angustus, -a, -um narrow > anguish

anima, -ae (f) air, breath, life

animus, -i (m) soul, spirit, mind

annus, -i (m) [-enn-] year

ante before         ante bellum

aperio, aperire (4) aperui, apertum , open

appello (1) name, call, address

aptus, -a, -um fitted to, suitable

apud (+ acc.) at the house of, with, among cenabis bene apud me, Catullus

aqua, -ae (f) water

aquila, -ae (f) eagle

ara, -ae (f) altar > Ara (a constellation)

arbiter, arbitri (m) witness, judge arbiter bibendi

arbor, arboris (m) tree > arbor vitae   

Interestingly English arbor ("a shady spot in a garden") does not come from Latin arbor "tree", but from Latin herba "grass".

arcus, -us (m) bow

ardeo, ard‘re (2) arsi, arsum , burn, blaze

argentum, -i (n) silver, money > Ag (symbol for silver), argentine

arguo, arguere (3),argui, argutum  prove, make known

arma, armorum (n pl) weapons Arma virumque cano. Vergil.

aro (1) plow

ars, artis (f) art, skill Ars gratia artis.

arx, arcis (f) citadel ...qui amisso oppido fugerat in arcem, Cicero.

asper, aspera, asperum rough

astrum, -i (n) star, constellation

at but

ater, atra, atrum black, dark > atrabilious

The root AT R- means fire; the Latin ater meaning originally "blackened by fire." Atrium or forecourt of a Roman house comes from the same root, as the place where the smoke from the hearth escaped through an opening in the roof (AHD).

atque, ac and, and also

atrox, atrocis savage, cruel, originally black-looking (< ater)

audeo, audere (2),ausus/a sum  dare

audio, audire (4), audivi, auditum hear

augeo, augere (2),auxi, auctum increase

auris, auris (f) ear [related to audio]

aurum, -i (n) gold aurea mediocritas. from Horace.

aut / aut...aut or / either...or aut Caesar aut nihil (the motto of Cesare Borgia)

autem however, moreover salve, simul autem vale, Plautus.

auxilium, -ii (n) aid

avarus, -a, -um greedy

avidus, -a, -um eager

avus, -i (m) grandfather >atavism, avuncular

 

B

barba, -ae (f) beard

barbarus, -a, -um foreign, barbarian

beatus, -a, -um blessed              beatus ille... Horace.

bellum, -i (n) war

bellus, -a, -um pretty [diminutive of bonus]

bene well [adverb of bonus]

bestia, -ae (f) animal, beast

bibo, bibere (3), bibi drink         Ergo bibamus !

bis twice                 Bis dat qui cito dat. Publilius Syrus.

bonus, -a, -um good

bos, bovis (m/f) bull, ox, cow

brevis, -e short              vita brevis, ars longa. Seneca (from Hippocrates).

 

C

cado, cadere (3),cecidi, casum (-cid-) fall, happen

caecus, -a, -um blind         Ad Appi Claudi senectutem accedebat etiam ut caecus esset. Cicero.

caedo, caedere (3),cecidi, caesum (-cid-, -cis-) cut, kill

caelum, -i (n) sky

campus, -i (m) plain

candeo, candere (2) shine, be white   

Candle, candid, incandescent, candor, and candidate come from candere. A Roman office seeker whitened his toga with chalk so he would stand out in the forum while making his rounds, hence candidatus.

canis, canis (m/f) dog       

The canary bird, despite the expression "to sing like a canary," comes not from cano but from canis, from the large dogs that were once raised on the Canary Islands (Canariae Insulae, "Islands of Dogs")

cano, canere (3),cecini, (cantum) sing

capio, capere (3)cepi, captum (-cipi-, -cept-), take, seize, capture

caput, capitis (n) head

FAQ: The German kaput comes to us through a French word meaning, "not having won a single trick at piquet." It may still be ultimately from Latin caput. According to the American Heritage Dictionary (3rd edition), "As for the ultimate source of French capot we cannot be certain, but it seems to go back to a modern Provençal word, of which the first element is cap, head."

carcer, carceris (m) prison

careo, carere (2)carui, cariturus, be without Unum tempus his tormentis caret... Pliny.

caro, carnis (f) flesh

Carnival (Italian Carnevale) is derived from carnem levare, "the lifting of meat" from the markets and the diet for the Lenten season, and not as popularly believed from carnem vale ("goodbye, meat").

carpo, carpere (3),carpsi, carptum pluck, seize

carus, -a, -um dear

Caress, charity (from Latin caritas), and cherish come from carus; the native English word from the same root (which means "desire") is whore.

castra, -orum (n pl) camp

The root KES- means "to cut". In Latin castrare is "to castrate"; castra are "separated places" or walled camps. Place names in -chester like Chester, Winchester, Dorchester, East- and Westchester, Chichester, Manchester, and -cester like Worcester and Leicester originally were Roman camps.

causa, -ae (f) cause, reason, case

caveo, cavere (2),cavi, cautum beware, avoid              cave canem

cavus, -a, -um hollow

cedo, cedere (3),cessi, cessum go, yield          Cedant arma togae... Cicero.

celeber, celebris, celebre  crowded

celer, celeris, celere quick

cena, -ae (f) dinner   

English cenacle "a dining room" or later "a circle of writers" comes from this. Latin cena is from a root meaning "cut" or "share" and also gives us caro, carnis, "meat".

censeo, censere (2), censui, censum estimate, think

centum a hundred

cerno, cernere (3),crevi, cretum distinguish, sift

certo (1) struggle, contend > certamen [Acontest@]

certus, -a, -um sure, certain, reliable [< cerno]

cervix, cervicis (f) neck

ceteri, -ae, -a the remaining, the other etc.; ceteris paribus

cibus, -i (m) food              ille tristis est dum cibum servat, tu ridens voras, Ennius

circum (+ acc.) around c. or ca.

civis, civis (m) citizen

clam [adv.] in secret > clandestine

clamo (1) shout

clarus, -a, -um clear, bright

classis, classis (f) fleet, class (of citizens)

claudo, claudere (3), close

clausi, clausum (-clud-)

cliens, clientis (m) client, dependent

coepi, coepisse,coeptum began Annuit coeptis.

cogito (1) think

cognosco, cognoscere (3), cognovi, cognitum learn, recognize

cogo, cogere(3 < ago), coegi, coactum force, compel

cohors, cohortis (f) cohort, retinue > court

collis, collis (m) hill Septem colles

collum, -i (n) neck

colo, colere (3),colui, cultum till, cultivate, honor

comes, comitis (m) companion [com- + eo, ire] > comitia

communis, -e common

concilium, -ii (n) council

confestim immediately          ad urbem confestim incredibili celeritate advolavit. Cicero

conor (1) try    The motto of AVIS in Latin is Fortius conamur. The conative imperfect means "was trying to...".

consilium, -ii (n) advice, plan

constat (impersonal) it is evident, balance ratio constat

consul, consulis (m) consul

consultum, -i (n) decree          Senatus consultum ultimum

contra (+ acc.) against

copia, -ae (f) abundance; pl. supplies

cornu, -us (n) horn

corona, -ae (f) crown

corpus, corporis (n) body

cotidie daily > quotidian

cras tomorrow > procrastinate

creber, crebra,crebrum thick, frequent           delectabatur crebro funali   Cicero

credo, credere (3),credidi, creditum believe

creo (1) create

crimen, criminis (n) accusation, charge

crudelis, -e cruel

M. Marcellum cuius interitum ("death") ne crudelissimus quidem hostis honore sepulturae carere passus est... Cicero.

culpa, -ae (f) fault, blame

cum (+ abl.; con-) with (together) vade mecum

cum when, since, although quae cum ita sint...

cunctor (1) delay     Quintus Fabius Maximus, Cunctator

Unus homo nobis cunctando restituit rem... Ennius.

Tu Maximus ille es / unus qui nobis cunctando restituis rem. Vergil

cunctus, -a, -um whole, entire cuncta civitas

cupio, cupere (3), cupivi/cupii, cupitum  desire, long for

cur why

cura, -ae (f) care, attention

curia, -ae (f) the senate house

curro, currere (3),cucurri, cursum  run

curvus, -a, -um curved, crooked

custos, custodis (m) guard, guardian