An A-Z List of Common Latin Words Used in the English Language

Did you know that the English language is made up of many words derived from other languages? In fact, over 60% of English words are derived from Latin, French, and Greek. This article will explore Latin roots, suffixes, and prefixes. Not sure what they are? No worries, we will look at a definition of each of these terms, along with some examples and English words that use them.

Many commonplace English words can be traced back to Latin, which probably will take you by surprise because you actually use them daily while conversing. So, let’s not keep you waiting and instead list out the common Latin words and their meanings used in the English language.

TRIVIA

All Three Were Adept at Latin!

Find here a list of common Latin words used in English, some of which you will be very familiar with, while some may be there at the back of your mind, but you haven’t come across for long. So refresh your memory, or so to say vocabulary, as you go through the Latin words below.

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The English language contains vocabulary originating from all over the world. Looking for words with specific etymological roots? Have a look at this list of English words that originated from Latin.

Latin was widely spoken in the Roman Empire, which spanned much of Europe and the Middle East. Latin had a particularly strong footing in modern-day Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal.

This section of EnhanceMyVocabulary.com is all about learning vocabulary derived from Latin

Sixty percent of the English language comes from Latin. In this section of Enhance My Vocabulary, you’ll find
many examples of Latin words and the English words derived from them. This is not an exhaustive list but will
give you a good feel for the Latin roots of English.

Challenge yourself to think of more English words that may have come from these Latin roots, and then check a
dictionary to confirm the derivation. In her memoir, When All the World Was Young, Barbara Holland
wrote that Latin was «the scalpel in my hand for dissecting English.»

Editor’s note: This section would not be possible without the instruction of David L. Rhody, retired high-school Latin teacher.

Go to the next page of English words
derived from Latin.

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page.

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Latin influence in the English Language and vocabulary through the centuries. A computerised study and statistical analysis.

English belongs to the Anglo-Frisian group within the western branch of the Germanic languages, a subfamily of the Indo-European languages. It is related most closely to the Frisian language, to a lesser extent to Netherlandic (Dutch-Flemish) and the Low German (Plattdeutsch) dialects, and more distantly to Modern High German.  Therefore English is a Germanic language, having a grammar and core vocabulary inherited from Proto-Germanic. However, a significant portion of the English word hoard comes from Romance and Latinate sources. Estimates of native words (derived from Old English) range from 20%–33%, with the rest made up of foreign borrowings. (These estimates, however, are based on the total raw counts of dictionary entries, where the frequency of use for most non-native words is low to nil.

The English vocabulary has increased greatly in more than 1500 years of development. The most nearly complete dictionary of the language, the Oxford English Dictionary (13 vol., 1933), a revised edition of A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (10 vol., 1884-1933; supplements), contains 500,000 words. It has been estimated, however, that the present English vocabulary consists of more than 1 million words, including slang and dialect expressions and scientific and technical terms, many of which only came into use after the middle of the 20th century. The English vocabulary is more extensive than that of any other language in the world, although some other languages – Chinese, for example – have a word-building capacity equal to that of English.

Extensive, constant borrowing from every major language, especially from Latin, Greek, French, and the Scandinavian languages, and from numerous minor languages, accounts for the great number of words in the English vocabulary. In addition, certain processes have led to the creation of many new words as well as to the establishment of patterns for further expansion. The true percent of native words used in everyday spoken and written English actually ranges from 75%–90%.

A large number of these borrowings come directly from Latin, or through one of the Romance languages, particularly Anglo-Norman and French, but some also from Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish; or from other languages (such as Gothic, Frankish or Greek) into Latin and then into English. The influence of Latin in English, therefore, is primarily lexical in nature, being confined mainly to words derived from Latin roots.

The number of Latin words, many of them derived from the Greek, that were introduced during the Old English period has been estimated at 140. Typical of these words are altar, mass, priest, psalm, temple, kitchen, palm, and pear. A few were probably introduced through the Celtic; others were brought to Britain by the Germanic invaders, who previously had come into contact with Roman culture. By far the largest number of Latin words was introduced as a result of the spread of Christianity. Such words included not only ecclesiastical terms but many others of less specialized significance.

In the early part of the Modern English period the vocabulary was enlarged by the widespread use of one part of speech for another and by increased borrowings from other languages. The revival of interest in Latin and Greek during the Renaissance brought new words into English from those languages. Other words were introduced by English travelers and merchants after their return from journeys on the Continent. From Italian came cameo, stanza, and violin; from Spanish and Portuguese, alligator, peccadillo, and sombrero. During its development, Modern English borrowed words from more than 50 different languages.

Influences in English vocabulary Langue d’oïl, including French and Old Norman: 28.3%
Latin, including modern scientific and technical Latin: 28.24%
Germanic languages – inherited from Old English, from Proto-Germanic, or a more recent borrowing from a Germanic language such as Old Norse; does not include Germanic words borrowed from a Romance language, i.e., coming from the Germanic element in French, Latin or other Romance languages: 25%
Greek: 5.32%
No etymology given: 4.03%
Derived from proper names: 3.28%
All other languages: less than 1%

A survey by Joseph M. Williams in Origins of the English Language of 10,000 words taken from several thousand business letters gave this set of statistics:

French (langue d’oïl): 41%
“Native” English: 33%

Old Norse: 5%

Based on the above, the percentage of Latin words used in formal business context (15%) is substantially lower than that of the dictionary survey (28.24%) due primarily to the effects of linguistic register, where the vast majority of Latin words in English tend to be of a scientific or technical nature, or consist of words which are rarely to never used (i.e. are functionally obsolete).

Loanwords from Latin

The English language has borrowed extensively from the Latin language beginning during the Germanic period before English was English through the Old English period and up to the early Modern English period. The earliest Latin loanwords date from the period before the Germanic tribes invaded England under invite from the Britons. Latin borrowings continued throughout the Old and the Middle English period, above all Latin influenced the new English language thanks to the literary works of Geoffrey Chaucer, because he knew Latin, French and Italian and admired the main authors who wrote in these languages. English again borrowed heavily from Latin during the Early Modern period that coincides closely with the revival of learning of the Renaissance and with the great dynasties of Tudor (1485–1603) and Stuart (1603-1714) during which many scholars imported many Latin loanwords. Although English is a Germanic language, many common and everyday words are of Latin origin.

List of Latin Loanwords

Agile, abdomen, album, alien, anatomy, animate, animosity, anchor, annual, apostle, area, audio, bacteria, bonus, bovine, butter, Caesar, cancer, canine, capsule, cervix, chalk, cheese, circle, circus, city, civil, chest, church, comet, compensate, color, colossus, complex, consider, contemplate, data, decide, dexterity, deity, discus, disc, disciple, dish, disk, domestic, ego, emperor, equilibrium, erupt, et cetera, excavate, expensive, fauna, feline, feminine, fictitious, flora, floral, formula, fungus, general, genius, genus, gradual, habitual, habitat, honor, id, ignite, immoral, immortality, inertia, infinite, ingenious, insane, interim, janitor, judge, kettle, kitchen, lachrymose, latex, legal, libido, lingua franca, literature, lunar, manual, master, martyr, media, meditate, memento, memorandum, memory, mile, minus, moment, momentum, moral, noble, nocturnal, notorious, opera, orbit, ovum, paper, patron, pauper, pavement, pendulum, peninsula, pepper, percent, persona, physician, plus, pound, propaganda, referendum, regal, revise, rural, sack, series, sex, sickle, similar, simile, status, stimulus, street, subpoena, superego, superintendent, tabula rasa, temple, title, ultimate, vehicle, verbatim, vertigo, vice versa, video, vindicate, wall, wine.

   Latin English Dictionary

     Online Etymology Dictionary

Latin Language: Bennett, Charles E.: New Latin Grammar;
D’Oogle, Benjamin L.: Latin for beginners;
Wine, women and songs. Medieval Latin Student’s Songs, including translation and commentary by John Addington Symonds.

Or read other articles about the English Language and Literature:

Christianization of Britain, a full article

English, Greek and Latin, a complete article

The Latin Language, a short history

English Renaissance, the revival of learning

Short History of the English Language

The essence of English Grammar

Language and grammar

In defence of grammar

The importance of grammar

Short History of the Origin of English

English words origin and vocabulary

Latin, the key to English

Latin influence on English

Latin and Greek roots

English is a Germanic language, with a grammar and a core vocabulary inherited from Proto-Germanic. However, a significant portion of the English vocabulary comes from Romance and Latinate sources. A portion of these borrowings come directly from Latin, or through one of the Romance languages, particularly Anglo-Norman and French, but some also from Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish; or from other languages (such as Gothic, Frankish or Greek) into Latin and then into English. The influence of Latin in English, therefore, is primarily lexical in nature, being confined mainly to words derived from Latin roots.

Many English speakers may not realize how often English words are actually taken, verbatim, from both ancient and modern languages. Latin, in particular, has been extremely influential not only on the romance languages, such as French, Portuguese, Spanish and Italian, but also on today’s English. It may come as a surprise to learn that English speakers use common Latin phrases every day, most recognizably in the sciences.

A Latinism therefore (from Medieval Latin: Latinismus) is a word, idiom, or structure in a language other than Latin that is derived from, or suggestive of, the Latin language. The Term Latinism refers to those loan words that are borrowed into another language directly from Latin (especially frequent among inkhorn terms); English has many of these, as well. There are many Latinisms in English, and other (especially European) languages.

As a matter of fact many words that we still use nowadays comes from the latin language; let’s take VIRUS for example, it was used in the 18th and early 19th centuries for “any agent that causes infectious disease.” The word originally derived from the Greek, ios. As well as meaning a poisonous secretion by snakes, it was also used in Latin to mean a poisonous emanation from a plant, a poisonous fluid, a nasty manner of speech or disposition, an acrid juice or a magic potion.

From figurative senses of VIRUS in the old “poison” meaning we get words like VIRULENT and VIRULENCE. These were used earlier in medicine, in reference to wounds or ulcers that were “full of corrupt or poisonous matter.” The figurative senses seem to date from c. 1600.

VIRAL is a 20th century word, originally “of the nature of, or caused by, a virus.” The internet sense of “become suddenly widely popular through sharing” seems to be from the 1990s, originally in the jargon of marketing, and is based on the spread of a computer virus.

CORONA is the Latin word for “a crown, a garland,” in ancient Rome especially “a crown or garland bestowed for distinguished military service.” Our English CROWN is just the same Latin word passed through French, which beat a few sounds out of it.

Since it left Latin it has acquired many extended senses in botany, anatomy, cigars, beers, etc. A CORONAVIRUS is so called for the spikes that protrude from its membranes and resemble the tines of a crown or the corona of the sun. When I wrote that entry probably very few people had seen a representation of one. Now, probably, all of you have.

HOSPITAL is the same word as HOTEL (and HOSTEL, and, partly, HOSPICE), and is related to both GUEST and HOST, and to HOSPITALITY and HOSTILITY. It’s one of the word-groups that takes you into the deepest trenches of language history and gives you a whiff of the ancestral homelands.

HOSPITAL – mid-13c., “shelter for the needy,” from Old French hospital, ospital “hostel, shelter, lodging” (Modern French hôpital), from Late Latin hospitale “guest-house, inn,” noun use of neuter of Latin adjective hospitalis “of a guest or host” (as a noun, “a guest; the duties of hospitality”), from hospes (genitive hospitis) “guest; host.”

INOCULATION and VACCINATION now are generally used interchangeably for “artificial induction of immunity against various infectious diseases.” There’s a difference, but it’s mostly historical.

INOCULATION describes the older form of the process that was used to protect against smallpox. Another word for it in 18th century English was VARIOLATION, from VARIOLA, the medical Latin word for “smallpox,” which is a diminutive of Latin varius “changing, various,” in this case “speckled, spotted” (related to VARY and VARIOUS).

acumen = ability to make good judgments
agenda = list of things to be done
altruism = selfless concern for others
ambiguous = having a double meaning
aplomb (Fr.) = self-confidence
atrocity = cruel act
avarice = greed
bibulous = excessively fond of drinking alcohol
camp = a place where tents, huts, or other temporary shelters are set up, as by soldiers, nomads, or travelers.
celibate = abstaining from sex or marriage
certain = determined, fixed from Certus, determined
chivalrous (Fr.) = gallant
condign = worthy, appropriate
conglomerate = parts put together to form a unit while remaining separate identities
corona = a faintly colored luminous ring or halo appearing to surround a celestial body
crepuscular = pertaining to twilight
cull = select from a variety of sources
debilitate = weaken

dirigible = capable of being guided
facsimile = exact copy
ferrous = made of iron
flux = in the process of flowing
fort = a fortified place occupied by troops; an army post.
futile = in vain
garrulity = loquaciousness
hospital = A facility that provides emergency, inpatient, and usually outpatient medical care for sick or injured people.
interred = placed or buried in the earth
hotel = An establishment that provides lodging and usually meals and other services for travelers and other paying guests.
hospice = A shelter or lodging for travelers, pilgrims, foundlings, or the destitute, especially one maintained by a monastic order.
hospitality = Cordial and generous reception of or disposition toward guests.
hostile = warlike, aggressive: a hostile takeover; adverse, contrary, unsympathetic: a hostile response
impecunious = poor
incalculable = too great to be counted
incommunicado (Sp.) = not in communication with others
indefatigability = tireless
inoculation = The act or an instance of inoculating, especially the introduction of an antigenic substance or vaccine into the body to produce immunity to a specific disease.
inocultate = to introduce a serum, vaccine, or antigenic substance into a body
insipid = lacking flavor
introspection = looking within at one’s mental or emotional state
languid = slow, relaxed
latinism = a mode of expression derived from or imitative of Latin.
lucubration = meditation
malfeasance (Fr.) = wrongdoing
medicine = from Latin the healing art, medicine; a remedy,” also used figuratively.
Mediterranean = a sea in the midde of two lands
modicum = small amount
moribund = near death
mundane = worldly as opposed to spiritual
naive = exhibiting lack of experience
obeisance = respect
obvious = clear (from the Latin for “in the way”)
parvenu = celebrity from obscure origins
perpetuate = preserve
perturb = make anxious
plausible = probable
precarious = uncertain
puerile = childishly silly
pulchritude = beauty
pusillanimity = showing a lack of courage

quarantine = A condition, period of time, or place in which a person, animal, plant, vehicle, or amount of material suspected of carrying an infectious agent is kept in confinement or isolated in an effort to prevent disease from spreading
rapport = close relationship
rapprochement (Fr.) = establishment of a harmonious relationship
recalcitrant = obstinate
renegade = a rebellious person
reprisal = retaliation
sacrosanct = very important or holy and not to be messed with
sane = Of sound mind; mentally healthy.
sanity = The quality or condition of being sane; soundness of mind.
simulacrum = image
stipend = fixed allowance
stultify = make appear foolish, cause to loose enthusiasm
succumb = fail to resist
taunt (Fr.) = provoke
tentative = provisional
terrace = flat earth with sloping sides
Terrier = a breed et dog that burrows into the earth for game
turpitude = depravity
ubiquity = found everywhere
vaccination = Inoculation with a vaccine in order to protect against a particular disease.
vaccine = a preparation of a weakened or killed pathogen
virulent = Characterized by, causing, or promoting the rapid onset of severe illness.viral = Of, relating to, or caused by a virus
virus = any of various submicroscopic agents that infect living organisms

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Did you know when you say this, it’s Latin?

Common Latin roots and its derived English words.

https://www.latin-english.com   Latin English Dictionary

https://www.etymonline.com     Online Etymology Dictionary

Latin Language: Bennett, Charles E.: New Latin Grammar;
D’Oogle, Benjamin L.: Latin for beginners;
Wine, women and songs. Medieval Latin Student’s Songs, including translation and commentary by John Addington Symonds.

A – C

abdomen:- belly
acumen:- ability to make good judgments

abacus:- ancient calculator

affidavit:- a sworn declaration of an oath
agenda:- list of things to be done
alma mater:- nourishing mother
alpha:- First of something
alter ego:- other self
altruism:- selfless concern for others
ambiguous:- a double meaning
amor:- love
apex:- top
appendix:- supplement
atrocity:- cruel act
avarice:- greed

bibulous:- love of drinking alcohol

bona fide:- good faith
campus:- plain land of something
celibate:- abstaining from sex or marriage
cerebrum:- brain
condign:- worthy, appropriate
conglomerate:- different parts mixed as a unit while still distinct
crepuscular:- pertaining to twilight
cull:- select from a variety of sources

M – O

major:- great
media:- middle
medicinae doctor (M.D.):- doctor of medicine
memo:- note to remember
modicum:- small amount
moribund:- near death
mundane:- wordly as opposed to spiritual
naive:- exhibiting lack of experience
obeisance:- respect
obvious:- clear
oculus dexter (O.D.):- In Ophthalmology, right eye
oculus sinister (O.S.):- In Ophthalmology, left eye

S – Z

sacrosanct:- very important
status quo:- situation in which
stereo:- solid
stipend:- fixed allowance
stultify:- appear foolish
sub nomine:- under the name of

succumb:- fail to resist

tentative:- provisional
turpitude:- depravity
ubiquity:- found everywhere
ultra:- beyond
versus:- against
via:- a way
vice versa:- reversed
viz:- Abbreviation for ‘namely’

So, these were some Latin-derived words which we commonly use. Not only words, but many of the prefixes and suffixes have also come from this ancient language. It all together forms the base of our grammar. Keep reading and increasing your vocabulary!

P – R

parvenu:- celebrity from obscure origins
per annum:- annually
per capita:- individually
percent:- rate for hundred
per contra:- on the other hand
per se:- by itself
perpetuate:- preserve

perturb:- make anxious

plausible:- probable
post meridiem (pm):- afternoon
post mortem:- autopsy
post script (PS):- after writing (in the end)
precarious:- uncertain
pro rata:- in equal parts
puerile:- childishly silly
pulchritude:- beauty
pusillanimity:- showing a lack of courage
quantum:- amount

rapport:- close relationship

recalcitrant:- obstinate
renegade:- a rebellious person
reprisal:- retaliation

Latin Roots, Suffixes, and Prefixes Example

Let’s look at some examples of roots, suffixes, and prefixes derived from Latin. Did you know these words came from Latin?

Latin Roots Examples

Latin Suffixes Examples

Latin Prefixes Examples

Did you know the ‘pre’ in the word ‘prefix’ is a Latin prefix itself? It derives from the Latin ‘prae‘, which means ‘before/prior to.’

Latin Roots, Suffixes, and Prefixes — Key Takeaways

• A root refers to the base form of a word.
• Examples of Latin root words include ‘audire’, ‘mens’ and ‘lingua’
• A suffix is a letter/group of letters added to the end of a root word, whereas a prefix is a letter/group of letters added to the beginning of a root word.
• Examples of Latin suffixes include ‘able,’ ‘ify,’ and ‘ment’
• Examples of Latin prefixes include ‘co,’ ‘dis,’ and ‘re’

D – H

de facto:- of fact
dirigible:- capable of being guided
etc.:- and the rest
ergo:- therefore
facsimile:- exact copy
ferrous:- made of iron
flux:- in the process of flowing
futile:- in vain
garrulity:- loquaciousness

Latin Roots, Suffixes, and Prefixes Words

Now that you know some Latin roots, suffixes and prefixes, let’s take a look at some English words that use them!

We’ll begin with the Latin root words and the English words that use these roots:

Latin Roots and English Words

Latin Suffixes and English Words

Latin Prefixes and English Words

Latin Roots, Suffixes, and Prefixes Review

So, what do we now know about Latin roots, suffixes, and prefixes?

Here are a few key points:

• A root is the core form of a word. It makes sense on its own.

• A suffix is added to the end of a root word. This can be done to change the tense, express plurality, or change the word class.

• A prefix is added to the beginning of a root word. This can be done to negate a word or show repetition.

If you are familiar with Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes, you can use them to help determine the meanings of unfamiliar English words.

The word ‘indescribable‘ is made up of:

• prefix: in
• root: describe
• suffix: able

From this, we can tell that:

• The root word ‘describe’ means to give a detailed description or account of something.
• But the prefix ‘in’ is used to negate the word — in this case meaning ‘not able to be described.’
• The suffix ‘able’ means that the word is an adjective, so is used to modify a noun.

I – L

impecunious:- poor
impromptu:- spontaneous
in absentia:- in one’s absence
incalculable:- too great to be counted
indefatigability:- tireless
insipid:- lacking flavor
intra:- within
introspection:- looking within oneself
languid:- slow, relaxed

The Influence of Latin on English

Loanwords are words that have been taken from one language and integrated into the vocabulary of another. This is often done when two countries/cultures come into close contact, usually due to migration, trade, and/or war between countries.

During the Roman Empire, Latin was the lingua franca in most of Europe — a lingua franca is a common language used between countries that have different native languages. This means it was widely spoken and other European countries were often exposed to Latin vocabulary. Many English words were either directly taken from Latin, or new words were created using Latin roots, suffixes, and prefixes.

Below is a pie chart of the languages with the most influence on English. This shows the percentage of words in the English language that derive from each of these languages:

Fig. 2 — Pie chart showing the percentage of words in English that derive from other languages

Latin Roots, Suffixes, and Prefixes Definition

It’s important to be aware of what roots, prefixes, and suffixes are, as they all help to determine the meaning of words. If you haven’t heard of these terms before, here are some definitions and examples:

Roots Definition

A root (also known as a base) refers to the core form of a word. It has a distinct meaning and can make sense on its own.

An example of a root word is ‘child.’ This word makes sense on its own and has its own definition. Nothing has been added to it.

A root carries most of a word’s meaning. Once you learn the root of a word, you will be able to construct new words. For example, take the verb ‘slow.’ This is a root word. You can add ‘ly’ to the end to turn it into the adverb ‘slowly.’ The ending ‘ly’ is known as a suffix.

Here’s a definition of suffix:

Suffix Definition

A suffix refers to a letter or group of letters added to the end of a root word to create a new meaning. Suffixes can be added to a root word for a variety of reasons, such as:

1. To change tense

Take the root word ‘paint‘ (e.g., I paint a picture). To change this to the past tense, you would add the ‘ed‘ suffix, which changes it to ‘painted.’

2. To express plurality (more than one of something)

Take the singular root word ‘cup.’ If you want to make it plural, you would add the suffix ‘s‘ at the end, which changes it to ‘cups.’ This shows there is more than one cup.

3. To change the word class

Take the root word ‘agree’ (verb). To change this to an adjective, you would add the suffix ‘able,’ which changes it to ‘agreeable’ (adjective).

When ‘able‘ is used, sometimes letters from the root words get dropped. For example, adding ‘able‘ to the root ‘adore‘ does not make it ‘adoreable‘ — instead, it’s ‘adorable.’

Prefix Definition

A prefix refers to a letter or group of letters added to the beginning of a root word to create a new meaning. Prefixes can be used for a couple of reasons, including:

1. To negate a word (make the meaning negative)

Take the root word ‘legal.’ To make this negative, you would add the prefix ‘il’, changing it to ‘illegal.’

Fig. 1 — Illegal has negative connotations, whereas legal has positive connotations.

Other prefixes used to create a negative meaning are:

• in- (e.g., incorrect)

• im- (e.g., impossible)

• ir- (e.g., irresponsible)

• un- (e.g., unimpressed)

• dis- (e.g., disapprove)

2. To show repetition

Adding the ‘re‘ prefix to the root ‘do‘ creates the word ‘redo‘, which means to do something again/more than once.

Sometimes, prefixes can be hyphenated so as to not be misread or mispronounced. This is often the case if the last letter of the prefix and the first letter of the root word are the same. For example, the word ‘re-enter‘ is often written with a hyphen — otherwise, it may be pronounced as ‘reen-ter.’