100s

Spanish words from Latin words first recorded in the 2nd century

10 Spanish words inherited from a Latin word whose earliest known written record dates from the 2nd century, earliest Latin record first.

1. lucha

   125–175

   from Latin lucta

   It is inherited from Old Spanish lucha, inherited from Late Latin lucta (“wrestling; struggle”). Corominas lists it under the verb luchar, from Latin luctor (“to wrestle”), and dates both to Berceo…

2. cambiar

   155–170

   from Latin cambio

   It is inherited from Old Spanish cambiar, inherited from Late Latin cambiāre (“to exchange”), a word of Gaulish origin. The verb is rare and late in Latin: the OLD cites Siculus Flaccus and…

3. lanzar

   160–220

   from Latin lanceo

   It is inherited from Old Spanish lançar, inherited from Late Latin lanceō (“to wield a lance”), a verb formed in Latin from lancea (“lance, light spear”). Corominas notes that the Late Latin verb is…

4. navidad

   160–220

   from Latin nativitas

   It is inherited from Late Latin nātīvitās (“birth”); Old Spanish nadvidad and navidat are its oldest forms. The BDELC and the Academy's dictionary from 1884 describe it as a shortening of natividad…

5. obispo

   160–220

   from Latin episcopus

   It is inherited from Late Latin episcopus (“overseer; bishop”), in a semi-learned form; the Latin word is from Ancient Greek ἐπίσκοπος (epískopos, “guardian, protector, overseer”). The Greek word is…

6. paraíso

   160–220

   from Latin paradisus

   It is inherited from Old Spanish parayso, inherited from Late Latin paradīsus (“park; paradise”), a semi-learned descendant of the Latin word. The Latin noun is from Ancient Greek παράδεισος…

7. barca

   170–230

   from Latin barca

   It is inherited from Late Latin barca (“boat”), and barca has the same form from the Cid on. The Latin word first appears in an inscription from the Algarve of about 200 AD, and then in writers from…

8. enviar

   200–250

   from Latin invio

   It is inherited from Late Latin inviāre (“to travel over (a road)”), formed from in- (“in, on”) and Latin via (“road, way”). Used transitively, the Late Latin verb came to mean “to send someone…

9. playa

   200–299

   from Latin plagia

   It is inherited from Late Latin plagia (“shore, beach”), a word Isidore of Seville already used in this sense. Corominas derives the Late Latin word, probably, from Ancient Greek πλάγια (plágia…

10. ruido

    200–250

    from Latin rugitus

    It is inherited from Old Spanish roído, inherited from Latin rugītus (“roaring”), which in Late Latin had taken the sense “din, uproar”. In Latin the word was used almost always for the roar of a…

All Spanish words inherited from Latin, by century →