Latin words first recorded in the 1st century BC

It is from Latin culter (“knife”) + -lus, a diminutive. De Vaan connects culter with Proto-Indo-European *(s)kolh2/3-tro- (“instrument for cleaving”), from the root *(s)kelh2/3- (“to split…

It is formed from Latin dē- (“down, to the end”) + certō (“to contend”). De Vaan lists both under certus (“decided, sure”), the old participle of cernō (“to sift, decide”), from Proto-Italic *kritos…

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek διάλυσις (diálusis, “separation, dissolution”), from διαλύω (dialúō, “to dissolve, separate”), made of διά (diá, “apart”) and λύω (lúō, “to loosen”).

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek πέλτη (péltē, “light shield”).

It is formed from Latin prō- + nūntiō (“to announce”), as Varro already explained. The verb comes from nūntius (“messenger”), whose further origin de Vaan finds unclear.

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ῥαψῳδία (rhapsōidía, “recitation of epic poetry”). The Greek word comes from ῥαψῳδός (rhapsōidós, “reciter of epic poems”), a compound of the stem of ῥάπτω (rháptō…

It is from Latin rogō (“to ask”) + -tiō. De Vaan takes ⟨rogō⟩ as probably a verb from a noun Proto-Italic *rogo- “a directing of oneself towards someone”, hence “request”, or an adjective…

1. The noun is related to sexus (“sex”), of which it seems the older formation, although the older texts have only ⟨sexus⟩. De Vaan considers a link with secō (“to cut”), as “a division”, but finds…

The origin is disputed. The OLD compares Ancient Greek τορύνη (torúnē, “stirring ladle”) and suggests that it may be a back-formation from Latin trulla (“ladle, scoop”). Pokorny and Köbler place…

It is formed from Latin -men on a stem ⟨alu-⟩, which de Vaan reconstructs as from Proto-Italic *alu- (“bitter substance”), in the way bitūmen is formed. The same stem is in alūta, leather treated…

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek κάνναβις (kánnabis, “hemp”). According to Etymonline the Greek word is itself a Scythian or Thracian word. Isidore of Seville derived ⟨cannabum⟩ from its likeness…

Its origin is uncertain. De Vaan considers it probably an onomatopoeic word with reduplication, like cicōnia (“stork”), a bird also known for its clattering sound; it may, but need not, be a…

It is from Latin con- + maculō (“to stain”). maculō is formed from macula (“spot, stain”), which de Vaan tentatively traces to Proto-Italic *smatlo- and Proto-Indo-European *smh₁-tlo- (“wiping”)…

It is from Latin contemnō (“to despise, scorn”) + -tiō. De Vaan takes contemnō as older than the simple temnō, which was back-formed from it; its origin is disputed, between a root meaning “to…

It is from Latin cornū (“horn”) + -cen (“player”), formed like tībīcen and tubicen. The second element comes from canō (“to sing, play”), and ancient grammarians already explained the word as “one…

It is from Latin colō (“to cultivate, inhabit, worship”) + -trīx (“feminine agent suffix”), the feminine counterpart of cultor. De Vaan traces the verb to Proto-Italic *kwele/o- and…

It is from Latin decem (“ten”), because it was the tenth month of the old Roman year, which began with March. How the ending was formed is uncertain. The OLD reconstructs *decemo-membris, from…

It is formed from Latin dein (“then”) + -ceps, from capiō (“to take”), like princeps and particeps. The adjective, “taking place next”, came first; the TLL explains the adverb as its nominative used…

It is an adverb, from Latin dēlicātus (“delightful, luxurious”), formed with -ē. VOLI derives it more directly from dēliciae (“delights”), the noun from which the adjective is made.

It is from Latin efficiō (“to bring about, accomplish”) + -āx. efficiō is formed from ex- and faciō (“to do, make”). Late grammarians explained it as “taking effect”, and Priscian as a compound of…

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἔλεγος (élegos), used in the plural as ἔλεγοι (élegoi). Köbler, after Frisk, takes the Greek word for a lament to be probably of Asia Minor origin.

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἐτησίαι (etēsíai), with ἄνεμοι (ánemoi, “winds”) understood, from ἐτήσιος (etḗsios, “yearly”), from ἔτος (étos, “year”). Ancient writers explained the name from the…

It is formed from Latin ex- + cōgitō (“to think”). ⟨Cōgitō⟩ is in turn from co- and agitō (“to drive, consider”), the frequentative of agō (“to drive, do”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic…

1. The participle is from Latin eximō (“to take out; to free”), its perfect passive participle; the verb is from Latin ex- + emō (“to take; to buy”). 2. The noun is from Latin eximō (“to take out”)…

The origin is unknown. Walde and Hofmann derived it from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- (“to dwell”), the honeycomb being the dwelling of the bees, and Köbler and Wiktionary also connect it with that…

It is from Latin flōs (“flower”) + -culus, a diminutive. De Vaan traces flōs to Proto-Italic *flōs and Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₃-ōs (“blossoming”), which came to mean “flower”. He compares Oscan…

It is a derivative from Latin funda (“sling”), with the ending of iānitor. The origin of funda is uncertain: it may go back to ⟨*bʰondʰ-h₂-⟩ “strap”, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ- (“to bind”)…

It is from Latin hebeō (“to be blunt, dull”) + -scō, an inchoative verb. De Vaan derives both that verb and the adjective hebes (“blunt”) from a stem ⟨heb-⟩, since neither can be derived from the…

It is from Latin in- + linō (“to smear”). De Vaan traces linō to Proto-Italic *lina- (“to smear”) and Proto-Indo-European *h₂li-n-H-, a nasal present. He compares Old Irish lenaid (“to stay, glue…

It is from Latin immānis (“huge, savage”) + -tās. ⟨Immānis⟩ is the negative of an old adjective mānus (“good”), “not good”. De Vaan traces ⟨mānus⟩ to Proto-Italic *māno- and Proto-Indo-European…

It is from Latin in- + modicus (“moderate”). ⟨modicus⟩ is from modus (“measure”), which de Vaan derives from Proto-Italic *medo- (“measure, judgement”) and Proto-Indo-European *med-o- (“measure”)…

It is formed from Latin in- (“in, into”) + putō (“to reckon”). De Vaan explains ⟨putō⟩ as a verb made from putus (“pure, clean”), from Proto-Italic *puto- (“cut off, cleaned”) and…

It is from Latin lympha (“water; water nymph”) + -ō. The OLD takes that noun as apparently an adaptation of Ancient Greek νύμφη (númphē, “bride, young girl; spring water”) by dissimilation…

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek μαργαρίτης (margarítēs, “pearl”), with λίθος (líthos, “stone”) understood. Köbler calls the Greek word an oriental loanword.

It is formed from Latin Mārs + -ius; as a noun meaning March it is short for the phrase with mēnsis (“month”). De Vaan lists it among the derivatives of the god's name, which developed within Latin…

It is from Latin nemus (“grove, wood”) + -ōsus. The noun goes back to Proto-Italic *nem-os- and Proto-Indo-European *nem-o/es- (“what is distributed, sacrifice”). De Vaan explains the sense “forest…

It is formed from Latin paeniteō (“to cause regret, repent”) + -ia, through its present participle paenitēns (“repenting”). De Vaan sets the verb under paene (“almost”), whose stem seems to have…

It is formed from Latin perduellis (“public enemy”) + -iō. The base is made of per- and duellum, the old form of bellum (“war”), and de Vaan reports Meiser's view that legal language kept the ⟨du⟩…

It is from Latin per- + lavō (“to wash”), with the compound form ⟨-luere⟩ found also in alluō and abluō. The simple verb goes back to Proto-Italic *lowa- and Proto-Indo-European *(le-)louh₃- (“to…

It is from Latin perōdī (“to hate greatly”), its participle, made of per- and ōdī (“to hate”). Wiktionary notes that the prefixed form replaced plain ōsus in this function by the end of the…

It is from Latin prae- + carpō (“to pluck, pick”). De Vaan reconstructs Proto-Italic *karp- for carpō and derives it from Proto-Indo-European *kerp-e/o- (“to pick, pluck”).

It was formed from the phrase ⟨prō cōnsule⟩ “in place of a consul”, from Latin prō + cōnsul. De Vaan takes ⟨cōnsul⟩ as a noun made to cōnsulō (“to deliberate”), from Proto-Italic *kom-sel-…

It is formed from Latin prō- (“forward”) + currō (“to run”). De Vaan derives ⟨currō⟩ from Proto-Italic *korse/o- (“to run”) and Proto-Indo-European *kr̥s-e/o- (“to run”), cognate with Old Irish carr…

Its origin is uncertain. De Vaan takes ⟨pūpa⟩ and pūpus (“boy”) as a reduplicated form of the element ⟨pū-⟩ found in puer (“boy”), since Latin often forms affectionate words by reduplication. He…

It is from Latin pūpa (“girl, doll”) + -illa, or a diminutive of pūpula, itself from pūpa. De Vaan sees in pūpa a reduplicated form of the ⟨*pū-⟩ of puer (“boy”), a common type in affective words…

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek πυρά (purá, “funeral pyre”), from πῦρ (pûr, “fire”).

It is probably a loanword from a Mediterranean language; the OLD suggests it is pre-Indo-European. Compare Ancient Greek ῥάξ (rháx, “grape”) and ῥώξ (rhṓx, “grape”).

It is from Latin repleō (“to fill up, stuff”), used as an adjective: the past participle of that verb. The verb is a compound of re- and ⟨-pleō⟩ “to fill”, which de Vaan derives from a root aorist…

It is from Latin rescīscō (“to find out”), a back-formation. That verb is a compound of re- and scīscō (“to get to know”), from sciō (“to know”). De Vaan traces sciō to Proto-Italic *skije/o- (“to…

It is from Latin simulō (“to imitate, pretend”) + -tor, an agent noun of the verb. De Vaan derives simulō from similis (“like, similar”), which goes back to Proto-Italic *semali- (“alike, together”)…

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek σπάδων (spádōn, “eunuch”). Köbler compares the root Proto-Indo-European *spē(i)- (“to pull, stretch”).

It is from Latin speciōsus (“good-looking, showy”) + -ē. The adjective is formed from speciēs (“appearance, look”) with -ōsus, and that noun from speciō (“to look at”), which de Vaan traces to…

It is from Latin sub- + orior (“to rise, arise”).

It is from Latin sub- + stringō (“to draw tight, bind”). De Vaan notes that all the compounds of the verb mean “tie, tighten”, and traces this meaning to Proto-Italic *strenge/o- (“to tie”) and…

It is from Latin tenebricus (“shrouded in darkness”) + -ōsus, formed like bellicōsus beside bellicus; the OLD refers it directly to tenebrae (“darkness”). De Vaan derives the noun from Proto-Italic…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *orsso-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₂r̥tḱo- (“bear”). De Vaan explains the cluster /rs/ from the Indo-European /rtḱ/ seen in the other branches; the ⟨u⟩…

It is from Latin vēnor (“to hunt”) + -tiō. De Vaan takes vēnor as probably a verb made from an adjective ⟨*wēno-⟩ “searching, hunting” or a noun Proto-Italic *wēnā- (“hunting”), going back to…

It is from Latin vēndō (“to sell”) + -bilis. De Vaan explains the verb as a contracted form of ⟨vēnum dare⟩, “to give for sale”, built on vēnum, which goes back to Proto-Italic *wesno- and…

It is from Latin vōx (“voice”) + ferō (“to carry”), a deponent verb. De Vaan traces vōx to Proto-Italic *wōkʷs and Proto-Indo-European *wōkʷ-s (“voice”). Cognate with Sanskrit वाक् (vā́k, “voice…

It is from Latin ad- + cumulō (“to heap up”), and cumulō is formed from cumulus (“heap, pile”). De Vaan notes that the verb is attested much earlier than the noun, and reconstructs Proto-Italic…