Latin words first recorded in the 1st century BC

It is from Latin manūmittō (“to free a slave”) + -tiō. Manūmittō is from manus “hand, power” and mittō “to send, release”, and Ulpian explains the word as a sending out of one's hand, that is, the…

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek μαθηματικός (mathēmatikós, “mathematical”), from μάθημα (máthēma, “what is learnt, knowledge”), from μανθάνω (manthánō, “to learn”). The noun is the adjective used…

It is from Latin mātūrus (“ripe, timely”) + -tās. De Vaan derives ⟨mātūrus⟩ from a noun ⟨*mātu-⟩ “ripeness, early moment”, Proto-Indo-European *meh₂-tu- (“ripeness”), probably from the root of mānus…

It is a diminutive from Latin māla (“cheekbone, jaw”) + -la (from ⟨*maksl-⟩). Wiktionary reconstructs Proto-Italic ⟨*smakslā⟩ for ⟨māla⟩. Cicero himself noted the relation of ⟨māla⟩ and ⟨maxilla⟩.

It is from Latin medius (“middle”) + -ānus.

It is from Latin medicō (“to heal, treat”) + -men. medicō belongs with medicus (“doctor”) and medeor (“to heal”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *med-ē- and Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to…

It is from Latin medius (“middle”) + -tās, first made by Cicero as a rendering of Ancient Greek μεσότης (mesótēs, “middle, mean”).

It is from Latin medius (“middle”) + *tollium, ⟨*tollium⟩ being, an old form related to tellūs “earth”, though the details are unclear.

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek μελαγχολία (melankholía, “black bile; madness”), from μέλας (mélas, “black”) and χολή (kholḗ, “bile”). Isidore of Seville explained the name from the dregs of black…

It is an adverb from Latin memor (“mindful”) + -ter.

It is from Latin mendōsus (“full of faults”) + -ē. The adjective is formed from mendum (“fault, blemish”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *m(e)ndo- and compares with Old Irish mennar…

It is from Latin mendum (“fault, blemish”) + -ōsus (“full of”). De Vaan reconstructs Proto-Italic *m(e)ndo- for mendum; if Old Irish mind (“sign, mark”) is cognate, beside mennar (“blemish”), it is…

It is from Latin merus + -ācus, formed like ebriacus (“drunk”). The adjective merus (“pure, unmixed”) goes back to Proto-Italic *mero- and Proto-Indo-European *merH-o- (“remaining, pure”).

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *mezge/o-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *mesg-e/o- (“to sink, wash”). Cognate with Sanskrit मज्जति (májjati, “sinks, dives”) and Lithuanian mazgóti (“to wash”).

It is from Latin mereō (“to earn, deserve”) + -tōrius. De Vaan reconstructs that verb as Proto-Italic *mer-ē- (“to earn”) and, with a question mark, Proto-Indo-European *(s)mr-eh1- (“to earn”).

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek μετωνυμία (metōnumía, “change of name”), from μετά (metá) and ὄνομα (ónoma, “name”).

It is from Latin migrō (“to move, change one's abode”) + -tiō.

It is from Latin mīlle (“thousand”) + -ēsimus (“-th”), the ordinal formed like the other ordinals in ⟨-ēsimus⟩.

It is from Latin mīmus (“mime, mime actor”), as its feminine.

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek μιμικός (mīmikós, “of or for mimes”), from μῖμος (mîmos, “mime”).

It is from Latin minium (“cinnabar, red lead”) + -ō.

It is from Latin minister (“servant, attendant”) + -ium.

It is formed from Latin miseror (“to pity”) + -bilis. The verb comes from miser (“wretched”), which de Vaan derives from Proto-Italic *misro-; it may be connected with maereō (“to grieve”), but no…

It is from Latin miseror (“to pity”) + -tiō, from miser (“wretched”). miser goes back to Proto-Italic *misros; it is possibly connected with maereō (“to grieve”), but no acceptable Indo-European…

It is from Latin mittō (“to let go, send”) + -tiō. Mittō continues Old Latin mītō and Proto-Italic *meitō.

It is from Latin moderātus (“restrained, moderate”) + -ē, the adverb of the participle of moderor (“to keep within bounds”). That verb belongs with modus (“measure”), which de Vaan traces to…

It is from Latin moderor (“to keep within bounds”), its participle, from modus “measure”.

It is from Latin modus (“measure”) + -ficō, that is, to give a measure to something.

It is from Latin modulus (“small measure”) + -ō, itself a diminutive of modus (“measure”); Augustine derived it from modus directly. De Vaan traces modus to Proto-Italic *medo- (“measure…

It is the adverb from Latin molestus (“troublesome”) + -ē. De Vaan explains ⟨molestus⟩ most likely from an old neuter s-stem ⟨*melos⟩ “trouble, obstacle”, from Proto-Italic *mel-e/os- (“trouble”)…

1. This word is from Latin mōlior (“to construct, set in motion”) + -tor, from mōlēs “mass”. 2. This word is from Latin molō (“to grind”) + -tor. De Vaan traces ⟨molō⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *melh₂-…

It is from Latin Monēta, a cult title of Juno at Rome, near whose temple on the Capitol money was coined. The usual derivation of the name, given by Cicero and the Suda, is from moneō “to warn”, but…

It is from Latin moneō (“to remind, warn”) + -tiō. De Vaan traces moneō to Proto-Italic *moneje- and Proto-Indo-European *mon-eie- (“to make think of, remind”). Cognate with Sanskrit मानयति…

It is formed from Latin moneō (“to remind, warn”). De Vaan traces moneō to Proto-Italic *moneje- and Proto-Indo-European *mon-eie- (“to make think of, remind”), comparing Sanskrit मानयति (mānáyati…

It is from Latin moneō (“to remind, warn”) + -tus, a fourth-declension action noun. De Vaan traces moneō to Proto-Italic *moneje- and Proto-Indo-European *mon-eie- (“to make think of, remind”), a…

It is from Latin mōnstrum (“portent, monster”) + -ōsus. The TLL compares portentōsus, formed in the same way from a word for an omen.

It is from Latin mōns (“mountain”) + -ōsus (“full of”). The ending ⟨-uōsus⟩ was taken from adjectives such as virtuōsus, and the TLL compares saltuōsus (“wooded”). The noun mōns goes back to…

It is from Latin mōs + -ālis (plural mōrēs “customs, character”), a word Cicero formed to translate Ancient Greek ἠθικός (ēthikós, “ethical”).

It is from Latin mortālis (“mortal”) + -tās; ⟨mortālis⟩ is from mors “death”. De Vaan traces ⟨morior⟩ “to die” to Proto-Indo-European *mr̥-yé- (“to die”).

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *mowetjō, equivalent to moveō “to move” with the suffix -tiō.

It is from Latin muliebris (“womanly”) + -ter. De Vaan takes muliebris to show that mulier (“woman”) was originally an s-stem; the further origin of the noun is disputed.

It is from Latin mulier (“woman”) + -ārius. The noun mulier was originally an s-stem, as muliebris shows; an older etymology explains it as a comparative formed on the stem of mollis (“soft, weak”).

It is from Latin multus (“much, many”) + -fōrmis (“having the form of”), the second part being fōrma (“shape, form”) with an adjectival ending. De Vaan traces multus to Proto-Italic *molto- and…

It is from Latin multiplex (“manifold”) + -ō, as Priscian already saw. Wiktionary analyses it as multus (“much”) with plicō (“to fold”).

It is from Latin mundus (“world, universe”) + -ānus. Etymonline notes that this mundus is identical in form with mundus “clean, elegant”.

It is from Latin mūniceps (“citizen of a municipium”) + -ālis or from mūnicipium. ⟨Mūniceps⟩ is from mūnus “duty, service to the community”, and ⟨-cipere⟩, the combining form of capiō “to take”.

It is from Latin mūniceps (“citizen of a municipium”) + -ium. ⟨mūniceps⟩ is from mūnus “duty” and capiō “to take”: de Vaan explains a ⟨mūniceps⟩ as one who “takes on an obligation”, from…

It is apparently borrowed from Ancient Greek μορμύρος (mormúros, “a kind of sea fish”), or the related μορμύλος (mormúlos), the gladiator being named after the image of a fish on his helmet, as the…

It is from Latin mūtō (“to change”) + -bilis. De Vaan says mūtō and mūtuus presuppose a noun Proto-Italic *moito- (“object of change”), which may come from a root meaning to exchange in either of…

It is from Latin mūtuus (“reciprocal, borrowed”) + -ō, an adverb from the ablative of the adjective. De Vaan traces mūtuus to Proto-Italic *moito- (“(object of) exchange”), whose further origin is…

It is from Latin narrō + -tor, the agent noun of the verb meaning “to tell, relate”. The verb narrō is a Proto-Italic formation from the adjective seen in gnārus “knowing”.

It is from Latin nātālis (“of birth”) + -icius, from nāscor (“to be born”). De Vaan traces ⟨nāscor⟩ to Proto-Italic *gnāsk-e/o- (“to be born”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵn̥h₁-sḱ-e/o- (“to be born”).

It is from Latin nātūrālis (“natural”) + -ter.

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ναυτικός (nautikós, “of ships, naval”), from ναύτης (naútēs, “sailor”), from ναῦς (naûs, “ship”). The TLL allows that it may instead be formed from the borrowed…

It is formed from Latin nāvigō (“to sail”) + -tiō. De Vaan lists ⟨nāvigō⟩ under nāvis (“ship”), from Proto-Italic *nāw- and Proto-Indo-European *neh2-u- (“ship”), probably “the floating one”…

It is from Latin nāvus (“busy, diligent”) + -ō. De Vaan traces nāvus, also written ⟨gnāvus⟩, to Proto-Italic *gnāwo- and Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃-uo- (“knowing”), with a shift of meaning from…

It is from Latin necesse (“unavoidable, necessary”) + -ārius. Wiktionary analyses necesse as ne- “not” and cessus.

It is formed from Latin ne- (“not”) + fandus (“to be spoken”), ⟨fandus⟩ being the gerundive of for (“to speak”), so “not to be spoken of”; compare īnfandus (“unspeakable”). The TLL notes that it was…

It is from Latin nefārius (“wicked, abominable”) + -ē. De Vaan derives nefārius from nefās (“an offence against divine law”), the negative of fās, which he traces to Proto-Italic *faos and…

It is from Latin negō (“to deny”) + -tiō.