Latin words first recorded in the 1st century BC

It is from Latin per- + tenuis (“thin”). De Vaan traces that adjective to Proto-Italic *tn̥(a)u- and Proto-Indo-European *tnh₂-(e)u- (“thin”).

Used as an adjective, it is the past participle from Latin pervagor (“to wander through, spread”). That verb is a compound of per- and vagor (“to wander”), from vagus (“roaming”), which de Vaan…

It is from Latin per- (“through”) + vagor (“to wander”). vagor comes from vagus (“wandering”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *wago- and, with a question mark, Proto-Indo-European *Huog-o-. He…

It is from Latin perversus (“turned the wrong way, perverse”) + -tās, an abstract noun. That adjective is the past participle of pervertō (“to overturn, corrupt”), a compound of per- and vertō (“to…

It is from Latin per- + vetus (“old”), with the intensive prefix. De Vaan connects vetus with the noun for “year”, Proto-Italic *wetos- (“year”) and Proto-Indo-European *uet-os- (“year”). Cognate…

It is from Latin pestis (“plague, destruction”) + -fer (“bearing”). The origin of pestis is unclear: the old derivation from ⟨*per-sitis⟩ “very thirsty” is unconvincing, and a comparison with an…

It is from Latin petulāns (“insolent, aggressive”) + -ter. The OLD compares petulāns with petō (“to make for, attack”) and petulcus (“butting”), and Wiktionary derives it, through an unattested verb…

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek φάλαρα (phálara, “metal bosses”), the plural of φάλαρον (phálaron). Köbler compares φαλός (phalós, “white”) and the root Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“shining…

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek φιλολογία (philología, “love of discussion, love of learning”), from φίλος (phílos, “dear, friend”) and λόγος (lógos, “word, speech”).

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek φυσική (physikḗ, “natural science”), the feminine of φυσικός (physikós, “natural”), from φύσις (phúsis, “nature”). Etymonline traces the Greek word to the root of…

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek φυσιολογία (phusiología, “natural science”). The Greek word is built on φύσις (phúsis, “nature”).

It is from Latin pius (“dutiful, devout”) + -ē. De Vaan traces pius to Proto-Italic *pwījo- and Proto-Indo-European *puH-io- (“purifying”), comparing Oscan piíhiúí (“pious”); how ⟨*puH-io-⟩ became…

It is from Latin pilleus (“felt cap”) + -ātus, also spelled ⟨pīle-⟩. De Vaan calls pilleus etymologically obscure.

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek πῖνα (pîna, “pinna, a bivalve”), also spelled πίννα (pínna) in Greek. Wiktionary gives the Greek source as πίνη (pínē, “sea pen”). The Latin spelling ⟨pinna⟩ also…

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek πειρατής (peiratḗs, “pirate”), from πεῖρα (peîra, “trial, attempt”), so first “one who makes attempts”. Isidore derived it from the burning of the ships the pirates…

It is from Latin plagium (“kidnapping”) + -ārius. The TLL derives it from plaga “net”, like ⟨rētiārius⟩, first meaning one who sets nets to catch.

It is from Latin plaudō (“to clap, applaud”) + -bilis, built on the participle stem ⟨plaus-⟩, as Priscian and Eutyches already noted. De Vaan traces the verb to Proto-Italic *plau-d-e/o- (“to clap…

It is formed from Latin plēbs (“the common people”) + -cola (“one who cultivates”), from colō (“to cultivate, court”). plēbs is a more recent variant of plēbēs, which goes back to Proto-Italic…

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek πλῆκτρον (plêktron, “thing to strike with”), from πλήσσω (plḗssō, “to strike”). Köbler traces the Greek word to the root Proto-Indo-European *plāk- (“to strike”) of…

It is from Latin plēnus (“full”) + -ē.

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ποδάγρα (podágra, “gout in the feet”). Köbler glosses the Greek word also “foot trap” and connects it with πούς (poús, “foot”) and a root meaning “hunt”. A late…

It is from Latin poēticus (“poetic”) + -ē. The adjective was borrowed from Ancient Greek ποιητικός (poiētikós, “pertaining to poetry”).

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ποιήτρια (poiḗtria, “poetess”), the feminine of Ancient Greek ποιητής (poiētḗs, “poet”).

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek πολιτεία (politeía, “citizenship, constitution”).

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek πολιτικός (politikós, “of citizens, civic”), from πολίτης (polítēs, “citizen”), from πόλις (pólis, “city”).

It is from Latin por- + *luō (“to soil”), from Proto-Italic *lowe/o- or *lawe/o- and Proto-Indo-European *leu-e/o- or *lHu-e/o- “to soil”. Apart from this verb, the other languages have only nouns…

It is from Latin pontifex (“pontiff”) + -ātus. pontifex is a compound of pōns (“bridge”) and faciō (“to make”); de Vaan reports a consensus that it meant “bridge-maker”, in the sense of one who…

It is from Latin populāris (“of the people”) + -ter. The adjective is formed from populus (“people”), which goes back to Proto-Italic *poplo- (“army”); de Vaan calls its further etymology unknown.

It is from Latin portentum (“portent, omen”) + -ōsus.

It is from Latin portus (“harbour”), through an adjective *portūnus that also underlies opportūnus and importūnus.

It is from Latin possideō (“to possess”) + -tor (participle ⟨possessus⟩), the agent suffix.

It is from Latin potis (“master, in control of”) + sīdō (“to sit down, settle”), the verb of entering possession beside possideō (“to possess”). De Vaan traces potis to Proto-Indo-European *pót-i-…

It is formed from Latin posterus (“coming after”) + -tās. De Vaan explains ⟨posterus⟩ as the old comparative of post (“after”), from Proto-Italic *post-ero- (“later”), and ⟨post⟩ from…

It is from Latin post- + līmen (“threshold”) + -ium. Lewis and Short explain it as properly a return behind one's threshold, that is, to one's home. The TLL notes that the original idea is not…

It is from Latin post- + merīdiēs (“midday”) + -ānus. The TLL compares antemerīdiānus (“of the forenoon”), and VOLI instead takes it from the adjective merīdiānus (“of midday”) with the prefix. De…

Used as a noun, it is the neuter participle from Latin postulō (“to ask for, demand”). De Vaan derives postulō from poscō (“to ask, demand”), which he traces to Proto-Italic *pork-ske/o- and…

It is from Latin potēns (“able, powerful”) + -ia. Etymonline traces ⟨potēns⟩ to potis “able” and Proto-Indo-European *poti- (“powerful”).

It is from Latin praebeō (“to offer, supply”) + -tor.

It is formed from Latin praecipiō (“to take beforehand; to instruct”) + -tiō.

It is from Latin praecipiō (“to take beforehand; to instruct”) + -tor, the agent suffix; ⟨praecipiō⟩ is from prae- and capiō “to take”.

It is formed from Latin praeclārus (“very bright; splendid”) + -ē, the adverb ending. The adjective is prae- (“before, very”) with clārus (“clear, bright”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic…

It is formed from Latin praecurrō (“to run ahead”) + -tor.

It is from Latin praedīcō (“to foretell”) + -tiō. Manuscripts often confuse it with praedicātiō “proclamation”.

It is from Latin praefor (“to say beforehand”) + -tiō, and that verb is a compound of prae- (“before”) and for (“to speak”). De Vaan traces for to Proto-Italic *fā- (“to speak”) and…

It is from Latin prae- (“before”) + gradior (“to step, walk”). De Vaan traces gradior to Proto-Italic *grad-(e)i- and Proto-Indo-European *g(h)rd(h)-(e)i-; the present ⟨-gredior⟩ of the compounds…

It is from Latin prae- (“before”) + iūdicium (“judgement”). The TLL derives it from praeiūdicō (“to prejudge”) or from iūdicium.

It is from Latin prae- + iūdicō (“to judge”). The verb iūdicō is made from iūdex (“judge”), which de Vaan derives from Proto-Italic *jowes-dik- (“judge”), one who speaks the law, a compound of the…

It is from Latin prae- + moneō (“to warn, advise”).

It is from Latin prae- + mūniō (“to fortify”). De Vaan derives mūniō from moenia (“defensive walls”), which goes back to Proto-Italic *moini- (“protective wall”).

It is from Latin prae- (“before”) + nūntiō (“to announce”). The verb is formed from nūntius (“messenger; message”), whose further origin is unclear according to de Vaan: it has been derived from a…

It is from Latin praeparō (“to prepare”) + -tiō, from prae- and parō “to make ready”.

It is from Latin prae- (“before”) + parō (“to prepare”).

It is from Latin prae- + potēns (“powerful”). Lewis & Short take it as the participle of praepossum (“to be more powerful”). De Vaan derives potēns from Proto-Italic *pot-ē- (“to be master”), made…

It is from Latin praerogātīvus (“voting first”), used as a noun in the feminine, with ⟨centuria⟩ or ⟨tribus⟩ understood. The adjective is formed from prae-, rogō (“to ask”) and the suffix -īvus: the…

It is from Latin praerumpō (“to break off in front”), its past participle, used as an adjective. De Vaan traces ⟨rumpō⟩ to Proto-Italic *ru-n-p- (“to break”), a nasal present of Proto-Indo-European…

It is from Latin praescrībō (“to write before, prescribe”) + -tiō. That verb is a compound of prae- (“before”) and scrībō (“to write”), which de Vaan derives from Proto-Italic *skreife/o- (“to…

It is from Latin prae- (“before”) + sedeō (“to sit”), so literally “to sit in front”. The best manuscripts of Tacitus have the perfect ⟨praesīdī⟩. Medieval manuscripts often spell it ⟨pre-⟩.

It is from Latin prae- (“before”) + tendō (“to stretch”). A participle ⟨praetēnsus⟩ is also found.

It is from Latin praeter- (“past, beyond”) + gradior (“to step, walk”), with the root vowel ⟨e⟩ that the compounds of that verb have in a non-initial syllable. The simple verb goes back to…

It is formed from Latin praeter- (“past”) + mittō (“to let go, send”). De Vaan traces ⟨mittō⟩ to Proto-Italic *meite/o- and Proto-Indo-European *m(e)ith₂- (“to exchange, remove”), from which the…