Latin words first recorded in the 1st century BC

It is from Latin ūtor (“to use”) + -ēnsilis, perhaps an ending taken over from other adjectives; compare ūtilis. De Vaan traces ⟨ūtor⟩ to Proto-Italic ⟨*oit-e/o-⟩, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European…

It is from Latin vetus (“old”) + -ānus, on the stem ⟨veter-⟩. Inscriptions have the syncopated ⟨vetrānus⟩.

It is from Latin vīlla (“country house, farmstead”) + -āticus.

It is from Latin vīndēmia (“grape harvest”) + -tor, through vīndēmiō “to gather grapes”. De Vaan treats ⟨vīndēmia⟩, from vīnum “wine”, under emō “to take”.

It is from Latin vitulus (“calf”), its feminine.

It is from Latin vōx (“voice”) + -ālis. As a noun, ⟨vōcālis⟩ “vowel” is short for ⟨littera vōcālis⟩, a calque of Greek Ancient Greek φωνῆεν (phōnêen, “vowel”).

It is from Latin circulor + -tor; the OLD gives the verb as ⟨circulō⟩. The verb comes from circulus (“circle, ring”), which de Vaan derives from circus, probably a loanword from Ancient Greek κρίκος…

It is from Latin ab- + negō (“to deny, refuse”). De Vaan lists negō among the derivatives of the negative prefix ne- (“not”), explaining it either from nec in its old sense “not” or from neque; that…

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἄκανθος (ákanthos, “acanthus, bear's-foot”). The Greek name is usually explained from ἀκή (akḗ, “point, thorn”) and ἄνθος (ánthos, “flower”), and Köbler sets it…

It is from Latin acer (“maple”) + -nus; Priscian notes the derivation. De Vaan traces acer to Proto-Italic *ak-er- and connects Old High German ahorn (“maple”), but finds further connections…

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἀκόνιτον (akóniton, “wolfsbane”). Köbler calls the further origin of the Greek word unknown. The ancients explained it from a Greek word meaning “without dust”…

It is from Latin ad- + operiō (“to cover”). De Vaan traces the simple verb to Proto-Italic *op-wer-i(e)- (“to cover up”) and Proto-Indo-European *h₂uer-i(e)- (“to cover”); it is the counterpart of…

It is formed from Latin allēgō (“to send, commission”) + -tiō.

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἄντρον (ántron, “cave”). The Greek word is of uncertain origin, perhaps from a pre-Greek language.

It is from Latin apis (“bee”), because bees were thought to like the plant; the TLL calls the derivation likely. De Vaan finds no accepted etymology for apis. Isidore of Seville derived it from…

It is from Latin arbor (“tree”) + -eus. De Vaan traces arbor to Proto-Italic *arþōs and Proto-Indo-European *h₃rdʰ-ōs (“height, uprightness”), connecting it with arduus (“high”); the original sense…

It is from Latin arbutus (“strawberry tree”) + -eus. The OLD calls the origin of arbutus unknown; Lewis and Short connected it with arbor (“tree”), but Schrijver finds no reliable etymology for it.

Used as an adjective, it is the present participle from Latin audeō (“to dare”). De Vaan derives audeō from avidus (“greedy”): it first meant to want very much, as Plautus' sōdēs (“if you please”)…

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek βάλσαμον (bálsamon, “balsam”). The Greek word comes from a Semitic language: Wiktionary compares Biblical Hebrew בֹּשֶׂם (bōśem, “perfume”) and Arabic بَشَام…

It is from Latin bi- + color (“colour”).

It is from Latin bi- + cornū (“horn”) + -is. De Vaan traces cornū to Proto-Italic *kornu- and Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥n-o- (“horn”).

It is from Latin bi- (“two-”) + fōrma (“shape”) + -is. De Vaan traces bis (“twice”) to Proto-Italic *dwis and Proto-Indo-European *du̯is (“twice”), cognate with Ancient Greek δίς (dís, “twice”). The…

It is from Latin bi- (“two”) + līcium (“thread”), like trilīx (“triple-threaded”). De Vaan finds no Indo-European etymology for līcium.

It is from Latin bi- (“two”) + membrum (“limb”) + -is. Membrum goes back to Proto-Italic *memsro- and Proto-Indo-European *mēms-ro- (“body-part, meaty part”). The TLL compares bicorpor (“two-bodied”).

It is from Latin caelum (“sky”) + -fer (“bearing”), “sky-bearing”. The second part is from ferō (“to carry”). De Vaan traces caelum to Proto-Italic *kailo- (“sky”) and Proto-Indo-European *keh2i-lo-…

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek κάλαθος (kálathos, “wicker basket”).

Its origin is disputed. Wiktionary takes it as inherited from Proto-Italic *kameros, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *kh₂em- (“to bend, curve”), comparing campus for the root. Pokorny and Köbler…

It is from Latin cānus (“grey, hoary”) + -eō. De Vaan traces cānus to Proto-Italic *kasno- (“grey”) and Proto-Indo-European *ḱh₁s-no- (“grey”). Cognate with Old English hasu (“grey-brown”) and Old…

It is from Latin circum- + volō (“to fly”). For the simple verb de Vaan finds it conceivable, with Muller, that it continues Proto-Italic *gʷela-je/o-, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelh₁- (“to raise…

It is from Latin clīvus (“slope, hill”) + -ōsus. De Vaan traces clīvus to Proto-Indo-European *ḱloi-uo- (“slope, hill”) or *ḱlei-u̯o- (“sloping”).

It is from Latin coma (“hair of the head”), and the OLD compares Ancient Greek κομάω (komáō, “to let the hair grow”). Conte treats it as the present participle of a verb ⟨comō⟩ “to have hair”, while…

It is from Latin con- + color (“colour”). De Vaan traces color, early ⟨colōs⟩, to Proto-Italic *kelōs- (“outside, aspect”) and Proto-Indo-European *ḱel-ōs (“cover, covering”); in Latin the word…

It is from Latin cōnus (“cone”) + -fer, “bearing cones”, from the noun for a cone and the root of ferō (“to bear”). cōnus is borrowed from Ancient Greek κῶνος (kônos).

1. The adjective is from Latin cōnspiciō (“to catch sight of”), its past participle. That verb is formed from Latin con- + speciō (“to look at”), which de Vaan derives from Proto-Italic *spekje/o-…

It is from Latin contingō (“to touch, reach”) + -uus, from the stem ⟨contig-⟩. contingō is a compound of tangō (“to touch”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Indo-European *th₂-n-g- (“to touch”).

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek κοντός (kontós, “pole, pike”). Wiktionary derives the Greek word from κεντέω (kentéō, “to sting, goad”), and Köbler cites Pokorny's Proto-Indo-European *ḱent- (“to…

It is formed from Latin con- + vectō (“to carry, convey”), a frequentative related to convehō (“to carry together”) and its participle ⟨convectus⟩. vectō is a derivative of vehō (“to convey…

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek κόρυμβος (kórumbos, “top, peak; cluster of fruit”). Wiktionary connects the Greek word with κορυφή (koruphḗ, “head, top”).

It is from Latin crēber (“frequent, numerous”) + -ēscō. De Vaan derives crēber from the stem of crēscō (“to grow”), as Proto-Italic *krē-þro- (“growing, in large numbers”), and traces the verb to…

It is from Latin crispus (“curly, curled”) + -ō, a verb made from the adjective. De Vaan reconstructs Proto-Italic *krispo- (“curly, crumpled, twisted”) for the adjective; since it can be connected…

It is from Latin crocus (“saffron”) + -eus. crocus is borrowed from Ancient Greek κρόκος (krókos, “crocus, saffron”).

The origin is uncertain. The TLL takes it for a foreign word and compares Old Irish dam (“ox”) and Welsh dafad (“sheep”); the OLD gives the same comparison, and Köbler suggests a borrowing from…

It is from Latin dē- + bellō (“to wage war”). bellum (“war”) had the older form ⟨duellum⟩, found in Plautus.

It is from Latin dē- + dignor (“to deem worthy”). dignor is from dignus (“worthy”), which de Vaan treats under decet (“it is fitting”) and derives from Proto-Italic *dek-no- (“worthy”) and…

The OLD and the TLL take it as a back-formation from Latin dēgenerō (“to degenerate”). Lewis & Short and Wiktionary instead form it from dē- and genus (“race, kind”), and Priscian from the word for…

It is from Latin dēns (“tooth”) + -ālis. The base goes back to Proto-Italic *dent- and Proto-Indo-European *h₃d-nt- (“tooth”).

It is from Latin dē- + rigēscō (“to stiffen”); manuscripts often have ⟨dīr-⟩. rigēscō is the inchoative of rigeō (“to be stiff”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Indo-European *Hriǵ-eh₁- (“to be…

It is from Latin dē- + saeviō (“to rage”). The simple verb comes from saevus (“savage”), which goes back to Proto-Italic *saiwo- and Proto-Indo-European *seh₂i-uo- (“savage”).

It is from Latin dē- + sōlus (“alone”), with the verbal suffix ⟨-ō⟩. The origin of sōlus is unclear: de Vaan rejects the old link with the reflexive pronoun and suggests, tentatively, a connection…

It is from Latin dē- + spūmō (“to foam, froth”). The TLL derives it either from the verb or directly from the noun spūma (“foam”). De Vaan traces that noun to Proto-Italic *spoimā- (“foam”) and…

It is formed from Latin dē- + tonō (“to thunder”).

It is from Latin ex- + fulgeō (“to shine”). De Vaan traces fulgeō to Proto-Italic *folg-e/o- (“to shine”) and Proto-Indo-European *bʰlg-e/o- (“to shine”), the root of Ancient Greek φλέγω (phlégō…

It is a frequentative, from Latin ēiciō (“to throw out”) + -tō. The TLL compares iactō (“to throw about”), the frequentative of the simple verb.

It is from Latin ēloquor (“to speak out”) + -ium. De Vaan traces loquor to Proto-Italic *(t)lokʷ-e/o- and Proto-Indo-European *tlokʷ- (“to talk”).

It is from Latin ex- + luctor (“to wrestle, struggle”). De Vaan explains the simple verb, with some doubt, as a frequentative built on a past participle Proto-Italic *lukto-, from…

It is from Latin ex- + mūniō (“to fortify”). De Vaan treats mūniō under moenia (“walls”), from Proto-Italic *moini- (“protective wall”), and tentatively reconstructs *(H)moi-ni- (“construction”). He…

It is from Latin ēnārrō (“to explain in detail”) + -bilis.

The OLD and the TLL take it as a back-formation from ēnōdō (“to free from knots”). Wiktionary analyses it as from Latin ex- + nōdus (“knot”) + -is. The origin of nōdus itself is uncertain according…

It is from Latin ex- + valēscō (“to grow strong”). The simple verb is the inchoative of valeō (“to be strong, be well”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *wal-ē- and Proto-Indo-European…

It is from Latin ex- + verberō (“to beat, flog”). That verb comes from verber (“whip, rod”), which de Vaan finds mostly in the plural ⟨verbera⟩ and traces to an s-stem, perhaps Proto-Indo-European…