100–1 BC
Latin words first recorded in the 1st century BC
3,489 Latin words whose earliest known written record dates from the 1st century BC, earliest first (page 55). Words dated only to part of the century follow the ones with a year.
coluber
42 BC–19 BCThe origin is unknown. The OLD derives it probably from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kel- (“to bend”), comparing Ancient Greek κελλόν (kellón), and Köbler likewise, while Wiktionary suggests a link with…
crudesco
42 BC–19 BCIt is from Latin crūdus (“raw, bloody, harsh”) + -ēscō, an inchoative verb. De Vaan traces ⟨crūdus⟩ to Proto-Italic *krowoþo-, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *kreuh₂-odʰ-o- (“raw”).
curvo
42 BC–19 BCIt is from Latin curvus (“bent, curved”) + -ō, the verb suffix.
diluvium
42 BC–19 BCIt is from Latin dīluō (“to wash away”) + -ium. Dīluō is from dis- and the stem of lavō “to wash”, which de Vaan says is contained in the compounds in -luere, lavō is from Proto-Indo-European…
domito
42 BC–19 BCIt is from Latin domō (“to tame”) + -tō, a frequentative.
electrum
42 BC–19 BCIt is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἤλεκτρον (ḗlektron, “amber; pale gold”).
evinco
42 BC–19 BCIt is from Latin ex- + vincō (“to conquer”). De Vaan traces ⟨vincō⟩ to Proto-Italic *wink- (“to tie, bind; overcome”), Proto-Indo-European *wi-n-k- (“to bend, tie”).
feralis
42 BC–19 BCDe Vaan connects it with fēriae “religious festival” and fēstus “festive”, from a base *fēs-o- “divine, holy”, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁s-o-; the derived *fēs-āli- “religious” would then have…
filix
42 BC–19 BCIt is inherited from Proto-Italic *fel-e/ik-, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“henbane”), with a suffix found in other plant names, as lārix “larch” and cārex “sedge”. Cognate with Welsh bele…
flexilis
42 BC–19 BCIt is from Latin flectō (“to bend”) + -ilis. De Vaan reconstructs ⟨flectō⟩ as Proto-Italic *flek-t-, perhaps with a suffix ⟨*-t-⟩ on the model of ⟨plectō⟩; the root has no obvious Indo-European…
fundator
42 BC–19 BCIt is from Latin fundō (“to found, establish”) + -tor, the agent suffix, ⟨fundō⟩ being from fundus “bottom”.
funereus
42 BC–19 BCIt is from Latin fūnus (“funeral”) + -eus.
halcyon
42 BC–19 BCIt is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἀλκυών (alkuṓn, “kingfisher, halcyon”), also spelled ἁλκυών (halkuṓn), a word of unknown origin. Etymonline thinks the explanation from ⟨háls⟩ “sea” and ⟨kúōn⟩…
horrendus
42 BC–19 BCIt is from Latin horreō (“to shudder at”), its gerundive, “to be shuddered at”.
hyacinthus
42 BC–19 BCIt is borrowed from Ancient Greek ὑάκινθος (huákinthos, “hyacinth”). Wiktionary and Etymonline consider the Greek word to come from a non-Indo-European Mediterranean language. Ovid tells how the…
insono
42 BC–19 BCIt is from Latin in- + sonō (“to sound”). De Vaan traces ⟨sonō⟩ to Proto-Italic *swena-, from Proto-Indo-European *swenH- (“to sound”).
legifer
42 BC–19 BCIt is from Latin lēx (“law”) + -fer (“bearing”).
longaevus
42 BC–19 BCIt is from Latin longus (“long”) + aevum (“age”) + -us; compare grandaevus. The TLL suspects the model of Ancient Greek μακραίων (makraíōn, “long-lived”). De Vaan traces ⟨longus⟩ to Proto-Italic…
lutum
42 BC–19 BC1. The dye plant is of unknown origin. Walde–Hofmann consider a link with lūridus “pale yellow”, and Wiktionary an Old Latin *glūtum from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- (“green, yellow”), though the…
lynx
42 BC–19 BCIt is borrowed from Ancient Greek λύγξ (lúnx, “lynx”).
nubigena
42 BC–19 BCIt is a compound from Latin nūbēs (“cloud”) + -gena, with the root of gignō “to beget”. De Vaan traces ⟨nūbēs⟩ to Proto-Italic *(s)nouþ-(i-), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ne/oudʰ-, with Welsh nudd…
ornus
42 BC–19 BCIt is from ⟨*osenos⟩ or ⟨*osinos⟩, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃es- (“ash tree”). Cognate with Russian ясень (jasenʹ, “ash tree”), Welsh onnen (“ash tree”), and with another suffix Old Norse askr and…
panacea
42 BC–19 BCIt is borrowed from Ancient Greek πανάκεια (panákeia, “cure-all”), from πανακής (panakḗs, “all-healing”), from πᾶν (pân, “all”) and ἄκος (ákos, “cure”). The same plant was also called panacēs and…
praesumo
42 BC–19 BCIt is from Latin prae- (“before”) + sūmō (“to take”).
quadra
42 BC–19 BCIt is from Latin quadrus (“square”), its feminine, from quattuor “four”, and the OLD compares triquetrus. De Vaan traces ⟨quattuor⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwṓr (“four”), with ⟨quat-⟩ from…
rebellis
42 BC–19 BCIt is from Latin re- (“again”) + bellum (“war”), through rebellō “to renew war, revolt”.
secretum
42 BC–19 BCIt is from Latin sēcrētus (“separate, secret”), its neuter, ⟨sēcrētus⟩ being the past participle of sēcernō “to set apart”, used as a noun.
sedile
42 BC–19 BCIt is from Latin sedeō (“to sit”) + -īle. De Vaan traces ⟨sedeō⟩ to Proto-Italic *sed-ē- (“to be seated”), from Proto-Indo-European *sed-eh₁- (“to be seated”).
solamen
42 BC–19 BCIt is from Latin sōlor (“to console”) + -men. De Vaan explains ⟨sōlor⟩ as a denominative of a root noun ⟨*sōl-⟩, Proto-Indo-European *sōlh₂- (“mercy, comfort”), cognate with Ancient Greek ἱλάσκομαι…
solido
42 BC–19 BCIt is from Latin solidus (“solid”) + -ō.
spiramentum
42 BC–19 BCIt is from Latin spīrō (“to breathe”) + -mentum. De Vaan reconstructs ⟨spīrō⟩ as Proto-Italic ⟨*spīr/s-⟩ and suggests it may imitate the sound of breathing, with no direct cognates.
subvolvo
42 BC–19 BCIt is from Latin sub- + volvō (“to roll”). De Vaan traces ⟨volvō⟩ to Proto-Italic *welu-e/o-, from Proto-Indo-European *wel-u- (“to wind”).
transformo
42 BC–19 BCIt is from Latin trāns- (“across”) + fōrmō (“to shape”), from fōrma “form”.
trilix
42 BC–19 BCIt is from Latin tri- (“three”) + līcium (“thread, leash of a loom”), matching Ancient Greek τρίμιτος (trímitos, “of three threads”). Etymonline calls ⟨līcium⟩ a word of unknown origin.
umeo
42 BC–19 BCIt is from Proto-Italic *ūmo- (“wet”), of uncertain origin. It has traditionally been derived from Proto-Indo-European *wegʷ- (“wet”) and compared with Ancient Greek ὑγρός (hugrós, “wet”) and Old…
vannus
42 BC–19 BCIt is traditionally explained as inherited from Proto-Italic *watnos, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂weh₁- (“to blow”), and related to ventus “wind” and the diminutive vatillum “small shovel”. Ernout…
velamen
42 BC–19 BCIt is from Latin vēlō (“to cover, veil”) + -men, from vēlum “cloth, sail, veil”. De Vaan reconstructs ⟨vēlum⟩ as Proto-Italic ⟨*wekslo-⟩, perhaps from a root “to weave” seen in Old Irish figid…
vigil
42 BC–19 BCIt is inherited from Proto-Italic *weglis, from Proto-Indo-European *weǵlis, from the root Proto-Indo-European *weǵ- (“to be strong, lively, awake”) of vegeō and vigeō “to be lively”.
attono
40 BC–8 BCIt is from Latin ad- + tonō (“to thunder”). The TLL thinks the verb was made from the participle attonitus (“thunderstruck”), which is far more common. Lewis & Short compare Ancient Greek…
impossibilis
40 BC–20 BCIt is from Latin in- + possibilis (“possible”), with the negative prefix. It is also spelled inpossibilis.
cathedra
35 BC–13 BCIt is borrowed from Ancient Greek καθέδρα (kathédra, “seat”), from κατά (katá, “down”) and ἕδρα (hédra, “seat”).
coccum
35 BC–13 BCIt is borrowed from Ancient Greek κόκκος (kókkos, “grain, seed, berry”). A masculine form coccus is found in Jerome, Rufinus and other later writers.
conscio
35 BC–13 BCIt is from Latin con- + sciō (“to know”).
docilis
35 BC–24 BCIt is from Latin doceō (“to teach”) + -ilis.
elimino
35 BC–13 BCIt is from Latin ex- (“out”) + līmen (“threshold”), that is, “out of doors”.
fabulosus
35 BC–13 BCIt is from Latin fābula (“story, tale”) + -ōsus.
hybrida
35 BC–13 BCThe origin is unknown. The TLL takes it as a foreign word, comparing the glossed ⟨iber⟩ or ⟨imber⟩ “mule”, and doubts a link with Greek, and Wiktionary derives it from ⟨ibrida⟩ influenced by Ancient…
institor
35 BC–13 BCIt is from Latin īnsistō (“to stand on, apply oneself to”) + -tor, the agent suffix, and Georges and Gaffiot derive it from īnstō “to stand at”, as one set over a stall.
lemures
35 BC–13 BCThe origin is uncertain. De Vaan thinks it likely that it and Ancient Greek Λάμια (Lámia, “a man-eating monster”) were borrowed from a non-Indo-European word for malevolent spirits, perhaps…
lenimen
35 BC–13 BCIt is from Latin lēniō (“to soothe”) + -men, from lēnis (“soft, gentle”). De Vaan traces ⟨lēnis⟩ to Proto-Italic *lēni-, from Proto-Indo-European *leh₁-n(o/i)- (“lazy, slow”), keeping the connection…
numerabilis
35 BC–13 BCIt is from Latin numerō (“to count”) + -bilis, from numerus “number”.
procido
35 BC–13 BCIt is from Latin prō- (“forward”) + cadō (“to fall”). De Vaan traces ⟨cadō⟩ to Proto-Italic *kad-e/o-, and doubtfully to Proto-Indo-European *ḱh₂d- (“to fall”).
resurgo
35 BC–13 BCIt is from Latin re- (“again”) + surgō (“to rise”).
sacrilegium
35 BC–24 BCIt is from Latin sacrilegus (“temple robber”) + -ium, ⟨sacrilegus⟩ being from sacer “sacred” and legō “to gather”.
socialiter
35 BC–13 BCIt is from Latin sociālis (“of companions, allied”) + -ter, an adverb. ⟨sociālis⟩ is from socius (“companion, ally”). De Vaan traces ⟨socius⟩ to Proto-Italic *sokjo-, from Proto-Indo-European…
supervacuus
35 BC–13 BCIt is from Latin super- + vacuus (“empty”), or from vacō “to be empty” with -uus.
symposium
35 BC–24 BCIt is borrowed from Ancient Greek συμπόσιον (sumpósion, “drinking party”). Etymonline analyses the Greek as συν- (sun-, “together”) and πόσις (pósis, “drinking”). Georges and Gaffiot also give the…
temporarius
35 BC–24 BCIt is from Latin tempus (“time”) + -ārius (stem ⟨tempor-⟩).
violens
35 BC–13 BCIt is a by-form from Latin violentus (“violent”), from vīs “force”, and the OLD suggests it was formed on the analogy of vehemēns, and Wiktionary suggests a rebracketing of ⟨violentus⟩.
alveolatus
30 BC–15 BCIt is from Latin alveolus (“small hollow, trough”) + -ātus.