Latin words first recorded in the 2nd century BC

The origin is uncertain. De Vaan takes it as probably a compound verb, Proto-Italic *-dolχ-ē-, whose first part may be ⟨*en-⟩ “in”, the negative ⟨*n̥-⟩ or ⟨*endo⟩. He considers a connection with the…

It is from Latin in- + exōrābilis (“that can be moved by entreaty”). That adjective comes from exōrō (“to prevail upon”), from ex- and ōrō (“to plead, pray”); de Vaan takes the verb as derived from…

It is from Latin in- + fandus (“to be spoken”), the negated gerundive of for (“to speak”), like nefandus. The verb for goes back to Proto-Italic *fā- and Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to speak”)…

It is from Latin īnfēlīx (“unlucky”) + -tās. That adjective is in- (“not”) with fēlīx (“lucky”), which de Vaan explains as first “suckling, with young”, then “fruitful”, “fortunate”, going back to…

It is from Latin īnfēlīx (“unlucky”) + -ter, the adverb of the adjective. The base goes back, through fēlīx, to Proto-Italic *fēl(w)ī- (“suckling”) and Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-l(u)-i-.

It is from Latin īnfirmus + -tās, from the adjective “weak”, which is formed from in- (“not”) and firmus (“strong, firm”). De Vaan derives ⟨firmus⟩ from Proto-Italic *fermo- and Proto-Indo-European…

It is formed from Latin in- (“not”) + hūmānus (“human”), the negative prefix. De Vaan derives ⟨hūmānus⟩ from homō (“human being”), which goes back to Proto-Italic *χem-ō and Proto-Indo-European…

Used as an adjective, it is the perfect participle from Latin innascor (“to be born in, spring up in”). The verb is made of in- (“in”) and nāscor (“to be born”).

It is from Latin in- (“not”) + spērō (“to hope”), from its present participle. The verb is formed from spēs (“hope”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *spēs and Proto-Indo-European *spéh₁-s…

Used as an adjective, it is the present participle from Latin intellegō (“to understand”). That verb is a compound of inter- and legō (“to gather, collect”); de Vaan takes the ⟨-e-⟩ of ⟨-legere⟩ as…

It is from Latin intellegēns (“understanding”) + -ia, from intellegō (“to understand”). De Vaan takes ⟨intel-legere⟩ as a fairly recent compound with legō (“to gather”), which goes back to…

It is from Latin inter- (“between”) + loquor (“to speak”). The simple verb goes back to Proto-Italic *(t)lokʷ-e/o- and Proto-Indo-European *tlokʷ- (“to talk”).

It is from Latin in- + vertō (“to turn”). vertō goes back to Proto-Italic *wertō and Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to turn”).

It is from Latin inveterō (“to make old”) + -scō, an inchoative verb; the TLL derives it from in- and vetus (“old”), compare veterāscō. De Vaan traces vetus to Proto-Italic *wetos- (“year”) and…

It is from Latin invideō (“to envy, begrudge”), its perfect passive participle, used as an adjective. invideō is in- and videō (“to see”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *wid-ē- and…

It is from Latin ioculus (“little joke”) + -āris (“adjective suffix”). The noun is a diminutive of iocus (“joke”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *joko- and Proto-Indo-European *iok-o- (“word…

It is from Latin labō (“to totter, waver”) + faciō (“to make”), a compound meaning “to make totter”. The passive is supplied by ⟨labefīō⟩, ⟨labefierī⟩.

It is from Latin lacrima (“tear”) + -ula, a diminutive. The origin of lacrima is disputed. Many take it as a borrowing of Ancient Greek δάκρυμα (dákruma, “tear”), but Hamp points out that this Greek…

It is from Latin longinquus (“distant”) + -tās. De Vaan thinks longinquus was formed on longē (“far”), as an opposite of propinquus, and traces longus to Proto-Italic *(d)longo- and…

It is from Latin maneō (“to remain, stay”) + -tiō, a noun of action from the past participle stem of the verb. De Vaan traces maneō to Proto-Italic *m(o)n-ē- and Proto-Indo-European *mn-eh₁- (“to…

It is from Latin mīrus (“wonderful”) + -ē. De Vaan traces mīrus to Proto-Italic *smeiro- and Proto-Indo-European *sméi-ro- (“laughter”): the meaning is hard to reach from “laughing”, but Vine solves…

It is from Latin mīrus (“wonderful”) + -ficus (“making”). De Vaan traces mīrus to Proto-Italic *smeiro- and Proto-Indo-European *sméi-ro- (“laughter”), with Vine's suggestion that the neuter ⟨mīrum⟩…

It is from Latin miseror (“to pity, bewail”), its gerundive, used as an adjective. The verb comes from miser (“wretched”), which goes back to Proto-Italic *misro-; it may be connected with maereō…

It is from Latin mutilus (“maimed, docked”) + -ō. De Vaan finds no etymology for the adjective; he compares only Irish mut and Scottish Gaelic mutach (“short”). The grammarian Donatus explained that…

It is formed from Latin nārrō (“to relate, tell”) + -tiō. De Vaan derives the verb from the adjective gnārus (“knowing”), which goes back to Proto-Italic *gnāro- (“knowing”) and Proto-Indo-European…

It is from Latin nebula (“mist, cloud”) + -ō. The TLL explains the suffix ⟨-ō, -ōnis⟩ as naming first a person who has a thing (as in nāsō), and then any person marked by some relation to it. nebula…

It is from Latin nec (“not”) + opīnāns (“supposing”), the present participle of opīnor (“to suppose, think”). De Vaan finds no sure etymology for that verb: the Praenestine spelling ⟨opeinor⟩ in an…

It is from Latin nē (“not”) + dum (“while”), literally while not. The TLL explains the second part as an accusative of a pronoun stem ⟨*do-⟩, as the feminine ⟨*dam⟩ in quīdam (“a certain one”). De…

It is from Latin neglegō (“to neglect”), its present participle, used as an adjective. De Vaan takes the verb as a fairly recent compound of legō (“to gather”), which goes back to Proto-Italic…

It is from Latin nihilō (“by nothing”) + minus (“less”), the ablative of nihilum (“nothing”) with the comparative adverb, “less by nothing”. De Vaan derives nihilum from *ne hīlom (“not a bit”)…

It is from Latin ob- + mūtus (“dumb”) + -ēscō, formed like obstupēscō and obticēscō. De Vaan traces mūtus to Proto-Italic *mūto- and Proto-Indo-European *mū̆-to-, literally one who can say nothing…

1. The verb meaning "to bolt" is from Latin ob- + sera (“bar”) + -ō, a denominal verb. De Vaan lists sera (“detachable bar”) and this verb under serō (“to join, string together”), which he traces to…

It is from Latin ob- + stupefaciō (“to stun, stupefy”). That verb is formed from stupeō (“to be stunned”) and faciō (“to make”). De Vaan traces the base to Proto-Italic *stup-ē- (“to be stunned”)…

It is from Latin opprimō (“to press down, overwhelm”) + -tiō.

It is from Latin optō (“to choose; to wish”), its past participle, used as an adjective. De Vaan derives ⟨optō⟩ from Proto-Italic *opeje- (“to choose, grab”) and Proto-Indo-European *h₁op-eie-…

1. The adjective is from Latin ōrnō (“to equip, adorn”), its past participle. That verb comes from ⟨*ōrd-n-āre⟩, a verb made from ōrdō (“row, order”); when the link was no longer felt, ōrdinō was…

It is from Latin palma (“palm of the hand; palm tree; palm of victory”) + -ārius.

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek Πάμφιλος (Pámphilos), a Greek personal name, which Etymonline explains as “loved by all”.

It is from Latin paveō (“to be struck with fear”) + -itō, a frequentative verb. De Vaan traces the simple verb to Proto-Italic *paw-ē- (“to be frightened”) and Proto-Indo-European *pou-eh₁- (“to…

It is related to paene (“almost”), whose stem seems to have meant missing or lacking: de Vaan lists it among the derivatives of that adverb, with paeniteō (“to cause regret”). The further origin is…

It is from Latin per- + cārus (“dear”), with the intensive prefix. De Vaan traces cārus to Proto-Italic *kāro- (“dear”) and Proto-Indo-European *keh₂-ro- (“desired, desirable”), a derivative in…

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

It is from Latin per- (“very”) + magnus (“great”). De Vaan, who dates it from Terence, traces magnus to Proto-Italic *magno- (“great”) and Proto-Indo-European *mǵ-no- (“great”), comparing Sanskrit…

It is from Latin per- (“very”) + paucus (“few, little”). De Vaan traces paucus to Proto-Italic *pauko- (“few”) and the root Proto-Indo-European *peh₂u-, which also underlies parvus (“small”).

It is from Latin pertināx (“persistent, obstinate”) + -ia, the adjective being formed from per- and tenāx (“holding fast”). The verb teneō (“to hold”) goes back to Proto-Indo-European *ten- (“to…

Used as an adjective, it is the past participle from Latin perturbō (“to throw into confusion”). De Vaan lists perturbō among the derivatives of turba (“turmoil, crowd”), whose further origin he…

It is from Latin per- + vincō (“to conquer”) + -āx. The TLL notes that pervicus and this adjective lack the idea of conquering, keeping an older sense of the root, “to contend, strive”. De Vaan…

It is from Latin plācō (“to appease”) + -bilis. De Vaan takes the verb as probably made from a noun, from Proto-Indo-European *pl(e)h₂/₃k- (“to agree, be pleasant”), with a cognate only in Tocharian…

It is from Latin post (“after”) + modo (“just, only”). The TLL reports Skutsch's view that the preposition post first went with the uninflected adverb modo, which was later remade as an accusative…

It is from Latin prae- (“before”) + fīniō (“to limit, fix”). De Vaan lists it among the derivatives of fīnis (“boundary”), whose etymology is disputed: Walde and Hofmann explained it as a boundary…

It is from Latin prae- + scrībō (“to write”). De Vaan traces ⟨scrībō⟩ to Proto-Italic *skreif-e/o- (“to carve”) and Proto-Indo-European *skreibʰ-e/o- (“to carve”), cognate with Oscan scriftas…

It is from Latin praestō (“to excel”) + -bilis. Wiktionary notes that its long ⟨ā⟩ shows it has no direct connection with stabilis. praestō is a compound of prae- and stō (“to stand”), which de Vaan…

It is from Latin prāvus (“crooked; perverse, bad”) + -ē, the adverb of the adjective. De Vaan finds no etymology for the adjective, which is attested from Plautus onwards.

It is from Latin prāvus (“crooked, bad”) + -tās. De Vaan lists it among the derivatives of prāvus, for which he has no etymology.

It is from Latin prōlixus (“extended, long; generous”) + -ē, the adverb of that adjective.

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek πρόλογος (prólogos, “prologue”), from πρό (pró, “before”) and λόγος (lógos, “speech, word”). The TLL notes that Latin took it with a long first syllable, probably…

It is formed from Latin prō (“forward”) + -nus of supernus. The TLL also allows an adverb ⟨*prō-ne⟩, like superne. Lewis & Short and Wiktionary compare Ancient Greek πρηνής (prēnḗs, “face down”).

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ψάλτρια (psáltria), and the OLD treats it as the feminine of the Latin psaltēs. The Greek word comes from ψάλλω (psállō, “to pluck a string”), whose further origin…

Used as an adjective, it is the present participle from Latin pudeō (“to be ashamed”). De Vaan traces pudeō to Proto-Italic *pud-ē- (“to be ashamed or shy”), but its further origin is uncertain…

It is from Latin puella (“girl”) + -ula, and that noun is a diminutive of puer (“boy, child”).