Latin words first recorded in the 3rd century BC

It is formed from Latin līs (“lawsuit, dispute”) and the root of agō (“to drive, conduct”), as in the phrase lītem agere, to conduct a lawsuit. De Vaan traces līs, archaic ⟨stlīs⟩, to Proto-Italic…

There is no etymology. The TLL calls the origin uncertain. The OLD compares Sanskrit लोलति (lṓlati, “moves to and fro”), since the plant causes giddiness; Wiktionary suggests, as a possibility, the…

It is formed from Latin longē (“far”) + -inquus (or longus (“long”)), as the opposite of propinquus (“near”). The OLD compares the ending of Ancient Greek ποδαπός (podapós, “from what country?”). De…

It is from Latin longus (“long”) + -tūdō. De Vaan traces longus to Proto-Italic *(d)longo- and Proto-Indo-European *dlongʰ-o- (“long”). Cognate with Old High German lang (“long”) and Old Norse langr…

It is from Latin loquor (“to speak”) + -āx. De Vaan traces loquor to Proto-Italic *(t)lokʷ-e/o- and Proto-Indo-European *tlokʷ- (“to talk”). Cognate with Old Irish ad·tluchedar (“gives thanks”).

It is from Latin loquor (“to speak”) + -ēla. The spelling ⟨loquella⟩, common in inscriptions and old manuscripts, comes from taking the word for a diminutive. De Vaan traces loquor to…

It is from Latin lōrum (“thong, strap”) + -eus. De Vaan compares lōrum with Ancient Greek εὔληρα (eúlēra, “reins”) and Doric αὔληρα (aúlēra); since Beekes suspects a Pre-Greek origin for the Greek…

Its origin is disputed; the OLD calls it doubtful. It is often derived from lōrum (“leather strap, thong”), as Varro already did, explaining that breastplates were made of raw hide; Walde–Hofmann…

It is probably inherited from Proto-Italic *(s)loufre/o-ko-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *sle/oubʰ-ro- (“gliding”). Cognate with Gothic 𐍃𐌻𐌹𐌿𐍀𐌰𐌽 (sliupan, “to creep, slide”) and Old English…

It is formed from Latin lūceō (“to shine”) on the root, as in lūx (“light”), with the ending of lanterna (“lantern”). De Vaan notes that its short ⟨u⟩ is unexplained; the TLL agrees that neither the…

It is from Latin lūceō (“to shine”) + -scō, an inchoative verb. De Vaan lists it among the derivatives of lūx (“light”); the base goes back to Proto-Italic *l(o)ukē- (“to be light”) and…

It is from Latin luctor (“to wrestle”) + -tor, an agent noun. De Vaan lists it with that verb, which he takes as a frequentative built on a participle Proto-Italic *lukto-, from Proto-Indo-European…

It is from Latin lūx (“light”) + -ulentus (“full of”), formed like opulentus from ops, as the TLL notes. De Vaan traces lūx to Proto-Italic *louk- (“light”) and Proto-Indo-European *leuk- (“light”)…

It is formed from Latin lūdus (“game, play”) or from lūdō (“to play, mock”), though the formation is not clear; the OLD compares manubrium (“handle”), the TLL opprobrium (“reproach”). De Vaan traces…

It is from Latin lūdō (“to play”) + -bundus. The verb goes back to Proto-Italic *loid-e/o- (“to play”) and Proto-Indo-European *loid- (“to let go frequently, play”); de Vaan takes it as an o-grade…

It is from Latin lūdus (“play”). The OLD suggests a back-formation from the noun lūdicrum, but Wiktionary reports Sen's view that the adjective, attested earlier, came first. De Vaan traces lūdus to…

It is from Latin lūdus (“game, sport”) + -ficō (“making”), “to make sport of”.

De Vaan takes it as probably from Latin lūdō (“to play”), the verb, since no equivalent noun is found in the related languages; the OLD also compares the verb. lūdō goes back to Proto-Italic…

Its origin is disputed. De Vaan derives it from Proto-Italic *loug-eje- and Proto-Indo-European *loug-eie- (“to swallow, gasp”), comparing Ancient Greek λύζω (lúzō, “to hiccup, sob”), λυγμός…

The origin is uncertain. The suffix recalls umbilīcus “navel”, also in the lower belly, and formīca “ant”, another small creature. Wiktionary connects it with lumbus “loin”. Walde and Hofmann…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *londwo- (“loins”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *londʰ-u-o-. De Vaan compares Sanskrit रन्ध्र (rándhra-, “loin of animals; weak spot on the body; cavity”)…

It is from Latin lupus (“wolf”), its feminine. De Vaan finds the origin of lupus uncertain: either Proto-Indo-European *ulkʷo- (“wolf”) through a Sabellic form, or a root meaning “marten”…

It is from Latin lupa (“she-wolf; prostitute”), with an ending the OLD and the TLL compare with Bacchānal from Baccha. Wiktionary explains it as a shortening of an earlier neuter adjective…

It is from Latin lupus (“wolf”) + -īnus. The plant was named after the wolf as well, the neuter lupīnum being used as a noun. For lupus, de Vaan sets out two views: the traditional one, from…

It is perhaps inherited from Proto-Italic *luk-sko- (“with partial sight”), which Fruyt connects with the root of Proto-Indo-European *leuk- (“light”); de Vaan compares a Celtic verb “to see”…

It is from Latin lūdō (“to play”) + -tor. De Vaan derives that verb from Proto-Italic *loide/o- (“to play”) and Proto-Indo-European *loid- (“to let go often, play”), an o-grade present with…

1. The yellow is from Latin lūtum (“weld, dyer's weed”) + -eus. Wiktionary finds the origin of lūtum unknown: perhaps a form ⟨clūtum⟩ from the root of fel and helvus, or more likely a substrate word…

It is from Latin lutum (“mud”) + -ulentus. Gellius discusses how words in ⟨-ulentus⟩ such as this one are formed. De Vaan traces lutum to Proto-Italic *luto- and Proto-Indo-European *l(H)u-to-…

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek μάκελλον (mákellon, “enclosure, market”). Köbler takes the Greek word to be probably of Semitic origin. Wiktionary rejects the idea that it is a diminutive of macula.

It is probably from Latin mācerō (“to soak, soften”); de Vaan takes the words to presuppose an adjective meaning “soaked” or “kneaded”, so that the wall was named for its kneaded material, clay…

It is from Latin māchina (“machine, contrivance”) + -or. The OLD and Wiktionary derive māchina from Ancient Greek μαχανά (makhaná, “machine, tool”), the Doric form beside Attic μηχανή (mēkhanḗ)…

It is from Latin macula (“spot, stain”) + -ōsus. De Vaan tentatively traces the noun to Proto-Italic *smatlo- and Proto-Indo-European *smh₁-tlo- (“wiping”), comparing Ancient Greek σμάω (smáō, “to…

It is from Latin magister (“master, chief, teacher”) + -ium. De Vaan lists both among the derivatives of magnus (“great”), beside magis (“more”); he compares Oscan mais (“more”) and Umbrian mestru…

It is from Latin magister (“master, teacher”), its feminine. De Vaan derives magister from the family of magnus (“great”), with a comparative stem Proto-Italic *ma(g)is-tero-, comparing Umbrian…

It is formed from Latin magister + -ātus, “the office of a master”; the TLL allows also a verb ⟨magisterāre⟩. De Vaan lists magister “master, commander” among the derivatives of magnus “great”, from…

It is from Latin magnificus (“grand, splendid”) + -ē. magnificus is formed from magnus (“great”) and the ending ⟨-ficus⟩ of faciō (“to make”). De Vaan traces magnus to Proto-Italic *magno- (“great”)…

It is from Latin magnificus (“magnificent, splendid”), with the verbal ending -ō. The TLL traces it to magnus (“great”) and faciō (“to make, do”), the elements of the adjective.

It is formed from Latin magnus (“great”) + -ficus (“making, doing”), from faciō. De Vaan traces ⟨magnus⟩ to Proto-Italic *magno- (“great”) and Proto-Indo-European *mǵ-no- (“great”), cognate with Old…

It is from Latin magnō (“great”) + opere (“work”), the ablative of ⟨magnum opus⟩, so literally with great labour. De Vaan traces magnus to Proto-Italic *magno- (“great”) and Proto-Indo-European…

It is from Latin male (“badly”) + -dicus (“saying”), the adjective beside maledīcō (“to speak ill of, slander”). The second part belongs to dīcō (“to say”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic…

It is from Latin malefaciō (“to do wrong, harm”), used as a noun in the neuter of its participle. That verb is a compound of male (“badly”) and faciō (“to do”).

It is formed from Latin maleficus (“wicked, harmful”) + -ium. The adjective is male (“badly”), from malus (“bad”), with faciō (“to do”); de Vaan finds the further origin of ⟨malus⟩ uncertain.

It is from Latin malignus (“mean, unkind”) + -ē. De Vaan lists malignus among the derivatives of malus (“bad”), from Plautus on.

It is from Latin malignus (“mean, spiteful”) + -tās. De Vaan lists malignus among the derivatives of malus (“bad”), and dates both the adjective and this noun from Plautus. He follows Ernout and…

It is from Latin male (“badly”) + -gnus (“born”), from the root of gignō (“to beget”), formed as the opposite of benignus (“kind, generous”); compare prīvignus (“stepson”). De Vaan lists it under…

It is formed from Latin malus (“bad”) + -ia. De Vaan, following Ernout and Meillet, tentatively traces ⟨malus⟩ to Proto-Italic *malo- and Proto-Indo-European *mol-o- (“bad”), comparing Oscan mallom…

It is from Latin malitiōsus (“wicked, malicious”) + -ē. The adjective is formed from malitia (“wickedness”), from malus (“bad”); for that word de Vaan reports Ernout and Meillet's comparison with…

1. The noun meaning "evil" is from Latin malus (“bad”) + -um, the neuter of the adjective used as a noun. De Vaan traces malus to Proto-Italic *malo- and, as an uncertain proposal of Ernout and…

It is from Latin mamma (“breast”) + -illa, a diminutive. De Vaan lists it among the derivatives of mamma, a nursery word made by reduplicating a labial nasal plus ⟨a⟩, which goes back to…

It is from Latin mandō (“to order, entrust”), the neuter of its past participle used as a noun. The OLD analyses the verb as manus (“hand”) with a verb ⟨*dō⟩ “put” (as in abdō) that changed…

It is from Latin mandō (“to chew”) + -ūcus, the ending being the same as in cadūcus, from cadō. De Vaan lists it among the derivatives of that verb. Varro already connected it with chewing.

It is from Latin manus (“hand”) + -icus, the feminine of an adjective used as a noun, like pedica (“fetter”). De Vaan counts it among the regular derivatives of the stem *manu- “hand”. Varro already…

1. The adverb is from Latin manifestus (“caught in the act; evident”) + -ō. The OLD takes manifestus as apparently manus (“hand”) with an element seen in īnfestus, and Wiktionary calls the second…

It is from Latin manipulus (“handful; maniple”) + -āris. manipulus is made from manus (“hand”) and the root of pleō (“to fill”), so a "handful"; Varro already derived it from the word for hand.

It is from Latin manus (“hand”), with a suffix whose form is unclear. Wiktionary takes the ending as a variant of -brum. De Vaan thinks it may continue *manu-habro- (“held by hand”), made like the…

It is from Latin manus (“hand, power”) + mittō (“to send, let go”): the ablative manū (“from the hand”) and the verb were joined into one word, “to release from the hand”. The verb mittō goes back…

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek μαστιγίας (mastigías, “one who deserves a whipping”), from μάστιξ (mástix, “whip”).

It is formed from Latin māter (“mother”) + -mōnium. De Vaan traces ⟨māter⟩ to Proto-Italic *mātēr and Proto-Indo-European *méh₂-tr- (“mother”).

It is formed from Latin mātūrus (“ripe, timely”) + -ē, the adverbial suffix. De Vaan derives ⟨mātūrus⟩ from a noun Proto-Italic *mātu- (“ripeness”), from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂-tu- (“ripeness”)…

It is an old and poetic form of the name of Mars, the god of war. According to Wiktionary it is inherited from Proto-Italic *Māmart- or *Māwortis. De Vaan notes that Walde and Hofmann took Māvors to…