Latin words first recorded in the 3rd century BC

It is formed from Latin re- + medeor (“to heal”) + -ium, perhaps through a verb ⟨*remedērī⟩. Etymonline suggests that the prefix may be intensive here. De Vaan derives medeor from Proto-Italic…

It is from Latin re- + nāscor (“to be born”). De Vaan traces nāscor to Proto-Italic *gnāsk-e/o- (“to be born”) and Proto-Indo-European *ǵn̥h₁-sk-e/o- (“to be born”).

1. The adjective “rejected” is from Latin repellō (“to drive back, reject”), its past participle. That verb is formed from re- and pellō (“to push, drive”), whose participle de Vaan traces to…

It is from Latin re- + secō (“to cut”). De Vaan traces secō to Proto-Italic *sekaje/o- and Proto-Indo-European *sekh₁-ie/o- (“to cut off”), comparing Umbrian prusekatu (“to cut out”), used of the…

It is from Latin retineō (“to hold back”) + -culum. De Vaan traces the simple verb teneō (“to hold”) to Proto-Italic *t(e)nē- and Proto-Indo-European *tn-eh₁- (“to hold”), a stative present to the…

It is from Latin rōbur (“oak, hard wood; strength”) + -tus. De Vaan lists it among the derivatives of ⟨rōbur⟩, which he traces to Proto-Italic *rouþos (“red substance”) and Proto-Indo-European…

It is from Latin Rōmānus (“Roman”) + -icus.

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *runk-ā-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₃ru-n-k- (“to dig out”). De Vaan takes it to be formed from a noun or adjective *runk-o-, itself derived from a nasal…

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ῥυτή (rhutḗ, “rue”). Wiktionary describes the Greek word as Peloponnesian in origin, and Köbler calls its further origin unclear. Varro, discussing the Latin name…

It is from Latin ruō (“to dig up, rake”), through an unattested frequentative *rutō, with the instrument suffix -bulum. De Vaan files it under the verb meaning “to dig”, which he traces to…

It is from Latin ruō (“to dig up”) + -trum. De Vaan distinguishes this verb “to dig” from the verb meaning “to rush”, noting that the derivatives of the two have become mixed; he traces the first to…

It is from Latin salix (“willow”) + -nus, formed like lārignus and īlignus. De Vaan lists it among the derivatives of salix, which goes back to Proto-Italic *salik- (“willow”). Cognates of that noun…

It is from Latin salūber (“healthy, wholesome”) + -tās. De Vaan derives that adjective, like salūs, from a stem going back to Proto-Italic *salu- (“whole, healthy”) and Proto-Indo-European *slH-u-…

The origin is uncertain: the OLD calls it unknown, and Köbler too. De Vaan considers a derivative in ⟨-iēs⟩ from the stem ⟨*san-⟩ of sanguis (“blood”), though the type rather suggests an abstract…

The origin is uncertain. The OLD and Lewis & Short compare Old High German saf (“sap”) and Old English sæp (“sap”). De Vaan thinks a derivation from sapiō (“to taste”), as in Pokorny and…

It is from Latin scabō (“to scratch, scrape”) + -iēs. The verb goes back to Proto-Italic *skaf-e/o- (“to scratch”); de Vaan compares Lithuanian skõbti (“to plane”) and Old High German scaban (“to…

It is from Latin scalpō (“to scratch, carve”), with the suffix of instrument nouns. The OLD explains it as probably dissimilated from an older ⟨*scalplom⟩, with the suffix -lum; Wiktionary gives the…

It is from Latin scirpeus (“made of rushes”), its feminine used as a noun; the adjective is formed from scirpus (“bulrush”). The OLD suggests that the spelling with ⟨sirp-⟩ spread from the natural…

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek σκορπίος (skorpíos, “scorpion”), with the ending ⟨-iō, -iōnis⟩ perhaps modelled on stēlliō and pāpiliō. Lewis & Short also compare σκορπίων (skorpíōn). Köbler and…

It is formed from Latin sēditiō (“violent discord, rebellion”) + -ōsus. De Vaan lists ⟨sēditiō⟩ among the compounds of eō (“to go”), with the prefix ⟨sēd-⟩ “apart”, from Proto-Italic *ei- and…

It is from Latin sēgnis (“slow, inactive”) + -ter. De Vaan reconstructs Proto-Italic *sēk/g-ni- for sēgnis, an adjective in ⟨-ni-⟩ like lēnis and omnis; its root may be that of Ancient Greek ἦκα…

It is from Latin sēmi- (“half”) + lībra (“pound”), with the shortened prefix ⟨sē-⟩. De Vaan thinks it was probably made from lībra on the model of sēmodius “half a modius”, from an older…

It is from Latin sēmen (“seed”) + -ārius. De Vaan lists both among the derivatives of serō (“to sow”). sēmen goes back to Proto-Italic *sēmn̥ and Proto-Indo-European *séh₁mn̥.

It is from Latin sēmi- (“half”) + pēs (“foot”). The prefix goes back to Proto-Indo-European *sēm-i (“in one”), whose meaning shifted to “one of two” and then “half”; pēs continues the Indo-European…

It is from Latin sēmi- (“half”) + modius (“a dry measure, peck”), with the prefix shortened to ⟨sē-⟩ before ⟨m⟩, as de Vaan notes sometimes happens. De Vaan traces the prefix to Proto-Italic *sēmi-…

It is from Latin sēmi- (“half”) + ūncia (“a twelfth, ounce”). Varro explains it as half of that unit. De Vaan lists ūncia among the derivatives of ūnus (“one”), and traces the prefix to…

It is from Latin sēsquipēs (“a foot and a half”) + -ālis. That noun joins the prefix sēsqui- (“one and a half”) and pēs (“foot”); Wiktionary also analyses the adjective as the prefix plus pedālis…

It is from Latin sextus (“sixth”) + -ārius. The ordinal goes back to Proto-Italic *seks-to- (“sixth”), from *seks (“six”), Proto-Indo-European *(s)ueks (“six”).

It is a verb from Latin siccus (“dry”). De Vaan finds the origin of ⟨siccus⟩ uncertain: it is compared with Middle Irish sesc (“dry, barren”) and Avestan hišku- (“dry”), perhaps Proto-Indo-European…

It is a compound from Latin sī (“if”) + cubi, the older form of ubī (“where”) kept after a prefix, as in alicubi (“somewhere”) and nēcubi. De Vaan traces ubī to Proto-Italic *kwu-þ/fei (“where”) and…

It is from Latin silīgō (“a fine, soft wheat”) + -eus. De Vaan lists both words, attested from Cato on, among the derivatives he groups under silex (“flint”), while doubting that the words of that…

The OLD and Köbler call its origin unknown. De Vaan lists it among the words beside silex (“flint”) and thinks that the meaning of siliqua (“pod”) is close enough to suggest that it was formed with…

It is from Latin silva (“wood, forest”) + -āticus. De Vaan finds no etymology for silva itself. In Late Latin it was altered by vowel assimilation to ⟨salvaticus⟩, the source of Old French sauvage…

The OLD calls the origin doubtful. It is traditionally explained as from Latin sollus (“whole”) + annus (“year”), as Festus does, but Wiktionary finds the dissimilation this needs bizarre. De Vaan…

It is usually taken as from Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- (“to look”), the root of speciō (“to look at”), and the OLD and Köbler give that link, the OLD with a “perhaps”. De Vaan notes that the meaning…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *speikā-, from Proto-Indo-European *speig- or *spiHg-. Cognate with Old High German speihha (“spoke”), Old English spāca (“spoke”), Old Norse spíkr (“nail”) and…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *speinā-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *spein-. De Vaan thinks it may share a base *sp-i(H)- with spīca (“ear of grain”), and compares, perhaps, Umbrian…

It is from Latin stercus (“dung”) + -ō. De Vaan traces stercus to Proto-Italic *sterkos- and Proto-Indo-European *sterḱ-o- (“befoulment, excrement”). He compares Breton stroñk (“excrement”) and…

The origin is uncertain. De Vaan notes that it is uncertain whether stilus (“pointed stake”), stimulus (“goad”) and ⟨stīva⟩ belong together, but that one might see in them a root ⟨sti-⟩ “sharp…

It is from Latin sub- + iugum (“yoke”) + -ius, “belonging under the yoke”.

It is from Latin sublīmis (“raised aloft, lofty”) + -ter.

It is from Latin sub- (“under”) + sternō (“to spread, strew”). De Vaan traces sternō to Proto-Italic *sterna- and Proto-Indo-European *st(e)r-n-h₃- (“to spread, strew”), cognate with Sanskrit…

It is formed from Latin sub- (“under, from below”) + trahō (“to draw, drag”). De Vaan traces ⟨trahō⟩ to Proto-Italic *traχe/o-, with its closest cognates in Celtic, such as Old Irish tráig (“ebb…

The OLD calls the origin doubtful. De Vaan reconstructs it as inherited from Proto-Italic *solpor and, with a question mark, Proto-Indo-European *solp-r (“fat”); Szemerényi derived it from…

It is from Latin summus (“highest”), its neuter, used as a noun and as an adverb. De Vaan traces ⟨summus⟩ to Proto-Italic *sup(a)mo- (“highest”) and Proto-Indo-European *(h₁)up-m(H)o- (“highest”)…

It is from Latin super- (“over, above”) + vacō (“to be empty”) + -āneus. Lewis and Short and Georges take the second part from vacuus (“empty”). De Vaan lists it among the derivatives of vacō, which…

It is formed from Latin sub- (“under”) + pūs (“pus”) + -ō, the verbal suffix. De Vaan lists it among the derivatives of pūs, which goes back to Proto-Italic *pūs- (“pus”) and Proto-Indo-European…

It is from Latin surus (“post, stake”) + -culus, a diminutive, as Paulus' epitome of Festus already says. De Vaan finds no certain etymology for surus: if its vowel was long it may be connected with…

It is from Latin tempestīvus (“timely, seasonable”) + -ē, which goes back through tempestās (“season, weather”) to tempus (“time”).

It is from Latin tempestās (“time, season”) + -īvus. De Vaan explains both words from the s-stem of tempus (“time”), which he traces to Proto-Italic *tempos- (“stretch, measure”) and…

It is from Latin tenuis (“thin”) + -tās. De Vaan derives ⟨tenuis⟩ from Proto-Italic *tn̥(a)u- and Proto-Indo-European *tnh₂-(e)u- (“thin”), an old ⟨u⟩-stem adjective remade as an ⟨i⟩-stem; he thinks…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *tep-ē- (“to be warm”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *t(e)p-eh₁- (“to be warm”). De Vaan notes that the verb may be old, but it has no direct cognates in the…

It is formed from Latin tertius + -ārius. De Vaan lists it among the derivatives of trēs (“three”); tertius (“third”) goes back to Proto-Italic *tritio- (“third”).

It is from Latin testa (“piece of baked clay, earthenware vessel”). The OLD only compares that noun, and de Vaan lists this word among its derivatives. He rejects a derivation of the noun from the…

It is from Latin timidus (“fearful”) + -ē, from timeō (“to fear”). The origin of timeō is unclear: de Vaan finds the hesitant link with words for “stiff” hardly possible.

Its origin is uncertain. The OLD compares Old Irish tinaid. Pokorny takes it, probably, from a lost noun meaning decay or mould, from the root Proto-Indo-European *tā- (“to melt, dissipate, decay”)…

It is from Latin torculārius (“of a press”), its neuter used as a noun, an adjective from Latin torculus (“of a press”) + -ārius. De Vaan lists it with torculus and torculum (“press”) among the…

It is from Latin torqueō (“to twist”) + -ulus, from the stem ⟨torc-⟩. De Vaan lists it among the derivatives of torqueō, which he explains as an old causative verb that goes back to Proto-Italic…

The origin is uncertain. Leumann derived it from sternō (“to spread”), as did Lewis & Short, who took it for an older ⟨storus⟩, but Walde and Hofmann were hesitant. De Vaan suggests that it might go…

It is from Latin trabs (“beam”) + -cula, a diminutive.