Latin words first recorded in the 3rd century BC

It is onomatopoeic, imitating the bird's call “cucu”, a type of name found in many Indo-European languages. Compare Ancient Greek κόκκυξ (kókkux, “cuckoo”), Sanskrit कोकिल (kokilá, “cuckoo”), Middle…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *kūd-e/o-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *kuh₂-d-e/o- (“to hit”). The /ū/ is a problem: it is often explained as the regular reduction of /au/ in the compounds…

It is perhaps connected with coquō “to cook” and coquīna “kitchen”, altered in an unexplained way. Ernout and Meillet suggest contamination by cūlus “arse”, since latrines were often near kitchens…

It is a contracted doublet from Latin columen (“top, summit”), from Proto-Italic *kolamen, from Proto-Indo-European *kelH- (“to rise, be tall”), the root of celsus and collis.

It is from Latin colō (“to till, tend, dwell, worship”) + -tus, the suffix of action nouns. Plautus has an old dative ⟨cultu⟩.

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *koinā- (“cradle”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *ḱoi-no- (“lair, cradle”), from the root *ḱey- “to lie”. Cognate with Ancient Greek κοίτη (koítē, “bed”)…

It is probably a frequentative from an earlier *cuncitā-, from a stem *konk- “to hang”, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱonk-(e)ie- (“to hang”), with a shift from “be suspended” to “hesitate”. Cognate…

Its origin is uncertain; the OLD calls it doubtful and Etymonline unknown. It seems to have the suffix -eus, and comparisons with Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- (“sharp”) or Proto-Indo-European *ḱuH-…

It is from Latin cupidus (“desirous”) + -tās.

It is from Latin cupiō (“to desire”) + -īdō.

It is from Latin cūrō (“to take care of”) + -tiō; ⟨cūrō⟩ is from cūra “care”, which de Vaan reconstructs as Proto-Italic *kʷois-ā- (“care, watch”).

The OLD derives it from Latin cūra (“care”) + -ōsus. Wiktionary takes it as a back-formation from incūriōsus “careless”, removing the negative prefix.

It is from Latin currō (“to run”) + -culum. Grammarians cite a masculine ⟨curriculus⟩ from Cicero.

It is an adverb from Latin currō (“to run”) + -tim. De Vaan traces ⟨currō⟩ to Proto-Italic *korse/o- (“to run”), Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥s-e/o- (“to run”), cognate with Old Irish carr (“vehicle”).

It is from Latin currō (“to run”) + -tus, an action noun. Currō is *korse/o- (“to run”), from Proto-Indo-European *krs-e/o- (“to run”). De Vaan says the participle cursus replaced an older *kostus…

The origin is uncertain. De Vaan reconstructs Proto-Italic *ku/orwo- and finds the best comparison in Old Irish corr (“round, curved”) and Ancient Greek κυρτός (kurtós, “curved”). Walde and Pokorny…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *kuti-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *kHu-t-i- (“skin, hide”), an i-stem built on a t-stem. It matches the Germanic words, such as Old English hȳd (English…

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek κυνικός (kunikós, “dog-like, Cynic”), from κύων (kúōn, “dog”).

It is from Latin damnum (“loss, penalty”) + -ō, the verbal suffix. ⟨Damnum⟩ goes back to Proto-Indo-European *dh₂pnóm, from Proto-Indo-European *deh₂p- (“to divide, apportion”). Vulgar and Late…

It is from Latin damnum (“loss, damage”) + -ōsus. De Vaan traces ⟨damnum⟩ to Proto-Italic *dapno-, from Proto-Indo-European *dh₂p-no- (“expense, investment”).

It is from Latin datus, its neuter, ⟨datus⟩ being the participle of dō “to give”, used as a noun. De Vaan traces the root of ⟨dō⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *deh₃- (“to give”), whose root aorist gave…

It is from Latin dē- (“away”) + habeō (“to have”) by contraction, literally “to hold back from someone, withhold”.

It is from Latin dē- + cernō (“to sift, decide”).

1. The verb “to fall down” is a compound from Latin dē- (“down from”) + cadō (“to fall”), with the vowel weakened to i. 2. It is from Latin dē- + caedō (“to cut”), with the vowel weakened in the…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *dekamo- (“tenth”), the ordinal of decem “ten”, from Proto-Indo-European *deḱm (“ten”). Lewis & Short describe it as decem with a superlative ending. A spelling…

It is from Latin dē- (“down, away”) + *clīnō (“to bend, incline”), found in acclīnō, related to Ancient Greek κλίνω (klínō, “to bend”).

It is from Latin decor (“seemliness, beauty”), from the root of decet “it is fitting”, formed like ⟨honōrus⟩ from ⟨honor⟩.

The OLD derives it from *decu-viria, from Latin decem (“ten”) + vir (“man”), like cūria from *co-viria. Lewis and Short and Gaffiot derive it simply from decem, on the model of centuria from centum.

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *dekos (“dignity”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *déḱos (“that which is proper”), from the root Proto-Indo-European *deḱ- (“to take, perceive”) of decet “it…

It is from Latin dē- (“down, away”) + dūcō (“to lead”).

It is from Latin dē- (“down, away”) + ferō (“to carry”).

It is from Latin dē- + fīniō (“to bound, limit”), from fīnis “boundary”.

It is from Proto-Italic *fruto- (“boiled”) with dē-, Proto-Indo-European *bʰru-to- (“boiled”), the participle of the root of ferveō “to boil”. Since Latin has ⟨f⟩ here, the regular reflex of *bʰ- at…

It is from Latin dē- (“down”) + iaciō (“to throw”), with the vowel of the stem weakened to ⟨i⟩ in the compound.

It is from Latin dē- (“away”) + lēgō (“to send with a commission”). ⟨lēgō⟩ is from lēx (“law, contract”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *lēg-.

It is from Latin dē- + lībra (“balance”) + -ō, “to weigh well”, the verb suffix. Paulus' Festus already derived it from ⟨lībella⟩, by which a thing is weighed.

1. The verb “to choose” is from Latin dē- + legō (“to gather, pick”). De Vaan traces ⟨legō⟩ to Proto-Italic *leg-e-, from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ-e/o- (“to collect”). 2. The verb “to tie up” is…

It is formed from Latin dē + līra (“furrow”), literally “to go out of the furrow”. De Vaan thinks it grew from a phrase *dē līrād (īre), “to go off the track”. Līra is *loisā-, from…

It is from Latin dē- (“down”) + mittō (“to send, let go”). De Vaan traces ⟨mittō⟩ to Proto-Italic *meit-e/o-, perhaps Proto-Indo-European *m(e)ytH₂- (“to exchange, remove”).

It is from Latin dē- (“down, fully”) + mōnstrō (“to show”). Terence has the archaic passive infinitive ⟨dēmōnstrārier⟩. Grammarians distinguished ⟨mōnstrāmus⟩ “we show once” from ⟨dēmōnstrāmus⟩ “we…

It is from Latin dē- (“away”) + moveō (“to move”). De Vaan traces ⟨moveō⟩ to Proto-Italic *mow(a)-, from Proto-Indo-European *mi̯ewh₁- (“to move”).

It is from Latin dē- (“thoroughly”) + negō (“to deny”).

The origin is uncertain. De Vaan tentatively reconstructs Proto-Italic *d(e)nso-, from Proto-Indo-European *d(ē̆)ns-o- (“thick”), and compares Ancient Greek δασύς (dasús, “hairy, thick”), with a…

It is from Latin dē- (“down, away”) + pōnō (“to put”). Plautus and Catullus have a perfect ⟨dēposīvī⟩, and Lewis and Short cite an infinitive ⟨dēposīsse⟩.

It is from Latin dē- + prehendō (“to seize”).

It is from Latin dē- + premō (“to press”). De Vaan reconstructs ⟨premō⟩ as Proto-Italic *pres-, Proto-Indo-European *pr-es- (“to press”), perhaps cognate with Lithuanian perti (“to beat”).

It is from Latin dē- (“down”) + scrībō (“to write”). The verb scrībō is from Proto-Italic *skreif-e/o- (“to carve”), from Proto-Indo-European *skreibʰ-e/o- (“to carve”). Manuscripts and editions…

It is from Latin dē- (“away”) + serō (“to join, link”): to sever one's connection.

It is from Latin dē- + sedeō (“to sit”). De Vaan traces sedeō to the stative Proto-Indo-European *sed-eh₁- (“to be seated”).

It is from Latin dē- + sinō (“to let, leave”). De Vaan traces ⟨sinō⟩ to Proto-Italic ⟨*sine/o-⟩ “to put in place”, and lists the disputed root reconstructions.

It is from Latin dē- (“off, away”) + sistō (“to stand, set”).

It is from Latin dē- (“away”) + spondeō (“to pledge, promise”). De Vaan traces ⟨spondeō⟩ to Proto-Italic *spondeje/o- (“to libate; to pledge”), from Proto-Indo-European *spond-éye- (“to libate”).

It is from Latin dē- and an unattested ⟨*stanō⟩, from Proto-Italic *stanō, from Proto-Indo-European *stn̥h₂-, a nasal present of the root of stō “to stand”, as also in obstinō. The OLD compares Old…

It is from Latin dē- + terminō (“to bound”), from terminus “boundary”.

It is from Latin dē- (“away”) + teneō (“to hold”).

It is from Latin dē- (“down, away”) + trahō (“to drag”).

It is from Latin dē- (“away”) + vertō (“to turn”). ⟨vertō⟩ is from Proto-Italic *wertō, from Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to turn”).

It is from Latin dictō (“to dictate, prescribe”) + -trīx, a feminine of dictātor. ⟨dictō⟩ is a frequentative of dīcō (“to say”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *deik-e/o- (“to say”), from…

It is from Latin dictus (“said”), its neuter, ⟨dictus⟩ being the participle of dīcō “to say”, used as a noun.

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *djous patēr (“Sky Father”), from Proto-Indo-European *dyḗws (“sky god”) and Proto-Indo-European *ph₂tḗr (“father”), the same compound as Iuppiter. Lewis & Short…