Latin words first recorded in the 3rd century BC

It is from Latin minister (“servant, attendant”) + -ō. The noun is from Proto-Italic *minosteros, from minus (“less”) and the contrastive suffix *-teros, the counterpart of magister. Compare Oscan…

1. The verb is formed from Latin minae (“threats”) with the first-conjugation suffix, beside an active minō. 2. It serves as the comparative of parvus “small”. It is inherited from Proto-Italic…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *minuō, from a nasal present *mi-néw-ti of Proto-Indo-European *mey- (“small, little”). Cognate with Sanskrit मीनाति (minā́ti, “to lessen, damage”), Ancient Greek…

It is from Latin minuō (“to make smaller, diminish”), its perfect participle, used as an adjective. Etymonline traces minuō to Proto-Indo-European *mei- (“small”).

It is from Latin mīror (“to marvel at”) + -bilis, ⟨mīror⟩ being from mīrus “wonderful”. Columella has a superlative ⟨mīrābilissimus⟩.

It is a verb from Latin mīrus (“remarkable, astonishing”). Mīrus is *smeiro-, from Proto-Indo-European *sméi-ro- (“laughter”), related to Proto-Indo-European *(s)mei- (“to laugh, smile”); de Vaan…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *mik-sk-e/o- (“to mix”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *miḱ-sk-e/o-, an inchoative present of Proto-Indo-European *meyḱ- (“to mix”). Why it belongs to the…

It is from Latin misericors (“tender-hearted”) + -ia; ⟨misericors⟩ is from miser “wretched” and cor “heart”. De Vaan finds no accepted Proto-Indo-European source for ⟨miser⟩, and traces ⟨cor⟩ to…

It is from Latin miser (“wretched”) + cor (“heart”).

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *mīti-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *m(e)h₁i-ti- (“soft”). Cognate with Welsh mwydion (“soft parts”), Old Irish mín (“soft, smooth”) and Sanskrit मयस्…

It is from Latin moveō (“to move”) + -bilis, from *moubilis, Proto-Italic *moweðlis, with ⟨ou⟩ becoming long ⟨ō⟩. Manuscripts often spell it ⟨mov-⟩.

It is built on the same lost neuter ⟨s⟩-stem as modestus, from Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to measure”), not directly on modus. An active ⟨moderō⟩ is also found, and Lucretius has ⟨moderārier⟩.

It is from Latin modestus (“moderate”) + -ia, ⟨modestus⟩ being from modus “measure”.

It is from the same root as modus “measure” but not from that noun directly: it implies a neuter ⟨s⟩-stem *modos, *modes-, from Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to measure”), with the suffix -tus, as…

It is from Latin modus (“measure”) + -icus.

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *molā, from Proto-Indo-European *molh₂éh₂, from Proto-Indo-European *melh₂- (“to grind”), related to molō “to grind”. The OLD and Lewis and Short compare Ancient…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *melō (“to grind”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *melh₂- (“to crush, grind”), with ⟨o⟩ from rounding before a velar /l/. Cognate with Umbrian kumaltu (“let…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *moneje-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *mon-eie- (“to make think of, remind”), a causative of the root of meminī “to remember” and mēns “mind”. Cognate with…

It is from Latin mōnstrum (“portent, sign”) + -ō, the verb suffix, and so ultimately from moneō “to warn”. The archaic spelling is ⟨mostrō⟩.

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *mord-eje-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₂mord-(e)ie- (“to crush, bite”), an iterative present with o-grade, biting being a repeated action; the simple…

It is from Latin mors (“death”) + -ālis.

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *mow(a)-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *m(i̯)euh₁- (“to move”). Its derivatives mōtus, mōmentum and mōbilis go back to *mowe- forms. Cognate with Hittite mau-…

It is from Latin mūlus (“mule”), its feminine. Etymonline derives ⟨mūlus⟩ from Proto-Italic ⟨*musklo-⟩, probably a loanword, like Ancient Greek μυκλός (muklós, “pack mule”). Late writers have the…

It is from Latin multus (“much, many”) + -plex (“-fold”), from the root of plicō “to fold”, as in duplex. Lucretius scans it ⟨multīplex⟩.

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *musklo-, or *mukslo-, probably a loanword that came into Europe from Asia Minor in the form *musk- or *muks-. Cognate with Ancient Greek μυχλός (mukhlós, “breeding…

1. The adjective is of uncertain origin. De Vaan and Wiktionary consider Proto-Indo-European *mud-no- (“happy, cheerful”), from the root Proto-Indo-European *mewd- (“to rejoice”), comparing Sanskrit…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *moi-nos- (“duty, obligation”), perhaps inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₂moi-no- (“exchange”), from the root that Wiktionary gives as Proto-Indo-European *mey-…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *mūs (“mouse”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *múHs (“mouse”). Cognate with Sanskrit मूष् (mū́ṣ-, “mouse, rat”), Ancient Greek μῦς (mûs, “mouse”), Old High…

It is from Latin mūs (“mouse”) + -culus, a diminutive. Mūs is *mūs, from Proto-Indo-European *muHs (“mouse”). The sense “muscle” is named after the shape of a muscle; de Vaan notes that the sense…

The origin is disputed. The OLD and the TLL derive it from a noun *moitos “exchange”, comparing Ancient Greek μοῖτος (moîtos, “reward, favour”), Sanskrit मिथस् (mitháḥ, “mutually”) and Gothic…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *nank-(i-), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₂n-n-ḱ- (“to reach”), a nasal present of the root Proto-Indo-European *h₂neḱ- (“to reach”), with the inchoative…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *gnāsk-e/o- (“to be born”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *ǵn̥h₁-sk-e/o- (“to be born”), with the inchoative suffix, from the root *ǵenh₁- (“to beget”). The…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *nasso-, from Proto-Indo-European *nHd-to- (“tied, knotted”). Cognate with Old Irish nascaid (“binds”), Old Irish naidm (“bond”), Gothic 𐌽𐌰𐍄𐌹 (nati, “net”) and…

It is from Latin nātus (“born”) + -ālis, ⟨nātus⟩ being the participle of nāscor.

It is from Latin nāscor (“to be born”) + -tio. The verb is from Proto-Italic *gnāsk-e/o-, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵn̥h₁-sk-e/o- (“to be born”).

It is from Latin nāscor (“to be born”) + -tura. The verb is from Proto-Italic *gnāsk-e/o-, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵn̥h₁-sk-e/o- (“to be born”). Ancient writers such as Isidore of Seville also…

It is from Latin nāvis (“ship”) + -ālis. Etymonline traces ⟨nāvis⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *nau- (“boat”). An old inscription spells it ⟨nāb-⟩.

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *nefelā-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *nebʰ-e-lo- (“small cloud”), from the root *nebʰ-, which the TLL glosses “to be moist, cloudy”. Cognate with Middle…

It is from ⟨*ne-cezd-tis⟩, from Latin ne- (“not”) + cēdō (“to yield”), so “not to be avoided”, formed like ⟨pote⟩ from ⟨potis⟩.

It is from Latin necesse (“unavoidable, necessary”) + -tās.

It is from Latin nex (“violent death”), from the root Proto-Indo-European *neḱ- (“to perish”). It is related to noceō “to harm” and noxius.

It is from Latin nec- (“not”) + legō (“to gather, choose”), so “not to pick up, not to heed”. De Vaan considers it a relatively recent compound of ⟨legere⟩ “to collect”, and finds a link with…

It is formed from Latin neg-, the negative of neque “and not”. The TLL derives it from a phrase of two particles, *né gó/e “not at all”, comparing Ancient Greek ἐγώ γε (egṓ ge, “I at least”). Lewis…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *(s)nē(je)-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *(s)neh₁- (“to spin”). Cognate with Ancient Greek νῆν (nên, “to spin”) and νήθω (nḗthō), Middle Irish sníid…

It is from Latin ne- (“not”) + sciō (“to know”).

It is formed from Latin nesciō (“not to know”), or from ne- “not” and scius “knowing”, as inscius and conscius are formed. De Vaan thinks sciō “to know” is itself a back-formation from nesciō, from…

It is from Latin ne- (“not”) + uter (“which of two, either”). In grammar it renders Ancient Greek οὐδέτερος (oudéteros, “neither”). Varro has a genitive ⟨neutrī⟩, and grammarians use ⟨neutrī generis⟩.

It is from Proto-Italic ⟨*kniktos⟩, which de Vaan takes as the participle of ⟨*kneiɣʷē-⟩, from Proto-Indo-European *kneygʷʰ-, with -ō. The OLD calls it cognate with cōnīveō “to close the eyes” and…

Its origin is unknown. Wiktionary mentions a possible derivation from Proto-Indo-European *negʷ- (“bare, naked”), if that root also gave Proto-Indo-European *nókʷts (“night”), the source of nox…

The origin is uncertain. De Vaan says the Latin words are best explained from a participle *nitos “made bright”, but no Indo-European root fits the form and meaning. If renīdeō “to shine back”…

It is from Latin niteō (“to shine”) + -idus.

1. It is inherited from Proto-Italic *kniχw-et-, of uncertain origin. The participle nīxus points to a root ending in a velar, so de Vaan, like Walde and Hofmann and Pokorny, prefers a link with…

It is from Latin nōminō (“to name”) + -im, the adverbial suffix, ⟨nōminō⟩ being from nōmen (“name”). De Vaan traces ⟨nōmen⟩ to Proto-Italic *nōm-n-, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃neh₃-mn̥ (“name”).

It is from Latin nōscō (“to get to know”) + -tiō (through its participle nōtus).

It is from Latin nōscō (“to get to know”), its participle.

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *nowo-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *néwos (“new”). Sabellic has a different form, as Umbrian nuvis (“new”), from Proto-Indo-European *neuio-. Cognate with…

It is from Latin noxa (“harm, offence”) + -ius; ⟨noxa⟩ is from noceō “to harm”. De Vaan traces ⟨noceō⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *noḱ-éye- (“to make disappear, cause death”).

It is a diminutive from Latin nux (“nut”) + -leus, with an irregular change from feminine to masculine. Plautus, Cato and Varro have the fuller form ⟨nuculeus⟩.

It has no Indo-European etymology. Since words for “trifle” are often formed from words for “nut” or “seed”, a link with nux “nut” is quite likely, but the long /ū/ and the /g/ against /k/ suggest a…

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek νοῦμμος (noûmmos), a Doric word related to Ancient Greek νόμος (nómos, “custom, law”), as the OLD and Wiktionary say; the original sense was the regular, statutory…