Latin words first recorded in the 3rd century BC

The origin is uncertain. De Vaan considers Sanskrit पुमंस् (púmāṃs, “male, man”), and the Oxford Latin Dictionary and Wiktionary compare puer “boy”. Walde–Hofmann thought the noun might be taken…

It comes from Latin poplicus, the Old Latin form, from populus “people”, from Proto-Italic *poplo- (“army”), whose origin is unknown. The change of /op/ to /ūb/ is explained by association with…

It is from Latin pudeō + -īcus, ⟨pudet⟩ “it shames”.

It is from Latin puellus (“little boy”), its feminine, itself contracted from puerulus, a diminutive of puer (“boy”). De Vaan explains it as from ⟨*puere-la⟩ “little girl”. ⟨puer⟩ is from…

It is a back-formation from Latin pugnō (“to fight”), which is from pugnus (“fist”). The TLL compares feminine nouns formed from verbs such as fuga and praeda. Lewis & Short read it as originally a…

1. Its origin is disputed. It may be inherited from Proto-Italic *polnos, from Proto-Indo-European *polH-on- (“young animal”), cognate with Ancient Greek πῶλος (pôlos, “foal”), Gothic 𐍆𐌿𐌻𐌰 (fula…

It is the frequentative from Latin pellō (“to drive, strike”) + -tō (from its supine stem ⟨puls-⟩); compare pultō. Lucretius has the old infinitive ⟨pulsārier⟩.

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *pe/olaw(-is)- (“dust”). De Vaan explains it as *pe/ol(V)w-is-, with a rare is-stem perhaps taken from cinis “ashes”. Walde and Hofmann and Pokorny derived it from…

It is from Latin pūrus (“pure”) + -igō, through older ⟨pūrigō⟩, still in Plautus and Varro, as in fūmigō from fūmus. Lewis and Short take it as a contraction of ⟨pūrum agō⟩ “to make pure”. De Vaan…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *pūro- (“pure”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *ph₂ú-ro- (“clear, cleansed”), from the root Proto-Indo-European *pewH- (“to cleanse”). Latin and Celtic share a…

Its origin is unknown; the OLD calls it doubtful and the TLL says nothing is established about it. De Vaan suggests a loanword, according to Wiktionary, which also reports a derivation from…

It is from Latin putus (“clean, pure”), which goes back to Proto-Italic *puto- (“cut off, clean”), Proto-Indo-European *pHu-tó-. Its first meaning was to prune trees, cutting off unwanted branches…

The origin is uncertain. The OLD suggests it may be cognate with pūrus “clean”, and Lewis & Short and Köbler derive it from the root of ⟨pūrus⟩ and putō “to prune, reckon”, Proto-Indo-European…

It is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *kʷt(u)r-dḱmt- (“forty”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷétuores (“four”), the source of quattuor. De Vaan reports Schrijver's view that quadr- arose by voicing…

It is from Latin quaerō (“to seek”) + -tio. The verb is from Proto-Italic *kʷai-s-e/o-, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *kueh₂-i- (“to acquire”), though its etymology is disputed.

The origin is uncertain. It has often been compared with Old Church Slavonic кошь (košĭ, “wicker basket”), from *kwos-i̯o-. De Vaan, following Leumann, prefers an instrument noun *kwat-slo- “sieve”…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *kwatworto-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *kʷtur-tó- (“fourth”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwóres (“four”). Schrijver, followed by de Vaan, explains the a…

It is the frequentative from Latin quatiō (“to shake”) + -tō. Plautus has an old form ⟨cassō⟩.

It continues ⟨*quatrus⟩, from Latin quattuor (“four”), on the root; de Vaan reconstructs Proto-Indo-European *kʷturs (“four times”). Cognate with Avestan 𐬗𐬀𐬭𐬎𐬱 (čaruš, “four times”) and Oscan…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *kʷat-i-, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kuot-i-. De Vaan compares Germanic verbs for “to shake”, Old High German scutten (“to shake”), and perhaps Lithuanian…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *kʷetwōr, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *kʷétuōr (“four”). The /a/ for expected /e/ is unexplained in Wiktionary's account, and de Vaan takes it from forms…

It is from Latin queror (“to complain”) + -ēla. It is also spelled ⟨querella⟩, which Wiktionary explains as a reanalysis as a diminutive.

It is from Latin queror (“to complain”) + -mōnia. De Vaan reconstructs ⟨queror⟩ as Proto-Italic ⟨*kʷes-e/o-⟩ and reports the derivation from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwes- (“to hiss, sigh”), comparing…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *kʷes-e/o-. Walde–Hofmann, Pokorny and the LIV derive it from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwes- (“to hiss, sigh”), through “to sigh”, which de Vaan calls possible but not…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *kʷiē-ti-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *kʷieh₁-ti- (“rest, peace”), from an aorist Proto-Indo-European *kʷyeh₁- (“to rest”). The perfect of quiēscō probably…

It is from Latin quiēs (“rest”) + -scō, with the stem *quiē- and the inchoative suffix. Its perfect forms are often contracted, as ⟨quiēsse⟩ for ⟨quiēvisse⟩. Etymonline traces ⟨quiēs⟩ to…

It is from Latin quiēscō (“to rest”), its perfect participle, from quiēs “rest”, from Proto-Italic *kʷjētos. Etymonline and Köbler trace it to Proto-Indo-European *kʷyeh₁- (“to rest, be quiet”).

It is from Latin quī (“who, which”) + libet (“it pleases”), “whom it pleases”.

It is from Latin rabiō (“to rave”) + -iēs, like scabiēs from ⟨scabō⟩. De Vaan reconstructs Proto-Italic ⟨*rab-⟩ or ⟨*raf-⟩ for the verb, of unclear origin: Schrijver rejects the old comparison with…

The origin is uncertain. Walde–Hofmann and Pokorny connected it with rādīx “root”, but de Vaan finds this unlikely because the meanings are so different, and sees no clear root for it. The TLL…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *wrād-ī-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *ur(e)h₂-d-iH- (“root”). Cognate with Welsh gwraidd (“roots”), Ancient Greek ῥάδιξ (rhádix, “branch, twig”), Gothic…

It is from Latin rapiō (“to snatch, carry off”) + -idus. Wiktionary compares the development of Irish ⟨sciobtha⟩ “quick” from ⟨sciob⟩ “to snatch”.

The origin is uncertain. It has been connected with Proto-Indo-European *h₂erH- (“to disappear”) and with Ancient Greek ἐρῆμος (erêmos, “lonely”), but Schrijver rejects all the proposals, and de…

It is from Latin ratus, the participle of reor “to reckon, think”, either directly or through an earlier *ratis “reckoning”. The verb is from Proto-Italic *rē-(je/o-), from Proto-Indo-European…

It is from Latin reor (“to reckon, think”), its perfect participle. De Vaan reconstructs Proto-Italic *rato- (“thought, counted”), from Proto-Indo-European *Hr̥h₁-tó-, and compares Gothic 𐍂𐌰𐌸𐌾𐍉…

It is from Latin rāvis (“hoarseness”) + -cus. Etymonline relates it to rāvus “hoarse”, from Proto-Italic *rawo- and an echoic root.

It is probably a compound, inherited from Proto-Italic *wre-kent(i)-, of re- (“again”) and a word for “young, first”, from Proto-Indo-European *ken-t- (“young, new”). The TLL explains the meaning as…

It is from Latin recipiō (“to take back, receive”) + -tiō.

It is from Latin re- (“back”) + capiō (“to take”), with the Old Latin weakening of unstressed /a/ to /i/. The verb capiō is from Proto-Italic *kap-i- (“to seize”), which de Vaan derives from…

It is from Latin re- + claudō (“to shut”), with ⟨re-⟩ reversing the action. De Vaan traces ⟨claudō⟩ to Proto-Italic *klaud-e/o-, from Proto-Indo-European *kleh₂u-d- (“to shut”).

It is from Latin re- + cor (“heart, mind”), oblique stem ⟨cord-⟩, with a verb suffix, perhaps on the model of discordō. An active ⟨recordō⟩ is in Quadrigarius and Varro.

It is from Latin regō (“to direct, rule”), its perfect participle, from Proto-Italic *rektos, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵtós, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- (“to straighten, direct”).

It is from Latin red- (“back”) + emō (“to take, buy”). De Vaan traces ⟨emō⟩ to Proto-Italic *eme/o- (“to take”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- (“to take”).

It is from Latin redeō (“to return”) + -tiō, from re- and eō “to go”. De Vaan traces ⟨eō⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey- (“to go”).

It is from Latin re- + duco (“to lead”). The spelling reddūcō is also found, as in Lucretius and Terence.

It is from Latin re- (“back, again”) + ferō (“to carry”), with the suppletive perfect ⟨rettulī⟩ and participle ⟨relātum⟩. Terence and Lucretius have ⟨rellātum⟩.

It is from Latin rēx (“king”) + -īna. Wiktionary notes the exact formation is uncertain, perhaps from an adjective *reg-īno- “meant for the king”. Lewis and Short compare Sanskrit राज्ञी (rājñī́…

It is from Latin regō (“to direct, guide”) + -iō. The verb is from Proto-Italic *reg-e/o-, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ-e/o- (“to stretch, direct”).

It is from Latin rēgnum (“kingship, kingdom”) + -ō. ⟨rēgnum⟩ is from rēx (“king”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *rēg- (“king”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃rēǵ-s (“ruler, king”).

It is from Latin rēx (“king”) + -nus, on the stem ⟨rēg-⟩, the neuter of an adjective ⟨*rēgnus⟩. Isidore says ⟨regnum⟩ is named from kings, as kings are named from ruling.

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *reg-e/o-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ-e/o- (“to stretch, direct”). The perfect rēxī continues an Proto-Indo-European s-aorist, and the long vowel of…

Its origin was disputed in antiquity and still is. Cicero derived it from relegō (“to go over again, consider carefully”), while Servius, Lactantius and Augustine took it from religāre “to bind…

It is from Latin religiō (“religious scruple, religion”) + -ōsus. Virgil scans its first syllable long, and poets write ⟨rellig-⟩.

It is from Latin re- (“back, away”) + moveō (“to move”).

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *rē-(je/o-) (“to think”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *Hreh₁-. The original meaning was “to count”, still seen in the participle ratus “counted, fixed…

It is from Latin re- + pariō (“to produce, bring forth”), with the perfect ⟨repperī⟩ from the reduplicated ⟨*re-peper-⟩. De Vaan traces ⟨pariō⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *perh₃- (“to provide”), and…

It is from Latin re- (“again, back”) + petō (“to make for, attack, seek”).

It is from Latin re- (“back”) + portō (“to carry”).

It is from Latin re- (“back”) + prehendō (“to grasp, seize”). De Vaan traces ⟨prehendō⟩ to Proto-Italic *(prai-)χend- (“to seize”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰ-n(e)-d- (“to grab”).

It is from Latin re- (“again, back”) + putō (“to reckon, think”).