Latin words first recorded in the 3rd century BC

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *molk-eje- (“to stroke, rub”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *m(o)lḱ-eie- (“to touch repeatedly”). Cognate with Sanskrit मृश् (mṛś, “to touch, stroke”) and…

It is formed from Latin mūniō (“to fortify”) + -mentum. The verb, older ⟨moeniō⟩, comes from moenia (“city walls”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *moini- (“protective wall”) and perhaps…

The origin is uncertain. De Vaan thinks it may belong with mūs (“mouse”), since mūsculus also means a mussel; or it may be a loanword, related to Ancient Greek μύαξ (múax, “sea mussel”). Wiktionary…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *moiro-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *(H)moi-ro- (“building”). The archaic form moerus or moirus is found in inscriptions, Ennius and Accius. moenia “city…

It is formed from Latin nam (“for”) and the particle -que, a strengthened ⟨nam⟩. De Vaan takes ⟨nam⟩ to be perhaps an old accusative singular feminine ⟨*nām⟩ of a stem Proto-Italic *no- (“that”).

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ναύτης (naútēs, “sailor”), from Ancient Greek ναῦς (naûs, “ship”). Wiktionary calls it a doublet of ⟨nāvita⟩. Isidore derives it from ⟨nāvis⟩ “ship” and calls…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *gnāwo-, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵn(e)h₃-uo- (“knowing”), a derivative of *ǵneh₃- (“to know”). This requires a change of ⟨*-ōw-⟩ to ⟨*-āw-⟩, or a form with the…

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *nemos-, from Proto-Indo-European *nem-os- (“what is allotted, sacrifice”), from the root *nem- “to allot”. De Vaan explains the sense “wood, sacred clearing”…

It is from Latin nōmen (“name”) + -ō, the verb suffix. De Vaan traces ⟨nōmen⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *h₃neh₃-mn̥ (“name”).

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *nōs (“we, us”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *nōs, originally the stressed accusative. The old nominative ⟨*wei(s)⟩ was replaced by the accusative…

It is from Latin nūbēs (“cloud”) + -ilus, and Wiktionary takes it as ⟨-idus⟩ with /d/ changed to /l/. De Vaan reconstructs Proto-Italic *(s)nouþ- for ⟨nūbēs⟩, whose only direct cognate is Welsh…

It is formed from Latin nūdus (“naked”) + -ō, the verb ending. De Vaan traces ⟨nūdus⟩ to Proto-Italic *nowoþo- (“naked”), a form with a suffix shared with Germanic on the root adjective…

It is from Latin nūgor (“to trifle”) + -tor. The verb comes from nūgae (“trifles”), for which de Vaan finds no Indo-European etymology; he thinks a link with nux (“nut”) quite likely, since words…

It is from Latin nūpta (“bride”) + -iae, the plural ending, ⟨nūpta⟩ being the participle of nūbō “to marry (a husband)”, like the names of festivals. De Vaan finds the origin of ⟨nūbō⟩ uncertain…

It is from Latin ob- (“towards, against”) + dūcō (“to lead”).

It is from Latin ob- (“before, against”) + iaceō (“to lie”). De Vaan lists it among the derivatives of iaciō (“to throw”) and explains iaceō as its stative counterpart, “to be thrown down”, hence…

It is from Latin ob- (“over, against”) + ruō (“to rush, fall”). De Vaan lists it under ruō “to rush”, which he traces to Proto-Italic *rowe/o- and Proto-Indo-European *h₃rew- (“to run, hurry”).

It is from Latin ob- + *scūrus, a fossilized compound of ob- and an adjective *scūrus “dark”, from Proto-Italic *skoi-ro-. De Vaan derives this from Proto-Indo-European *skoh₂-i-ro- (“dark, shady”)…

It is formed from Latin obsideō (“to besiege”) + -iō. The verb is ob- (“against”) and sedeō (“to sit”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *sedē- (“to be seated”) and Proto-Indo-European *sed-…

It is from Latin ob- (“in front, against”) + stō (“to stand”). De Vaan traces ⟨stō⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *sth₂-éh₁-ye- (“to stand”).

It is formed from Latin ob- + via (“way”) + -us. The TLL derives it from the adverb obviam “in the way, to meet”.

It is from Latin ob- + *cumbō (“to lie down”), a stem related to cubō (“to lie”). The TLL notes that ⟨*cumbere⟩ survives only in compounds such as accumbō and dēcumbō, and that it seems to have…

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ὠκεανός (ōkeanós, “the great river surrounding the earth”), a word of unknown origin.

It is from Latin ob- (“against”) and a verb *fendō “to strike”, also in dēfendō, from Proto-Italic *fendō, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen- (“to strike, kill”).

It is formed from Latin olle + -im, the locative ending (from the stem of ⟨olle⟩) ((also ⟨ollus⟩), an archaic form of ille (“that”)); it meant “at that time”. Köbler compares the root…

It is formed from Latin omnis (“all”), as a fixed case form of an adjective ⟨*omn-īno-⟩ “whole”, with the same ending as repentīnō. De Vaan thinks ⟨omnis⟩ may be a verbal adjective Proto-Italic…

It is from Latin ob- + petō (“to make for, seek”). De Vaan traces petō to Proto-Italic *pet-e/o- and connects it with a root meaning to fly, assuming a shift from flying up towards something to…

The origin is disputed. The OLD takes it as a collective formed from ōs (“mouth”), as ⟨opera⟩ is from ⟨opus⟩, and compares Old English ōr; Köbler likewise traces it to Proto-Indo-European *h₃óh₁s-…

It is from Latin ōrō (“to speak, pray”) + -culum. Ennius has the syncopated ⟨ōrāclum⟩. Isidore derives it from ⟨ōs⟩ “mouth”.

It is from Latin ōrō (“to plead, speak”) + -tor. De Vaan derives ōrō from ōs (“mouth”) and says its first meaning was “to plead, speak openly”. Varro says the orator was named from the speech…

It is from Latin orior (“to rise, arise”), its old gerundive, with the force of a participle. De Vaan traces ⟨orior⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *h₃r̥-i- (“to rise”).

It is for ⟨*obstendō⟩, from Latin obs- + tendō (“to stretch”), ⟨obs-⟩ being a form of ob- “before, towards”. De Vaan traces ⟨tendō⟩ to Proto-Italic *tend-, from Proto-Indo-European *ten-d(ʰ)- (“to…

It is formed from Latin ōtium (“leisure”) + -ōsus. De Vaan finds no etymology for ⟨ōtium⟩.

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *ōw(j)om, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ōuiom (“egg”). Cognate with Ancient Greek ᾠόν (ōión, “egg”), Welsh wy (“egg”), Old High German ei (“egg”) and…

The origin is uncertain. De Vaan reports three proposals by Schrijver: the ending ⟨-am⟩ was taken over from clam “secretly”; it is a locative Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₂-em-i “in the flat hand”; or…

The origin is uncertain. De Vaan suggests that it is an adjective in -ātus to a stem meaning flat or broad, from Proto-Indo-European *plh₂-o- or *plh₂-u-, comparing Hittite palhi- (“broad”), since…

The origin is uncertain. The TLL calls it a foreign word, and the OLD tentatively compares Ancient Greek ἄμπελος (ámpelos, “vine”). Pokorny places it among words meaning “to swell”, with Lithuanian…

It is from Latin pandō (“to spread out”) + -us. De Vaan calls it a new creation from that verb, which he traces to Proto-Italic *pandn- and the nasal present Proto-Indo-European *pt-n(é)-h₂- (“to…

1. The adjective is from Latin parō (“to prepare, provide”), its past participle. De Vaan derives parō from Proto-Italic *parāje- and takes it, like most scholars, as a verb made from a noun…

The origin is uncertain. The OLD suggests a Gaulish word, and Wiktionary also mentions a Celtic borrowing. Another view takes it as a back-formation from parmula, dissimilated from *palmula, from…

It is from Latin particeps (“sharing”) + -ō, the verbal suffix, ⟨particeps⟩ being from pars “part” and capiō “to take”. A deponent form occurs in an inscription and in Ulpian.

It is from Latin parum (“a little”) + -per (“for, through”), originally a phrase with a postposition. De Vaan traces parum, the neuter of the stem of parvus (“small”), to Proto-Italic *pauro- and…

It is an adverb from Latin pandō (“to spread out”) + -tim (⟨-im⟩), on ⟨passus⟩, its participle, literally “in a scattered way”. De Vaan traces the verb to the nasal present Proto-Indo-European…

It is from Latin pāscō (“to feed, pasture”) + -tor.

It is from Latin pateō (“to be open”) + faciō (“to make”). Ennius and Lucretius scan the second syllable long, ⟨patē-⟩.

It is from Latin paulus (“little”), its ablative singular neuter, an ablative of degree, “by a little”. De Vaan lists ⟨paullus⟩ with paucus “few”, from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂u-; Walde–Hofmann…

Its formation is disputed. Walde and Hofmann derived it, like pauxillus (“little”), from the stem of paucus (“few”), with a preform Proto-Italic *pauk-slo- like the one behind āla (“wing”) beside…

It is from Latin pauper (“poor”) + -tās. Nonius reports Varro's derivation from ⟨pecūnia parva⟩ “small money”.

It is probably a word from the East, like Ancient Greek ταώς (taṓs, “peacock”). Wiktionary suggests it may be borrowed from the Greek or imitative. An older and late form was pāvus, used by Ennius.

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *petnā-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *pet-n-h₂- (“wing, feather”), from the root *peth₂- “to fly”. Old forms pesna and petna are reported by Festus. Cognate…

It is from Proto-Italic *kelnō, ⟨*cellō⟩ “to strike”, with per- “through, thoroughly”, from Proto-Indo-European *kelh₂- (“to beat, break”). It is related to clādēs “disaster”, clāva “club” and…

It is from Latin per- (“through”) + quatiō (“to shake, strike”). De Vaan reconstructs Proto-Italic *kwat-i- for ⟨quatiō⟩.

It is formed from Latin per- + eō (“to go”), “to go through”, hence “to pass away”. The verb “to go” continues Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey- (“to go”).

It is the participle of an unattested ⟨*perior⟩ “to try”, seen in experior. The OLD compares Ancient Greek πεῖρα (peîra, “trial”), and de Vaan connects it with pariō and Proto-Indo-European *perh₃-…

It is from Latin per- (“through”) + mittō (“to let go, send”).

It is from Latin per- (“thoroughly”) + necō (“to kill”) + -iēs.

It is from Latin per- (“through”) + tundō (“to beat, thrust”). De Vaan traces tundō to Proto-Italic *(s)tund-(e/o-) (“to thrust”) and the nasal present Proto-Indo-European *(s)tu-n-d- (“to thrust”)…

It is from Latin perversus (“turned the wrong way, perverse”) + -ē. The adjective is the participle of pervertō (“to overturn”), a compound of per- (“thoroughly”) and vertō (“to turn”).

It is from Latin per- + vertō (“to turn”). ⟨vertō⟩ is Proto-Italic *wertō, from Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to turn”), cognate with Sanskrit वर्तते (vártate, “turns”) and Russian вертеть (vertetʹ…

It is from Latin pervicāx (“determined, stubborn”) + -ia. The adjective pervicāx is formed from per- and vincō (“to conquer”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *wink- (“to tie, bind; to…