Latin words from Pre-Greek
6 Latin words with Pre-Greek in their history, whether borrowed directly or passed on through other languages.
acacia
It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἀκακία (akakía, “acacia”). Wiktionary derives the Greek word from ἀκή (akḗ, “point”), and Etymonline calls it of uncertain origin, perhaps related to that word…
carabus
It is borrowed from Ancient Greek κάραβος (kárabos, “a prickly crustacean; a horned beetle”). In Greek the word already named a light canoe by metaphor. Beekes considers the source Pre-Greek.
manganum
It is borrowed from Ancient Greek μάγγανον (mánganon). The Greek word meant a philtre or charm, the block of a pulley and, in glossaries, a catapult; Beekes considers it Pre-Greek and notes that, as…
paliurus
It is borrowed from Ancient Greek παλίουρος (palíouros, “Christ's thorn”). Beekes rejects a connection with Ancient Greek οὐρά (ourá, “tail”) and considers the Greek word most probably Pre-Greek.
plinthus
It is borrowed from Ancient Greek πλίνθος (plínthos, “brick”). The origin of the Greek word is unknown: Köbler takes it as a borrowing from an unknown source, and Beekes counts it Pre-Greek.
sandalium
It is borrowed from Ancient Greek σανδάλιον (sandálion), a diminutive of σάνδαλον (sándalon, “sandal”). Beekes takes the base noun to be Pre-Greek, comparing its variant σάμβαλον (sámbalon), and…