Download LATIN IN ENGLISH There are many words in English that sound

LATIN IN ENGLISH
LATINATE WORDS
There are many words in English that sound familiar to an Italian ear. The
following is just a short list:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
abundance
adapt
ascend
celestial
consecrated
cordial
epoch
felicity
flame
innocent
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
interrogate
liberty
nostalgic
profundity
prudent
regal
terrestrial
torrid
vision
These are words of Latin origin. Here are their etymons, i.e. the Latin words
they are derived from.
English
abundance
adapt
ascend
celestial
consecrated
cordial
epoch
felicity
flame
innocent
interrogate
liberty
nostalgic
profundity
prudent
regal
terrestrial
torrid
vision
Latin
ăbundantĭa
ădapto, io adatto
ascendo, io salgo
caelestialis (medieval Latin)
consĕcro, io consacro, dedico
cordialis (medieval Latin, from classical Lat cŏr, cordis, cuore)
epocha (modern Lat, from Greek epokhé)
fēlĭcītās
flamma
innŏcens
interrŏgo, io chiedo
lībertās
nostalgĭa (modern Lat, from Greek nóstos “ritorno” + algìa
“dolore” = “dolore per l’impossibilità del ritorno”)
prŏfundĭtās
prūdens
rēgālis
terrestris
torrĭdus
vīsĭo
English is not a Romance language, that is to say, a language developed
from Latin, like Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian – the
languages commonly called ‘Neo-Latin.’ English belongs to the Germanic branch
of the Indo-European family of languages. However, it is very rich in Latinate
words, i.e. words derived from Latin.
There are historical reasons for that, including the Roman invasion of Great
Britain (AD 43) and the Roman rule over the island, which lasted until AD 410;
1
and The Norman conquest (1066), that brought the Latin-based French language
into the British area.
But each word of Latin origin has a corresponding Anglo-Saxon term, of
Germanic origin:
Latinate English
Anglo-Saxon
Latinate English
Anglo-Saxon
abundance
adapt
ascend
celestial
consecrated
cordial
epoch
felicity
flame
wealth
fit
climb
heavenly
holy
hearty
time
happiness
fire
innocent
interrogate
liberty
nostalgic
profundity
prudent
regal
terrestrial
torrid
vision
guiltless
ask
freedom
wistful
depth
careful
kingly
earthly
scorching
sight
In some cases, the actual Latin words are used. An examples is the names of
the constellations and signs of the zodiac (or star signs, birth signs):
♈
♉
♊
♋
♌
♍
♎
♏
♐
♑
♒
♓
Aries
Taurus
Gemini
Cancer
Leo
Virgo
Libra
Scorpio
Sagittarius
Capricorn
Aquarius
Pisces
/ˈeəriːz /
/ˈtɔːrəs /
/ˈdʒemɪnaɪ /, /ˈdʒemɪniː /
/ˈkænsə(r) /
/ˈliːəʊ /
/ˈvɜːɡəʊ /
/ˈliːbrə /
/ˈskɔːpiəʊ /
/ˌsædʒɪˈteəriəs /
/ˈkæprɪkɔːn /
/əˈkweəriəs /
/ˈpaɪsiːz /
The above names are the real Latin words, although pronounced the English
way. In this case too each name has a corresponding English (Anglo-Saxon) term
in use:
Aries
Taurus
Gemini
Cancer
Leo
Virgo
Libra
Scorpio
Sagittarius
Capricorn
Aquarius
The Ram
The Bull
The Twins
The Crab
The Lion
The Maiden
The Scales
The Scorpion
The Archer
The Goat
The Water Carrier
2
Pisces
The Fishes (NB: the common word fish does not
normally change in the plural. Fishes is
a rare form, used for the constellation,
and to refer to different kinds of fish.)
GUIDE TO THE USE OF LATIN WORDS IN ENGLISH
However familiar Latinate words in English may sound to you, be careful in
using them when you speak or write in English.
Remember the following ideas and criteria.
1) Generally speaking, the words of Latin origin have a more formal tone. They
tend to be cultural and technical, educational and commercial, and are used
in written reports and formal discussions.
This is a sentence totally made of Latinate terms (except the preposition
on): Invading armies impose exotic political systems on conquered countries.
The sentence sounds formal.
And this is a sentence in which all the words are Anglo-Saxon: Hardly any
horse-drawn ploughs are found on English fields now.
In the following sentence, 17 words are native (Anglo-Saxon) and 3 are of
Latin origin (underlined): He picked up the gem, inspected it carefully, put it in
his pocket, and escaped before anyone could stop him.
2) Some Latin terms, for example doctor, including, simple, sound quite normal
and are in common use. Not so with others, like ascend, felicity, torrid, etc.;
their tone is formal or literary.
3) Resist any attempt to use Latinate words too much. Check them up in a good
monolingual dictionary, read all the examples that are given, and try to follow
them. E.g.:
ASCEND is used in such set phrases as Marks are in ascending order (“I voti
sono in ordine crescente”), Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne of the
United Kingdom in 1952.
FELICITY is less common in the meaning of “great happiness”; it is more
commonly used in its figurative sense: The story is told with great felicity of
style.
TORRID is formal in The torrid heat of August, and has sexual connotations
in A torrid love affair.
4) Anglo-Saxon words cover a relatively small part of the total modern English
vocabulary, but they are the most frequently used in the language.
They tend to be used informally, figuratively, and idiomatically, and are
largely found in slang.
5) Therefore, in informal speaking or writing, always try to use Anglo-Saxon
terms. Use terms of Latin origin on formal occasions, especially in writing.
3