Download Notes on the AS Latin Vocabulary List

AS Latin
Vocabulary
List
Notes on the AS Latin Vocabulary List
 This list contains the words that you are expected to know for Paper 1
(Language). By the end of Year 12, you need to know all the words
in this list.
 Other words will be given in the exam. However, you are expected to
be able to guess the meaning of a word if there is very obviously an
English word related to it (e.g. theatrum = theatre; densus = dense,
thick; Britannia = Britain; Romani = Romans)…so use your common
sense
 Column 4 tells you the context in which you might expect to find the
word (e.g. military, general, domestic) to help you understand the
meaning of the word properly
 Make sure you learn all parts of a word – not just the part in the first
column. E.g. you need to know how to recognise the past tense of
verbs, not just the present tense; and you need to know how nouns go
in cases other than the nominative (column 2 tells you this)
 You are expected to know adverbs formed from adjectives listed.
 You are expected to know comparative and superlative forms of
adjectives and adverbs listed.
 You are expected to know compound verbs formed when a prefix in the
list is added to a verb in the list. For example, re- = back, fero =
bring/carry. Therefore re-fero = bring back. (See enclosed sheet.)
 You are expected to know the endings taken by nouns, pronouns and
adjectives in the list.
 You are expected to know the endings taken by verbs in the list.
 You are expected the words for numbers in Latin (see enclosed sheet).
Some tips on learning vocabulary…
Little and often
o Three 10 minute sessions in morning, afternoon and evening are far more
effective than one 30 minute session.
Write the words out
o It often helps to write the Latin words out as well as looking at them on the
page. Creating flashcards is a good way of doing this – and one you can
use over and over again.
Try chanting, especially for noun and verb endings – it can really help
patterns stick
Word connections
o If you can, relate the Latin word to a word in English or another modern
language (e.g. custos/custodian)
o Think about links between different Latin words.
o aedifico -are = to build, aedificium = building
o difficilis = difficult, difficile = with difficulty
o Word building – often a word is made up of two shorter words. If you can
spot this, it may help you remember (or guess) the meaning
o exeo (go out) is a compound of eo (go) and the preposition e/ex (out
of)
o When learning vocab, you may find it helpful to group words in different
ways (e.g. all nouns together, all verbs together), or alphabetically – do
what is easiest for you
Testing yourself – some ideas
o You can test yourself on the AS word list using the online vocab tester in
the Public Examinations section of the Cambridge Latin Course website:
http://www.cambridgescp.com
o If you learn vocab by covering up the English translation on the same
page, make sure you don’t cheat!
o Create flashcards – then you can vary the order of the words and separate
out any problem words
o Write Latin words out in a different order from usual to create a test
o Get someone else to test you
Prefixes
These words may be used in forming compound words:
Prefix
* a, ab. abs* ad
* con
* in
* in
per
per
Meaning
away, from
to, towards,
together
not
in, on, into, towards
thoroughly, very
through
re / redante
circum
contra
de
* e, ex
inter
back again
before, in front of
around
against
down, down from
from, out of, out
between, among, within,
inside
behind, after
past, beyond
in front of, forward
under, beneath, up to
across, over
post
praeter
pro / prodsub
trans / tra-
Examples
abeo, I go away
confero, I bring together, collect
infelix, unhappy
persaepe, very often
persaepe, very often;
permulti, very many
remitto, I send back
circumvenio, I surround, catch, trap
*Note that some prefixes change their form when they form compound words: e.g. ad +
fero = affero. Prefixes which change in this way are starred in the list above.
Sometimes there may be a vowel change in the word to which the prefix is added. For
example:
 in + amicus (friend) = inimicus (an enemy)
 re + teneo (hold) = retinere (hold back)
For more detail on these changes (which you need to know about for AS), see The
Latin Language (Oliver& Boyd) p.78-79.