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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