Download A "real" or "stem" compound word is a word whose stem derives

The Formation and
Meaning of Latin Stem Compounds
Compiled by Ian Andreas Miller
A “real” or “stem” compound word in Latin is a word whose stem derives from
a combination of other stems. This tutorial will refer to such compounds as Stem
Compounds. The instructions in this tutorial describe the most common procedures
in creating these words. Exceptions and irregularities are common, so the reader
must understand that not every known rule known is listed in this tutorial.
A Stem Compound may be either a direct compound or an indirect compound.
A direct compound is simply a compound of stems without an additional suffix, as
ālipēs from āla (stem ālā-) and pēs (stem ped-); an indirect compound is a
combination of stems with an additional suffix, as lātifundium from lātus (stem lāto-)
and fundus (stem fundo-) and the suffix -ium (stem -io-).
For the sake of convenience, a Stem Compound may be divided into two
parts, the Prima, the first part, and the Secunda, the second part. The Prima may be
a substantive or an adjectival or a verbal stem, although verbal stems are rarely
used, and the the Secunda may be a substantive or an adjectival stem or a verb
stem with an additional substantive or adjectival suffix or ending.
Before the creation of a Stem Compound begins, stems that are to be
compounded undergo preparation to be Primae and Secundae. The Primae of Stem
Compounds often end in a Connecting Vowel, which is regularly the letter i in Latin.
Preparation for the Prima
The procedures for preparing the Prima is as follows:
1. The stem vowel of a vocalic stem appears as the Connecting Vowel i when the
Secunda begins with a consonant.
Formation of Prima
Word
Stem
Prima
āla
ālāāliflāvus
flāvoflāviīgnis
īgniīgnimanus
manumanifidēs
fidēfidisēmināre
sēmināsēminiterrēre
terrēterrivomere
vomevomisentīre
sentīsenti-
Example in Compound
Word
Stem
Formation
ālipēs
ālipedāli-pedflāvicomus
flāvicomoflāvi-comoīgnispicium
īgnispicioīgni-spiciomanipretium
manipretiomani-pretiofidifragus
fidifragofidi-fragosēminiverbius
sēminiverbiosēmini-verbioterrificus
terrificoterri-ficovomificus
vomificovomi-ficosentificus
sentificosenti-fico-
Note: Fidifragus is Medieval Latin. Post-classical words are included in this tutorial for the sake of demonstration.
2. A consonant stem or a semivocalic stem appears in the form it regularly takes
before vowels, and the Connecting Vowel i appears immediately after that version of
the stem when the Secunda begins with a consonant.
1
Formation of Prima
Word
Stem
Prima
pāx
pācpācirēx
rēgrēgipalūs
palūdpalūdicaput
capitcapitiimagō
imaginimaginisōl
sōlsōliflōs
flōrflōriops
opopios
ossossibōs
bov- (bou-)
boviIuppiter
Iov- (Iou-)
Iovigrūs
grūgruisūs
sūsui-
Example in Compound
Word
Stem
Formation
pācificus
pācificopāc-i-ficorēgifugium
rēgifugiorēg-i-fugiopalūdicola
palūdicolāpalūd-i-colācapitilavium
capitilaviocapit-i-lavioimaginifer
imaginiferoimagin-i-ferosōligena
sōligenāsōl-i-genāflōricomus
flōricomoflōr-i-comoopiparus
opiparoop-i-paroossifragus
ossifragooss-i-fragobovicīdium
bovicīdiobov-i-cīdioIovibarba
IovibarbāIov-i-barbāGruiformēs
GruiformiGru-i-formiSuiformēs
suiformisu-i-formi-
Note: The taxonomic names Gruiformēs, Iovibarba (Jovibarba) and Suiformēs are Neo-Latin.
3. If the Prima is polysyllabic, and the Secunda begins with a vowel, then the
Connecting Vowel disappears.
Formation of Prima
Word
Stem
Prima
grandis
grandigrandmagnus
magnomagn-
Word
grandaevus
magnanimus
Example in Compound
Stem
Formation
grandaevogrand-aevomagnanimomagn-animo-
4. If the Prima is monosyllabic, and the Secunda begins with a vowel or consonant,
the Connecting Vowel stays.
Formation of Prima
Word
Stem
Prima
trēs
tritritrēs
tritri-
Word
triangulus
triennium
Example in Compound
Stem
Formation
triangulotri-angulotrienniotri-ennio-
5. If the Prima ends in ii, that ii appears as a single Connecting Vowel i, and the i
stays as it is if the Secunda begins with a consonant or a vowel.
Formation of Prima
Word
Stem
Prima
ānxius
ānxioānxiifaciēs
faciēfaciiglōria
glōriāglōrii-
Word
ānxianimus
facitergium
glōrificus
Example in Compound
Stem
Formation
ānxianimoānxi-i-animofacitergiofaci-i-tergioglōrificoglōri-i-fico-
6. Indeclinable substantive, adjective, or verbal word forms may be used as stems
for the sake of compounding. If such a form is used as a Prima, and the Secunda
begins with a consonant, the Prima does not take an additional connecting vowel.
Formation of Prima
Word
Stem
Prima
centum
centumcentumquinque quinque- quinque-
Example in Compound
Word
Stem
Formation
centumgeminus centumgemino- centum-geminoquinquefolius
quinquefolioquinque-folio-
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7. If such an indeclinable form used as a Prima ends in a vowel and is polysyllabic,
the final vowel of that Prima disappears when the Secunda begins with a vowel.
Formation of Prima
Word
Stem
Prima
quinque quinque- quinquoctō
octōoct-
Example in Compound
Word
Stem
Formation
quinquangulus
quinquanguloquinqu-angulooctennis
octennioct-enni-
Preparation for the Secunda
When a substantive, adjectival, or verbal stem undergoes preparation to be a
Secunda of a compound, that Secunda may be one of two types:
Homographic:
Heterographic:
The stem or nominative form is the same as that of the
uncompounded stem, as ālipēs, from the uncompounded ped-,
stem of pēs. Mixed i-stem nouns use the consonant version of
their stems when used as Secunda in adjectival Stem
Compounds of one termination. Homographic Secunda are
found in direct compounds.
The stem or nominative singular form has been modified from
the
uncompounded
stem,
as
flāvicomus,
from
the
uncompounded comā-, stem of coma. The modification from
the uncompounded stem may be the result of additional suffixes
or endings, or some other phonetic change. Heterographic
Secunda are found in indirect compounds.
Secunda with Additional Suffixes or Endings
Stems used as Secunda very often combine with additional suffixes or
endings to form other Stem Compounds. When these stems do so, the regular
procedures of word formation using suffixes apply. Here are some descriptions of
the procedures for the formation of the Secundae of these Stem Compounds:
1. Substantive stems that undergo preparation to be Secunda may form compound
adjectives by the addition of any of these three sets of adjectival suffixes:
Set Types and Suffix
Set Type
Nom. Sg.
I
-us, -a, -um
II
-is, -is, -e
III
-ius, -ia, -ium
Forms
Stems
-o-, -ā-, -o-i-, -i-, -i-io-, -iā-, -io-
Compounds Adjectives
Decline Like the Words
bonus, bona, bonum
brevis, brevis, breve
ānxius, ānxia, ānxium
When Secundae take the Set Type II suffixes, they very often have a long
penult. However, the Secundae animis (-is, -e), comis (-is, -e), and iugis (-is, -e)
may take the Set Type II suffixes even though each has a short penult, but even
then, the Set Type I suffixes (i.e. -us, -a, -um) may be used instead.
Word(s)
rāmus
cornū
nōmen
Secunda
rāmis, -is, -e
cornis, -is, -e
nōminis, -is, -e
Penult Length
long
long
long
3
Compound Example
multirāmis, -is, -e
ūnicornis, -is, -e
multinōminis, -is, -e
anima, animus
anima, animus
coma
coma
iugum
iugum
animis, -is, -e
animus, -a, -um
comis, -is, -e
comus, -a, -um
iugis, -is, -e
iugus, -a, -um
short
short
short
short
short
short
magnanimis, -is, -e
magnanimus, -a, -um
horricomis, -is, -e
flāvicomus, -a, -um
multiiugis, -is, -e
multiiugus, -a, -um
The use of these three sets of terminations also depends on the declension of
the substantive stem. These suffix sets are added in the following ways:
a. Substantive stems of the first, second, and fourth declensions use Set Types I and
II, making compound adjectives ending in -us, -a, -um or -is, -is, -e.
Formation of Secunda
Word
Stem
Secunda
coma
comācomus, -a, -um
coma
comācomis, -is, -e
uncia
unciāuncis, -is, -e
rāmus
ramorāmis, -is, -e
frūctus
frūctufrūctus, -a, -um
cornū
cornucornis, -is, -e
Example in Compound
Word
Stems
albicomus, -a, -um
albicomo-, -ā-, -ohorricomis, -is, -e
horricomi-, -i-, -itriuncis, -is, -e
triunci-, -i-, -imultirāmis, -is, -e
multirāmi-, -i-, -imultifrūctus, -a, -um
multifrūcto-, -ā-, -oūnicornis, -is, -e
ūnicorni-, -i-, -i-
b. Substantive stems of the third and fifth declensions use Set Type I, making
compound adjectives in -us, -a, -um. These words rarely use Set Type II, making
compound adjectives in -is, -is, -e.
Formation of Secunda
Word
Stem
Secunda
flōs
flōrflōrus, -a, -um
nōmen nōmin- nōminis, -is, -e
fidēs
fidēfīdus, -a, -um
Example in
Word
multiflōrus, -a, -um
multinōminis, -is, -e
levifīdus, -a, -um
Compound
Stems
multiflōro-, -ā-, -omultinōmini-, -i-, -ilevifīdo-, -ā-, -o-
c. Substantive stems of any declension may use Set Type III, making compound
adjectives in -ius, -ia, -ium.
Formation of Secunda
Word Stem
Secunda
vēna
vēnā- vēnius, -ia, -ium
via
viāvius, -ia, -ium
nōdus nōdo- nōdius, -ia, -ium
cor
cordcordius, -ia, -ium
Example in
Word
crassivēnius, -ia, -ium
trivius, -ia, -ium
centinōdius, -ia, -ium
torticordius, -ia, -ium
Compound
Stems
crassivēnio-, -iā-, -iotrivio-, -iā-, -iocentinōdio-, -iā-, -iotorticordio-, -iā-, -io-
2. When verb stems are used as Secundae in Stem Compounds, they are given
substantive or adjectival suffixes or endings, and therefore they are always
heterographic. These Secunda may make up compounded nouns and adjectives.
Examples of Secundae in Compound Nouns
Formation of Secunda
Example in Compound
Word
Stem
Secunda
Word
Stem
caedere
caedecīda, -ae
homicīda, -ae
homicīdāfacere
facefex, -icis
artifex, -icis
artific-
4
fugere
fuge-
fuga, -ae
aquifuga, -ae
aquifugā-
Examples of Secundae in Compound Adjectives
Formation of Secunda
Example in Compound
Word
Stem
Secunda
Word
Stems
colere
colecola, -a, -a
rūricola, -a, -a
rūricolā-, -ā-, -āferre
ferfer, -ra, -rum
lūcifer, -ra, -rum
lūcifero-, -rā-, -ropetere
petepetus, -a, -um
lūcipetus, -a, -um
lūcipeto-, -ā-, -oa. Most verbs may form Secundae directly from one of their three stems, although in
practice their present stems are used instead of the others.
Formation of Secunda
Word
Stem
Secunda
colere
colecola, -ae
fugere
fugefuga, -ae
legere
legelegium, -iī
loquī
loqueloquium, -iī
lūcēre
lūcēlūcus, -a, -um
petere
petepeta, -ae
petere
petepetus, -a, -um
scīre
scīscius, -a, -um
trahere
trahetrahus, -a, -um
Example in Compound
Word
Stem(s)
agricola, -ae
agricolāaquifuga, -ae
aquifugāspīcilegium, -iī
spīcilegioveriloquium, -iī
veriloquioastrilūcus, -a, -um
astrilūco-, -ā-, -oagripeta, -ae
agripetālūcipetus, -a, -um
lūcipeto-, -ā-, -oomniscius, -a, -um
omniscio-, -ā-, -otestitrahus, -a, -um
testitraho-, -ā-, -o-
b. Forms of verbs different from their three stems may be used as Secundae.
Certain verbs regularly use their common verb stem, or root, instead of their three
stems. Verb stems of any type may also undergo additional phonetic changes.
The present stems that have undergone phonetic change appear below in
lower case letters while the common verb stems appear in small capital letters.
Word
agere
caedere
canere
capere
frangere
facere
facere
Present Stem
agecaedecanecapefrangefaceface-
Verb Form(s) for Secunda
ege-; EG (with phonetic change)
cīde-; CĪD (with phonetic change)
cene-; CED (with phonetic change)
cipe-; CIP (with phonetic change)
FRAG (without phonetic change)
fece-; FEC (with phonetic change)
fice-; FIC (with phonetic change)
Secunda
ex, -igis
cīda, -ae
cen, -inis
ceps, -ipis
fragus, -a -um
fex, -icis
ficus, -a -um
Note: In the creation of Secundae, sometimes the phonetic changes that occur in present stems are the
same as those that occur in their common verb stems. Since there is not always easy to discern whether
the Secundae derive from the present stems or from the common verb stems, the modified present stems
and the modified common verb stems appear above.
Some Stem Compounds formed with these Secundae are:
Formation of Secunda
Word
Secunda
agere
ex, -igis
caedere
cīda, -ae
canere
cen, -inis
Example in Compound
Word
Stem(s)
rēmex, -igis
rēmighomicīda, -ae
homicīdācornicen, -inis
cornicin-
5
capere
frangere
facere
facere
ceps, -ipis
fragus, -a -um
fex, -icis
ficus, -a -um
mūniceps, -ipis
naufragus, -a -um
artifex, -icis
vomificus, -a -um
mūnicipnaufrago-, -ā-, -oartificvomifico-, -ā-, -o-
Special Forms of Nominative Forms and Stems as Secunda
Certain substantives and adjectives have special forms in the nominative
singular and special stems that are used only as Secundae.
1. Some of these Secundae are modifications of their original stems that are much
more productive in the formation of Stem Compounds than the original stems:
Word
annus
annus
caput
corpus
diēs
Formation of Secunda
Stem
Secunda
annoennis, -is
annoennium, -iī
capitceps, -cipitis
corporcorpor, -oris
diēduum, -ī
Example in Compound
Word
Stem
biennis
biennisbiennium
bienniotrīceps
trīcipittricorpor
tricorportrīduum
trīduo-
The words ās and uncia have special irregularities. Ās may form the Secunda
assis, but the first letter in that Secunda, a, is often dropped, leaving only ssis, and
the connecting vowel before it appears as i, e, or u, depending on the Prima. Uncia
may form Secundae normally, except it also may form the Secunda unx, and when
the combination qu appears immedinately before any Secunda of uncia, the qu
becomes c (e.g. sescuncia instead of sesquuncia, quīncunx instead of quīnquunx).
Word
ās
ās
ās
ās
uncia
uncia
uncia
Formation of Secunda
Stem
Secunda
assassis, -is
assssis, -is
assssis, -is
assssis, -is
unciāuncia, -ae
unciāuncius, -iī
unciācunx, -ncis
Example in Compound
Word
Stem
qradrassis
qradrassioctussis
octussiseptissis
septissitressis
tressisescuncia
sescunciāteruncius
teruncioquīncunx
quīncunc-
2. It is normal in Latin for most adjectives with stems ending in -ro-, compounded or
not, to have special inflections. If their stems end in -ro- after a vowel (except -ē-),
they have inflections like miser, misera, miserum. If their stems end in -ro- after a
consonant, they have inflections like aeger, aegra, aegrum. But stems in -ēro-, and
a few in -ĕro-, are declined like bonus, bona, bonum, instead.
Adjective with Stem in -roNominative Singular Forms
Stems
līber, lībera, līberum
lībero-, līberāpestifer, pestifera, pestiferum
pestifero-, pestiferāarmiger, armigera, armigerum
armigero-, armigerāruber, rubra, rubrum
rubro-, rubrāsurruber, surrubra, surrubrum
surrubro-, surrubrāsatur, satura, saturum
saturo-, saturā-
6
Inflections Are Like
miser, misera, miserum
miser, misera, miserum
miser, misera, miserum
aeger, aegra, aegrum
aeger, aegra, aegrum
miser, misera, miserum
prōcērus, prōcēra, prōcērum
properus, propera, properum
prōcēro-, prōcērāpropero-, properā-
bonus, bona, bonum
bonus, bona, bonum
Denominative Verbs from Stem Compounds
Certain verbs were apparently formed by joining a substantive or adjectival
stem with a verb stem, but these compounds actually are denominative verbs
formed from real or imagined Stem compounds.
Prima
Word
Form
aedēs
aediiūdex
iū-
Secunda
Word
Form
facere
ficdicere
dic-
Compound
aedifex, *aedificus
iūdex
Denominative Verb
from Compound
aedificāre
iūdicāre
Note: Iūdex is for *iūsdex instead of the normal *iūridex.
Multi-Stem Stem Compounds
Although it is convenient to think of Stem Compounds as words comprising
two main parts, that does not mean that they may comprise only two stems. Thus,
two stems may come together to form a Stem Compound, and then a third may be
added, and so on. There are a number of multi-stem Stem Compounds, although
they are rarely formed. Many of these appear in the works of Plautus:
Compound
Thēsaurochrȳsonīcochroesides
Nūgipolyloquides
Vāniloquidōrus
Original Words
θησαυρός, χρῡσός, Κροῖσος
nūgae, πολύς, loquī
vānus, loquī, δῶρον
Meaning of Stem Compounds
Stem Compound words may be grouped according to their meanings into four
broad classes. A word may fall into one or more of these classes.
The functional relation of the parts of compounds varies so greatly that strict
boundary lines among the different classes is difficult to establish, and it is not
possible for every word to stay within any one class in all situations.
1. In Copulative Compounds, the Secunda is simply added to the first, and a
conjunction (e.g. and) may be implied (as in English bittersweet, sleepwalk, deaf-mute).
Compound
septendecim
sexdecim
suovetaurīlia
Meaning(s)
seventeen, seven and ten
sixteen, six and ten
sacrifice of a swine, a sheep, and a bull
Original Words
septem, decem
sex, decem
sūs, ovis, taurus
2. In Determinative Compounds, the Prima modifies the Secund as an adjective or
adverb (as in English eagle-eyed, goldfish, blockhead).
Compound
lātifundium
multifidus
Meaning(s)
large estate
many-cleft
7
Original Words
lātus, fundus
multus, findere
omnipotēns
all-powerful
omnis, potēns
3. In Objective Compounds, the Prima has the force of a case, and the Secunda has
a verbal force (as in English soothsayer, sightseer, painstaking).
Compound
agricola
cornicen
armiger
Meaning(s)
farmer
horn blower
armor bearer
Original Words
ager, colere
cornū, canere
arma, gerere
4. In Possessive Compounds, the Secunda, derived from a substantive stem, is part
of a compound adjective indicating possession of the quality denoted (as in English
whitehanded, open-hearted, yellow-bellied, redhead).
Compound
ālipēs
flāvicomus
magnanimus
Meaning(s)
wing-footed
yellow-haired
great-souled
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Original Words
āla, pēs
flāvus, coma
magnus, animus
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The
Stearn, William T. Botanical Latin. 4th ed. Newton Abbot: David and Charles, 1966.
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London: Longman, Brown, Green,