| A | abscídó, abscídere, abscísí, abscísum, 'hack off, cut off'. < abs (=ab) + caedó, caedere, cecídí, caesum, 'fell, cut down; cut, hack'. |
| acerbus, acerba, acerbum, 'bitter; unpleasant'. | |
| adeó, adv., 'so, to such a degree'. | |
| adfirmó, adfirmáre, adfirmáví, adfirmátum, 'strengthen, make firm; assert, affirm'. | |
| aeger, aegra, aegrum, 'sick'. | |
| aeternus, aeterna, aeternum, 'eternal, lasting forever'. Aeternum valé was said at funerals. | |
| ait: 3.Sg.Pres.Ind.Act. of the defective verb aió, 'say'. Most other forms are rare or nonexistent. | |
| aliter, adverb from alius, 'otherwise, in another way'. | |
| ambitiósus, ambitiósa, ambitiósum, 'ambitious, eager for advancement; pretentious, showy'. | |
| ámittó, ámittere, ámísí, ámissum, 'lose' < ab/á + mittó, 'send'. | |
| aper, aprí, M., 'wild boar'. | |
| argentum, argentí, N., 'silver'. | |
| áridus, árida, áridum, 'dry'. | |
| audítor, audítóris, M., 'listener, hearer'. | |
| auricula, auriculae, F., 'earhole', diminutive of auris, auris, F., 'ear'. | |
| B | balneum, balneí, N., 'baths, bathhouse'. Only the wealthiest Romans had bathing facilities at home. |
| bellus, bella, bellum, 'pretty'. Easy to confuse with bellum, bellí, N., 'war', since many of the forms are identical. | |
| bibó, bibere, bibí, 'drink'. | |
| blandior, blandírí, blandítus sum, 'to flatter, flirt'. | |
| C | caelebs, caelibis, adjective of one ending, 'unmarried, bachelor or widow(er)'. |
| calix, calicis, M., 'cup' > English 'chalice'. | |
| captó, captáre, captáví, captátum (frequentative of capió, capere), 'hunt for legacies' (by buttering up the rich and childless). | |
| careó, carére, caruí, caritúrus, + abl., 'lack, miss, be without'. | |
| carmen, carminis, N., 'song; poem'. | |
| cénó, cénáre, cénáví, cénátum, 'dine, have dinner' < céna, cénae, F., 'dinner'. | |
| centum, indecl. cardinal number, 'one hundred'. | |
| céra, cérae, F., 'wax; wax-tablet'. | |
| clúnis, clúnis, M. or F., 'buttock', nearly always plural, as in English. | |
| cocus, cocí, M., 'cook'. | |
| cógó, cógere, cóégí, coactum, 'force, compel' < co- (=cum) + agó, agere. | |
| collum, collí, N., 'neck'. | |
| coma, comae, F., 'hair'. | |
| comitor, comitárí, comitátus sum, 'follow, accompany, attend'. | |
| convenió, conveníre, convéní, conventum, 'come together; agree, get along'. < con- (=cum) + venió, veníre. | |
| cónvíva, cónvívae, M., 'dinner guest' < cón + vívere. || cónvívium, cónvívií, N., 'dinner party, symposium'. | |
| crús, crúris, N., 'leg, shin'. | |
| custós, custódis, M., 'guard'. | |
| D | délectó, délectáre, délectáví, délectátum, 'lure, entice; delight, please'. |
| déns, dentis, M., 'tooth'. Said to be from edéns, edentis, present participle of edere, 'eat'. | |
| déprendó, déprendere, déprendí, déprensum, 'catch' - also spelled déprehendó, déprehendere, etc. | |
| dímidius, dímidia, dímidium, 'half'. | |
| discipulus, discipulí, M., 'pupil'. | |
| dívés, dívitis, adj. of 1 ending, 'rich'. | |
| doleó, dolére, doluí, 'hurt, be in pain, be in sorrow'. | |
| dónó, dónáre, dónáví, dónátum, + abl., 'present (with)'; + dat., 'present (to)'. | |
| dum, 'while', + present indicative when it defines a period of time during which some event occurs. If times are coextensive, it takes whatever tense best matches the sense. | |
| E | emó, emere, émí, emptum, 'buy'. |
| epigramma, epigrammatis, N. 'epigram'. | |
| ergo, conj., 'therefore'. | |
| éruó, éruere, éruí, érutum, 'tear up, uproot; dig up'. | |
| exigó, exigere, exégí, exáctum, 'to drive out; exact, demand' < ex + agó, agere. | |
| F | fátum, fátí, N., 'fate', also often 'death' (here Maro's, not Martial's), sometimes in the poetic plural. |
| febris, febris, M., 'fever'. | |
| ferculum, ferculí, N., a 'dish' or 'course' in a meal. < ferre, because they were carried in by the waiters. | |
| fígó, fígere, fíxí, fíxum, 'fasten, pin, fix', also 'to impale' (as a form of capital punishment). | |
| fío, fierí, factus sum, irreg., 'be made, be done; happen', acts as passive of fació. | |
| fleó, flére, fléví, 'weep' or (+ acc.) 'weep for'. | |
| foedus, foeda, foedum: 'ugly, foul, loathsome'. - not to be confused with the noun foedus, foederis, N., agreement, treaty'. | |
| futútor, futútóris, M., 'f***er', more genteelly, 'seducer, lover, sexual partner'. < futuó, futuere, futuí, futútum, 'f***', the 'F-word' in Latin. | |
| G | garrió, garríre, 'chatter'. |
| garum, garí, N., 'fish sauce', made from anchovies salted and left out in the sun for six months. | |
| gaudium, gaudií, N., 'joy'. | |
| geló, geláre, geláví, gelátum, 'freeze; congeal'. || gelú, gelús, N., 'icy coldness, frost, chill', one of the very few common 4th declension neuters. | |
| grátís: adverb, 'for free, gratis'. | |
| H | haréna, harénae, F., 'sand'. This is the source (via Spanish) of English 'arena'. |
| hérés, hérédis, MF. 'heir'. | |
| I | ignóscó, ignóscere, ignóví, ignótum, 'to overlook, pardon, forgive'. |
| immo, adverb, 'rather, on the contrary'. | |
| inánis, ináne, 'empty', usually literal, where English 'inane' is metaphorical. | |
| incipió, incipere, incépí, inceptum, 'begin'. < capió, capere, cépí, captum, 'take, seize'. | |
| ingeniósus, ingeniósa, ingeniósum, 'clever, ingenious'. Not to be confused with ingenuus, 'free-born; noble, frank, candid, ingenuous'. | |
| ingéns, ingéntis, adjective of one ending 'vast, huge'. | |
| ínscríbó, ínscríbere, ínscrípsí, ínscríptum, 'write on, inscribe', from in + scríbere. | |
| insequor, insequí, insecútus sum, 'follow on, follow after, pursue' < in + sequí. | |
| ínstó, ínstáre, ínstití, etymologically 'to stand on, stand close to', hence 'to urge, insist, press'. | |
| iúcundus, iúcunda, iúcundum, 'pleasant'. | |
| iúró, iúráre, iúráví, iúrátum, 'swear' (as in call the gods to witness, not use foul language). | |
| iustus, iusta, iustum, 'just, proper, appropriate'. | |
| L | lacrima, lacrimae, F., 'tear, teardrop'. |
| lagóna, lagónae, F., 'large earthenware vessel with handles, wine-jug, flagon'. | |
| langueó, languére, 'be faint, weary, languid'. | |
| lavó, laváre, laváví, lavátum, 'wash'. The passive sometimes has a middle sense 'wash oneself'. | |
| lector, lectóris, M., 'reader'. | |
| légitimus, légitima, légitimum, 'lawful, legitimate'. | |
| libellus, libellí, M. 'booklet, pamphlet'. Diminutive of liber, librí, M., 'book'. As today, poetry books tended to be smaller than prose books. | |
| libra, librae, F., 'pound' (weight). | |
| licet, licére, licuit, impers., 'it is permitted', with dative of person and infinitive of action permitted. | |
| lingua, linguae, F., 'tongue; language'. | |
| locuplés, locuplétis, adjective of one ending, 'rich'. | |
| lúgeó, lúgére, lúxí, 'mourn, mourn for'. | |
| luscus, lusca, luscum, 'one-eyed'. | |
| M | maledícó, maledícere, maledixí, maledictum, + dat., 'speak ill of, malign'. < male + dícó, dícere, dixí, dictum. (benedícere means 'bless'.) |
| mamma, mammae, F., 'breast'. | |
| máne: indeclinable noun, 'early morning, dawn', or adverb, 'in the early morning, at dawn'. | |
| medicus, medicí, M., 'doctor'. | |
| mediocris, mediocre, not 'bad', but 'fair to middling', 'of medium quality'. | |
| mensa, mensae, F., 'table'. | |
| mentior, mentírí, mentítus sum, 'lie, tell a lie'. | |
| míror, mírárí, mírátus sum, 'wonder (at), be amazed (at)'. | |
| míror, mírárí, mírátus sum, 'wonder, marvel, be amazed'. | |
| modo, adverb, 'lately'. | |
| moecha, moechae, F., 'adulteress, fornicator, slut'. | |
| mório, moriónis, M., 'idiot kept as a laughing-stock, fool'. | |
| morior, morí, mortuus sum, 'die'. | |
| múlio, múliónis, M., 'muleteer, mule-driver'. | |
| N | natis, natis, F., 'buttock', nearly always plural, like clúnis and Eng. 'buttock'. |
| negó, negáre, negáví, negátum, 'deny, refuse, say no'. | |
| nempe, 'of course, to be sure, indeed'. | |
| niger, nigra, nigrum, 'black, dark'. | |
| níl = nihil (alternate forms). | |
| nimius, nimia, nimium, 'excessive': nimium is an accusative of degree. | |
| niveus, nivea, niveum, 'snowy, pure white, shiny white'. | |
| nummus, nummí, M., 'coin', the plural often = 'cash', though not here. | |
| núper: adj. 'lately'. | |
| núptiae, núptiárum, F.Pl., 'marriage, wedding'. | |
| O | ódí, ódisse, ósúrus, 'hate' - irregular: perfect forms with present meanings. |
| oleó, olére, 'to stink, smell of'. | |
| olfació, olfacere, olfécí, olfactum, 'sniff, smell'. Not to be confused with oleó, olére, 'stink, smell of'. | |
| onyx, onycis, F., 'onyx', a semi-precious stone, also a perfume-jar made out of onyx. | |
| operió, operíre, operuí, opertum, 'cover'. | |
| ops, opis, F., 'power, ability'. Much commoner in the plural, where it means 'wealth, resources'. | |
| ós, óris, N., 'mouth' (> Eng. 'oral'), not to be confused with os, ossis, N., 'bone'. | |
| óscitó, óscitáre, oscitáví, 'gape, yawn, be sleepy'. | |
| P | palleó, pallére, palluí, 'be pale'. |
| pereó, períre, perií, peritum, 'die, perish' < per + eó, íre, as in English 'pass over, pass away'. | |
| perspicuus, perspicua, perspicuum, 'transparent' < perspició (=per + -spició), 'see through'. | |
| petó, petere, petíví, petítum, 'seek, desire, aim for'. | |
| piper, piperis, N., 'pepper'. The name also covers other sharp-tasting and expensive spices such as cinnamon and cloves. | |
| placeó, placére, placuí, + dat., 'please, be pleasing'. | |
| pote: indeclinable adjective (also potis), meaning 'able, possible'. | |
| praestó, praestáre, praestití, praestátum, 'furnish, supply; be outstanding, be preferable'. | |
| praeter, prep. + acc., 'besides'. | |
| precor, precárí, precátus sum, 'pray, beg'. | |
| probitás, probitátis, F., 'uprightness, probity, virtue'. | |
| probó, probáre, probáví, probátum, 'approve; recommend; prove'. | |
| pródó, pródere, pródidí, próditum, 'to show, exhibit', hence 'to make known, betray'. | |
| prósilió, prósilíre, prósiluí, 'leap forth, burst forth, spurt'. < pró + salió, salíre, saluí, saltum, 'leap, jump; dance'. | |
| prótinus, adv., 'straight on ahead; right away, immediately; continuously, uninterruptedly'. | |
| pudet, pudére, puduit, impers. The verb means 'to cause shame', with the person shamed in the accusative, and the thing causing shame either nominative or genitive. - 'I am ashamed of this' is either mé pudet hoc or mé pudet huius. | |
| pulchré, adv. of pulcher. | |
| Q | quaeró, quaerere, quaesíví, quaesítum, 'seek; ask'. |
| quáré, adv., 'why'. | |
| quater, adv., 'four times'. | |
| queror, querí, questus sum, 'complain'. | |
| querulus, querula, querulum, 'complaining' > Eng. 'querulous'. | |
| quidem, adv., 'indeed, certainly, to be sure', usually emphasizes the preceding word. | |
| R | recitó, recitáre, recitáví, recitátum, not just 'read' or 'read aloud', like English 'recite', but 'give a public reading'. |
| reddó, reddere, reddidí, redditum, 'give back, return' < re- + dare. | |
| rogó, rogáre, rogáví, rogátum, 'ask'. | |
| rubeó, rubére, rubuí, 'be red; blush'. | |
| S | saltem, adv., 'at least'. |
| salútó, salútáre, salútáví, salútátum, 'greet'. < salveó, salvére: 'to greet' is to say salvé to someone. | |
| sapió, sapere, sapíví or sapií, 'have a flavor, taste of; have sense, be sensible, be wise'. | |
| satió, satiáre, satiáví, satiátum, 'fill, glut, cloy, satiate'. | |
| scelerátus, sceleráta, scelerátum, 'criminal, wicked'. | |
| selibra, selibrae, F., 'half-pound' (weight) - shortened form of semilibra. | |
| semel: numerical adverb, 'once' (as in 'twice', not = 'formerly'). | |
| senex, senis, M. noun, 'old man', or adjective of one ending, 'old'. | |
| sinó, sinere, síví, situm, 'permit, allow'. | |
| sinus, sinús, M., 'chest, bosom; lap; the fold in the front of a toga'. Roman clothes had no pockets, so they tucked things into the fronts of their togas instead. | |
| sitió, sitíre, sitíví, 'thirst, be thirsty'. | |
| soleó, solére, solitus sum, 'be in the habit of, be accustomed to, do customarily'. As you can see from the principal parts, it is 'semi-deponent'. | |
| spíró, spíráre, spíráví, spírátum, 'to breathe'. | |
| spútum, spútí, N., 'spit, sputum'. | |
| stupeó, stupére, stupuí, 'be stunned, amazed, open-mouthed in amazement'. | |
| subinde: adverb, 'from time to time, repeatedly'. | |
| superbus, superba, superbum, 'proud'. | |
| surdus, surda, surdum, 'deaf'. | |
| T | tangó, tangere, tetigí, tactum, 'touch'. |
| tegó, tegere, téxí, téctum, 'cover'. | |
| teró, terere, tríví, trítum, 'rub, wear out'. | |
| testis, testis, MF., 'witness; testicle'. | |
| tingó, tingere, tinxí, tinctum, 'wet, moisten; stain, dye'. Also spelled tinguó, tinguere. | |
| torqueó, torquére, torsí, tortum, 'turn, twist; torture'. | |
| trecentí, trecentae, trecenta, cardinal number, 'three hundred' - plural only, of course. | |
| tumulus, tumulí, M., 'grave-mound', hence 'grave, tomb'. | |
| turba, turbae, F., 'crowd, mob'. | |
| tussió, tussíre, 'to cough, have a (bad) cough'. | |
| U | unguentum, unguentí, N., 'unguent, ointment, perfume'. |
| útor, útí, úsus sum, + abl., 'use, make use of'. (The ablative signifies means or instrument.) | |
| uxor, uxóris, F., 'wife'. uxorem ducere = 'marry', and is used only of the husband, since the main part of the marriage-ceremony was a procession from the bride's parents' house to the groom's. The verb núbó, núbere, núpsí, núptum also means 'to marry', and is used only of the wife - except parodically in homosexual contexts. It is related to núbés, 'cloud': the root meaning is 'to wear a veil'. | |
| V | vendó, vendere, vendidí, venditum, 'sell'. < ven(um) + dare, just as veneó, veníre, 'be for sale', comes from ven(um) + eó, íre. |
| véneó, véníre, vénií, 'be sold, be for sale', compounded of vén(um) + eó, íre. véneó should not be confused with venió, 'come', some of whose forms are identical. Note: double i is often shortened to single in the perfect tense. | |
| versiculus, versiculí, M., diminutive of versus, versús, M., 'verse, line of verse'. | |
| vespillo, vespillónis, M., 'one employed to bury those too poor to afford a funeral'. < vespa, vespae, F., 'wasp'. | |
| vestis, vestis, F., 'clothing, apparel', often plural, like English 'clothes'. | |
| vígintí, indeclinable cardinal number, 'twenty'. | |
| vir, virí, M.: usually 'man, male human being', but sometimes also 'husband'. | |
| vitiósus, vitiósa, vitiósum, 'full of vice(s)'. Not 'vicious' in the English sense, which refers to one particular vice. | |
| vitrum, vitrí, N., 'glass' > English 'vitreous'. | |
| vívus, víva, vívum, 'alive'. |