Why don’t we try encountering Latin words “in their natural habitat”? This habitat being Pliny’s Naturalis Historiae.
Well, I only looked at a couple of sentences; it was denser-going than I expected
Liber XIII
Ad reliqua transeamus animalia et primum terrestria.
Let us pass to the rest of the animals, and first those that live on land.
| Word | Type | Root | Root Meaning | cf. English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ad | pre | to | ||
| reliqua | n | the rest | ||
| transeamus | v | transeo | to traverse | transit |
| animalia | n | animal | animal | |
| et | con | and | ||
| primum | adj | primus | first | primal |
| terrestria | adj | terrestris | terrestrial |
Maximum est elephans proximumque humanis sensibus, quippe intellectus illis sermonis patrii et imperiorum obedientia, officiorum quae didicere memoria, amoris et gloriae voluptas, immo vero quae etiam in homine rara, probitas, prudentia, aequitas, religio quoque sederum solisque ac lunae veneratio.
The largest land animal is the elephant, and it is the nearest to man in intelligence: it understands the language of its country and obeys oders, remembers duties that it has been taught, is pleased by affection and marks of honour, nay more it possesses virtues rare even in man, honesty, wisdom, justice, also respect for the stars and reverence for the sun and moon.
| Word | Type | Root | Root Meaning | cf. English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| maximum | adj | maximus | largest, greatest | |
| elephans | n | elephant | ||
| proximum | adj | proximus | nearest | proximal |
| -que | con | and | ||
| humanis | n | humanus | human | |
| sensibus | n | sensus | perception | sense |
| quippe | adv | surely, indeed | ||
| intellectus | n | understanding | intellect | |
| illis | n | ille | that | |
| sermonis | n | sermo | conversation, language | sermon |
| patrii | n | patria | country, fatherland | patriotism |
| imperiorum | n | imperium | empire, order | imperial, imperative |
| obedientia | par | obediens | obedient | |
| officiorum | n | officium | duty | official |
| quae | gr | qui | who, that, which | |
| didicere | v | disco | learn, study | didactic |
| memoria | n | memory | ||
| amoris | n | amor | love, affection | amorous |
| gloriae | n | gloria | glory. honour | |
| voluptas | n | pleasure | voluptuous | |
| immo | adv | certainly, indeed | ||
| vero | adv | verily, truly, in particular | ||
| etiam | adv | also, furthermore | ||
| in | pre | in, on | ||
| homine | n | homo | human | hominid |
| rara | adj | rarus | rare | |
| probitas | n | honesty | probity | |
| prudentia | n | wisdom | prudence | |
| aequitas | n | justice | equitable | |
| religio | n | piety | religion | |
| quoque | adv | also | ||
| siderum | n | sidus | star | sidereal |
| solis | n | sol | sun | solar |
| ac | con | and | ||
| lunae | n | luna | moon | lunar |
| veneratio | n | reverence, worship | veneration |