Language Learners' Library

The first hundred in Latin
English Latin
I ego
you (sg.) tu
he quis
we nos
you (pl.) vos
they qui / quae
this quis / quid
that quis / quid
here huc
there illuc / ibi
who quis / qui / quae
what quid / quae
where ubi
when quando
how quomodo
not non
all omnis
many multus
some aliqui
few pauca
other alius
one unus
two duo
three tres
four quattuor
five qinque
big magnus
long longus
wide latus
thick crassus
heavy grauis
small paruus
short breuis
narrow breuis / artus
thin tenuis
woman femina
man uir
human homo
child natus / nata
wife uxor
husband uir
mother mater
father pater
animal animal
fish piscis
bird auis
dog canis
louse culex
snaker serpens
worm uermis
tree arbor
forest silua
stick rudis
fruit fructus
seed semen
leaf folium
root radix
bark cortex
flower flos
grass gramen
rope rudens
skin cutis
meat carnis
blood sanguis
bone os
fat (n.) adeps
egg ouum
horn cornu
tail cauda
feather pluma
hair crinis
head caput
ear auris
eye oculus
nose nasus
mouth os
tooth dens
tongue (n.) lingua
foot pes
leg crus
knee genu
hand manus
wing pinna
belly aluus
guts ile
neck collum
back tergum
breast pectus
heart cor
liver iecur
to drink poto
to eat edo
to bite mordeo
to suck bibo
to spit spuo
to vomit uomo
to blow spiro
to breathe spiro
to laugh rideo

By the way, when we reach a thousand posts I’m going to do some spring cleaning and rework the OP.

The thread’s looking a bit tangled at the moment…

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
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You translated that yourself?

intellectus illis sermonis patrii is literally ‘understanding [is] on them of the paternal language’, illis being dativus possessivus and patrii the adjective patrius -a -um ‘of the homeland’.

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No, the translation’s from Loeb, I’m afraid. I said that in a comment but I must have accidentally deleted it.

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The genders and numbers in that first sentence are a bit confusing, too. Pliny starts out with maximum and proximum in the neuter, because he’s thinking of animal, but Cicero would have written maximus and proximus (or maxumus and proxumus) in the masculine because of elephans. The same happens later with delphinus est celerrimum omnium animalium. This not the most classical Latin. Then he changes into the plural and uses illis because he’s thinking of elephants as the species as a whole.

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These pages from Robert Morrison’s 1815 publication 字典 A Dictionary of the Chinese Language, in Three Parts, Vol. I.—Part I. seem to be the first ever formal naming of the kangxi radicals in English, as this was the first Chinese – English dictionary.

Perhaps it was even Morrison who coined the term radical, in this book.

(As a side note, observe the use of archaic shew for show in the page title.)

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A nice little Latin course c:

Maybe a bit off topic.
I see that with

you are entering the world of etymology.
In Dutch a mouse is called “een muis”.

Following link is a etymological dictionary for English words.

One of my favourites is a decoy.

[decoy (v.)
1650s, “to allure or entice;” 1670s, “to lure (someone or something) into a trap or snare, entrap by allurements,” from decoy (n.).

1610s, “a swindler;” 1650s, “anything intended to lead (someone) into a snare;” 1660s, “a lure employed in enticing game into a snare or within range of a weapon;” perhaps from Dutch kooi"cage," used of a pond surrounded by nets, into which wildfowl were lured for capture, from West Germanic *kaiwa, from Latin cavea “cage” (from cavus “a hollow” (from PIE root *keue- “to swell,” also “vault, hole”).

The first element is possibly the Dutch definite article de, mistaken in English as part of the word. If this is right, the later sense in English is the etymological one. But decoy, of unknown origin, was the name of a card game popular c. 1550-1650, and this may have influenced the form of the word.

This refers to the Dutch word “eendenkooi” (a small pond with a long cone-shaped wickerwork tunnel, used to catch wild ducks).
In English this was transformed into a decoy (een dekooi).

Source:

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Interesting!

As a native speaker, I would have guessed at a surface etymology de-coy, an inflection of coy, which has one meaning “pretending shyness or modesty”. This would be similar in form to Latinate verbs like demonstrate or debase, and the decoy verb could have then spread to become a noun.

Folk etymology is fun, heh.

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I read something interesting on Wikipedia last night, about the development of a certain indigenous Caribbean language:

A few decades prior to the arrival of the first conquistadores, people who spoke a Cariban language expanded into the Lesser Antilles and killed or displaced and also mixed with the Arawak peoples who already inhabited the islands. The resulting language—Kalhíphona or Island Carib—was Carib in name but largely Arawak in substance. This happened because Carib men took Arawak wives, who then passed their language on to the children. For a time, Arawak was spoken by women and children and Carib by adult men, but as each generation of Carib-Arawak boys reached adulthood, they acquired less Carib until only basic vocabulary and a few grammatical elements were left.

However, this whole claim is uncited, and the main page about Island Carib presents a more uncertain and controversial picture, with the possiblity that there never even was an invasion but rather a peaceful assimilation of the Arawaks into Carib identity.

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This is similar to a story told by Herodotus 6.138 about the Pelasgians on the island of Lemnos:

The Pelasgians are a non-Greek people who inhabited Greece before the Greeks. Eventually, the Pelasgians from Athens were driven away by the Greek Athenians and settled Lemnos.

The Pelasgians who inhabited Lemnos at that time and wanted to take revenge on the Athenians, knew the Athenian festivals very well and laid an ambush with fifty-oar galleys to attack the Athenian women on their way to celebrate the festival of Artemis in Brauron. They captured them and brought them to Lemnos and made them their side-wives.
When these women became mothers of many children, they taught them the Attic language and an Athenian lifestyle. These children did not want to mingle with the children from Pelasgian women; and when one of them got beaten by one of these, they (the Greek children) all rushed to help and avenge each other. So, the children thought it was right to rule over the Pelasgian children.
When the Pelasgian men figured that out, they held council and decided on something horrible: If these children already have in mind to help each other against the children from their rightful wives and already try to rule over them now, what are they going to do once they’re grown up? So they decided to kill the children of the Attic women. This they did, and they killed the mothers too.

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Exercise: what are the US states called in your target language?

As a Latin student, I think I’m free to exercise my own creativity on this~

English Latin (nom., gen.)
Alabama Alabama, -ae
Alaska Alasca, -ae
Arizona Arizóna, -ae
Arkansas Arcansor, -óris
California California, -ae
Connecticut Coneticútia, -iae
Delaware Delauer, -eris
Florida Florida, -ae
Georgia Iorgia, -iae
Hawaii Haua, -ae
Idaho Ídahó, -ónis
Illinois Ilinó, -ónis
Indiana Indiana, -ae
Iowa Ióua, -ae
Kentucky Centúcis, -idis
Louisiana Luísiána, -ae
Maine Mén, -nis
Maryland Terra (-ae) Mariae
Massachusetts Masacústis, -idis
Michigan Misigium, -ii
Minnesota Minesóta, -ae
Mississippi Misisipis, -idis
Missouri Mizúra, -ae
Montana Montana, -ae
Nebraska Nebrasca, -ae
Nevada Neuáda, -ae
New Hampshire Ampium Nóuum, Ampii Nóui
New Jersey Ursis Nóua, Ursidis Nóuae
New Mexico Mexicó Nóua, Mexicónis Nóuae
New York Orcum Nóuum, Orci Nóui
North Carolina Carolína (-ae) Septentriónalis
North Dakota Dacóta (-ae) Septentriónalis
Ohio Óió, -ónis
Oklahoma Oclahóma, -ae
Oregon Oregium, -ii
Pennsylvania Pensiluánia, -ae
Rhode Island Insula (ae) Rhódi
South Carolina Carolína (-ae) Australis
South Dakota Dacóta (-ae) Australis
Tennessee Tenesis, -idis
Texas Texus, -ús
Utah Iúta, -ae
Vermont Uermontia, -iae
Virginia Uirginia, -iae
Washington Osintium, -ii
West Virginia Uirginia (-ae) Occidentális
Wisconsin Uisconsium, -ii
Wyoming Uiómium, -ii
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Heh, New York already has a name (and is probably not alone)

Eboracensis nova civitas, Belgium novum, New York, St. u. Staat, Nordamerika

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Now the US states are done, how about the countries of the world?

English Latin
Afghanistan Afigania
Albania
Algeria Algiria
Andorra Andora
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda Antigua et Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan Asterbiana
The Bahamas Biamae
Bahrain Barena
Bangladesh Banguladis
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize Belisa
Benin Benina
Bhutan Butana
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia et Herzegouina
Botswana Bostuana
Brazil Brasilia
Brunei Bruna
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso Burcina Faso
Burundi Burundia
Cambodia
Cameroon Camerina
Canada
Cape Verde Cabo Uiridis
Central African Republic Respublica Centralis Africana
Chad Cadia
Chile Cilia
China Sina
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Republic of Congo Respublica Congonis
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech Republic Respublica Cesciae
Denmark Denomarcia
Djibouti Ibotia
Dominica
Republic of Dominica Respublica Dominicae
East Timor Timor Orientalis
Egypt Aegyptus
El Salvador Saluator
Equatorial Guinea Ginis Aequatoris
Eritrea
Estonia
Eswatini Asatinia
Ethiopia Aethiopia
Fiji Fiis
Finland Suomis
France Gallia
Gabon Gabo
Gambia
Georgia Iorgia
Germany Germania
Ghana Gana
Greece Graecia
Grenada
Guatemala Gatemala
Guinea Ginis
Guinea-Bissau Ginis-Biso
Guyana Giana
Haiti Hetia
Honduras Hondurus
Hungary Hungaria
Iceland Thule
India
Indonesia
Iran Persia
Iraq Irac
Ireland Hibernia
Israel Iudaea
Italy Italia
Ivory Coast Ora Eburnea
Jamaica Amacia
Japan Iaponia
Jordan Ordania
Kazhakstan Casacia
Kenya Cenia
Kiribata Ciribatia
Korea Corea
Kuwait Cuetia
Kyrgyzstan Cirgis
Laos Los
Latvia Latiuia
Lebanon Lebanum
Lesotho Lesutu
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein Lictium
Lithuana Lituenia
Luxembourg Luxumburgia
Madagascar Madagasca
Malawi Malauia
Malaysia Malasia
Maldives Maldiui
Mali Malia
Malta
Marshall Islands Insulae Marsali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montonegro
Morocco
Mozambique Mosambica
Myanmar Mianma
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands Nederia
New Zealand Silandia Noua
Nicaragua
Niger
North Macedonia Macedonia Septentrionalis
Norway Noruia
Oman Omen
Pakistan Pacia
Palau Palia
Palestine Palestina
Panama
Papua New Guina Papua
Paraguay Paragia
Peru
Phillipines Phillipia
Poland Polia
Portugal Lusitania
Qatar Cata
Romania Dacia
Russia Rossia
Rwanda Ruanda
Saint Kitts and Nevis Kitis Caeles et Neuis
Saint Lucia Lucia Caeles
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Uincentius Caeles et Grenadae
Samoa
San Marino Marino Caeles
Sao Tome and Principe Thomas Caeles et Princeps
Saudi Arabia Arabia Saudiorum
Senegal
Serbia
Solomon Islands Insulae Solomonis
Somalia
South Africa Africa Australis
South Sudan Sudania Australis
Spain Hispania
Sri Lanka Celonia
Sudan Sudania
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland Suis
Syria
Tajikistan Taeicia
Tanzania
Thailand Taesia
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago Trinida et Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey Anatolia
Turkmenistan Turcimenia
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine Iucrenia
United Arab Emirates Phylarchiae Consociae Arabiae
United Kingdom Regnum Consocium
United States of America Respublicae Consociae Americae
Uruguay Urugia
Uzbekistan Usbecia
Vanuatu
Vatican City Urbs Uaticani
Venezuela
Vietnam Uietnamia
Yemen Iemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe Simbabia

When you go Iucrenia and Suis you were thinking of the English pronounciation, weren’t you.

What made you think this was a good idea?

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And what’s wrong with Georgia?

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See also: list of country names in Latin

Note that many countries in Europe / Western Asia / Northern Africa already have names in Latin. The Netherlands is called Batavia for example, Russia is Ruthenia, France is Gallia, Switzerland is Helvetia, etc.

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And I might have sounded rude earlier, but the feeling I have is similar to watching Monty Python doing an incredibly offensive, but brilliant joke.

Let’s learn some of the vocabulary of Esperanto.

English Latin Esperanto
one unus unu
two duo du
three tres tri
four quattuor kvar
five quinque kvin
six sex ses
seven septem sep
eight octo ok
nine novem naŭ
ten decem dek
man vir viro
woman femina virino
house domus domo
road via vojo
field ager agro
water aqua akvo
river flumen rivero
lake lacus lago
boat ratis boato
fish piscis fiŝo
crab cancer krabo
bird avis birdo
egg ovum ovo
bat (anim.) vespertilio vesperto
horse equus ĉevalo
cow bos bovino
sheep ovis ŝafo
goat caper (/-ra) kapro
worm vermis vermo
tree arbor arbo
forest silva arbaro
leaf folium folio
fruit fructus frukto
wine vinum vino
table (furn.) mensa tablo
chair sedes seĝo
sun sol suno
moon luna luno
star stella / aster stelo